The night after the postman came, it rained without pause.
Thick, heavy drops pounded the roof like drumming hands, chasing sleep away.
When it was 1:00AM in the morning the rain stopped thirty minutes later, there was a sound of sobbing, Blessed lay awake in bed, eyes on the ceiling, listening. It was quiet but the sound of the cry was audible, she pushed off the covers of her blanket immediately and stood up and put on an old sweater and went to the door of her room quietly. The door of her room creaked as she went out of the room. The sound of crying was coming out of grandma Jane room, light flickered under the door.
Grandma Jane was still up, why was she crying, it was unlike her the little she had known grandma was that she was a tough person and she hardly shows her emotions, she neither happy nor sad. So what will make her feel sad to the extent of crying as she was outside contemplating if she should go in or return to her room, when she heard grandma Jane's voice " come in its cold outside" she was shocked to know that her movement though quiet still startled grandma its seems nothing gets past her. She quickly pushed the door and entered into the room. She has never been into her room before so she looked around and discovered it was neat and tidy as grandma's personality cold but accommodating. The room was small , a thin woven rug lay precisely on the wooden floor, the bed stood against the wall, neatly with faded quilt, its pattern patched from scraps of old dresses and worn curtains . a small battered chest of drawers stood beside the bed its surface bared except for a single well versed bible and a pair of reading glasses beside it, a rocking chair was near a coffee table with a little stool beside it .Grandma Jane sat on the rocking chair, the rocking chair was moving slow, her shawl wrapped around her shoulders like armor.
In her hand was a photograph, faded, worn with age
Jane didn't look up. "You couldn't sleep either."
Blessed shook her head. "The rain's too loud and when the rain stopped falling i couldn't sleep any longer, so I decided to check on you."
Jane patted the stool beside her.
Blessed sat, and was looking at grandmas hands.
"What're you looking at?" she asked.
Jane handed her the photo. A younger Jane stood with a man — tall, handsome, dressed in army green. His hand gripped hers tightly.
Jane's voice was quiet. "His name was William. My husband."
Blessed blinked. "You were married?"
Jane gave a small, sad smile her posture still heavy, the weight of the memory settled across her shoulders like an old unwelcoming shawl, her withered hands rubbed each other trying to get warmth in her body,she sighed.
"I was an orphan, I had no parent or relative, I was told by the village chief, and I was picked up by the foot of the mountain. so the village decided to adopt me and gave me this house when I came of age .so when I saw Williams at the foot of the mountain I believed it was fate for me to save him at that same foot of the mountain, I rescued him, he was bruised and wounded, there was a big gnash at the back of his head and it was raining like today I took him to the a doctor in the village because I couldn't take him to the house, I had no medical skill, it will be disastrous to take him home ,so after he was treated and got well he decided to stay with me to repay his debt because he had no were to go because he claimed he forgot everything, the doctor confirmed he had amnesia because some blood clot still remain in his head that has not been dissolved, so we started living together he was warm and kind hearted and loving, caring and hardworking I couldn't help but fell in love him, we lived together peacefully for three years he was loving and warm I got pregnant my daughter was born on a rainy day .we named her Elara ;after the moon he once told her he dreamed about life seemed perfect until one day everything disappeared .i woke up in the middle of the night to a thunderstorm, the crib was empty William was gone, no note, no noise, no baby, the front door was unlocked no sign of forced entry. i cried and searched for them everywhere in the rain to no avail. In the morning the next day I went to report to the police for a missing person but no result, no record of even my baby as if they never existed. Like I was in a dream. I lived my life in a daze, so anytime there is a thunderstorm memories keep flooding ,my daughter,I didn't even have picture of her"
Blessed was crying when she heard grandma story though she was young but she had now a matured heart because of her life experience.
The rain tapped against the glass, like someone gently knocking.
Blessed's heart ached. "I'm sorry."
Jane nodded, but not bitterly. "He loved me. Even when he did but I don't know why he left"
She rocked forward a little
She chuckled, but it sounded hollow.
"So I lived. I taught in the village school. Grew vegetables. Watched other people raise families. And waited for something to change."
Her eyes met Blessed's.
"And then you came."
Blessed blinked fast, her throat tight.
" when Maria approached me about your case though we were not related but I wanted to take you in, it felt like an invincible force wanting you to be part of my life and I'm happy I made the decision, I didn't know what to do with you at first," Jane admitted. "You were quiet, stiff, always watching. Like a child raised by wolves."
Blessed smiled a little through the sting in her eyes. "I felt like one."
Jane's voice softened. "But you listened. You helped. You cared. You didn't say much, but I saw it."
She reached over and took Blessed's hand — the first time she'd ever done it.
"I may be old, and I may have no blood left to claim, but I'll be damned if I let hurt you again, just know you are not alone again."
The thunder cracked outside, and this time, Blessed didn't flinch.
She leaned her head against Jane's arm.
"I won't be scared again I have you, you are my only family," she whispered.
Jane kissed her temple gently. "And I will always be your grandma and protector."
And in that moment, Blessed understood something no one had ever told her:
That sometimes, families are chosen.
Sometimes, love grows where the world forgets to look.
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