thinking about you.

Sarah had been bringing home sweets for the past few days. I never buy sweets for Sarah after she almost injured herself by licking too much sugar. She also knows how bad it was. Her teacher has no idea who could be giving her sweets. I hope she doesn't collect things from strangers. I have trained her to be better than that.

I had finished editing two videos that were due last week. I made myself a latte and picked up the house keys. I washed my face with water only and headed towards the door. I really needed to investigate where's she's been getting those sweets from and hiding them from me.

The sun was so bright that afternoon. Its golden yellow goodness swept through the lush green trees. I peeped at my massive shadow then to the pavement. The concrete was missing in a few places. They're not big enough to swallow someone, talkless of a child, so I quit over thinking. It was my first day outside in weeks. The air outside was different. It smelt of gas, sweaty people and flowers.

I saw the bench I normally sat on to wait for my daughter. Her school bus drops her there everyday. The bench has an occupant. I rarely see people sit there, especially on Mondays. I grabbed my tote bag, adjusting it so that it balances well on my leg while I sit.

The bench occupant was an older man, his worn sandals declared that he'd been to many places. He wore a long carton coloured jacket that had faded. He smiles at me as I sit. I greet him gently and look around for the school bus. I wonder if I'm too early.

"Are you waiting for the school bus?", he asks. I nod in affirmation and ask him too if he was waiting for someone. He agrees, smiling. A few minutes later, the yellow bus appears. Immediately, I saw other mothers approaching the bus as if someone blew a whistle and they just marched out. Had they been hiding?

My daughter zoomed out of the bus. As soon as she saw me she threw me a big hug and lands sweet quick kisses on my soft cheeks. I returned the exchange but I kissed her everywhere. She must have been enjoying that because she's been begging me to pick her up for over a year. She insisted that I pick her because other kids have their parents pick them and that even though she didn't have a Dad, she knew she had someone who loved her a lot, that's me. Such a beautiful soul. Most times, I get caught up in work and don't have the time to pick her up. But when I do get time, I ensure I pick her up. I temporarily forgot that I was angry with her.

She saw something. She ran towards the older man, hugged him, and kissed his forehead. Where did she learn that from? I go towards them and ask the bench man if they know each other. The both of them agree and I give Sarah a questioning look. She understands and says he's her friend. She had helped him pick his glasses and he'd given her sweets.

So that's where the sweets came from. I looked at both of them and sensed that the old man was kind of troubled because I was suspicious of their friendship. He then apologized for giving her the sweets and said he had no intention of harming her. I simply nodded and grabbed Sarah's arm and we panned the street.

He could be anything. He could be a kidnapper. Or a spy for some goons. He could be a murderer or a pedophile. How could she just flow with a complete stranger?! I looked angrily at Sarah and ask her if she couldn't just ask me if she wanted sweets. I also reminded her of what sugar did to her because she ingested too much and how we've been staying away from sugar ever since. She apologized and promised me never to do that again. My anger subsides, and I kneel before her and hug her tightly. She knew it was the i-love-you-don't-want-you-to-be-hurt hug. We stayed that way for a while until I opened the front door and proceeded to make Sarah's lunch.

The next two days, I noticed the old man sitting on the bench again. I wanted to ask him what he's doing but wanted to be respectful. He simply says he's waiting for someone, that's all. I ask him who he's waiting for. He says it's his granddaughter. He's waiting for his granddaughter. I asked if she's going to the same school as my daughter. He nodded and changed the topic by complimenting the kind of relationship I have with my daughter. I accepted the compliment but also stated that I'm not the best mother and just tried to do what's best for her. He smiled.

The school bus arrived a few minutes later. And all the students evaporated quickly from the bus. I saw Sarah approaching. I hold her hand and watch out for the old man and his granddaughter. I see the old man retreating and walking down the street. Alone. He had forgotten his glass case on the bench. I took it with me and called out to the old man. I gave him his glasses. He thanked me for it and immediately resumed walking. His eyes were red and puffy and he had a runny nose. I ask him about his granddaughter and why he's not picked her yet.

He didn't answer back but paused for a while. He's back turned towards me and Sarah.

I ask him who he is and what he's doing there. No reply.

He stood still and cleaned his face.
I wondered if he was really a child predator and also wondered if he was just missing someone. He continued walking without answering the question. I tried to call him back but he didn't wait. One of the other mothers noticed our interaction, she looked at me carefully and warned me to keep my daughter away from him. She claimed that she sees him playing with young kids and giving them toffees. I got confused and just nodded in affirmation. I said thank you and led my daughter home.

Throughout that night, I wondered if my daughter was safe. I patted her head softly in fear that I'd lose her someday. Our lives are not perfect and she's all I've got ever since Jack left. I prayed silently and hoped that my fears wouldn't come true. And that no other mother goes through the same agony.

