Crazy Love (Norminah)

Chapter 24

Why am I doing this? Why am I here?

"Simon is my grandson, he's a good little boy," the grandmother says. "Well, he's a good man, he's all grown up now, he doesn't need me anymore." She laughs.

I'm currently sitting in the living room of Natalia Cowel, Mr. Cowel's grandmother. She's showing me pictures of him growing up. He looked so different back then. He was a cute baby, a little devil by the looks of it. I think I'm just torturing myself. I suppose I deserve it.

"Did you raise him?" I ask her softly.

Mrs. Cowel nods her head. "Oh yes, he was always with me," she says, looking through some of the pictures and smiling. "His parents never had time for him, they were always leaving him with me. Sometimes he would stay with me for months. In the end he didn't want to go home."

"You have a lovely home, judging by all of the pictures, I'd say you've done a pretty good job with him," I tell her.

"Yes," Mrs. Cowel says quietly. "I just wish he'd come back to me, he knows I don't like it when he disappears. I bet he's left the country."

I frown at the woman. She doesn't think he's dead, she just thinks he's went somewhere. "Mrs. Cowel, your grandson has been reported missing, the cops think..." I can't seem to find the right words.

"I know," she says quickly. "I hear what people say about my grandson, I see the look in their eyes when I walk down the street. They think he's not coming back, but I know different. One day he will, mark my words, he'll come home."

My heart breaks for the old woman. "What makes you think he's coming home?" I ask her.

Tears form in Mrs. Cowel's eyes. She quickly wipes them away. "Because he's my grandson and I remember holding him in my arms the day he was born. I remember raising him, learning him how to walk and talk." She stops for a moment, holding back the tears. "He has to come home, my baby can't be gone, he's only young." She cries.

Coming here was a mistake. I feel even worse than before.

"Mrs. Cowel, I just want to tell you that I'm sorry, so sorry, for everything," I whisper to the trembling woman.

"None of this is your fault, dear," Mrs. Cowel says. Oh, if only she knew. "I'm just grateful for you kids, coming out here and putting up all of those posters. I'm glad you all care about my grandson.

I nod my head, but that's not the reason I'm here. I needed to get to know Mrs. Cowel. I had to see if she was okay. I murdered her grandson, I had to come here.

"The coffees ready," Zendaya says as she enters the living room with 2 cups of coffee in her hand. Camila following behind her. Mrs. Cowel accepts the coffee and thanks the girls. "So, we just want to inform you about the progress we've made. More posters have been printed and there's one on nearly every street in Atrium." Zendaya says.

"We're also going door to door asking people if they've seen Mr. Cowel," Camila says as she takes a seat on one of the couches.

"That's great, I'm really happy with that," Mrs. Cowel says. "What other news have you got to tell me?" She asks.

"So much!" Camila exclaims. "Mr. Clayton from down the road is..." Camila trails off.

I don't listen to much more. I just can't take it. Looking out of the window is making me feel sad. He grew up here, this was his life, and I destroyed it. The couch that I'm sitting on is the couch he apparently always slept on. There's a stain on the carpet because of something he did years ago. There's a swing in the yard which he made. Mrs. Cowel told me she used to sit by the window and watch him play. He loved playing outside. I just can't believe I took all of this away from him.