Consequences ( Book 3 in the Hijacked Of Innocence Series)

Chapter 12. Life - A GAME OF CHESS?

Tanya sat out on the front veranda of her mother's house.  She hardly noticed the sun coming up beyond the horizon. She was deep in thought of how sweet her life with Eric was.  A car made its way  up the winding driveway.  

'Aunt Daphne?'

It was a while since she saw her aunt Daphne, and she was so happy to see her car pulled up  that morning.  Tanya ran out to greet her before she could even get out of her car.

As Daphne got from the car Tanya wrapped her arms about her aunt and clung to her just as she  did as a child; only this time there were tears.  She was just overwhelmed with happiness at seeing her aunt.   

Daphne laughed.  "What a welcome! you must really miss me and here I was thinking you forgot about your dear old aunt Daphne." 

"You don't visit me anymore and you don't call. What is going on with you chile?" Daphne asked.

"The drive up to the capital is hard for me alone at this stage but you are right I could call," Tanya said as she wiped the tears from her face. 

"Hmm, the drive to the capital is hard, yet I hear that you are ready  to go on a plane thousands of miles away," Daphne said. 

"I just need to get away from him ... from here," she cried.

"Shhh stop the crying, let's go inside and see what Edie has to eat, I am starving, afterward we will take a walk and talk," Daphne said. 

Tanya smiled and nodded her head.  

Daphne walked through the door and dropped her bags on the floor.  Edie did not look too please to see her.  She blamed Daphne in part for the situation Tanya found herself in with the Willbrooks, but Daphne paid no attention to her sister in law's sour face.  She was there to see Tanya not her. 

"So a what breeze blow you down here this early in the morning?" Edie asked.

"Your husband did.  We played a game of chess and he won, so I agreed to come down here and check on you guys for him," Daphne said.

Tanya looked at her aunt in shock.  "Daddy asked you to come?!" 

"Ron? My Ronnie  ... you played chess with my dead husband?" Edie spit out in disbelief.

Daphne looked from Edie to Tanya.  "Why is that so hard for you to believe? My brother came to me in a dream, we played chess and he told me that I was needed down here, so here I am.  Now what yu cooking, I could smell it all the way from outside," 

Daphne pushed pass Edie and headed over to the stove.  "Hmm, roast breadfruit and Ackee and saltfish, my favorite."    

Edie opened her mouth to say something, but shut it when Jess walked in.  "Hi Aunty Daphne."

Daphne pulled the young girl into a hug.  "Oh my, you are growing up nicely and look just like your sister here."   

Jess smiled and asked Tanya for help with her hair.  The girls headed up the stairs leaving Daphne with Edie. 

"Just pull your hair up with a pony clip; you don't have time for anything fancy or you will be late for school," Edie yelled out to Tanya and Jess as she fixed Jess her breakfast. 

"You must be over the moon to have three of your kids home with you," Daphne said.

"With Ronnie gone it gets lonely even with Jess here, so yes it's good to have them home."  

"Does Jess take the bus to school or you still drive her?" Daphne asked.

Edie looked at Daphne.  "Yes I drive her anywhere she needs to be ... after what happened with Tanya, I am not taking any chances with Jess, and I don't want to hear your mouth about how strict I am in raising my daughter.  You  had enough say in Tanya's life and look what happened."