Mishka drove to the city hall, safe in the knowledge that she was not on her own this afternoon. Josh had promised to drive a good distance behind her to make sure that he would spot the stalker if she decided to follow Mishka again today.
When she was only a short distance from the venue, Josh followed Mishka more closely until they reached the city hall. Josh then pulled up alongside Mishka's vehicle.
"Okay, it seems as if she was unnerved about me observing her in the restaurant this afternoon," he remarked with a relieved grin on his face.
"Yes, definitely. It's also a good idea that we checked out her vehicle and registration number while she was still in the restaurant this afternoon," Mishka responded.
"Do you want me to hang around while you're at your meeting?" Josh asked with a concerned note in his voice as he regarded Mishka through narrowed eyes.
"No, but I will call the security officer whom my dad advised me to contact if I felt threatened or if I noticed that woman follow me again," Mishka responded with a relaxed smile on her face.
"Great, then as long as you feel safe, I will go home now. But, do call me if the security guard does not show up on time," Josh advised with a wave before he drove away.
Mishka walked to the meeting venue with a light step. She and Josh had covered some interesting topics about the supernatural.
"Now I can just carry on further with Joan and enquire deeper into the topic of music versus chanting," Mishka told herself with a smile on her face, as she walked at a brisk pace.
"Oh, here you are," Joan remarked with a bright smile from where she was standing in front of an open doorway.
Mishka smiled back in return.
"Hi again. Are you done with the recital?" she asked when she reached Joan. The two of them then walked into the minor hall.
"Yes, but I'm taking a break between a piano recital here and then again a ballet recital where one of my students will be playing for the ballet students," Joan replied.
Mishka looked around at the quiet, empty venue and sighed in relief.
"Great, as long as there's nobody here at the moment," she commented as she sat down on one of the benches in the middle of the hall, so that they would not be sitting near any doors.
"No, there won't be for a while," Joan responded.
"I've been discussing something interesting with a colleague today," Mishka began.
"Oh, and listen, before you go further. Did you find someone to sort out that stalker who was following you yesterday? Gillian says you had a stalker?" Joan asked. She looked anxious as she sat down next to Mishka. Her eyes were large from curiosity.
"Oh well, my colleague helped me with that as well and my dad alerted a security guard for me to call as soon as I see her anywhere," Mishka responded.
"She didn't follow me here now," she added.
"Great! But I'm almost sure that she's a wolf. The very one who looked jealous and territorial in the woods that day when you came across Bruce there also," Joan remarked with a very serious look in her eyes.
"Aunty Joan is over-reacting. That girl can't be dangerous. I'm sure that she's afraid of me," Mishka told herself inwardly.
"Maybe you should be more discreet with Bruce. Or maybe you should stay away from him for a while, until you've researched this girl," Joan remarked, frowning deeply in contemplation. I'm sure you know how she looks by now?" she asked.
"Well, I only glimpsed at her, but my colleague, Josh got a good look at her in the restaurant today.
"Oh, so you were in a restaurant with your colleague. Not in an office?" Joan asked with a confused look in her eyes.
"Yes, for the sake of confidentiality, but it seems as if this stalker knows where I work," Mishka responded with a quick glance around the hall.
"Anyway, I have to work with Bruce on a music and fashion video, so I can't stay away from his place," she added.
"It must be amazing to work in such a beautiful place. But the only way that I will go there will be under disguise," Joan remarked with a shrug. The corners of her mouth were turned down in disappointment.
"Anyway, about Saturday, I think my grandma's friend Rose will also be there," Mishka declared as she returned to the main reason for her visit.
"So, you already know someone there apart from your grandma," Joan remarked with a frown in contemplation.
"But, you also need someone that you can trust in case of trouble," she added, staring at the stage area without focusing on it.
"Oh, I think I'm gonna have a lot of fun there," Mishka responded with a giggle. I actually wanted to talk about the power of chanting versus ordinary music.
I was practicing my song which I want to sing for Bruce's Spring Show practice run on Saturday, but then my grandma became so freaked out about it," she continued.
"Oh, so she didn't like your singing? Does she still think that she can stop you from pursuing your music dreams and talent?" Joan asked with an angry scowl on her brow.
"That, yes, but this time it was as if something about the words of the song just clashed with something inside her spirit. My colleague Josh thinks that she might have dark forces inside her, which don't like songs about love," Mishka replied.
"It could definitely be true, but then that means that you should carry on, so that those wicked spirits can be driven out or away from her," Joan remarked as she tapped the tip of her nose pensively.
"Oh, now I'm confused. How do I know whether they are inside of her or around her?" Mishka asked, frowning at Joan.
"Don't worry about those details, as long as you know that you're making a breakthrough with her. She might even be driven away from your home if you persist," Joan remarked with a broad grin spreading across her face.
"Won't my dad just tell me to stop bothering her?" Mishka asked as she pondered on the idea.
"Isn't your grandma also constantly bothering you?" Joan asked with her eyebrows raised at Mishka in a challenging way.
"Anyway, you will have to find a way of keeping ahead of her. She might be watching you for all you know, so it's good to help yourself get up to her standard. You should learn new strategies as well," Joan advised with a concerned look in her eyes.
"What do you mean? How is she watching me?" Mishka asked, sitting forward in her chair as the impact of Joan's statement alarmed her.
"She could find out what you're doing without actually being near you physically," Joan remarked with a serious look in her eyes.
"You're not joking are you? You mean like in a crystal ball? My grandma? I don't think that she owns anything as extravagant as a crystal bowl," Mishka responded, shaking her head.
"We are always caught off guard when we think that our relatives are harmless. You have no idea of what she does in secret. She might even be developed beyond a crystal bowl, you know?" Joan remarked with as completely straight face.
"This sounds very creepy and unreal. Can my grandma be that deep?" Mishka asked with a deeply concerned frown between her brows.
"Don't for a moment think that she's just old. Don't underestimate her by thinking that she's harmless," Joan remarked as she stared at the stage as if she was expecting to see something there.
"Home doesn't sound so safe right now," Mishka remarked in a grim tone.
"Fear only comes when you're not aware of the facts of a situation. Information will make you overcome that fear because you will know where that person's power comes from," Joan remarked with firm nod of her head for emphasis.
"Finding out the facts could make me more afraid, though," Mishka mumbled to herself as she also stared at the stage area, hoping for a solution to her challenge.