hearts at war , bound by fate.

LIKE A THIEF IT CAME .

LENORA

The thought of signing in to class this morning fills me with dread , only because I do not know how to face this life without Elaina, it all feels like a whole new world to me. The pitiful gaze I have been getting from people lately does not make it any easier. Walking into class this morning is going to be a struggle.

Coming out of the Restaurant i had to run as fast as my body could allow me to, to be able to catch the bus to school , thank God i was wearing comfortable shoes and i must say running felt so liberating. For a moment i could not feel anything, its just lightness that i felt in my spirit , yearning to be a kid again for they see not the troubles of this life .

Just as i got to the bus stop ,the bus pulled up and at that moment i hated everything that reminded me of her ,this bus ride , the buildings she watched and always laughed at their shapes and sizes as each after the other passed by her window and slowly disappeared. i did not hear the bus driver speak to me , until he called out my name the second time .

" Miss Duval , my sincere condolences to you"

" Thank you Stanley"

" Now come on in miss before we run late , we do not want you to miss your lectures now do we ?"

" Oh forgive me Stanley , i forgot you the master of punctuality " i said as i lifted myself up into the bus and chose a different seat behind Stanley the bus driver so i can have someone to talk to this morning .

" You know what miss Duval? back in my days we use to respect time because time wasted is never regained , you children of today do not know the importance of time"

" I hear you Stanley , i hear you. how old are you again if you do not want me asking? "

"As old as the African gods " he said and laughs shyly

maybe had i also respected time i would have spent Elaina's last days with her i thought to myself. i sat there the whole ride to school listening to Stanley's stories and advice that by the time we got to my drop off spot i had heard it all . Now the hard part is how i am going to avoid all this people waiting for me in the school corridors just to make things worse. you know how it is when your heart is aching a different ache and someone hugs you so tightly you end up crying a river even when you never wanted to ? that is how i do not want to be this morning . i stood for a while and let everyone enter their respective classes so i can drag myself in , i thought i had dodged everyone when suddenly i bumped into the bitches of all bitches in Marlbonne , the female chihuahua had to be so loud that everyone knew that the mourning Science nerd just got to the bathrooms , now my plan of steering clear of all the different scent filled embraces from whoever feels pity enough for me was blown . The lecture went by so quickly with everyone trying to make smile and i must say it was quite nice though a bit over whelming to have all this attention for once in my life. when class finished i could not leave the hall fast enough i almost tripped on my own two feet but knocked over Ramon instead who caught me fast enough before i became a sack of potatoes on the floor. He just looked at me and smiled as if he knew I was in no mood for small talks, i said sorry, we fist bumped and went our separate ways.

This was supposed to be our second last semester as Science and Medicine majors in Marlbonne University, now Im doing it all on my own. Coming here we had it all figured out, we put in the work, get perfect grades and ship off to work in a different country, get married, have five kids and live happily ever after. Life does not always turn out the way we plan i guess. Looking like a lost little pup I decided to take a walk with my cell phone in one hand, Ear phones in my ears listening to music from my stereo all the way to our dormitory. i was focused on my music so much so that i did not feel the vibration of cars passing near me on the pavement , i do not know how i stepped into the road ; i must have slipped and suddenly everything became pitch black. All i could hear were distant screams high pitched sounds like church bells ringing in my ears , i tried opening my eyes but they were too heavy for me and the pitch black skies were too black for me to look at they made my head hurt. I know i heard someone or something that was in so much panic asking me if i could hear them and if i could hold on and in that moment a sense of stillness consumed me , it enveloped me so kindly and i fell into it .

In the midst of that stillness I found myself in a very green and rich soiled field with blue skies , this place had so much tranquil and gave me a sense of familiarity like I had been there before . I stood in one spot trying to decide which way to go when suddenly a voice in my head said follow the sound of the river it will lead you to where you are supposed to go , your answers lie by the river bank . I turned around , looking right and left but there wasn't anyone there so clearly this voice was in my head .I lifted up my one foot and it lifted with ease , one after the other I walked the field like i was floating, head-tilted and ears perked like a dog trying to listen if I could hear any flowing water . I walked until my feet started hurting and burning, I saw a tree emerging from afar and I ran with the little strength I had left in me until I reached to it and I let my body flop down on the ground and just sat there wondering how I am going to reach where I am suppose to go if I can not find this river I am looking for . sleep creeped in on me as a thief in the night then it was lights out just like that I feel into a deep sleep.