ON OUR WAY TO HEAVEN

8

Elsa

Being a teacher was as far away from my old life as it could be. Although annoying but a fresh start. Reconnecting with my family again wasn't really pleasant either. Not because they didn't want me back but because they accepted me so passionately, I felt so horrible. It was a kind of prodigal child situation. Uncle Bob even offered me a room in his home which I politely declined because I wasn't about to be a twenty eight year old adult living off her uncle. And besides I wasn't exactly broke. I just couldn't access my assets due to obvious reasons.

However, Uncle Bob offered me a car, a job and a big bag of cash to start over. With that, I rented an apartment just a few minutes drive away from the university I was going to be lecturing at. After that I went on a little shopping spree, got myself the things I felt a respectable person would own in her closet. Mostly work clothes. Then I furnished the apartment. Anyone who knew me before would know that I was trying my hardest to leave my old life behind and I was determined.

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Monday morning 8:00am

I wasn't exactly the early bird. Pecks of living in a very comfortable apartment in contrast to what I was used to. So I was already running late for my first class. A blouse and a skirt wasn't exactly my preferred choice of outfit but Uncle Bob had hammered on first appearance. Traffic was light and I got to Stanford university a little bit later than I should have. Uncle Bob was the dean and he had pulled strings to get me a job lecturing Literature and Theatre Arts. Obviously I wasn't qualified but Uncle Bob was one of those people who believed that family comes before anything. A real life Dominic Torreto. I had done my research very well and I knew that if I just had to read a bunch of big novels, talk about them and organize a bunch of plays for the school theatre group.

For someone with a little less than an average level of patience, this was one of the worst jobs for me topped with the fact that I wasn't qualified. I had a college degree that had nothing to do with Literature or theatre which I made uncle Bob aware of but like I said, big family guy. He was scared that if I went of far again, 'I would return to the dark'. He told me that my father had charged him with my care before he passed and the guilt of not doing that for the past ten years had eaten him up from inside. So basically, he was trying to make up for the lost years even if it meant getting me a job illegally.

I went straight to uncle Bob's office who in turn took me to mine and handed me my schedule and my God, was it packed. I rushed off to the first class which was a breeze because I just had to introduce myself and the course and because I was terribly late, most of the students had left. I couldn't get anything else out before it was time for the class to end. After the morning class, I had to lecture another by 2:00pm which gave me the time to settle down in my office and actually meet some of the other lecturers and professors. Some were nice while others were just__ others.

I was alot early for the 2:00pm class and I literally had to wait for the students to arrive before I could start. Watching YouTube videos on how to lecture and practicing in the bathroom amongst shampoo and toothpaste wasn't actually enough preparation for a full lecture theater filled with students, some older than I was. I actually froze for a second before I picked my courage off the floor and introduced myself. Then I introduced the novel we would be studying or more like reading for the semester which was 'Roman and Jewel by Dana Davis'. I was already half way through the book which gave me something to talk about till the time was over. The class turned to an interactive one and much to my surprise, I actually enjoyed it. When I finally ended the class, some nerdy students came to welcome me to the school and introduce themselves. When the last of them had left, I turned to pack my books until I heard someone shuffling up to where I stood and I turned again to acknowledge the person but who I saw shocked me right off my heels.

Talk about your past finding you just when you thought you had began a new chapter.

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Kelly

If I hadn't stared at that pale face long enough, I probably wouldn't have recognized her. She looked.... different but she was still the exact same person; the voice, the cocky laughter, everything. She was still lanky but looked healthier. Her skin was brighter, her lips fuller, her eyes were sharper, her hair neater and packed into a messy but cute bun. She was wearing a beige flowered blouse over a black skirt and black stiletto heels on her feet. The skirt seemed to hug her slim figure highlighting curves I hadn't noticed that night. She was way prettier than I remembered. Well, she was dying then. But how did she end up...here? I had so many questions. I couldn't concentrate on anything she was saying. She seemed so relaxed, so demure and poised. Different from the injured criminal who jumped out of my window a few years ago. Infact no one would believe me if I told them she was a totally different person before. I was finding it hard to believe it myself. Infact no one would believe she could jump out of a train, talk more of the window of the first floor of a building.

After that night, I kept on wondering what happened to her. I didn't hear anything on the news, so she wasn't caught and she didn't die either. Probably didn't die in a open place. Probably fell into a ditch or something. The apprehension and anxiety ate me up for months and then came guilt. But then I gradually got over it and started forgetting. Only remembering when I saw the black hoodie which for some reason I packed with me while coming to Stanford. Never in a million years did I think she would turn out to be my lecturer.

Judging from the last humiliating encounter we had, the wise thing I should have done was to leave immediately the lecture ended but I knew my mind wouldn't rest until I actually confirmed she was the one. Maybe she had a twin sister or this was just her doppelganger. I had to satisfy my curiosity before it killed me. I watched her get acquainted to a couple of students from my seat and when they left and she started packing up, I saw my chance and walked up to her. She turned almost immediately, startling me. In my haste I didn't even prepare what to say, so I just froze. After some seconds she smiled.

"I hope the class wasn't bad. It's my first time lecturing" she said still smiling.

"No.... It wasn't...bad" I stuttered.

"What's your name?"

"Kelly" I responded now beginning to believe that my mind was playing tricks on me. "Kelly Simmons"

"Elsa Hugh" she replied extending her hand to shake mine, still smiling.

Her hands were small and warm in my arms and I couldn't stop myself from holding them longer than necessary. I felt an electrifying feeling move from my palm to the pit of my stomach, waking the butterflies. Even if this lady was not the same as the one who had jumped out of my window several years ago, she had certainly caught my interest now.

"Were you coming to tell me something?" She asked pulling her hand from mine still smiling.

"Not really. I just wanted to welcome you" I replied smiling now too.

"Thank you very much" she replied and turned to the table to pack her materials into the briefcase she had used to bring them. "I would have loved to stay and chat but I have other things in my schedule"

"Oh I'm sorry. I will be on my way now" I replied still smiling. "See you later Miss Elsa"

She just nodded and I practically skipped out of the theater not sure why I was excited.

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Plot twist!!!!!!

See you in the next one

Xoxo