Farha

Chapter 18

After the last visit Farha got from Lisa and Austin, she never saw them again. She never had any strange dream since then. When she went to school the following day, she met all her friends and they helped her with the previous subjects they treated in class, but something strange happened.

Since Lisa and Austin's last visit, Farha never saw Austin in school again. She tried asking her classmates if they have seen him but they all looked confused and they'll say "who are you talking about?"
Farha was very confused. 'what's happening?" She would ask herself. Even when the teacher calls the the name in the register to take class attendance, his name wasn't called.
It was like he got wiped out of everyone's memory.  'what's going on? Am I imagining things? No one seems to remember Austin, they don't seem to know who I am talking about. This is strange'. She thought to herself.

Since then her life has been going smoothly, no more strange dream or people appearing in her presence without her consent. this has happened before school resumed during the lockdown, but they later came back. So Farha has been expecting them to appear again but nothing.

It's been a whole year since Farha experienced any strange dream or appearance. Now she's in SS3. But she still didn't have any strange experience, but Farha didn't bother about any of that. She was even glad that she is finally having a normal life, though she sometimes misses Lisa and Austin's company.

Now it's July 2022 and Farha is currently writing her final exams in secondary school, and she will be turning 16 by 27th of July and that's a day after their graduation.

Farha wrote her final exams and finally, the day of their graduation came.

Farha and her friends had a good time that day. They even signed out and after all that, they said their final good byes to each other and Farha left with her Mother, and siblings.

Farha's father went to NewYork to continue his job but he didn't Carry his family along because Farha and her brother haven't finished secondry school yet. So the plan was that, when Farha finished her secondry school, they will all go to join their father in NewYork so that she and her sister will start going to a university there.

"finally we will be leaving this country soon". Farha said excitedly.

"Yea, can't wait to see dad" Fatima who was sitting at the from seat replied .

"Mom, when are we leaving Nigeria?" Muhammad who was sitting with Farha at the back seat directed the question to their mother who was driving.

"Well, we will leave in three weeks time. Because we will have to wait for your father to come back home and he will take us back with him".

"Oh okay, can't wait to see dad"
"Me neither " the mom chuckled, then Muhammad went back to Playing game on his phone.

Farha was quiet on their way home. She just stared out side the window with a distant look. It's been a long time since she saw Lisa and Austin.
'I wonder what they have been up to, they said they will be back after sometime but it more than a year since I have seen them. I wonder if they will ever come back'.  

She sighs and close her eyes ' time passed so fast'  as she continues to staring outside the window with a distant look.

That night, Farha slept like a baby, she had a good sleep.
" Happy birthday Farha" Farha woke up to see Fatima holding a medium sized birthday cake beside her bed with her Mother and Muhammad by her side singing a birthday song.

Farha had a very good day, she had a video call with her dad for almost thirty minutes and after that, her mom took her out to have a fun day which she did.

They came back home by 6:30 and they had a good rest. That night, Farha had that strange feeling again of someone watching her. Since Lisa and Austin's last visit, she had been having that strange feeling but just once in a while and now she can feel it again. She looks at her sister and she was sleeping, but Farha couldn't sleep.

She tried to force herself to sleep but she couldn't. She takes a few breath, to calm herself. She lays down again and close her eyes to sleep but then, she felt a presence getting close to her, the room started becoming hot, but she felt kind of comfortable with the heat, as if it was part of her, she was enjoying it. 'this is strange...'  it was a feeling she couldn't explain. 

She opens her eyes immediately but she saw no one. She looks at her sister beside her but she was still sleeping peacefully like nothing was happening.

'what was that? I think I should pray before I lay down again '  then she sits up and prayed before she lays down again and close her eyes. In less that a minute, the presence was gone. She didn't feel anyone again, then she slept off peacefully.

Since that night, Farha didn't feel any presence again watching her.

Next week Thursday is when Farha's father was supposed to comeback.

The day came when he was supposed to come back home. Farha's dad called her mom to let her know when she will come and pick him up from the airport.

When it was 2:00pm Farha's mom was about to leave the house to go pick up Farha's father from the airport when Farha stopped her.

"Mom please don't go"
"Why?" The mom looking at her questioningly.
"I have a bad feeling that something will happen"
Her mother's face softened "don't worry about that, we will be fine, besides, who will pick him up if I don't?"
" You could just tell him to take a taxi"

"No, that won't be necessary. I'll go pick him up, nothing will happen, we will be back safe and sound".

"Alright" Farha says and hesitantly let her mom go.

Farha' mom left the house with Muhammad to pick up her dad from the airport.

Farha was still having a bad feeling about it but she still let them go.

And indeed something  bitter happened that day.