HIM

CHAPTER 36

Little Melanie was home that evening. And for once, I saw her sleep. The calmness in those eyes like nothing was wrong still baffled me. How was she ever able to smile through all that pain?
Or was it because that was just what she'd grown up to believe as normal! No movement, just staring up and around a small radius, and funnily she was rarely crying. Maybe that hurt too, so she just chose not to.

I think grandma was the happiest on her arrival. You could just see it from her face and her itchy fingers, she really wanted to carry her.
We all were very happy of course, but somehow it was entirely different with her. She just sat there next to her, chanting things I was sure none of us understood, except the kid who seemed to smile at her effort.
Then delicately, Mrs. Ted lifted the baby and placed in grandma's arms, who gladly lulled her into a deep sweet sleep because we left the house an hour later but she wasn't awake yet. The hospital must have been exhausting.

It was dark outside, surely the night had come too quick. A bit windy so that the trees gave a gentle dance, uniformly.
As a child, I was scared of such. It always felt like somewhere in between the trees, a huge monster would suddenly appear and grab you.
But I never had a chance to walk so much in the dark alone.

Outside our house, on the bench, I think I could make out a human figure.
"Grandma, didn't we leave the key where it should be when out of the house?" I asked a bit scared.
"Sure we did. Why ask?"
That meant she hadn't seen anything yet.
"I think I see someone."
Then we slowed down a bit.
"Could be your mother just arriving."
"She wouldn't be sitting on the bench."
I think that statement scared her because she stopped in her tracks for a second.
"At least am sure it ain't a thief, he wouldn't be waiting for us that nicely," she replied cheerfully and continued walking.
That lightened the atmosphere, but I had a strange heartbeat as we kept getting closer. I couldn't understand why that was.
Whoever it was didn't seem bothered by the fact that s/he was in the dark.
A few more steps to the veranda and we heard a movement right behind us.
We both just came to a stop, and I held on to grandma's hand so tightly.
"Unless maybe they wanted to corner us this nicely," I whispered.
"Relax my child."  That was all she said.
"Why are you both standing here like this? Some kind of ritual?" Mum's familiar voice broke out.
The great sigh of relief I gave. I literally took a deep breath, then grandma just burst out laughing.
Then Mum just started laughing as if she'd finally understood what had been going on. I couldn't miss out, so I laughed too.
And for a moment we, that's me and grandma, forgot there was a figure on the bench.
As if waiting for us to finish our moment, he gave a light cough. That was what identified him as a he because it was deep.
"Who is that?" Mum asked no one in specific.
Then the dark figure approached us cautiously and lightly, then stood a few meters as if not to scare us any further, because this time I was holding onto both Mum's and grandma's hands.

"Hello Anne," he started.
The voice rang in my head with a lot of familiarity, I was sure I'd heard it plenty of times in my life.
"Let's all go inside please," was the response that came from Anne, my mother.
My Mum brushed my fingers lightly and held me all the way to the house.
We unlocked the door, and the lights were switched on.
I looked behind me to confirm if the man had followed us.
And that's when I saw the familiar face.
It was him.