Burning Flame

Chapter 1

The distinction between the past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.

                          — Albert Einstein

A distraction was needed.

One by one, Dora placed a book on the bookshelf.

Minutes later, she heaved a sigh and stepped back to survey her work.

Her goal was successful.

The thoughts she wanted to avoid were long gone.

Brimming with satisfaction, she whirled around and her eyes connected to the little figure huddled on a seat in the middle of the class.

"How is it going, dear?" Dora asked as she went closer to her.

The girl looked up. "I am almost done! Look at it!" She grinned and opened the book wider for Dora to see her drawing.

"Aww, that's beautiful, dear!" Dora commented as she looked at the girl's drawing.

She chuckled at the childish but cute figures on the paper.

Dora muttered the words scribbled beneath the drawing, "My grandpa and I"

"Do you think grandpa will like it?" The girl asked with curiosity dancing in her eyes.

She looked at the girl with a soft smile. "I am sure he will!" she said and patted the girl's back in reassurance.

The girl gave a toothed grin. "Yay! Let me color it!" She opened the box of crayons beside her.

Dora smiled and returned to her work.

She looked up and her eyes stopped on the calendar hanging on the wall.

She heaved a sigh.

There were five days left.

There were five days left for Ayodeji to respond to the divorce petition.

As the days went by so did her unease increase.

What would happen after five days?

Would she become a free woman or would she have a battle with Ayodeji in court?

Bile rose in her throat and her hands began to shake.

So many questions and no answers.

She took slow breaths to calm her racing heart.

Seconds went by and she got a reign on her emotions.

Except for the ruffling of papers, silence loomed over the class.

"Mide, darling!" A voice broke the silence.

"Grandpa!" The little girl shrieked.

A book slipped from Dora's hand as the familiar voice rang in her ears.

She whirled around and all the color drained from her face.

She turned back to face the shelf and struggled to make herself invisible.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed the girl skip to the back of the class.

Her heart beat faster and her eyes blurred.

"Pearl Mio!" The voice choked out.

Unable to control herself, she swung to face the owner of the voice.

"Gerald!" She breathed out. She gazed into the face that was so familiar yet so different.

Her legs couldn't hold her any longer and she swayed to the side as bile rose to her throat.