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Chapter 7
Chapter 7
I rubbed my tired eyes and waved dismissively. “I’m fine, really.”
The perceptive shopkeeper offered me tissues and a cup of floral tea before turning to tend their
flowers.
I sat quietly for a long while, letting my emotions settle. Finally, I chose a bouquet of daisies and prepared to leave.
As I reached for my wallet, the shopkeeper stopped me. “This one’s on the house.”
I looked at them, confused.
They smiled softly, lost in memory. “Miss, I just remembered something Joseph said back then. He told me someone might come asking about this order one day. ‘If she comes alone, give her flowers. Tell her: Keep moving forward; the starlight will light your path.”
That day, I broke down completely at my mother’s grave.
I never imagined he would reach out to me like this. Never thought I’d still need his comfort after all this time. What must it have taken for him to leave those words with the shopkeeper? I alone understood the meaning of “if she comes alone.” It meant he was no longer here.
That evening, my colleague called. “Zoey, your flight’s booked for next week.” “Who’s your insurance beneficiary this time? Your husband?”
I shook my head. “Please list Doctors Without Borders.”
“Why them?”
I sniffled softly. “Because he was their doctor.”
As I stumbled out of the cemetery, I saw Jackson waiting. He looked disheveled, unshaven, exhausted. Wordlessly, he handed me a box. Inside lay a camera – the same model as my mother’s. “Couldn’t fix the old one.”
We stood in silence, staring at each other. I didn’t take the box. I didn’t care how he’d found me, or where he’d discovered this 1994 camera. What I treasured was already broken. An identical replacement meant nothing.
Seeing my rejection, he rubbed his temples wearily. “Come home. The wedding’s next week.
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Chapter 7.
Invitations are out. If you keep making trouble, there’s no fixing this.”
I laughed bitterly. “I’m the troublemaker?”
He sighed, grabbing my hand. “Zoey, I know you’re acting out because you love me. You think I favor her, giving away your things. But she demanded an apology. I gave her that old camera to get her off your back. You humiliated her publicly- I had to do something.”
Looking at him, I felt a flicker of pity. “Jackson, I don’t love you.”
He froze, then his expression hardened. “Don’t lie. If you didn’t love me, why look at me like that?”
I chuckled softly, withdrew my hand, and touched his face. “Such a shame… I’ll never see this face
again.”
His expression shifted with dawning realization. “You-”
His phone rang. Sara. He hesitated before answering.
Her voice came through, desperate: “Jackson, I’m leaving… I’m sorry for causing trouble. I just… got jealous of her.”
“Sara, where are you?”
“Don’t come. Go to her. She’s your future.”
The call ended. Jackson thrust the box into my arms and ran, vanishing down the street.
I watched him go and sneered. Lifting the box, I dropped the camera in a nearby trash can. I was leaving too.
The next week flew by – physical training, language review, story development, guide coordination. Jackson kept texting from new numbers.
[What did you mean that day?] [Don’t we have more to discuss?] [Sara apologizes for what happened.] [Where are you?]
I ignored them all.
The day before departure, he messaged: “Wedding’s tomorrow. Will you come?”
I snapped my SIM card, grabbed my suitcase, and headed to the airport.
Sunlight streamed through the window as we took off. From here to Nyara’s capital, there were no
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Chapter 7
direct flights. I’d transfer in the Saharah Kingdom – almost twenty hours total. Time enough for
memories.
Pulling down the airline eye mask, I whispered: “Joseph, I’m coming back. I miss you so much.”
