Jasmine's pov
10 years earlier
"Hey honey I'm home"
I was always happy whenever I heard those words. They are usually closely followed by the sound of the door unlocking and my mum entering the living room.
We were just a happy pair. We used to be three but then my dad died in a plane crash on his way back home.
He had traveled back home to Jamaica because of a business transaction that he had to do. A transaction that would rake in a lot of money that was necessary for my upkeep.
Even though he had gone to Jamaica on the 20th day of December and he would normally take about 6 Days to complete a transaction but he had purposed in his heart that he was going to home to celebrate Christmas with us.
The love he had for me and my mum can't be written in words. He was the best thing that ever happened to me.
He called us to tell us when he had arrived at the airport and had taken flight... but his plane never landed. I remember seeing the news with my mum and hearing that his plane had crashed.
We were dumbstruck. Mum did not take it well at all, she was screaming and crying but still trying to be strong for my sake. She bit one of her fingers hard just so that she could kill off the scream that was welling up inside her throat.
It took a week or more before she was mentally able to go back to work again but I still knew that she wasn't back to normal.
She wasn't as bright or jovial as she used to be. She was duller and was just a bit too concerned with my safety after my dad's death. She ensured that she knew every one of my movements from that moment on.
It was choking but I learned to adapt to it and move on with it. Just so that she could be happy and so that she wouldn't worry as much as she used to.
Two months down the line and my mum had just come back from her night shift as usual.
"Hey honey I'm home" she called out as she entered the living room. I rushed down from my room to welcome my mum.
I could never tell her in person but, it was one of the best feelings in the world. Me hugging my mum and hearing her laugh at how much I'd do it even though if the outing was just moments ago.
We walked into the living room with all the groceries she had purchased from the store in my hands. As we settled in and she crashed into the nearest couch, she sighed and heaved for relief before she asked how my day had gone.
I answered the question of course but sometimes, I can't help but wonder why she asked since she already knew the answer to that question.
My routine was the same every single day, I wake up in the morning, have breakfast, do my chores, and await the arrival of Miss Melrose, my home lesson teacher.
In case you are wondering why I had a home lesson teacher, it's simply because my mum was scared that I could get hurt in school. So to keep me safe, she got me a home lesson teacher.
I did enjoy it though because Miss Melrose was a whole lot of fun, she would teach me for like an hour and then we would have fun and play games for the next hour before stepping back into classes.
This cycle went on from 8 in the morning till 4 in the evening and from Monday to Friday every week, nothing new and nothing changing.
After that, just stare through the window at all the other kids playing as they came back from school or just playing around. I was curious to know what interaction with other kids would be like.
Now that I am grown, I wonder why I found my peers interesting to observe as though they were a unique species.
Nevertheless, whenever my mum asked how my day had gone I would tell her the way it went without hesitation.
We had just had dinner and were headed for the living room to watch the news before watching movies.
That's when disaster struck.
We turned on the news to see that some bodies had been identified from the plane that crashed into the sea two years ago, my dad's flight.
You can guess that among the bodies that had been identified was my father's body.
I looked at the tv with tears welling up in my eyes. It was someone had put an anvil on my chest causing me to be short of air and unable to breathe. My knees were quaking under my own weight and I felt a tumult in my stomach. I could swear that I stood there frozen for at least 3 solid minutes without moving or flinching as the tears freely flowed from my eyes.
As I slowly settled down and gained consciousness of my self, I turned aside to look at my mum just staring blankly at the TV.
I felt sorry for her and I could tell that she was in shock but there nothing that I could really do for her. I tried to call for her but my voice and lungs failed me and I was left standing there, unsure of what to do.
"Mum?" I finally cried out to her
There was no response to my call.
"Mum?!" But still no response.
Something was wrong. She was just frozen to the tv screen and even when I turned it off she just kept looking at it as though Dad's face were still on it.
All of a sudden, she began to gasp and convulse on the couch. It was so violent and so rigorous.
It was unlike her but I could tell that she had entered a panic attack. She was short on breath and I could tell that she couldn't see clearly.
I was frozen where I had sat next to her at first at the sight of my mum's panic attack. I had no strength in my limbs to even do anything, it seemed like someone had put my limbs on lockdown. I just sat there watching in horror as my mum lay on the floor breathless and helpless.
