As soon as Omar left, I sat on my widow's edge and reflected on what he said. It really touched the core of my cold frozen heart and I realised he was telling the truth. I agreed with every single word that he uttered. I agreed wholly. I was doing something wrong by leaving. I was supposed to stay. At the same time, his speech also brought an end to the puzzle I had been trying to fix all day long. I didn't find the evidence that would prove Natasha innocent but I was sure she would definitely give me what I needed. I had a perfect plan. I quickly dropped off my window and took a quick bath, slipped myself in my black tracksuits and wore my black wellington boots. You just never know....
I covered my head with my hoodie and walked down the stairs to the living room. My aunt was watching TV and having fun as if all was well. Of course with her all was well. Unlike with me who had to save three lives and take out revenge on three lives as well. I walked past her as though I didn't notice her.
"Where are you going?", she asked.
"On what grounds do you ask that? So that you send some more goons after me?", I stopped and she stood up revealing her stature against mine of which she was looking down at me at an angle approximately nineteen degrees. We weren't that different.
"Am just looking out for you.....", she started. I didn't have time to listen to her so I just walked to the door and went out. She was probably going to cook up some psychology drama to brainwash me or blackmail and even reverse psychology. I wasn't ready for all those. I was ready to rescue my friend and I was going to do it. I walked out of the house and went all the way to the bus deport. It was already seven thirty pm and I had like thirty more minutes to meet Natasha. A walk won't hurt. Besides, the road was empty and the buses where taking long and so I didn't want to wait and waste time. I took a shortcut through the forest to get to CrunchyCrust quicker. CruchyCrust was an old bakeries shop almost outside town. It took thirty minutes of transport to the there but since I was walking I used a short cut which would be much easier although it wasn't safe. But anyway what was there to be afraid of? The forest was man's bestfriend, was it not? It had all manner of fruits and water bodies that weren't only relieving but also life refreshing and joy giving. I removed my hoodie and let the breath of the forest do away with me. I smelled like a million trees around here and I loved every breath I took with each passing second. I took dainty steps as I appreciated how beautiful nature was. I spun around not only to check what was lurking in the shadows behind me but to appreciate this magnificent beauty from all angles. I walked further and as I grew closer to the outside of the forest, I felt a very cold breeze blowing from an abandoned building. I looked at a rusty post sign places near it holding the name CrustyCrunch. I would literally smell evil coming from this part of the forest and I pulled my hoodie onto my head, had my hands in my pockets and walked toward the building. It used to be a very well serving shop. It was famous in town for its good pieces of bakery and fresh foods. Unfortunately, when the owner passed away, the family members where shocked after the harsh cold reality that he left it in the name of his prodigal grandson. All his children where left with jealousy growing with each passing second for the grandson and they hatched a conspiracy. They thought to themselves that before, they used to be a happy family but the coming in of the bakery split them apart and so they decided to get rid of it. They set the London designed bakery ablaze and in less that minutes all it's beauty was covered in dark smoke and flames. The alarmed workers around alerted the heir of the bakery as his house wasn't far from it. He arose at the shock of the smoke clogging his house. He contacted the fire department who came hours later only to find the building in ruins. There wasn't enough money to repair it and unfortunately, he left the country to find money with the hope of repairing his grandfather's bakery one day. Anderson Crust.
As I grew near, a cloudy, foggy presence welcomed me. It was not thick to an extent of blocking the view but just enough to cover my feet and a bit of my face. I walked in, bringing myself to the main entrance. I found myself in the bakery's compound and I started looking around for signs of Natasha. I looked at my watch and it was ten minutes before time. I guess walking wasn't bad after all. I heard the sound like that of a dry leave being crunched and I knew someone was behind me.
"Hello Natasha....", I said as I turned around. She was standing there in her orange cloths. Her pretty hair was dry and tangled now. Yikes! She was a mess.
"How did you know it was me?",she asked surprised.
"I have eyes on my back", I replied giving her an aggressive look.
"Oh child!",she sighed "This is why we never get along. Always on each other's neck and always picking up a fight"
"Am sorry....I knew it was you because I came hear to see you", I told her with no bit of truth in my apology.
"Prim....I want you to listen to me very carefully.....take this flash to Lizzie. It contains all evidence she needs to get free. Am the one who framed her...",
"Am not surprised...", I rolled my eyes and removed my hoodie. I received the flash from her and put it in my top's inner zipper.
