ROWAN.
“Mummy!”
The familiar cry has nme turning toward it to see Jhenelle in the arms of a stranger, heading towards me.
“Jhenelle!” I cry out as I hurry over to them, snatching her from the man’s hands the moment I reach them and hugging her violently. “Where have you been?! How could you leave without telling anyone? Do you have any idea how worried we were?!”
“I am sorry mummy,” she says as she tightens her arms around me. “I just wanted to come with you and see outside.”
“Still, you do not do that. You don’t leave without telling anyone,” I scold before taking a deep breath. “I am glad you are okay, but you know you are in big trouble, right young lady? You are so grounded.”
“I know. I am sorry.”
“I know you are sorry.+,” I say before looking up at the man. “Thank you so much. So very much. You have no idea how grateful I am.”
“I can fathom an idea. I am glad to be of help,”he says with a smile.
“How… How did you know she was missing? That we were looking for her?”
“I ran into that man over there,” he says as he gestures to Louis. “I saw him asking a lot of people questions and I was curious. He told me about her and showed me a picture to see if I had noticed her.”
“Oh, I see.”
“I was on my way to my car when I noticed her by the park swings,” he finishes.
“The park, Of course, a kid will always go to the park.”
Especially Jhenelle.
Being the only child of her age in the Coalition has not done her any favors.
Sure, there are other kids there but they are way older than her, so it makes sense that she would be drawn to other kids.
“Really, I can’t thank you enough,” I repeat.
“Hmm, and like I said, it is no big deal. You are welcome, I have got to go now. Take care,” he says as he turns to leave.
“Bye, Mr. Nice man,” Jhenelle says with a wave.
“Bye Jhenelle. Stay close to your mum, okay? There are lots of bad people around.”
“Okay.”
“Bye,” I call out to him as he walks away before turning to the rest of the gang.
“Louis!” Jhenelle calls in excitement as she pulls from me until I set her on the ground before rushing into his arms.
“Hi, you. You gave us a lot of headaches today. At least tell me you had fun?”
“Hmm, not really. I don’t know anyone and there were not many kids in the park.”
“Of course, there weren’t,”I say as I take hold of her hands and begin heading to where we packed our cars. “They must all be in classes now.”
“Hmm. Mummy?” she calls as she looks up at me with those big baby greens of hers.
“What?”
“Why can’t I attend school with the kids here?”
“Because honey, you are different from them.”
“But we look the same.”
“True, but that doesn’t mean we are the same. They can’t change into wolves like we can. And until you are older and can control your rouges better, you will not be exposed to them, okay?”
“That is not fair,” she retorts with a pout. “All of you can!”
“We are adults and no, baby girl, life isn’t fair. You will understand once you grow older,”I say before lifting her into the jeep.
The ride is calm, quiet. Like all the tension had bled out and it had left us completely exhausted.
Even Jhnelle, after the exhausting day she has had, has fallen asleep on top of me.
“Thank you,” I whisper to Louis, who is watching the passing scenery in quiet contemplation.
“Hmm? What? Were you talking to me?” he asks as he turns to me.
“Yeah. I said thank you.”
“for what?”
“For stepping up. You really did a lot today and you didn’t have to, not after the suspicious way I have treated you.”
“First of all, that is what is expected of any sane man to do in my scenario, Secondly I don’t blame you for being suspicious, you must have very good reasons. And third but not the least, you are welcome,” he finishes with a smile.
One that I return to him.
“Maybe it is expected, but you still went above and beyond. For my daughter… thank you.”
“You are most welcome.”
By the time we arrive back at the settlement , it is way past noon and the weather has cooled down to the tones of evening.
As if aware of the change, Jhenelle stirs awake minutes after we cross the gates.
“Mommy?” she calls me as she struggles with a yawn and loses.
“Hmm?”
“I am hungry.”
“Of course, you are. We are home now, you will have your dinner and stay in your rooms. You don’t come out unless I tell you to, got it?”
“Yes mummy.”
We alight from the car once it’s parked and are immediately bombarded by Lisa and Rina.
“Oh, my goddess,” Lisa cries as she seizes Jhenelle, holding her to herself. “You are okay. You are in so much trouble, young lady,” she rants and continues for a good few minutes vacillating between glad she is okay and annoyance at her disappearance.
“Are you okay?” Rina asks me quietly.
I give a silent nod as I watch Lisa with Jhnelle.
It has alway surprised me by how attached she is to Jhnelle. If there was anyone I thought would be that attached, I would have said Rina.
Anyway, I leave them to her as I head into the building, pausing to give instructions to the cook to have her dinner made.
It is only after I had taken my seat and had a few minutes to myself does the reality hit me.
The man.
The one who had found her.
He was the same one that I had seen talking to Louis.