The flashback.
She closed her eyes again as she stopped walking.
Maybe this was a nightmare, this was a joke.
She took the first breath and the second before she opened her eyes.
She looked at the bookshop in front of her; a tall building, books lined up on a shelf in front of the store, some of the books were inside a show-glass and people went into the bookshop and came out.
Nothing changed. The wind was chilly and hot at the same time.
Her heart tightened up in her chest, her hands stayed numb at her sides.
The wind hurt her head. The noises from the cars that passed by, hurt her ears.
Everything hurt as her heart was heavy with emotion as tears bubbled up in her eyes.
Her racing heart and aching ears caused her nose to become hot and wet with phlegm; she sniffed that it wouldn't run down her nostrils.
She looked around her for anything or anyone she knew but stopped when she realized she was scared and alone.
She burst into fresh tears, her voice loud as her heart could let out.
She let everything out as the tears fell freely on her face and her nose smeared with phlegm while she still sniffed her running nose. She stood there for minutes, as she burst into tears while her hands rubbed her nostrils and rubbed her wet hand on the side of her clothes.
But no one cared; some just looked at her and walked away.
She was standing in front of the bookshop waiting for anyone who was her mom to come out but she didn't.
She cried earnestly, with all her heart's content.
She moved to sit down on the pavement by the bookstore, she looked at the entrance of the door, her legs pressed in front of her and hands around them while tears ran down her face.
After a few minutes, people began to come outside; some looked at her and walked past but one man; who was not as unconcerned as the rest, stopped at the door of the bookshop and carefully looked at her. He sighed before walking in her direction.
She looked at the person who came directly to her, still with unshed tears clouding her vision. The tears made her face itchy; she used her fingers to scratch her face while the remaining water poured down.
"Are you okay, child? Why are you crying?" She looked at the man as he asked her.
"I am looking for my mummy." She said in her small voice.
The man brought out his handkerchief from his left trouser pocket. He used it to wipe her wet face and clean her nose; he looked at the wet handkerchief before he disposed it into a bin.
"Is your mommy here?" He indicated the bookshop.
She looked at the bookshop, looked at him, and nodded. At least, that was what she remembered.
She and Mommy had been standing here before she said that they should go and buy some things from the market but when they got to the market, a group of people walked into them. That was how she lost her mom. She had come here after walking for hours……… hoping to find her mom there.
She watched the man take another handkerchief from his right pocket and gave it to her.
"Clean your face. We will find your mommy."
She collected the handkerchief from his hand and managed to give him a light smile that was supposed to mean thank you.
He smiled at her. He took her hand and led her into the bookstore.
They walked straight to the attendant's table to ask if she had seen a woman looking for a child but the lady in medical spectacles shook her head.
He held her hand and she looked at him expecting anything.
There was no way she could tell the attendant what her mom looked like because she didn't have a picture of her or a phone besides she was just six.
He didn't go anywhere; he sat down and waited for her while she checked around the bookshop for anyone who was her mother.
She stopped suddenly between two shelves and looked at the man sitting on the bench checking his watch. She raised her head after observing him for some time and looked at the clouds through the windows behind the man seated. It was getting dark.
Suddenly the man stood up.
She rushed to him before he had the chance to walk out of the bookstore and was about to hold his hand but he removed it just before she had the chance to.
He looked at her; on his face was a mix of sympathy and confusion.
"Did you find your mommy?" He asked her.
She shook her head.
He sighed, looked round the bookshop, and stopped when he heard his phone ringing. He brought it out from his left pocket, raised his ringing phone to look at the caller and looked back at her.
"I have a date, how about I leave you here…..maybe your mommy will come looking for you." He said with the ringing phone still in his hand.
But she shook her head. "Please don't leave me." Her voice broke in between sobs; she was almost near tears again.
He looked at her and put his hand on the small of her back before pulling her gently with him. His phone had stopped ringing.
She looked at him as he looked at the Bookstore attendant before he moved towards where she sat typing vigorously on her computer keyboard.
"Hi, Please. Help me watch over her."
The Attendant looked at her and him. "We close in an hour. Did you find her mom?" she asked him.
He shook his head. "No, and I am late to meet my girlfriend."
"Can't you just take her with you?"
He looked at the attendant and looked at the girl before he smiled as he cleaned the tears that fell from the girl's eyes before he looked at the woman.
"I can't. I don't think I am ready to take care of a child right now."
The Attendant blinked at him while her hands remained on the computer keyboard.
"Please…." He pleaded when she didn't say anything.
"Please, just watch her until the police get here. I am sure her mother has reported her missing."
The attendant just shrugged. "Sure."
He turned to the girl; who was already crying and knelt to her level.
"Hey, don't cry." He said as he used the handkerchief she still held to clean her face.
He held her shoulders with his two hands. "I am not leaving you alone."
She sniffed.
"Your mummy is going to come for you soon. Once I report the case to the police, they will come and get you. I am supposed to take you there myself; I can't. It is the opposite direction to where I am going. I am late, super late."
She sniffed, finally accepting he wasn't leaving her on her own. At least someone was going to take her to her mommy.
"Are you okay with that?"
She sniffed and nodded her head.
"So, can I go now?"
She nodded, using her free hand to clean her nose; she rubbed the wetness on her clothes again.
He smiled at her. "Is there anything you want me to do for you before I go?" He asked.
She looked at him and for the first time since he spoke to her.
She smiled; his heart lifted and he smiled back.
"I am hungry." She said.
He laughed out loud; looked at her for a minute before he straightened up and smiled; "I am coming."
She watched him leave as she remained where he left her, in front of the Attendant's desk looking at the entrance door, waiting for him to come back. Even when the attendant told her to go and sit down, she nodded her head but didn't move.
He came back after a few minutes with a bag, his body wet. She looked at him for a second; she hadn't noticed it was raining.
He didn't go into the bookshop fully. He motioned for her to come to where he stood. She walked to him and he carried her to sit down on the bench in front of the door and placed her away from the entrance because of the cold. He gave her the bag of biscuits, chips, and water.
"Don't finish it at once, okay?"
She nodded her head as she collected the bag.
He smiled at her as he reached for his phone again the same time he walked to the door.
"Uncle." He heard.
He stopped, turned back, and looked at her.
She waved at him and muttered. "Bye-bye."
He looked at her with a smile and paused for a moment; his mouth curved into an amazing smile and waved back. He looked at the attendant for a minute until the attendant assured him with a nod before he left.
She climbed the bench and stood on it. She stared at her; not knowing what to say except to shake her head and continue her work.
She looked at the uncle through the glass. He was on the phone talking with someone, his hands moving in the air, pointing, directing and his head nodding and nodding. At the phone call, he looked back at the bookshop and saw her.
She looked at him. He waved. She just pressed her hand on the glass window.
She didn't want him to leave her all alone.
But he left; he just turned and walked away.
She sat down again and looked at the bag. She picked up the box of chips. She tried to open it but she could not. The lady saw her confusedly trying to open a box. She stood up from her seat and came to her, opened it for her before she went back to her seat.
She looked at the lady for a few seconds before eating her chips.
After a few minutes, she put the chips back into the bag and looked at the clock, although she didn't know what time it was. She knew the hands of the clock had changed.
Her mommy was not here yet.
She yawned. She felt tired. Maybe if she slept for a few minutes, her mommy will come.
She lay down on the bench and closed her eyes while holding her bag of snacks securely.
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