".... but Prim, am not a bad person....I really am not....am just being used...", she uttered almost trembling. What did she mean by that?
"There you go again. Am sorry I didn't bring any proof to prove your innocence....", I said about to cover my head when I realised something. She didn't ask for anything to trade it with the flash disk. Or....is the flash fake?
"Please believe me....",she yearned for me to say something of which I didn't know what.
" Why didn't you ask for evidence to prove your innocence or something to trade the flash for..? Is it empty? Is it fake...? You know I have proof to declare you free and if you're trying to dupe me, prison will be your home forever",I threatened her.
"Gavin Adams is the one who attacked you and not Tony...", she said and it brought shock to my face. How on earth did she know Gavin Adams.
"How do you know him?",I asked
"Eight o'clock sharp was the time arranged to kill you Prim. We knew you would come...you'd do anything for your friend right? So..we lured you right into your death", she explained and afraid, I began backing away from her. She followed me and it got me scared. What was she up to? She wanted to kill me? The flash was just bait to get me here. She put Lizzie in jail and so why would she give me evidence to help her out? I was such a fool to think I could trust her....I really have let myself go.
"You want to kill me? Why on earth did I waste my trust and decide to give it to you?",I cried in regret.
"No....please....believe me....I am not your enemy. I was never your enemy. I admit. I really called you hear on her instruction and to kill you....but now I've realised I can use this last bit of my life to do a good deed",
" her? Who's her...?",I asked with curiosity at the tip. Who would want me dead? It's only Cass so far who would want me dead. And of course my aunt....one of these was pulling Natasha's strings. But who?
"Gavin did it under her instruction too. The order was to hurt you actually....but Gavin's affection for you made him lie to them and told them to attack Omar instead. And for that....he was kept on house arrest right in her mansion....in the.....oh...she calls it Icy-Ivy. No one knows of it except her and us. Don't ever go there Prim....don't.... what's the time now?", she asked. She looked around as if looking out for someone. She looked around and signaled me to pull my hoodie way below so that it would cover my face.
"... A minute to eight...",I whispered. My voice had grown faint with fear that was all over me. My mouth was completely dry and terror ran in my blood making it boil. My legs became numb and couldn't even feel them anymore. Forget feel, I couldn't even move a bit of each leg's toe. It's as if they where frozen to the ground and I didn't have control over them anymore. I could hear a voice echoing but I didn't know what it said. The echoes where just like noise to my ears and my brain count interpret what these noises where... Suddenly I felt a huge weight and mass all over me that pushed me, smashing my body against the hard surface of the ground,at the same time awakening my soul.
"Ouch! My body smarts!",I cried as I opened my eyes to see what this thing was. It was heavy and was weighing me down. Two cat eyes stated into mine and sliced the peace out of me. I trembled in fear and sweated heavily. I could feel my sweat ran down my body like a river. I wanted to scream when she quickly put her hand on my mouth shaking her head, telling me not to.
"You did not see them coming...They're still around....", she whispered with difficulty. I slowly pushed her off of me to lay her on the ground when I found her cloths to be stained in blood. My heart raced as initially the sight of blood always brought ghosts in my mind and seeing it live scared me fully. I crawled away from her in fright but I realised it wasn't the right thing to do. I walked to where she was and helped her sit up. She was bleeding heavily and I didn't know what to do.
"... Am not your enemy Prim....I was never your enemy....she drove me to do it all", Natasha cried. Not typical of her. Although seeing her in tears melted my heart. She took the bullets for me. She actually died for me. She gave her life for me....for the very first time i felt secure and safe to be around her. I felt like expressing the joy in my heart but that would cause me to make noise and if they knew I was still here...whoever they where... they'd probably come back for me then Natasha's death would have been in vain. I smiled at her dying face only to see how beautiful she was. The person I always considered as enemy was actually a friend. Actually a friend....I embraced her and planted a kiss on her forehead. Who knew? Fate is full of surprises. "Go...",she said quietly but I was smart enough to read her lips. I woke up and was about to leave when someone grabbed my hand and covered my lips so that I don't scream....
