Next One Is a Babe

If only John had been this nice to me from the very beginning itself! When the conductor had left, Sophia closed the door to her compartment. Lying back down, she drifted off to sleep again.

After about two days on the train, she then changed trains before taking an express bus. At long last, the bus lurched to a stop at the intersection in front of the village. It was a dirt road that stretched for a long distance, so much so that one couldn’t see the village at the end of the road from here.

It was afternoon, and Sophia slowly made her way toward the village with a bag on her shoulders. At this time, it was relatively quiet in the village. The houses in the village were all brick houses, though some retained the thatched houses of the previous generation albeit no longer occupying them. Instead, they were using them for storage. The village was small, so the moment she stepped foot in there, the people in her path swung their gazes at her.

Sophia flashed them a smile. “Mr. Yanez, you seem hale and hearty!”

The old man from the Yanez Family stared at her for a while before clarity hit him. “Sophia? Why are you back? What’s wrong? Did your husband’s family mistreat you?”

Sophia shook her head. “No. I came back to visit my grandfather’s grave since I couldn’t make it on the anniversary of his death.”

Beside him, a middle-aged woman looked at her and asked, “Then, why are you back alone? Is your husband not coming? He didn’t even come here for a visit when you two got married, and now, he’s not even coming to visit your grandfather’s grave?”

Sophia licked her lips. “He’s swamped with work at the office, so he can’t spare the time.”

“Ah, it’s a matter of distance. You married too far, so it’s difficult for you to even make it back once a year.” The middle-aged woman sighed.

Sophia merely smiled in response. After greeting them, she then headed to her house. Her family’s house was still standing thanks to the villagers helping to repair it ages ago, but after so many years, it looked somewhat dilapidated. Standing in the courtyard, she stared at the traces of mold on the wooden window lattice for a long time. Out of the blue, tears streamed down her face.

As the house had been vacant for too long, she was greeted by the sight of dust everywhere when she went in. There were two rooms in the house, both with wooden beds. She’d packed up all the bedding when she left, so the wooden boards were now exposed, appearing a touch desolate. She stood in the kitchen right off the entrance, tears pouring down her face uncontrollably. In the end, I’m the only one left here in this house I’ve lived in for almost 20 years.

Hearing movement, her next-door neighbor, an elderly lady, came over. At the sight of Sophia, utter surprise suffused her. “You’re back, Sophia? Well, what a coincidence! Tell you what, your mother came back some time ago and inquired about you.”

Sophia hurriedly dashed her tears away. “I know, Mrs. Hensley. She called me.”

Mrs. Karina Hensley heaved a sigh. “How despicable! She never once came back for so many years, only doing so when you’re married and your grandfather has passed away. I’m not trying to sow dissension, but what’s the use of her returning at this time?”