I was too scared to even cry properly but the tears were coming out of my eyes without restraint. I didn't know if it was because of my mum or because of my dad...maybe both but I wasn't sure.
My mind drifted back to Mum who was probably close to experiencing a heart attack and then it hit me. This was the last person that I had in my family. The last hope and my last provider. My last shoulder to cry on and my last source of love. There was no way I was going to allow her to go right in front of my eyes.
I sprang into action immediately. My mum had taken her time to teach me how I was meant to handle situations such as these so I knew exactly what to do.
I turned on the standing fan so that there was increased airflow in her vicinity. I knew that this was caused by a shortage of air in her lungs or an insufficient supply of air to her brain so I had to fix that instantly.
Then I got myself a bowl of water and sprinkled it on her face as gently as I could as I called her back to me.
There wasn't a chase in the world that I was going to allow cruel fate to take my mum from me the way it did my dad.
She eventually came back to me and I sat her up and gave her some water to drink. There was no denying it, this was the scariest experience that I had ever had, seeing someone nearly die before my eyes.
But just at the same time, I was happy to have gone through that.
It was my first time trying out all the stuff that my mum had taught me for fun when I was younger and I was happy I learned it.
(Present times)
The wind to my face under the shade of an acacia tree was probably the best feeling I have had today. That aside, the praise that I got from the students earlier today.
I felt good for being able to step in and help that girl. I had just saved a life... but it brought back the fear that had plagued my mind when I saw my mum having a panic attack.
My heart had tightened and my muscles had failed to answer me when I first saw her on the floor, gasping like Mum.
I guess you could say that the Deja Vu had a terrible toll on me. Had it been that I didn't suddenly remember she could die there, I wouldn't have been able to swing into action.
Here I was, standing under an acacia tree and being hailed by all who passed by when I knew deep within me that I almost allowed her to die before swinging in. Even Jerry here took me for a hero but I don't feel like one for being unable to respond on time.
Just because the way I swung in was sharp, precise and all of that, doesn't mean that I am always like that. I am usually plagued with fear and uncertainty.
It's my biggest flaw.
I have the fear of losing and for some awkward reason it makes me scared to move and funny enough it just cements the loss.
"alright guys" Mr. Monroe called out to the resting students to get their attention.
"We need to get back on the road so that we can cover more distance and make it a good way in the direction of where we are going," he said as he started to slowly walk in the direction of drawn coordinates.
"where are we even going? " a voice sharply asked from the back
Mr. Monroee turned around to see the person asking, turns out it was a member of the Crocs, their lead, Harry
I could tell from how long Mr. Monroe had stood still that he wasn't sure how to answer that question. He seemed to be rummaging through his mind to find a tangible explanation of why we have been walking a long way without rest and the other students looked up at him expecting answers to the question.
"Well... you see... " he started then fell silent.
There was that long awkward silence and the students were starting to murmur.
"Any longer than this and we would lose the trust of the students which is quintessentially this to work" Jerry muttered as he stood beside me.
An essential factor in saving their asses.
" oh well fuck it..." Mr. Monroe said as he swung his arms wide to show he didn't care and a smile that seemed to show confession.
It was not yet time to let them know of the situation at hand if we were sticking to the plan that was drawn up. Here goes nothing.
" the thing is that we are yet to complete the scheme of the year and it requires that we encounter and interact with the indigenous ecosystems in Africa and study them"
" and the only ecosystem that we have at the cabin town and your asses... So I felt we should go out and see them for ourselves and possibly encounter some wildlife" he explained before dropping His hands to his sides.
To think that I thought he would tell them.
"This man is a genius!" Danny said in a low tone as he reached our side with Eva close behind.
" If you think deeply then you will realize that the places that we plan to stop are different ecosystems: pass through the plains, across the river, over and down a mountain, and then walk through a supposed jungle before reaching the sea" he explained
" I guess there's more to him than meets the eye. " Eva remarked as we stood smiling before continuing down the path to the open plains.
The sun was setting and setting fast. We didn't have to be reminded that the plains don't belong to us but instead to the wildlife of Africa which happens to be proactive at night. We had to find a place to rest our heads and sleep
It was time to set up camp.