*****
"What are you doing here?",his deep voice rang a bell in my brain. I stamped his foot to make him let go of me so that I'd turn around and look at his face before I ran. He quietly cried in pain after I stepped on his foot but he deserved it. I looked at his face and saw him...Tony Martin! He was in his orange cloths like Natasha was. I quickly backed away from him and clung to the tree that was behind me. What did he want from me? Why was he even here? Did these guys escape from jail? Because I don't see any police vehicle around that came with them or anyone to supervise them. What would they even be doing here if this was a police thing? They escaped!!
" Prim....prim.....be careful... They're in the trees...",he whispered. I got angry and fed up of this game. None of these people was telling me the truth. At least the full truth....they where only telling me half the story! Who's in the trees and whom should I be careful of?
"Be careful of who Tony...please tell me...", I pleaded with him because my life depended on it. I needed to know who this person was. I really needed to know. I knelt down to get a closer look at his face. It was nudged and had a few scars. I bet they came from the beatings at the prison. I took out my hand to wipe the blood that was oozing from the wound on his lip. I wiped it with my fingers and after that I rubbed them against the tree that I clang to earlier. It had a very thick bark.
"Am so sorry Prim...please forgive me...",he cried and distracted me from whatever I was doing. I felt bad too. I sent an innocent man to jail even though I knew he was not wrong.
"Forgive me too....", I cried back. He shook his head telling me I wasn't wrong. It still promoted me to cry and I did. As I cried, I still didn't let it get to me to prompt me to forget my real mission. Of course these weren't crocodile tears but tears of truth. I was really sorry for sending him to jail but I also wanted to know the real culprit.
" What's her name?",I whispered. I needed to get the answer at any cost. Suddenly, a bullet was fired and planted right in his head. I squeaked in terror and fear after I heard it. There was a hole on Tony's vertex.
"C...A.....", he began but unfortunately stopped.
"See what? See a what?", I asked totally confused and upset that he wasn't telling me what I wanted not realising I was just misunderstanding him. What should I see? I looked around hoping I'd see something but no. Nothing.
"What should I see?", I asked looking at his face and wringing his shirt. What should I see? I cried hoping he'd tell me. But he remained quiet with his eyes opened....looking at me. He was dead! Someone shot him. What was I supposed to see? What Tony? What? I gnashed my teeth while looking for the answers to my questions. I silently got up and slowly crawled away from the scene making sure I leave no trace of my presence in this scene. I crawled further to the main road. I wasn't planning on using the short cut again. If you use a path once, don't use it when returning. You never know who might be there this time. I found my way outside the scenery and walked ahead all the way round to my home. I knew I was using the long road and it would take me forever but the fact that I felt safer using it drove me to use it anyway. I walked down the road at a pace faster than the wind itself. I thought if I'd ran, my foot thumbs would be stronger and alert whoever was after me so I decided to walk instead. I walked faster and faster away from this horrible place. I grew stronger the further I got from this place. I just wanted to go away and far away. So very far away from this place. I accelerated and started running after I was twenty minutes away. I couldn't believe what I just experienced though. Tony and Natasha just died. They just died saving me. Who wanted to kill me? Who? All this time Natasha was just a pawn? Really? Some truths are hard to believe but what would you do when the only option you have is to believe? Believe right? Yeah I guess. She game me evidence to prove Lizzie's innocent and I couldn't be happier. I made a new friend tonight and I was going to save my friend. Sadly I didn't figure out who was behind it all....I couldn't find out who....I couldn't find out who....
🌺
==============
Turn after turn I found myself coming out of a path of which led me to Cassandra's Palace. I didn't know if I should rejoice that I found such a beautiful place for refuge or worry that no help would be available for me right now. It was probably closed and their was no one around. I walked toward it to try my luck and boy I had splendid luck! It was opened! I jumped in joy but stopped when I thought about it. Opened? Why? Why was it opened? Who would be here at this hour? As far as I know there's nothing really that's happening here requiring night shifts...who on earth would even allow to do it? Well someone would....
I slowly opened the gate making sure I was unnoticed and did not alert those inside. I wanted to catch them red handed. Why did they even come here? Why? What of theirs was here?
I walked up to the main entrance door and it was slightly open as well. The lights where off inside and I bothered not to turn them on just hoped horror won't give me a hug like it does in horror bad television. I pulled my hoodie way below my face to the level of my chin so that anyone who dared or attempted to look at my face should fail. I looked at my left and right and walked toward wherever my instincts led me. I saw a dim light shine into the room and I knew that's my jackpot. I crawled toward it still keeping out of sight. If I walked,my shadow would be easily noticed against the light and I would be dead meat then my friends would have died in vain. I laid low keeping out of sight so that no one catches me. I stopped when I reached the edge of the door.
