RIGHT ON TIME

chapter 41

Savior waited and waited, and began to get tired of waiting. 

There were fifteen minutes left before the clock struck eight, but he was yet to find an opening. 

Maybe no one was at home. Maybe everyone traveled and left one car behind as he earlier predicted. Should he go and pick the entrance lock? 

The idea felt nice to him for a while but he quickly thought better of it, citing other reasons. 

The day was bright and the sun was already shining. Anyone who saw him walking up to the entrance door would surely raise an alarm. 

And what if there were people inside? 

However, as he decided that it was time to go home, he heard the creak of the entrance door as it swung open. Soon, he could hear the approaching sound of their footsteps. One was the clink-clank sound of a pair of high heels, while the other was the muffled swish-swish of rubber flats. 

He could hear two distinct voices talking. Both with a feminine timbre.

Savior guessed that the older voice was probably the one on high heels, and the younger, familiar one was on the flat rubber slippers. Mother and daughter.

The two voices finally made their way into the garage and stood at the driver's side, still chatting. 

Savior was careful to peek at the faces that owned the voices as soon as they got into his line of sight, careful not to uncover his hideout. He could see the face of the older woman and the foggy outline of the younger lady's figure. 

Wait. There was something familiar about the older woman. 

He did a memory search and that was when it began coming to him bit by bit. 

The car. The pretty face that had looked terribly stressed out of its bones then, but was smiling now. The large body figure. Although she was dressed differently, it was definitely the same woman he trailed behind three weeks ago from the Oil Mill market. 

What a small world, he thought. 

There was something else that was familiar about this woman, but try as he might, he could not place his hands on it. 

The women were finally wrapping up their conversation. 

"Mum, won't you give me a hug again before you go?" He heard the younger one ask. 

"I'm not even sure I should go to work again. There's no court hearing for me today. I'm thinking I should just stay with you for the rest of the day." 

"No way. You are going to work. You must go." 

He could see the older woman make a gesture of surrender. "Alright, my baby. I believe you will be okay by yourself." 

"I'll be fine. I'm no longer a baby." 

"You will always be my baby," the older woman said, squeezing her daughter’s cheek.

Saviour felt like he was intruding on a sacred ground as he listened to the conversation between the two. Their friendly conversation reminded him of his father, and he winced inwardly. Trying hard not to get distracted or lose concentration again by that thought, he kept listening. 

"Urgh. That sounds so cliché, Mum." 

The mother laughed and said, "I don't care." 

"Before I forget, I made new friends on Monday when I went to school, and they will be coming over today to visit." 

"Why didn't you tell me about it earlier? Hope you'll be able to take care of yourself with them?" 

"Don't worry about anything. They are just good people who don't think it’s a big deal having a blind person as their friend. I'll make some more of those cookies and meat pies for them." 

"Do I have your word that you will be fine?" 

"Yes, Mum. You worry too much. Just go."  

Savior watched as the younger one pushed her mother towards the driver's door. And that was when he saw half of her face and the full length and height of her body. 

Another wave of déjà vu hit him. He squinted his eyes to take a good look and once again, his photographic memory was almost up to the party. 

He was cork sure that he must have seen the woman's daughter before, but where exactly? 

"Okay, okay, I'm going. You don't have to become all dramatic about it. One would think you don't like my company," the older woman mumbled.

The mother entered her car, fired up the engine and began to drive out of the parking garage to the road. The daughter spun towards the retreating car and waved. That was when Savior could see the full face, height, and body stature of the daughter. 

It finally clicked. 

Savior almost fainted, but struggled at the last minute to get a grip. 

He couldn't believe his eyes. He couldn't accept what he was seeing. 

Because this was the person he had seen only in his dreams for the past five years. 

Someone, anyone, please tell me that this is not a dream! Please tell me that I've not slept off in someone's garage?

No, maybe his mind was playing tricks on him. It wasn't her. It was definitely not possible. 

But then, again, why not?

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