Chapter 22

The botanical garden was an hour north's journey back to Silent Spring Valley up the mountains. Volca put on another sky blue cotton dress and navy blue sneakers her hospital inmates got her. She carried a sling Jiah borrowed her to put the phone.

Jiah always had wanted a daughter but ever since she got divorced with the alcoholis husband who had gambling issues. She never cared to remarry, growing afraid of marriages, but put all the attention to her only son. She hence spread her wings and did business and earned money enough to own a botanical garden which is running very successfully with lots of customers buying plants and giving her projects to set gardens in offices and houses in the cities. Hence Jiah lived happily and very content where as her ex husband is still a severe alcoholic diagnosed with liver cirrhosis. She send him little money every month necessary for the treatment but she was not sure if he is properly getting treatment. Father and son do not get along well and thus Jiah has been strictly ordered by her son to never ever step out of the house to visit the drunkard ever again or he will never return home and take care of his mother. He blackmailed her so that she won't commit mistakes based on her old feelings for a wrong man again and lose her peace over it.

Getting a girl as her house mate, Jiah felt excited to spend more time with Volca and helped her with everything even to comb her hair and put on little make up for the girl sharing her cosmetics. Volca was new to all if this and had no idea how to do them, hence wholeheartedly accepted Jiah's help and institutions.

Both the women got out of the house . Jiah started her scooter and asked Volca get on the back ordering her to wear the helmet strictly.

"We cannot always depend on the bus, we might end up wasting our precious time," Jiah said and started the ride. This was Volca's first time on a two wheeler. And it felt so good. She put her hands up and felt the wind in her hands as they moved forward with pressure. She held on to her clothes tight so that it doesn't expose her body. She looked at both the side of the road, green lands as long as her eyes sight could reach.

"You like it here Hara?" Jiah screamed for Volca to hear her.

"I love it," Volca replied back.

"Wait till we climb the hill and reach the garden, you will be lost in there," she said feeling excited. "Why don't you learn to ride the bike, it will be useful for you to travel and work," Jiah suggested. "Let's enroll in the driving school back in the town, you will need it,"

"Okay, I will try," That was Volca said. She did feel excited and wanted to ti try driving seeing how people rode past her. She also saw some heavy vehicles and tractors. They climbed the three hair pin bends and passed through the farm of Nanna. The door of the cottage was left open.

"Ma must be in kitchen at this hour, preparing lunch. I wonder if elder brother is going to come today to stay with her," Jiah said and drive past the farm. Volca looked at the trees and the tiny woods they passed by and waited to reach the garden she is going to work in.