Tiredly, I dropped the last box I was holding on the floor of the new apartment, taking in the intricate designs and decorations that had always been there. Nothing had changed at all after twenty-five years of running away. Fate finally found some way to bring me back. I smiled, recalling the words my dad used to tell me whenever I tried playing smart with him.
“Bernice dear, you can't outrun fate; you should know this by now.”
I made my way to the kitchen; it was all dusty and old. I heaved a sigh. This was going to be a long day, I said as I readied myself to start cleaning.
5 hours later, I was done. The whole house was now back to life. The floors were now shiny, and everywhere was sparkling clean. This house held major significance in my life. It was where I grew up and spent most of my childhood, before I left for the city. A lot of fond memories were made here. I recalled how many times I and my siblings drank brown soup near the fireplace whenever we caught a cold when we were little. Our mum would make us drink the distasteful liquid, calling it brown soup. It was her special recipe and cure for a cold, and I had to admit it worked like magic. In no time, we were often better, running around the house full of life. I smiled faintly as I stared at the fireplace. It was still as I remembered.
The ringing of my phone pulled me out of my thoughts; glancing at the phone where it sat on the table, it was John, the driver I hired to pick up the kids from school and bring them straight here. I had told my kids, Annabel and Lucas, earlier today that we were relocating and a driver was going to pick them up and bring them to our new residence. They had frowned at first about the sudden change but got excited about the prospector moving to a new town.
I picked up the call on the third ring.
“Hello, John.
“Good day, ma, he answered.
“Please, by what time am I supposed to pick them up from school, ma’am? he asked.
"Their school usually closes by 2.30pm, so you can go by 3pm, I answered.
"Alright, Ma,” he said, cutting the call.
I dropped the phone back on the table and hastened to the kitchen to prepare something before the kids would come back.
Lucas and Annabelle were my only children and currently all I had. I was a single mother. My parents were gone, my sister lived in the US with her family, and this was the only inheritance that was left to me by my parents, this house. It held a lot of deep memories. Especially the town, in particular. It was where I first met Alex, the twins father, my first love. 20 years ago, we were young and foolish. When I discovered I was pregnant, I told Alex. But instead of accepting responsibility, he fled. When my parents had found out about it, they disowned me and sent me away. And that was how I came to Deven City, where I started life afresh and raised my two kids all by myself. It wasn't easy being a single mother with two kids to care for and cater to at such an early age with no one to run to.
Nevertheless, I fought on despite it all. And was now living comfortably all these years with my kids until two weeks ago. I got a call from a lawyer that some housing agents were trying to buy the house my parents had left for me. That was when I discovered that my parents had indeed left some sort of inheritance for me after all these years. I wasn't planning on taking it, but it seemed fate had other plans for me. This was because my landlord called that week asking me to evacuate the apartment as he was planning on increasing the rent. Left with no other option, I decided to come back home and reclaim my inheritance from the hands of those threatening to take it from me. The meeting with the housing agents and my lawyer was scheduled to be tomorrow. It was going to be a long day indeed.
“Mummy! Mummy! Where are you going?" The twins asked together as I took them to school the next day, all dressed in a red suit and red heels. My hair is packed all back in a long ponytail.
I smiled at that; the kids were not used to seeing me dressed like that, especially whenever I took them to school. However, today was the meeting, and I wanted to look strictly professional as it was the first time I would be meeting with whoever wanted my inheritance.
“Well, I'm going for a meeting, so John will pick you up from school today, alright?”
“Alright," they both hummed.
Two hours later, there I stood outside the fancy restaurant where the meeting was scheduled to take place. The aroma of different dishes from the restaurant filled the air. The restaurant was heavily packed with people, mostly impatient and hungry men and women who clustered around the cafeteria demanding their order. I spotted my lawyer in a black suit with his blond hair, seated with two other people whose backs were turned to me such that I couldn't see their faces.
With confidence, I strolled further down into the restaurant to where they were seated.
“Good morning, I greeted, taking my seat beside my lawyer.
“I hope I didn't take too much of your time, I asked as I stared up to have a better view of their faces “.
However, the words got stuck in my throat as I saw a familiar face I wouldn't expect to see in a million years.
“Stacey. He breathed my name like it was all he wanted to say.
“So this is all you? Haven't you done enough?" I asked angrily.
“No, let me explain, Stacey,” he said, holding my hands as I made an attempt to leave.
Both lawyers sat there looking back and forth at our little exchange, dumbfounded.
“Please, this is a little misunderstanding; if you could please excuse us for a bit," Alex said to both lawyers, to which they obliged.
“You have five minutes,” I said, sitting back angrily.
“I’m not trying to buy your house; I just did that to get your attention. I’ve been searching everywhere for you, Stacey, he said softly.
“I truly am sorry for how things ended up in the past. I know you must think I ran away, but my mother secretly and forcefully sent me abroad. When I came back a few years ago, I looked everywhere for you, but I couldn't locate you.” He spoke with regret in his eyes.
"All I just want is to be a part of my child’s life and yours too, he said at last, taking my hands in his.
Even though I could sense the remorse in the his actions and the way he spoke, it was not enough to erase the pain I had to go through alone. Maybe some day, when I 'm fully healed, I could consider it but for now, I wasn't ready to pet him in just yet. Removing my hands from his, I said.
“I’ll think about it" and walked away.
