Waiting for a new dawn #ProjectNigeria

Chapter 31

                                                            1 year later

Ever since Barbara left Nigeria, nothing seemed right again. When they moved back to London, she was a lot worse.She can remember the day she cried her eyes out when she found her father dead in his room. She knew he was sick but she didn't expect him to die so soon. She had nothing to live for in London. Jonathan has not been talking to her after their father's death. She knew that it was because of Lilian. After everything, the fool still went back to Lilian. She was hurt that there was nobody to talk to and it was depressing to know that nothing was worth staying here for.

Barbara didn't want to have anything to do with anyone. Even the maid left after her father's death. At times, she wondered what Ire was doing. It was heartbreaking to leave without telling him how she felt. It still hurts that he is going to be with somebody else by now. If she wanted to live a happy life, she needs to make new friends and memories. There were no tears left to cry. She still dreamt of Folakemi, telling her that it wasn't her fault. That somethings couldn't be changed. Barbara knew she failed her, Folakemi could have been alive. Whenever she remembered Folakemi, tears rolled down her cheeks because of the good memories they had.

A year of tears, pain and anger wasn't going to do her any good. Barbara stood up from the bed. She looked at herself in the mirror, she wasn't expecting anything less. She wore a dress and buckled up her sandals. Immediately, she walked out of the house, she was relieved when the cool breeze hit her. Glad that she felt alive, Barbara smiled for the first time in a year.

"Morning," a woman greeted as she sat down beside Barbara on a bench.

"Morning," Barbara replied without looking at the woman.

"It's a nice weather, don't you think?" The woman asked with a smile on her face.

What was wrong with this woman? Barbara thought to herself. She didn't want to talk to anybody at the moment. Looking at the woman, she saw the woman was an old lady with a kind face. Her smile was so bright and wide that Barbara found herself smiling. She didn't want to seem rude, so she looked at the busy road and laughed.

"Yes, it is," Barbara said with a chuckle.

Looking up in shock, Barbara looked down to see the woman's warm hands holding hers. The woman smiled at her and rubbed her cheeks.

"I know that look."

"What? You barely even know me," Barbara said with a frown.

"I know you're hurt and in pain. It hurts that no one is here for you," the woman said with a warm smile.

" Why are you telling me this?" Barbara asked.

"I lost my husband twenty years ago and I have been by myself since then."

" Don't you have someone to talk to?" Barbara asked with a frown.

With a smile, the woman nodded her head and rubbed her hands that were pale. She brought out a photo from her bag and handed it to Barbara.

"I lost my baby girl a year after my husband passed away. It broke my heart and I was traumatized for a long time," the woman said with tears in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, I had no idea," Barbara said as she rubbed the woman's hands tenderly.

"Young lady, never forget this. Bad things happen to people, but that doesn't make them bad people."

"But some people change," Barbara pointed out.

"Exactly. That's the more reason why you need to care for the person and try your possible best to make the person forget the bad memories," the woman said as she put the photo back into her bag.