JASAMINA
"Take this..." The drunkard said to me, his voice hoarse and scratch like gravel. Sounds like a voice that hasn't been used in a while.
I stared at the notes in his hand. I didn't stop to wonder why this drunkard with filthy clothes will help me, instead I snatched the dollar notes from his outstretched hand.
"Thank you. Thank you so much!" My relief was so profound that tears filled my eyes.
He didn't answer. Instead, he shuffled past me, his staggering steps loud on the cool pavement. He snapped his head to the sky, swung the bear bottle to his lips, and drank a mouthful as he continued walking.
Jaimie wiggled under my clothes, drawing my attention away from the kind drunkard. I tightened my arm around my baby, shaking my head with force repeatedly to shave off the dizziness I was feeling.
I turned and walked away, pulling my coat closer to my face to cover half of my face and hide my identity.
I bought a baby bottle and formula from the nearest store, ignoring the quizzical eyes the clerks were giving me, I made my way out.
Hours later, I fed my baby and I've eaten something too.
Since I can't afford to be in one place for a long time, I continued my journey.
THREE DAYS LATER.
I don't have the slightest idea where I am. Only a few dollars are remaining from the money an older woman gave me last night. I've lost track of how many buses I've entered and how many rides I've hitched.
I long for a nice bath. I long to breathe without feeling pain. My whole body feels like one big bruise.
Jaimie was sleeping in my arms as I walked without a destination. I only sleep wherever I find myself.
My legs arching really bad now, and trembling so well, I feared that my leg will give out. I'm on the road and I can't afford to pass out here because someone might take my child.
I have to keep walking. I have to.
TANNER
Beer. I need another one.
I staggered my way through the long road, my eyes barely clear. Hell, I'm starting to think. I'm not supposed to be thinking at all. That's why I need more beer.
I froze with the whiskey bottle midway to his lips. Even in the poor light of the evening, a girl on the other side of the road caught my dazed eyes. The familiar coat cannot be mistaken.
It's the girl with the baby. The same girl.
Even from the distance and my blurred vision, I saw her milk-white face, her eyes with huge splashes of darkness and fear. She was trembling really hard with her hand tightened on the bundle of her coat which I already know is her baby.
I'm a lot of miles away from Valleyland and I see her again. She is not my problem.
Is she homeless? Is she on the run? Who begs on the street at such an age and with a such small child?
Not my problem, I decided again. I have two priorities in life now.
One. Drink a beer and get drunk.
Two. Stay sane long enough to buy a new bottle that'll replace the finished one.
I stumbled my way past the girl, swinging the beer and groaning as it burned down my throat. I just passed her when I heard a loud thud on the ground.
I turned to see the girl sprawled on the ground. Even in her fall, she still held the bundled baby protectively to her belly. She has passed out.
"Not my problem." I reminded myself as I turned to keep walking but somehow, I can't get my drunk body to move forward.
"This is such a bad idea." I tried to convince myself. I just took a step forward when two male voices behind me made me stop again.
"She's so beautiful." One growled.
"Passed out cold, the wee one is." The other one said, then he lowered his voice. "Let's get her to one of those abandoned buildings and...you know...."
I snorted disgustedly at their plans but I took another step forward, determined not to interfere. She's not my problem.
"Alright, let's go." The first man said behind me.
Shit. I whirled around to face them. They were already trying to carry her up from the ground.
"Leave her alone." I meant for the words to come out stern, but they slurred out.
One of the scoffed, "Stupid drunkard. Better be on your way." He scolded.
There was a time in my life when people like him can't stand where I'm standing. Or speak when I'm speaking....talk more of talking back at me this way.
Keep the past buried, man, I scolded myself. I really really don't want to fight this two because it'll sober me up. Don't wanna get sober.
"Can't you see she has a baby? Leave her alone." I bit out again.
"Don't mind the drunkard. Help me let's lift her." The other one said.
That was how I found myself fighting both of them, leaving them all bloodied and they had to run away.
I know you're wondering how a drunk slob like me managed to beat them to a stupor and send them running, but I'll spare you the details.
Trust me, you don't want to know about me. Even if you do...I'll never tell.