"Transfer complete?", someone asked in a husky rusty unrecognisable voice. She or hr probably was wearing a mask that was tampering with their voices so that we dont understand and make out who the voice belongs to.
"Not yet ma'am..",another replied. Ma'am? She must be the one! I needed to see her face. I crawled into the room and thankfully unnoticed because they were doing their things in darkness and it was hard to see in here. They where in the server room and where taking something from the computers. I didn't know what. And why would they need such information? The servers held information of each and every person sponsored by Cassandra's Palace. Each and every person details were compiled safely in a personal folder. Their medical reports, their defects, their medication, their progress if any, challenges they face. Each and every thing their is to know about a person. How did they even manage to get in without waking up some people? Of course some of the sick people spend their nights here. They sleep here under the supervision of nurses and other trained professional medical personnel. After doctors assessing their conditions, it was advised they spend their lives here until they get better and can be referred to home based care.
How on earth did these guys get in and manage to pull their plan off without being noticed? I had to get in if I was to know all these things. I took a vase from the concrete bar that was just outside the room and probably right where I hid. I threw it down to the next floor to get their attention.
"Someone's in the house!", one of them screamed.
" Do you think someone woke up?",asked another.
"No.....the chloroform couldn't have worn out by now. Get it out....and whatever it is...terminate on spot", the one with a husky rusty voice commanded. They used chloroform? That explains it. That's why no one was awake. They must have put in it the air conditioners and supplied all the rooms and blocked it from coming to the air conditioner in this room. She sure was a female version of the devil. A pure Cruella Deville. I still couldn't understand why she wanted all these information.
"Ma'am....you need to come see this...",someone else came and called her.
"Urgh!!! You idiots can't do one thing right?! You just can't!?", she shouted and left with the remaining man leaving the room empty. I quickly slipped in and took a look at what they where doing. They where going through all the patient's scripts and I still couldn't understand why. Of what benefit was it to them? What? How would they prosper from it? I scrolled down the page to find a lot of complied information. I was alarmed when I found that most of it; more like all of it was about the patients with bipolar disorder. I couldn't help but read some of the scripts they had complied.
"A bipolar disorder is psychological condition of which is characterised by mood swing, abnormally elevated irritable, excessive, unreasonable desire....", as I went through my heart pounded faster. It reminded me of the old version of Omar. The violent Omar. He would get angry over petty issues and over excited at times and you'd wonder what is going on with him. I continued reading to find the peak of this whole drama before they come back.
'....however these people are not to be associated with. They are dangerous and scary. They can be cool this minute but a few minutes later they turn into beats and gnash their teeth satisfying their greed on your flesh. It comes as a surprise because it's least expected but when it happens...it becomes an intermission....", I cried as I read the rest of the text. It wasn't true. It was completely false. They aren't beasts, they are people like us. People like you and me. Having a defect doesn't make them less human. It does not make them less of a person. We all have our flaws and short falls but that doesn't make us less of people, does it ? I quickly scrolled down to the last page and horror screamed the words for me in my ears. 'Let's join hands as we get rid of all these people before they get rid of us..."
I wanted to break the computer but that would be a source of distraction. I looked around for what I could do but I didn't find any. I didn't know who was doing this and so I couldn't trust anyone. Only me, Omar, Liam and Cass have access to the computers hidden files of while the patient's details are one of them....meaning that one of us was the one hatching this idea! And who else would it be if not Cass?! She wanted to get rid of Omar. I've always known am right about her.. I quickly went to the computer's settings and blocked everyone else's access. I couldn't trust anyone so I just blocked them all. Except me. So that I can come back and delete the article. If I block them,they won't be able to take it out and so what they want won't be achieved. I quickly did my tricks on the computer after I heard footprints coming my way. I crawled out and his behind the concrete bar that earlier held the vase.
"Check is the transfer is done...", she commanded one of her goons. He walked to the computer and I heard the magical tone signalling that access was denied.
"Access denied ma'am ",he reported.
"What? How?",she asked. She walked to the computer and tried her password but it wouldn't work. Unless if she knew my password ,she would get the access. She was shocked to how her plan hand failed but it backfired when I saw her smiling.