The next day, I decided to investigate this man. He looks suspicious but hasn't done anything so I can't report him to the police. I go a little earlier than before and take some iced coffee with me. One for me and one for the bench man. I have more questions and I want him to answer every one of them, including the ones he dodged.

I waited for a while and no one appeared. The coffee melted and wet the wood. I cleaned the water gently with an old handkerchief I found among forgotten items. I waited long enough to be able to process each thought carefully and know the exact wordings I'm going to use when I say them. I wanted my face to have my true intentions all over and I wanted to do it now. Still, he doesn't show up.

The school bus arrived and Sarah got down quickly. She hugged me softly then asked where the bench man was. Suddenly, I didn't know what to tell her. She'd grown so attached to this man. She began telling me about their conversations and how the bench man would give her advice regarding her friends. And how they worked every time she tries them. How he found a coin in her hair. And how he smelled of red wine and old people.

As I prepared the rice cakes I'd frozen a week ago, Sarah looked sad and told me that the bench man was sad too. I look surprised by how much empathy she had. I ask her to explain further and she says that she sees his eyes. And they speak of sadness and gloom. She expresses her concerns as to whether he's fine, if he died or if he's still alive. I wondered about it too but I don't tell her because I have my doubts.

Two weeks passed and we didn't meet the bench man again. I have definitely wondered about a whole list of places he might be at. Sarah kept asking about him but he didn't show up. Talking to the bench man dislodged me from my over thinking and longtime self hate. But now, my gist partner just disappeared.

One lucky Friday, I saw the old man sitting as I approached the bench. I had two cups of coffee with me. I had been buying two cups ever since, hoping I'd meet him again. He was fiddling with an old calligraphy pen and looking at the people that passed by. I guess he's harmless.

I sat beside him and asked him how he's doing. He replied with a smile that he was just fine. He asked of Sarah's well-being and watched me. I told him she'd been dead worried about him. He smiled hard and chuckled a bit. He knew I had questions in mind and examined me once again. He probably wanted to know if I trusted him.

I offered him the cup of coffee. He accepted it and drank it in one gulp. I asked him how he could do that so quickly. He chuckled as he says, if you've been to prison, you'll know how far. And with that, he became silent. I remember saying something after but don't remember the exact words. He asked if I still didn't trust him. I toldl him that I wanted to trust him and I had no bad intentions towards him.

He lit a cigar from a cigarette pack he had in his pocket and put his glasses back into its case and then began his story.

"I was a businessman who'd help people sell their goods. I also invested in people's business and gathered investors for myself and others. I married Anna while the business was growing. And fair enough, it was growing at a massive rate.

Soon we could afford anything we wanted and then we had two beautiful daughters. I loved them with everything that's in me and wanted the very best for them. And we were very happy. Me, my wife and my kids until I met Sparkly."

"Who's Sparkly?" I asked, thinking that maybe he cheated on his wife.

He paused for a while to get his smoke, grinning a little and then continued.

"It's a what not a who." He smiled.

"Sparkly seemed like a big investment that could change the lives of both myself and my employees. It was an investment that could help disabled people with a technology I've never seen before. The two gentlemen had tried to present the idea before me for over a month but the security kept dismissing them, asking them to request an appointment. When they finally had their chance, they blew my mind. Those devices were cool, at least they looked cool.

I still don't know how they could have scammed me using such brilliant technology. I'm not a technology expert so I won't be able to describe it as well as they did. All I know is that it could help blind people to see.

So I invested in this start-up and hoped it would have a positive impact on the world. The startup guys were so happy and we were settled beneficially on both sides.

My company invested heavily in their business.

Almost very quickly, the police began investigating me. My company had lost a great deal of funds due to Sparkly as we didn't see any returns. That was when I knew it was a scam. The gentlemen went incognito and stopped replying to our messages. I was soon arrested for aiding a human trafficking business."

I covered my wide open mouth in surprise, wondering how he got involved in the dark market.

"It turns out those men used the company's funds to support their gangsterism and human trafficking. They were soon caught and claimed that I orchestrated the whole thing and even had proof of it." He continued.

"Before I knew it, I was in prison and would be there for the next 24 years of my life.

Prison was like hell itself. I hated it there and I suffered a lot." He said, put off the cigar and folded his arms staring at the other side of the street.

"My wife was mad at me. And she wouldn't believe that I did nothing. I did nothing." He grinned.

"She divorced me. And refused to let my children see me. She was mad that they didn't have any money to take care of themselves. I cursed myself for doing this to them and she'd do the same.

Sometimes, she'd have mercy on me. My children, Haley and Selena, visited me only on certain "special" occasions. Haley would bring homemade cookies for me. She would assure me that everything would be okay. Haley would send me letters with kind words and the hope that we'll be together again. Selena was kind but she also began to despise me. Knowing that I was the cause of her dilemma.

She thought I didn't love her but I think about her every single day.

