Finally settling onto the snow sled, I could finally find some relaxation. My lower limbs throbbed from the strain they had endured, and my entire body ached, yearning for the rest it so desperately needed.
I felt genuine gratitude toward Hassan for relieving me of the snow sled and suggesting that I take a break.
However, I chose not to voice my thanks, not wanting to convey any sense of tiredness.
As we continued toward the forest of trees, the intensity of the snowstorm gradually diminished, eventually settling into a steady flow of snowflakes.
Upon entering the forest, visibility improved due to the lighter snowfall within the woods. Even though the moonlight barely penetrated through the forest.
It was as if the change in snowfall had affected my eyes because suddenly they became heavy-laden with sleep and after a few moments of blinking slowly I finally gave into the overwhelming sign of exhaustion.
'"Hopefully, when I wake up next, I won't find myself in another creature's lair," I mused, my last conscious thought before I settled into the snow sled and closed my eyes, surrendering to sleep.
"Wake up and get ready for school!" I heard the familiar voice of the matron at the orphanage home.
The incessantly annoying sound was unmistakable. She repeated this ritual every morning at 6:00 a.m., despite the fact that our school was only a few steps from the hostel where we lived.
Her intention was to ensure that we arrived several minutes early for our classes.
A sense of unease washed over me. I was convinced that I had already completed secondary school. Why was I back here again?
"Jessica!!!" Her voice screamed from outside my room.
I shared the tiny room with four other people but it was more than enough for our equally tiny luggage.
"I'm already dressed!" I shouted back hastily, then immediately clapped my hands over my mouth.
One thing you should never do is talk back to the matron.
Yet, I was genuinely puzzled because I had already been dressed beneath my bedsheets. How had I gotten dressed? When had this occurred? I had no recollection of it happening.
But as soon as I talked back at the matron I didn't wait to hear what she had to scream at me for the bad manners I just displayed.
I didn't walk out on her either I simply found myself in a Biology class with the teacher saying some words that I knew but couldn't tell what it was because the exact words slipped my mind moments later.
I nodded my head not only because I understood what the man was saying but because I was happy to be there.
Why was I particularly happy to be there? Was I supposed to be somewhere else? Why was I glad that I wasn't in that other place that I couldn't remember? Slowly I started to forget that I had finished secondary school already.
Someone tapped the back of my white shirt, instantly sparking my annoyance. I detested people touching the white fabric, fearful of it becoming stained.
As I turned around, my furrowed brows relaxed, and my lips curved into a smile.
It was Paula.
When I gazed at her, a poignant ache welled up in my chest, and my nose tingled with a burning sensation. Tears immediately welled up in my eyes, and I realized, with a heavy heart, that I missed her deeply. Yet, why did I miss her when she was right there behind me?
She tossed a crumpled piece of paper onto my lap before swiftly turning her attention to the blackboard. I understood her motive; she didn't want to get caught talking or being distracted during class.
I carefully unfolded the crumpled paper and read what was written on it. It simply said 'Latecomer' with a hand-drawn laughing emoji beside the word.
I didn't remember coming late to that class. I had no recollection of coming to the class but I knew what I had to do. I just had to reply in that same paper.
Beneath the word 'latecomer,' I sketched a hand with only its middle finger extended upward. It might have been a crude drawing, but it conveyed the message quite clearly.
I then crumpled the paper into a smaller, irregular shape and casually dropped it on the ground next to her locker.
A few seconds later, I heard a chuckle emanate from her direction. That distinctive, low, throaty laugh was etched into my memory, and I had thought I'd never forget it. However, it somehow felt like it had been a while since I last heard it.
The way I suddenly appeared at the class earlier I found myself outside the classroom and it was evening already.