"It's okay.....we still got what we want..", she winked as she unplugged a flash disk from the computer's port. I slapped my forehead hard as my work was of no use. I crawled back, away from the room and out of the building as fast as I could. Like a monkey I climbed down the window and quietly raced to the gate. I got out and instantly made my way home.
===========================================
Today was day number nine of Omar's ten day challenge and I was anxious to what he was going to do. I woke up, blinded by the light from the window, I squeezed my eyes to allow my pupil to coordinate with the new change of environment first so that I'd give it a chance to see greater things. I woke up and walked to my window. Welcomed to the day by the chirping of the birds, I awoke and opened my curtains like Cinderella does. She let's the birds land on her fingers and sings along with them all the way to the kitchen and they help her do all her chores. I would too only that I don't talk bird language and am not a really good singer. I left the curtains open and watched them get blown by the wind that came into my room as well and removed all the sleep. The suns rays came in and brought just a gloriously looking spectrum onto my mirror. I really loved mornings. They always gave me hope. And now I believe....if my morning is this good, my day will be even better.
I walked to the bathroom found an already made bubble bath waiting for me. Was my fairy Godmother here? I looked around for some pixel dust before I started believing am the twenty first century Cinderella. Without thinking deep, I threw myself in the water. I lay there silently and in the buff as the water covered me and worked on every single angle of me. I deepen myself in the tub leaving only space for my nose to breath. I stayed like that for a few minutes and abruptly came out after a horrible memory interrupted my good moment. I remembered how I drowned the day before yesterday when we went to see the aquarium. I felt like I was going to die. The water strangled me hard and I was sorry to realise that it was the very same water that we drink, and use for domestic purposes. It is so cool when that happens but when it comes to matters of life and death,it can be as vicious as wild fire. I quickly removed myself from the comfort of my bathtub, rinsed my body and went straight into my bathrobe. My hair was still dumb so I rolled it in a bathing towel. I went downstairs to get a glass of milk. Milk is good every morning...so I learn from Omar although I didn't necessarily ask why.
I walked down the stairs from my room and into the kitchen. It smelled like baked waffles and roasted bacon. I walked closer as stimulated by my nose and saw a glorious breakfast on the dinning table. My aunt was in her apron and had made me breakfast. She made me breakfast?! Something was wrong....
"Welcome my love....", she began "I have never been so proud of you. You have proved to me that I was wrong and you were right...."
She began in this tone that drew me closer to her to listen what she had to say. I didn't know what she was talking about but the first thing that came to my mind was Omar. She had changed her mind about Omar. She really changed. My heart jumped with joy and I couldn't wait to give Omar such good news. I picked a waffle and took a bite. Strawberry chocolate. Nice.
"Thanks aunt...", I replied. "It makes me happy to know that you finally understand me. I really appreciate", I added. I can get emotional at times.
"Trust me it means so much to me....I don't know how you did it but you surely made wonders. The whole world is praising you right now....and it gives me joy to point at you and say that's my daughter",she really was excited. I didn't know about what but I was happy too. She finally became the mother I'd been longing for. She finally recognized me and I was really happy. I finally found the mother I was looking for. I found the mother I was looking for...in her...and am sure she found the daughter she was looking for in me. I sat down and feasted on the waffles. I finished the waffles and carried the bacon to the sitting room. I sat on the couch licked my fingers as the smell of garlic on the bacon really brought life in me.
"....You did good to get rid of that horrible boy!", she continued giving me my favorite coffee. She always knew how to make my heart skip. Although, what she said really brought a thought in my mind. Got rid of that boy? Which boy? What boy?
"What boy are you talking about?",I asked putting the bacon down. Did they find out that I was there when Tony was being killed? How?
"Oh my love you're all over the news", she smiled. I got up accidentally pushing the cup off the table letting it spill all over the white carpet staining it's pure white nature by the dark beverage. I didn't mind. I grabbed the remote and switched on the TV.
"...Executive Director of the new development in town Cassandra's Palace and former coffee maker at the famous restaurant tweetzs and delights, Miss Primrose Gerardia, has raised a concern after saying she observed a detestable, disgusting and corrupt behavior of some of the patients most especially those with a bipolar disorder. She said these are not to be concerned as human beings because this minute they act all humane but the second minute they turn into someone you don't even recognise and can be a threat to both them and the ones around them. She complained that after dating a bipolar disorder patient, Omarion Green. She completely regrets ever indulging in such as he attempted to murder her by pulling her into the water at the city aquarium's swimming pool ", my lifeless body fell on the couch and I didn't know what next to do. All this was so wrong. It was false! Completely one hundred percent wrong. But what could I do? What? What was there to do?