How she forgot all the good times we spent together." He said, wiping down the tears that escaped his tired face. "I miss them so much. A lot."

He broke down in tears. He tried to control it but it affected his voice.

"Then Haley got sick. They said it was stomach cancer." I could guess what he wanted to say next but at this point I could feel his tears in my eyes. He was fighting the tears back, trying to finish the story.

"She fought. And we didn't have any money. She couldn't get proper treatment. All because of one foolish decision."

"Haley died. Haley did die! Haley died because of me!

They wouldn't let me see her. I couldn't be there for her. I failed her.

Big time." He paused for some time to catch his breath. I rubbed his shoulder to calm him down and waited for the both of us to calm down.

"Selena and Anna never visited me again after Haley's death. To be honest, I really do deserve it. After all, I could have made better choices. The only time Selena came to see me, was to tell me about Haley's death. How much she hated me and how badly she wanted to kill me.

From my own daughter. My love.

I love her so much and I think of her every single day. And Haley too. But I can't change anything either." He paused.

"Anna remarried and started a new family. She left me. For my colleague.

When I was in jail, all I wanted to do was just kill myself. I still do. I can't do anything for anyone. I just ruin everything!

My family…..my daughter……my business……the people I mentored!

I tried a few times but couldn't succeed. Someone would always be there to prevent me. It meant that God had other plans and he has given me misery, if I can't succeed in killing myself he definitely has more in store for me. But I know that it's for my good."

"I wish I could turn back time and correct those mistakes I made. Erase Sparkly and those human traffickers from the face of the earth. Bring Haley back. Take care of Selena.

I wish I could take care of all of them. But I couldn't contact them. I don't know where they are. Where my Selena is." He wiped his face and wore his glasses back.

I didn't know what to say. I couldn't understand why God allowed someone to go through so much.

Just then, Sarah arrived. We'd been so into our story that we were oblivious of the kids around us. Sarah hugged the bench man, crying. Telling him not to wander off again. She scolded him and told him how worried she was and how worried I had been also. She made him promise her that he'll never disappear again. They made their promise, each soul poured out tears and laughter. The old man smiled again. His face wrinkled from the sudden elation in his heavy heart. I could see that he had new hope. And Sarah gave him that hope. She probably reminded him of Haley. God has probably brought Sarah into his life to give him hope for the future. Hope that everything would be okay.

I smiled at their little moment. I took my camera and tried to capture this moment as quickly as possible. I would make a good video, portraying the feelings I experienced while listening to his story. I invited him for lunch and he quickly agreed.

And how I thought my problems were overwhelming until now. I hadn't experienced anything as bitter as this man's. I thought that after Jack left, my life would end. Both mine and Sarah's.

Jack and I got married after years of dating. Life was roses and lilies until I became pregnant with Sarah. And Jack just changed. He was caring and understanding at first but then he became unloving and would be out for months and not even contact us at all.

Then he suddenly came back one day to pack his bags. He was leaving us.

He claimed to love some other woman and apologised for wasting my time. I was dumbfounded. When it started to feel real, I begged him to stay. But he didn't.
His true intentions came when he got frustrated with my pleading. He told me that I was dumb and I was a nobody. He doesn't love me anymore because we didn't have matching personalities. He couldn't cope with my introvertedness anymore. He wasn't antisocial. Not a stay at home boy.

I understood that I enjoyed staying inside and he enjoyed going out and meeting people. Jack's departure was sudden and too overwhelming for me to overcome. I saw myself as a nobody. I hated myself. And I despised Jack. And wished he would just come back some other days. To see his daughter and to see me. But it didn't happen, just my wild imagination. Seven years now and he still hasn't returned.

The bench man, whose name was Julian, became our next door family member. We spent dinners and festivals together. He would often buy things for Sarah. Toys and books he would normally buy for Haley. He told me once that Sarah is the reincarnation of Haley. He feels connected to his dead daughter when he looks into her eyes. And that's how they became friends.

I felt good that Sarah was able to give someone hope.

Three years have passed since we met Julian. I remember how depressed he was but now he's been able to take his life back from its broken pieces. He still hasn't been able to contact Selena but he was able to reach Anna. Although she was reluctant at first, she felt some pity for him and said she'll try to talk to Selena about it. He's been waiting for a reply but Selena hasn't reached out. It's Christmas day and my sister, Penelope, is around with the rest of my family to prepare a memorable breakfast.

We just finished saying the Grace when we heard a knock on the door. I'm still dishing Papa's food but I hand the plate to Mama so that I can attend to the door. Penelope offers to check the door but I ask her not to bother. I clean my hands with a napkin and remove my white fancy apron.

When I opened the door, I saw a man in a white shirt and blue jeans. "Hi Lori." Jack.

Images were AI generated by me using gencraft and copilot.

I invite @arafathsunny , @meowwisely and @sarthakjain to join this contest