WORTHWHILE

Chapter 15

Ivy didn’t have class today, so she was indoors all day. Her phone died, and her roommate went to the lecture, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

She shifted between reality and her memories of her time in the city with Aunt Stella, shivering.

That was a phase in her life she doesn't have to live in anymore, but she still often recalls it.

One might think that after her stay in the city, she went back to her hometown happy, but no, she dared to say that she was traumatised because of the way she got back to her hometown.

That very faithful day when she was fourteen, her aunt Stella had told her few days before pack her bags that they were travelling together, innocent Ivy was ready to let it all going her aunt started treating her well again- all the labour, all the hitting, all the walking all over...even by the kids- she would forget it all but oh dear her, she couldn't be more wrong.

After packing her bags, the D-day came, Ivy prepared herself and waited for the car to come to pick them up.

when it was almost time but her aunt and her children weren't getting ready, Ivy became confused. she didn’t have to be an adult to know that surely people had to get dressed for a travel, but she didn't want to ask and spoil the mood... maybe her aunt and her children wanted to be casual, besides they had told her earlier that they had their properties there.

Oh! How foolish she had been! thinking about it now, she grimaced because her aunt Stella, or should she say her ma'am, wasn't planning on travelling with her anywhere!

The hired driver came with the car and her aunt finally broke the news to her that she was sending her back home... Ivy's heart chattered. Not because her stay there had been marvellous, but this felt like a betrayal- no! it was a betrayal. She considered this her first heartbreak.

"Ivy!"

Snapping out of her thoughts she looked up to see Beatrice looking at her incredulously

"What world were you in right now, I've called you three times now"

" Ooh Beatrice be serious"

"Where were you really, are you okay?" her roommates asked

"Yeah I am, I was just reminiscing about my childhood days" Ivy said now sitting upright

"Must have been so fun and memorable for you to be that zoned out"

"Yeah it was" Ivy said wanting to end that line of conversation, which worked as her roomie went to her corner

The next day Ivy went to class again and after that she went to the library, she was reaching for a book on the shelf and as she got it, the others fell, she bent, picking them up when she felt a presence, before she could look up, the person bent and helped her with the book. It was the girl whom she seemed to see everywhere- Seraphina

They both got up and kept the book in their places

" Thank you"

"Why do I keep seeing you, especially here, and you never happen to be reading"

"What can I say, I love walking around"

"Phina, what's going on?" Two students came to their side and directed their question to Seraphina.

They were Seraphina's friends, I think I've seen them with her before Ivy thought to herself

"Oh I was just helping a friend" Seraphina said as she winked at Ivy

Ivy could swear something shifted in her stomach

"Oh hey, I'm Irene" one of the girls said

"I'm Rita" said the other

"I'm Ivy"

"Nice to meet you Ivy, but you have to forgive us, we have to steal Phina from you" the girl who said she was Irene said lightly heartedly

Ivy smiled to mask her thoughts that said 'steal from me as if she was mine to begin with"

"Sure thing" Ivy said, almost a whisper

"See ya"

"Yeah, see yeah" Ivy muttered as the girl turned to leave with her friends

Ivy stood there for a minute before returning to what she was doing

In her last class for the day, the lecturer suddenly announced that another department would be joining them in class and also in the new project he was to assign to them

"What does this woman mean by this"

"Is she too lazy to teach each class, hence her announcement to do a combined class and project?"

"Which department could that be, ma?" someone finally asked loud enough for the lecturer to hear.

"We will be having the department of Radiography with us next class" the lecturer replied

another series of murmurs could be heard

"The Department of Radiography? What does the Department of Veterinary Medicine have to do with Radiography?"

I mean, they were close enough to their departmental building, but this close?

Well, it was not like there was anything Ivy could do about it, so she decided to go with the flow. The next class for this particular lecturer would be in four days'. Ivy just had to wait and see what happened.

What she didn't know was that it was going to be a pleasant surprise.