".... She further reported in her speech with regards to the same with assistance from a friend of hers Tony Martin who however was mysteriously found dead in a forest near CrunchyCrust. His death has taken us by surprise as reports say he was arrested two days before he had ran away and was spotted at the CrunchyCrust of which we don't know with whose instructions he went there and what business he had. We don't know who he went to meet but according to the evidence we have...he went to meet miss Primrose Gerardia", she paused and played a video. Which devil shot that? It was a footage of when I had bent down to talk to Tony about who the mastermind behind all this drama was. However, this video didn't even fit!
".... Today will be your last day on earth Tony Martin! You've caused me enough trouble....", the girl who was supposed to be me in the footage said it. What? I didn't say that. I was asking Tony to tell me someone's name not threaten to kill him.
".... A few steps away from his body was found the body of a woman named Natasha Luka who was Primrose's colleague as well as arch nemesis. It has been reported that the two never saw eye to eye and it was evident that if one was found dead, it was obviously the other who would be responsible. With regards to the situation, Miss Prim was caught threatening Tony by Natasha and the fear of facing justice caused her to kill both of them", she lied. She was lying! Oh my God! She was telling lies. Pure lies! These media people make a big deal out of a petty issue. Seriously! They don't even have evidence that I killed them and yet they spoil my reputation by publicizing the news that I killed someone of which I don't know anything of. He was killed by Cass! Not me! .
"....to draw an end to this story....Miss Gerardia finished with words stressing on the point that reads 'Let's join hands as we get rid of all these people before they get rid of us. Currently, the story is under investigations as in to what caused the brutal deaths of these two individuals as after analysis it was proven that miss Gerardia seemed to have no business with it although all evidence pointed is pointing at her. However, she will be called to present herself before the court and prove her innocence in twenty four hours. Her failure to make herself available will prove her guilty and she'll be sentenced with first degree murder.....", she read the last line of her reports and put it aside.
"In other news...",she began but I quickly picked the remote and threw it against the TV breaking the screen. I threw the remote against the wall and I didn't care if it shattered or not. I took my bacon knife started tearing all the sofa sets. I went to the kitchen and started breaking things. I broke the taps and left water flooding in the room.
"You where praising me for this?", I shouted at her. How could she? What that lady said was wrong and false! And my aunt was happy about it. She made me a bubble bath, and such a breakfast. I knew something was wrong. Terribly wrong. This calls for one of those moments where I was to grip the throat of evil and tear it's flesh apart.
"You did a good thing. As a mother I was finally proud of you Prim....!",she shouted back at me.
"A good thing? Someone's life is at stake here...and you say I did a good thing? For once I thought you'd finally understood me. I thought you had finally accepted him as he is, I thought my mother had come back to me....but No....I was wrong about you. I am being accused of murder!!! Which part of that can't you see?? Do not ignore it!!", I cried my heart out for she just broke it. I ran up to my room and quickly put my cloths on....I took the flash out of my top's pocket and shoved it in my jeans, wore my good shoes and raced to get my lobe back. I walked down the stairs of course skipping a stair or two so that I get there on time. I walked all the way to the door and twisted the nob to get out when my auntie shut the door.
" Please don't go.... I'll book the most expensive lawyer for you....we will win. I know you're innocent. I know you didn't murder those people...please stay",she cried. She was literally crying
"I just got you....my Prim just came back to me.....", she began in this tone that was not working on her. I was not feeling pity or brokenness for her. She got what she deserved and their was no point in me trying to negotiate.
".... If you leave I'll die....that boy got what he deserved. He would hurt you eventually....", she continued and all I could do was smile.
"Hurt me? You truly had no idea. I was going to leave home and it's him that negotiated with me to stay and you say he was going to hurt me? All this while I've lived with no idea of what my father was like but he had the courage to make him known to me....he showed me my fathers face! That's something you where supposed to do! Each and everyday you came into my room but didn't once flip the picture frame for me to see my papa's face.....and a stranger does it...Now here you are telling me stranger danger?? Oh auntie", I laughed. This was as much funny as it was heart breaking. I felt like laughing at the same time crying. I felt like screaming and yet my inner heart kept telling me to keep quiet. I was so lost in my own world that I couldn't recognise my face anymore. I couldn't. I didn't know who I was anymore. I just needed to get to this one person. Who knows me better than I knew myself....he would make things right. One word from him and I'll be good again. I'll be strong again....I'll be myself again....
