My fingers were freezing due to the strong, cold wind. I rubbed both hands together to warm myself up. It was so cold. It had been two weeks into spring in London, but the temperature still had not gone beyond 10 degrees Celsius. Perhaps God was testing my patience. I took a seat on a long bench under a nearby tree and waited for Eunice.
Every time the door of the café was opened from the inside, I would crane my neck to see if my daughter was coming out. According to Nur, Eunice's shift ended at 3:00 pm. It was now almost 4:00 pm. I had waited about an hour for her. A thick jacket hugged my body, impervious to increasingly stronger winds. My lips were turning blue.
The door opened again. This time, Eunice stepped out. She started to walk in my direction. She walked briskly and confidently. But when she became aware of my presence, she stopped walking. She looked at me, her eyes unblinking. I could see that she was contemplating whether to turn back or continue walking. I approached her slowly.
"Walk with me for a while, okay?" I extended the invitation to her. Without waiting for her reply, I started to walk. I was clenching my fists in my jacket pockets, full of hope.
One second passed. Two. Eunice followed from behind. I then purposely slowed down so that we could walk side by side. We walked like that for quite a while, without uttering a single word. Then we reached the end of Portobello Road, stopping at the junction.
"Forgive me, dad," Eunice spoke quietly, her voice barely audible. Her head drooped to the ground. I nudged her chin up gently so that our eyes would meet.
"Whatever happens, you are still my little one. I don't want to lose you, understand?" I appealed to Eunice. She kept silent. I took a step towards her, closing the gap between us, and then hugged her tightly. Eunice too hugged me affectionately. People were busy walking past us as if we did not exist. Part of the Londoners' culture of minding their own business.
YOU ARE READING
Tangled Dreams
Genel Kurgu8 people. 2 countries. 1 life. Just how tangled up can one be in pursuit of dreams? Experience the journey of different walk of lives as each of them pursue a dream that might or might not be theirs. And in that pursuit, do they know for sure what i...
