~Elsewhere~
Jessica’s car raced towards the countryside, her gaze outside the window as she watched the scenery blur past while she left the city.
The city, a place that had shrouded her life in mystery and confusion. As the buildings receded into the distance, she couldn’t help but wonder how things had ended up this way. So many questions, so few answers.
She held onto the hope that this trip would finally begin to unravel the tangled threads of her past.
Before setting out, she had made a crucial stop at the testing centre to drop the specimen she had taken from George’s hair during her trip to the Brown family.
She wished so much to have the test result without any delay. Hence, she requested an express service.
With the guarantee of having the result in 24 hours she was assured and then left but not without leaving a trusted guard to wait and watch.
She wouldn’t want to risk the result being tampered with or compromised at the moment as it held a serious answer to the truth she seeks.
Jessica’s gaze never left the window with several thoughts swirling in her mind, she watched the scenery blur past.
After a few hours, the car turned into an untarred road leading deeper into the countryside.
The path narrowed, and with every bump and curve, the air felt a little purer, a little more familiar.
Tall trees flanked either side of the winding road, their canopies interlaced, allowing golden shafts of sunlight to pierce through in dazzling patterns.
Wildflowers bloomed in bursts of colour, the warm amber glow of the morning sunlight kissing the petals as it sways gently in the morning breeze. Its fragrance, calming and enchanting.
Jessica rolled down the window, allowing the breeze to sweep in. It carried the scent of earth, hay, and distant pine. A calm refreshing breath.
The air was cool and soothing, brushing over her skin like a mother’s hand lulling a restless child to sleep.
Birds chirped, The birds chirped nonstop in symphony as they fluttered from branch to branch, flapping their wings at intervals, their melodies crisp and vivid.
From afar, the soft, steady gurgle of a stream echoed like an old lullaby as it rushed down the hills.
She remembered that stream well, especially the spot where the warm steam rose at the point of confluence evaporating into the sky, it was a beautiful sight.
She took a deep breath, the nostalgia washing over her like a balm as she recalled the days in the past when she spent her life here and the peace that followed.
A soft smile tugged her lips as she searched for the simplest description of this part of the world.
"I think this is the kind of place where time paused, where silence wasn’t empty, but full of life."
"A place where nature gives peace, and existence feels meaningful."
She raised her phone and took a quick panoramic shot of the view before her and sent it out to Davis.
An hour later, the car came to a gentle stop before a modest bungalow nestled amid a lush garden of vegetables and herbs.
The lawn was neatly trimmed, the tall trees surrounding it like natural guardians.
Its entrance and walkway, paved with concrete, made it much easier for entrance.
Its glass door glistened with the reflections of the sun.
Just beside it was a separate round hut built from mud and thatch. This humble hut used as kitchen once served as their home since the bungalow was at its foundation stage before the death of her mother Nora.
After her mother’s death, they had lived in the mud house until their life condition improved when Jessica’s efforts towards a better life began paying off.
With determination, she completed the building of that bungalow letting her grandmother settle down.
It can only be said, this was the first bungalow around this side of the community.
Smoke curled from a hole in its roof, carrying the scent of firewood and simmering broth.
A scent that smelt of homeliness without the complexities of city life and its hassle.
A narrow path of flat stones connected the two buildings, with herbs and vegetables growing in patches along the way.
As Jessica stepped out of the car, her gaze swept across the compound. It appeared empty as though nobody was around.
She made her way behind the kitchen and followed along the path into the woods before she paused, her eyes softening, her gaze gentle as it settled on a spot.
There, in the garden, bent over a basket of freshly plucked vegetables with some fruits, was Grandma Nelly.
"Grandma," Jessica called gently, her voice cracking, her nose tingling, her eyes blurred with unshed tears.
Seeing the one woman who had been there for her all through the darkest moments of her life, through every storm, every scar, every sorrow brought emotions surging to the surface.
She felt all of her grievances break forth.
She wanted to lodge her complaints, she wanted to tell her all the maltreatment she had experienced, all the cruelty she endured in silence.
She wanted to cry and be cuddled like a baby just like in the past when she would be pulled into her embrace and a lullaby sang to her or a story told.

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