JASAMINA I feel warm. I'm in a warm bed. It was the first thing I noticed as I woke up from my slumber. I heard the sound of my son's little giggles and a shooing male sound playing with the baby. Male!? My husband!? My eyes snapped open and I made a sharp move to get up but my head hurt suddenly. I grabbed it as the world spun around me. "Lie down. You don't have to make sharp movements like that." A deep unfamiliar voice said to me. My eyes caught the owner of the voice and I recognized him immediately. It's the drunkard that helped me three nights ago. Only, he doesn't look so drunk anymore. "Where am I?" My voice came out scared and scratchy. "Safe." I would have laughed bitterly if my face doesn't feel so heavy. I can never be safe anywhere. "What happened?" I asked in a tiny voice. "You fainted." I looked down at my leg. The cut on my toe has been bandaged. I looked around the unfamiliar environment. It was cozy and nice looking. A small but beautiful apartment. Fea
LUDALE MACCULLY. He was so furious, he could barely keep his head straight. He had plans for her the minute he gets his hands on her and so help him she wouldn't end up in a coma or maybe in a coffin. So, Jasamina had the guts to run away from him!? Out of all the time she had done this, this particular escape made him so mad because it's been days and Jasamina has not been found. Did she go home? He quickly threw the thoughts away. There is no way she will be at home without her parents telling me about it. After all, I'm the best thing that happened to their family...like her mother always says. But, just in case... He pulled out his cell phone. He will call her parents to report her just in case she decided to visit there. He knew he had their support just as long as he provided them with cash. They worshipped him He paced the tiles furiously. "That bitch".He cursed. When I get her back, I'll make sure I beat her up so badly she won't ever think of escaping ever! he tho
TANNER I froze at the door when I entered the room. Hell, she looks sick. Really sick. I walked closer to her and placed the back of my hand on her forehead. "Fuck." I muttered. It really burns. What will I do now? I can't just stay here. If I do, I'll start thinking of the past. And if I think about the past, I'm gonna lose it. I need to have some beer. I need to get drunk. Eight bottles will be too small for me. I'll have at least fifty bottles. I don't want to remember anything. I don't want to think at all. Taking care of her means being sober and being sober is a nightmare. She's not my problem, I said to myself as I dropped the things I bought and faced the door. My legs won't move. I need to leave. But...her sickness is making me stay. I stayed with the little baby sleeping beside the fragile girl and my legs won't move at all. "Just one night." I finally groaned to myself. "One night and I'll be out of here. For now, I need to take care of her." I said be
TANNER Why are you still here? It's a question I asked myself two hours later. I brought this girl to this house because it's a place I know he'll never have use for again. This house is a place I don't want to be in at all if I can help it. Yet, I find myself reluctant to leave the girl until I'm sure she's settled in. "She's not your responsibility," I said out loud to the empty room. I need to be on my way....and two bottles of beer in hand too. Job. I'll help her secure a job and then I'm gone. That decided, and I stepped out of the room. "You're done with your bath and that of Jaimie's?" I asked staring at her on the bed. She had put on a nicely fit simple dress from the clothes I bought for her. I don't know why I should feel pleased that the cloth fit but I did. "Yes, I'm done." She replied in that soft voice of hers. "I've decided to help you get a job," I stated. Her eyes widened in sheer terror. She shook her head twice. "No! I can't." She's really on the run t
TANNER Counting my steps and movement as I paced in the sitting room waiting for her arrival. I was worried and restless. I've been sober for two days and when I might have avoided shutting off my thoughts, sometimes, it gets hard. But now, my mind is starting to go places that are forbidden. I want out. I need a beer. I yearned for it. It's the only thing giving me peace. The only thing keeping me sane. I heard movements outside, and I knew I would be her. I waited patiently for her to come inside. Glancing at the baby, the child is still sleeping peacefully. She entered the house and walked closer to me, I notice her face was having mixed feelings. Happiness. Sadness. Fear. "How was the job hunt?" I asked curtly. "I got the job." She answered softly, walking to her baby to take a closer look at the little life. "Good." Her eyes found me from across the room. "I don't know how to thank you...I don't know how to express my gratitude for all this..." She gestured her hands e
JASAMINA I'm giving Jaimie his evening bath smiling, the way he's growing is really surprising. He was giggling and playing with the soap. He stared at me and flashed gums without teeth in them. "Yaiii!" "Yaii!" I shot right back as I ran my hand all over his little body. I splashed little water on him and he laughed out loud. "You love playing with water, don't you?" I said splashing more water on him. I've never seen a child who loves water more like him. Not that I've seen many children of course. I'm the only child of my parents and I'm just twenty years old. I brought my mind back to the present and stared at my child good-naturedly. "Will you want me to put you back in the tub if I bring you out again?" "Yaii!" He beat his hand in the water, splashing it. I laughed a little and carried him out of the water. The smile cleared from his face, he cooed sounds as if in a complaint. "You'll be in the water again soon enough, young man," I promised him as we entered the s
🎁🎁VIVIAN🎁🎁 As soon as she stepped out of the bookstore, she shuffled through her handbag to get a hold of her phone. I needed to call the police right away. She needed to tell them who she had just seen. Jasamina McCully. The run-away wife of Ludale McCully. The wife of the state's congressman and a multi-millionaire who had absconded from home and had her husband searching frantically for her. And their baby. She wasn't mistaken in recognizing the lady even though she was hiding under a disguise. She lived almost close to where she resided with her husband so she does see them often. Moreover, the news of her disappearance was splashed all over the news and a huge sum of money was promised to whoever had news about her whereabouts. So, she couldn't afford to keep mute. She needed that money badly. A hundred thousand dollars would surely go a long way in clearing some of her outstanding bills. So, it was time for her to act fast. Before another person recognizes the lady
She stared at it for a full minute before she cocked her head to the side. "Well, it looks like Mina, the full-time employee." The woman frowned a little. "But she has black hair, unlike the lady in this picture." Now, we're getting somewhere, I thought. "Where is she? We need to specifically find her and search through her belongings." My colleague stated firmly, then continued, his face serious as he turned to Vivian. "Tell her what you told us." "She's not Mina. She's Jasamina McCully. The wife of Ludale McCully. She just dyed her hair black to cover up her identity. I live around here, so I know her very well. Even the baby is not a girl but a boy. And I overheard when she called him 'Jaimie'. That's the name of the McCully's son." Vivian explained to the people in the library. There were gasps and shouts. The customers and everyone looked so surprised apart from the old store owner. The part-timer stammered, stunned. "How...how...did you come up with this? I never even susp