WALK ME HOME

CHAPTER 1

Helena couldn’t take her mind off the fact that her parents were in the process of a divorce .She had witnessed the ups and downs in their marriage but was not bothered then because she felt her parents will do well getting back on the line as always but this time it was different.

In the process of the divorce,Helena is convinced to stay over at her Uncle’s for a month.Although her older cousins who are all guys,manage to distract her from the current situation at her home,she still stays up most of the nights wondering how she could convince her parents to stay together for her sake.She loves both parents and has seen them love each other over time.

She is only fifteen years and a student of The Grand-west School in Boston. She is hyped because of her brilliance and wealth of her parents. She aims at settling issues wherever she goes but here was the situation where she could not even save her parents marriage.

“What is love ,Lucas?”Helena asks her most oldest cousin,who is twenty years of age.He laughs sadistically at her question and shakes his head.

“Ena, I wish I could have your question answered but I myself wish I knew what love really meant.Can we go to bed now?It’s getting cold out here.”Helena sighs and holds the hand of her cousin and they go into the house without a word to each other.

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Helena goes to school on Monday with her head bowed.Her thoughts are all directed to the dispute between her dad and mom.She pumps into a Sophomore who eventually pushes her with aggressiveness.

“Can you not watch where you’re going Freshman?Creep!” He walks away with a stern look without saying sorry to Helena.

Helena notices the scratch under her elbow and a tear drops. She’s filled with pain to the extent she whispers to herself, “Love is no where to be found.” She sheds more tears as she relates this to the marriage of her parents.

She goes to her locker to pick out science notes and text books for her first class.She is startled by the presence of Cromwell,who laughs hysterically at her reaction and pale face.Cromwell is one of the friends of Helena’s second oldest cousin,Leo,who is a senior in Grand-West.

“What are you doing on this block Cromwell?Aren’t you gonna get yourself into trouble to be found on the Junior’s Block?Huh?”Helena blasts.

“I told you I’d do anything for you Helle.”He smirks and leans on the locker close to Helena’s face. “I miss you. Talking to you over the phone was not satisfactory Helena.I have been so desperate over the weekends to see your face and look into your eyes but silly Leo wouldn’t let me,claiming to protect you. I jealous him having you as a cousin you know…” he pauses you upon realization that Helena isn’t paying attention to him.He gently pulls her into his arms and hugs her. Helena cries bitterly into his chest while hugging him back but tighter. Cromwell asks no questions until the bell is rang for class.

She pulls away and looks up at Cromwell.“Cromwell,I want to skip school today.”she looks away shyly

“No,no,no Helena. I respect your cousins so much,especially Lucas,so much that I don’t want to do anything that would make them hate me. You know they wouldn’t be happy if they get to know that you skipped school and I …”

“Then go with me,please. You would do anything for me right?”Cromwell sighs and agrees unhappily.

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“So where are we heading to Helena?” Cromwell asks as he drives,clueless of where they are going to.

“Your house?”

“Alright.”He looks on the road as he drives at the same time checking on Helena at intervals until they get to his house. He unlocks the door and they walk through the door into the house with Helena taking the lead.

“So what now Helena?”Cromwell asks annoyed. “Have you eaten?”

“I don’t think I’m hungry Crom. I just want to take a nap. Can I sleep in the couch?”

“And do you think you’ll be comfortable sleeping there Helena?”Cromwell asks.He walks towards her and turns her gently to face him.Holding her shoulders with a worried expression, “ Oh Helena now would you tell me what’s going on with you. Please. You keep telling me you’re okay but neither you nor your cousins would tell me what is going on with you. You know I’m concerned Helena.” Fresh tears run down Helena’s cheeks. She moves closely to Cromwell,Stretches on her toes and leans in to kiss Cromwell;a thing she has never tried.Cromwell kisses her back and it becomes intense.

Cromwell pulls away instantly when realization dawns on him that he’s going too far with her. “Helena we can’t do this. I’ve done this with a couple of girls but it has never been part of my plans to do something like this with you Helena. Your brothers wouldn’t like me for this. You’re younger than me and I like you alright but this can’t happen when you’re still fifteen. This is why I didn’t want us coming over to my place.”

Helena is quiet for sometime. Her guilt drives her to take her backpack and walk out of the house without a word to Cromwell.

“Helena!Helena!Helena!” Cromwell chases after her but she’s far gone. “Oh this girl might have taken a cab. Does she even know where she’s going. God,I shouldn’t have spoken to her that bad. I just made her look cheap. Oh Helena. I was just trying to protect you.Now what am I gonna tell her brothers.” Cromwell converses with himself.

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Helena gets to the train station and buys a ticket to New York City. She awaits the next train when she finally decides to turn on her phone and notices the calls from her brothers(cousins),Cromwell and her uncle. She shakes her head and puts her phone on flight mode and listens to music.

In the train a man in a suit stand with a Bible in his hand as he shared the Gospel of Faith and love. Helena listens attentively without understanding but manages to ask the man calmly what love is. The man explains to her what love is biblically creating more confusion. She remains quiet but records the gospel shared by the man.

After 4 hours,Helena is woken up by the the train conductor who tells her that they’ve arrived in New York.

Forgetting she bought a ticket to get to NewYork,she asks “How did I get here and where am I going to?”

Impatiently. “Young lady please get off the train.”

Helena strolls around NewYork City with the aid of her map. It’s 5pm when she goes to the McDonald’s Restaurant to get some fries with burgers. She takes off the flight mode and opens her chats. She opens her chat with Lucas who has sent over twenty messages…same applied to her other cousins and her uncle. “Who do I call?”She sighs. Just then Cromwell rings her and she instantly picks up.

“Ema where are you huh?You left my house and said nothing. Where are you? I told your cousins what happened over at my house and they are so furious with me that they have held me responsible for your disappearance.Please share your location with me so that I come pick you up Helena.Please I am sorry.”

“Umm…” she stammers. “I’m in New York City.I’ll go to a hotel and send my location the moment I get there.I’m also sorry.”

“Oh Helena.”