ᴍʏ ʙᴜꜱ ʙᴜᴅᴅʏ. [ᴍɪᴄʜᴀᴇʟ ᴊᴀᴄᴋꜱᴏɴ ꜰꜰ]

Ch. 15- Forgiveness.

The woman stared out of the window, her gaze wavering none. She could feel the bags under her eyes every time she blinked. She never had them before.

It was the usual scene in Chicago. One that occurred repeatedly as if the day kept starting over on a loop. Grown women gossipping to each other, businessmen talking obnoxiously, unsupervised children running around the streets. Previously, she loved to watch these things. They were entertaining. Now, it grew boring.

She would leave back to California if she could. She definitely could, but what would people think if a grown woman lived with her parents? She had college to attend and grades to maintain. Thank God school ended 30 minutes ago. She closed her eyes. Pitch black. Something she would rather see other than this normal chaos.

Something tapped her shoulder twice. Her eyes opened, looking to her left to see Darryl. Ophelia stayed quiet. "Sorry. I have nowhere else to sit. Can I sit here?"

Ophelia gave a simple nod, turning back to the translucent glass. It was loud on the bus, though none of the noise came from them.

= = = =

Yet again, they walked side by side. Ophelia grew annoyed. Sure, they lived in the same place, but she had a strong feeling that he was following her.

She had been more irritable lately, snapping at Ariel and getting sharp with Mr. McDowell earlier. For the first time, Ophelia had gotten in trouble, earning a harsh lecture from the man in front of the class. She surprised herself, as she didn't care.

The woman still couldn't talk to him. She knew he was gonna say something to her. She ran. She burst into her apartment, slamming the door shut. A gentle knock came shortly after.

"Ophelia? Please, I know you don't want to talk to me. You don't have to say anything, but please let me speak." No response from the female.

"I need your permission. Knock twice for yes, once for no." She bawled her hand and stretched her arm out. Knock knock. "Thank you." Darryl sounded calmer, as his voice had been shaking when he spoke.

"I really have changed, Ophelia. What happened with them was a long time ago. A year or two, I recall. I stopped hanging out with them. I stopped hurting people." She heard him loudly swallow, his voice shaking. "It wasn't my intention to kill that man. I felt pressured. I wanted them to see me as a man. I didn't want to lose them as friends."

"I tried to save him, I did. I tried to resuscitate him. It didn't work. I wanted so badly to call 911. But I was scared. I didn't want to rot away in a cell while they threw the blame on me." He whispered, though she could hear it, putting her ear up to the door.

"I didn't want to break my mother's heart. I pray every day for forgiveness. I never put my hands on him. They did that. But I harassed him. I threatened him. I played a part, and I regret it. I'm sorry to my mother, to you, and I'm deeply sorry to him." Everything went mute. She waited to see if Darryl had anything else to say. Before she would say something.

"The reason why I take the bus isn't just because of school or tutoring. Sometimes, I take it to visit the man, Simon's grave."

It was those words that broke the cage trapping her heart. The woman threw the door open, jumping on him and encasing the man in an embrace.

All he needed to do was speak. She forgave him. More importantly, they could both feel it.

His forgiveness.