HOME,SWEET HOME

When she opened her eyes again,she was in a different place.She was lying on an old, dirty bed and the smell of spoilt food filled her nostrils.

She managed to sit up and roamed her eyes around the dirty, strange environment.

There was an old lamp on a dirty table at the corner of the room.There were cobwebs all around,it looked abandoned.

There were old,dirty clothes heaped on a seat next to the table. There were old plates, spoons and books lying around.

She wondered how she got there as she stood carefully so as not to step on the books lying around.

They were old and dirty but her great grand mother had taught her to respect books and she always did.

"You are awake",a voice said from her rear as she jerked and turned to see who it was.

"You...",she retorted;it was the strange, young boy from the streets.

"You fell down on the road and that man brought you here" he snapped as he walked over to her and grabbed her hand.

"Which man are .....",her voice trailed off as she recalled the man that saved her earlier while the child smiled at her.

She smiled at him in reply and roamed her gaze around the room again. Something about the room seemed familiar but she had no time to think about all that,she still had to find Sandra.

She found her way out of room,the little child still holding her tightly.She carefully pushed the old door open as it squeaked.

Reality dawned on her as she walked out of the room;she was in her great grand mother's house.

She had been in Catherine's meditation room and maybe that was why she never realized that she was in the very place she grew up to become a woman.

"Why don't you let me into your meditation room...?" She recalled herself asking Catherine when she was younger.

"Oh my innocent child, it's my personal room and as long as I am alive,only can enter inside",She had replied revealing her set of brown teeth;the memories were still fresh in Annie's mind.

"What if you die in your secret room,is anyone allowed to come in and take you away or will you rot inside?"

Catherine could only laugh out loud at little Annie's curiosity. "I'm going to die right on your special day but not in my meditation room......!"

Annie was too young to understand but Catherine did die on her special day,her fourteenth birthday and it was not in her meditation room.

"Why are you crying?"the young child queried, jolting her back to reality. She looked down at him and their eyes met.

His little eyes were filled with so much innocence and concern. She smiled at him and then averted her gaze.

"This is my old house.....",she paused to clean her tears while he studied her every move, blinking his eyes at intervals.

"Is that why the man brought you here?"the child asked as her thoughts raced.

She had to find out how she ended up there but she had to find the strange man first.

"He's sitting outside",he snapped as if reading her thoughts while Annie stared at him in amazement.

The young child smiled at her and without waiting for her to say a word,he led her outside.The rest of the house were kept and the floors were neatly scrubbed.

He seemed to know around the house as much as she did and it baffled her. She took her time to look around the house.

Nothing changed;Catherine's beautiful portrait was still hung in the living room next to her old clock.

The clock never worked since Annie could remember but it was one of the best gifts Catherine received from one of her favourite persons so she wanted to keep it.

There was an incence burning at the corner; it was one of her old habits. She told Annie it was to remove jinx and bad luck.

They met the strange man sitting on a wooden armchair in front of the house. It was Catherine's favourite spot whenever she wanted some fresh air.

Annie walked over to him;the young child still holding her tightly.The strange man turned abruptly and he jerked when he saw her .

"You are awake,miss Annabel Smith",he snapped as he stood up;there was a smile on his face.

She was astonished;it was the first time someone addressed her by her full name. It clearly meant that he knew her too well.

"Good evening,mister",she greeted. She was not sure if it was evening but she could tell by the weather.

"My name is Leonard",he retorted, stretching his hand out for a handshake. She reluctantly accepted his offer;the child just looked on

"How did....."

"I know you have lots of questions to ask but can we talk about it after eating because I am very sure that you are famished", he said cutting her off.

She was hungry but she needed answers to all of the questions evolving in her head. She also needed to find Sandra.

"Hey",the child called out, jolting her back to reality as he shook her hand vigorously.

"Where did he go?", she queried;the strange man was no longer in sight.

"He said he's going to make dinner",the young child snapped in reply while she sighed deeply.

"Let me show you around",he offered as he led her to Catherine's garden. She did not want to buy she found herself walking right behind him.

The garden flowers were well trimmed; whoever was taking care of the house was doing a great job.

Lots of herbs were planted and there was little or no weed around.She went down memory lane as recalled the good times she spent with Catherine in the garden, telling stories or harvesting herbs for medicine.

Annie cleaned the tears that rolled down her cheeks as the little boy led her around. The good old memories were still fresh in her mind like it happened yesterday.

She still had a lot of mysteries to solve but she was glad that she was in one of the best places she had ever been all her life.

She paused at a spot to look at something while the boy stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her.

It was a piece of Catherine's old cloth;she bent down picked it up and stuffed it in her back pocket.

"Are you happy that you are home?"he asked as their eyes met.

"Yes,dear. Home, sweet home!"she snapped as she smiled at him.