" What? You.....you wanted to leave me....?",she cried even harder making my eyes wet."It's just my bad luck that no one wants to be with me.....I can't have children, I lost my husband, I lost my sister, my niece and brother in-law....everybody.....and here's the only life force I have...and it wants to go away from me...",she cried bitterly and it made me cry too. I didn't know I meant so much to her. It really brought sorrow to me when she said all that. I was heart broken.....my already broken heart broke even further.....a million pieces gathered in my chest making it stiff. I didn't know what to do. She needed me to stay and Omar needed me to. I couldn't be in two places at once. I had to chose where to be. Who was the priority here? I shut my eyes and felt the cold salty water flow all the way to down my cheek and dropped on my shoe. 'Mother please help me.....please.....',I called to my mothers spirit. 'Dad...can you hear me..? I need you now please....',I continued to cry hoping one of them would reply eventually.
"This is who we are meant to be....just you and me....your happiness is with me....I am your mother.....won't you stay with your mom? Let that peasant rot wherever he is....he trapped you.....look at what your life has become because of him...", she began while dragging me back upstairs. I was absent minded and I couldn't believe or understand what she was saying. Only in bits...I remembered all Omar had done since day one. He's done a great deal for me. Spent a lot of money for me. I've never been on a worldly adventure like I did now. My life was always pain and death but now it was life and fireflies. I felt like a worm at first but I was only a caterpillar that later developed into a glowworm. It's light ignited many and brought joy to them too. A lot of spiders lurked around it though, to have it as a satisfaction to their bellies. They looked at it and saw prey yet another glowworm looked at it and saw a friend. Although as time went by, the glowworm lost the only friend...she was taken away by the spiders. Captured and kept in their sticky web to be eaten at sundown. Now the glowworm had nothing else to do... It realised it was never a glowworm.....just a nasty dirty fly. Besides, the web was far from it's reach and it couldn't rescue the friend. Should it just sit and watch the friend from a far being torn apart by the vicious evil creatures? Or give it a go....it might work! Little by little does the trick! Nothing happens in one goal. Just it's presence at the friend's deathbed would mean so much. So much more than giving up now. So much more than letting the friend suffer alone. She just couldn't die on the vine. She had to go rescue the friend and she will do that. I made up my mind....I was going to see Omar...
"Die in here for all I care.....some mother you are!", I snatched my hand away from her and left. She would never understand me. I was wrong to ever give her a chance. Totally wrong!
*****
"Look who came to visit ",Cass crossed her hands on her chest and stood right in front of me giving me the grandmother attitude. I raised my eyebrows at her as she rolled her eyes at me. I looked at Omar who was sitting at a distance. He was on the couch and having some milk. I was filled with joy as I walked toward him. The fly was actually not a fly in the first place...it was a glowworm! It was amazed by such magnificent light it was carrying all this time that just by the sight of this friend everything made sense again. He might have been in the web but that didn't matter to her. All she saw was her bestfriend. As she walked toward the friend, she got caught by one of the spiders.
"Where to?",Cass asked after grabbing my hand and squeezing it tightly.
"You cannot be serious....",I replied trying to get my hand back but her grip was too strong. I tried to free myself but it was impossible.
"Do I look like am playing games..? I mean it! Don't go near him!", she shouted getting Omar's attention. He turned to look at us. After he saw me, he walked to where we where. Fear and guilt ran up and down in me. I was so afraid of what his first words will be...will he ask me why I did it? Or he will tell me he trusts me and doesn't believe the media ? I really wanted to know what was on his mind. As he took steps toward us, the thud from each step kept me feeling even more frightened. The closer he got the more scared I was and my heart continued to shatter more. The sound of the thud was too strong for my heart to bear. However, as he got nearer...my heart understood it wasn't a thud. Just a lovely melody of my lover's feet....as he walked toward me. The melody was slow and engendered life in me. The tiny pieces slowly started to assemble and reform my heart...once again..... as soon as the waves of his voice echoed in my ears.
"Let her go",