Problems of an Invisible Girl

Chapter 42

The dirt road Caroline, Rina, and Serena were walking down was not as uncomfortable as they expected it to be since being on foot allowed them to avoid all the bumps in the road and not to fall into any of the holes. However, it was obvious that Jack would have never made the trek.

They haven't even walked for ten minutes when Serena started being more and more worried. After all, Nat was like a brother to her, she always worried about him and now that she had finally found her father, she didn't want to lose him before ever having the chance to reconnect.

"Are you sure they will be fine?" Serena asked her mother.

"Of course, I am sure my dear. I wouldn't have left if I wasn't. One thing you should know about your father is that he is a survivor. We have survived many things together and when having to leave you two didn't kill us, nothing will." Caroline said.

Towards the end of her sentence, her voice trembled and it was obvious that she was barely keeping her emotions contained.

"But have you ever had it this bad? I have been through a lot of emotional pain, but I don't think something on this scale has ever happened to me." Rina said.

"Well, maybe we didn't have anything like this, but we were once attacked by a bear while we were hiding out in the forest," Caroline said.

"A bear?!" Serena asked. 

"Yes, and here we are, alive and kicking, ready to tell the tale," Caroline answered.

Caroline tried to sound as confident as she could, but the truth of the matter was that she had no idea if everything would be okay. They had never been in such a dire situation. Her beloved husband had never before been shot and incapacitated, but she couldn't tell that to the girls. They needed her to stay strong and be their beacon of hope when there seemed like there was no hope left.

Not thoroughly convinced by Caroline's answer the girls still seemed to feel slightly better after what she had told them, and they continued their trek in silence.

The road was a monotonous one to follow. On both sides of the road, that seemed to have no end, were trees. It seemed to them like someone had managed to squeeze a dirt road in the middle of the forest and now they were surrounded by tall trees judging the human interference with nature.

After a few kilometers, they sat down to rest, contemplating if they should go on or return since the road seemed never changing, neverending. They weren't sure there was anything else there. But all roads had to lead somewhere, didn't they? 

So as they munched on some strawberries from the nearby bush, enjoying the incredible sweetness the wild strawberries provided, that was much better than the ones they had tried before, they were invigorated and decided to go on for a few more miles. If they didn't find anything by then, they would accept their defeat. 

As they went on, for the first time, the road started changing. It was becoming narrower and narrower, allowing the forest to take over most of its width creating something similar to a tunnel, only in this particular case, it was a tunnel of greenery.

Once out of the nature-imposed tunnel, their mood brightened up considerably because there, in the open space that stretched before them, was a sturdy looking house as well as a barn and some sheep and goats grazing peacefully around the house. 

"We made it!" Rina exclaimed. 

"Zizi! Zizi! Are you here it's me, Rina!" Rina yelled as she hurried towards the unusual house that was most definitely not made from brick and mortar.

"Wait! Rina! We don't know whose house that is! They might not be so friendly!" Caroline tried to warn.

But her warnings fell on deaf ears as Rina ran towards the house with all her might, eager to reunite with her great-grandmother once again. With the years that went by she often remembered how warm and affectionate Zizi had been and Rina was thirsty for those warm emotions to embrace her once more.

As her voice boomed around the small stretch of open land surrounded by the forest, the old wooden door of the house was opened and an old woman exited it with as much hurry as her old bones could muster. Before she had the chance to go down the three wooden steps that lead from the small porch, Rina bounded up the steps as quick as lightning. 

"Zizi!" She screamed in joy.

The next instant she was hugging her great-grandmother with such love and tenderness, tears streaming down her cheeks that even Serena and Caroline couldn't help but wipe away the tears that the emotional reunion evoked in them. 

"Is that really you, my little chatterbox, or has my old age finally made me hallucinate as well?" Zizi asked.

"It's really me. I am here. I am finally here." Rina said through tears.

"Oh, my dear child, I didn't think I would see you ever again," Zizi said as she wiped away tears from her kind, wrinkled face. 

"I am so sorry. I would have come sooner, but my mom... I mean the woman who adopted me, didn't let me." Rina said.

"Oh, so you know," Zizi said.

"You knew?" Rina asked.

"Yes, your father told me. I mean my grandson told me, but he made me promise not to tell you since he didn't want you to feel like you were not part of his family because for him you were always his precious little daughter." Zizi said.

Rina knew she was supposed to be angry at Zizi for not telling her the truth, but she couldn't be mad, not with her dear great-grandma. Before she had the chance to say anything, she could hear Caroline clearing her throat behind her and that was when she remembered that she wasn't alone. 

Following Rina's gaze, Zizi noticed Caroline and Serena for the first time. She was surprised that Rina would bring two strangers into her home but having in mind she hadn't seen her great-granddaughter in such a long time she ventured to guess that they were not strangers to her.

"Who are your friends, Rina, my dear?" Zizi asked.

"These aren't my friends actually. These are my biological mother and sister." Rina answered.

"Oh, you found them!" Zizi said.

As she said that she engulfed Serena in a huge, unexpected hug and then did the same for Caroline. Shocked as they were, the two just stood there basking in Zizi's good-naturedness.

"I am sure you had a reason for leaving my dear sugarplum fairy," Zizi said.

"Zizi, don't start with the embarrassing nicknames," Rina said.

It was obvious that she didn't mind as she smiled at the old nickname. She was happier than she had ever been to see that her dear Zizi was alive and well. Rina felt like she would burst from joy at finally being able to reunite with her dearest great-grandmother.

"Alright, alright," Zizi said smiling at her favorite great-granddaughter.

"But don't just stand there. Come in, come in." Zizi said gesturing towards the house.

"Once you sit down and rest for a bit you can tell me what led you here. I know it's a long road to walk, so I'll brew some coffee and prepare some food." Zizi said.

They obediently followed her to the house too tired to think about anything but sitting down and resting for a bit. As Zizi started brewing coffee, they took a moment to just breathe before they could properly explain what they needed.