THE SHAMBA BOY

Sierra's POV

With a sigh, I shut the truck of my car and footsteps approaching made me turn around. It was my lawyer. I smiled as he approached. “Good day, Miss Sierra,” he greeted on getting to me.

“Hi, Mr. Richard,” my smile widened.

“Mum, I found it!” Elvis yelled as he ran out, staring at his action figure.

He raised his head and smiled at Mr. Richard. “Hi” he greeted, and hugged me.

“I found it” he waved his action figure once more, and I nodded.

“Go place it in your bag. Stay in the car, okay? I'll be there in a moment,” I said, and he hummed, quickly getting in.

My little boy was eight years old and even though he does not completely understand what has been happening for the past few months, he understood the basics. However, I didn't want him in the conversation I was about to have with Mr. Richard.

“I have the documents here. You are officially divorced,” he said with a small smile as he handed over the document.

I briefly opened and read what was needed. Sincerely, from the moment I signed the divorce papers, I saw myself as divorced. “Thank you. I appreciate all you've done for me so far,” I said, genuinely.

The divorce proceedings were not as easy as I had expected, and I was glad to have a good lawyer at my side for a much lesser f*e. “It was not a problem. I'm glad to know you are out of his home,” he said, and I could only manage a small smile.

He took a peek at the inside of the car. “It seems you are traveling," he pointed out.

I nodded. “It's the holidays, so I need to pay my family a visit,” I said.

It has been so long since I went over. How long has it been? So long that I cannot even count.

“Will you be back?” he asked, a frown on his face.

I glanced at the car as I thought for a second before giving an answer. “I don't know. Big cities aren't one of my best suit, but there are a lot of opportunities here. I might be back, but it solely depends on what happens while I'm away,” I said.

I grew up in a small village. It was not overly noisy. Maybe it attributed to my introverted lifestyle, but it was much more cozy than the big cities, with tall buildings, fancy cars and full of hypocritical people. It can be hard living here.

In a way, I thought I would get used to the change. Different from what I was used to, but even after nine years, I was unable to get used to it. Felt out of place and, worse, made to feel ten times worse by someone who was to back me up.

A part of me didn't want to be back. I wanted to be far away from this place and the terrible memories that were filled in it. It could be childish from what I've been told a billion times in a roll, but it didn't change how I felt.

Maybe when I got there, I would feel different or worse. Possibly, want to come back here. No one knew, not even myself, but I was ready to leave and test out what I had wished for years. If it failed, so be it.

“You cannot run away from him, you know that, right?” Richard said.

I shook my head. “I'm not trying to run away,” I said, then exhaled.

Richard nodded. “Call me when you get there, though,” he said and gave me a hug.

I stiffened but relaxed seconds later, giving him a light tap on the back. Richard has been a friend of mine since I came to this city. Elvis's father never really liked him. Mostly because he could tell Richard had feelings for me.

I had never addressed it more than I should and did not see the need to. Maybe I was frightful or just cowardly, but once was enough to clarify my position of feelings for him. Richard was a good-looking man and nice too, but I didn't see a future with him.

He moved away, and I smiled before getting into the car, tossing the document in the back seat. I helped strap my son's seat belt before I started the engine. Richard waved at me as I slowly got out of the packing space and soon on the road.

The memories I had of my village were still clear in my mind, but I wondered if it would be the same after all these years. Even the city changed after a few years. The same would go for the village, right?

I didn't mind that, but I wasn't sure how to feel about it. The ride back to the village was a seven-hour ride without traffic, but during this time of the year, I doubted that would be so. However, I plan to stop at a hotel just before nightfall and resume tomorrow.

I occasionally looked through the rearview mirror to check on Elvis, who was enjoying himself on a game. “Mum, I'm hungry, and my snacks are finished,” he pouted.

“We'll soon get to the hotel, and I'll get you some food,” I told him.

Soon, I pulled up to the hotel. Our only stop until we got to the village. Elvis had never been to the village, and I could only hope he would like it. Once we checked into the hotel, I checked out the room before heading to the restaurant to get Elvis some food.

He kept stuffing his face with the food, causing me to smile, shaking my head. “You love it, don't you?” I asked.

He hummed. “It's so delicious,” he said.

“Yeah, yeah, eat slowly, so you don't choke,” I said, before diving into my food.

Minutes later, we were back in our room and ready to head to bed. Elvis quickly fell asleep, which was normal whenever he had his stomach full to his satisfaction. I, on the other hand, could not. The next morning, I could only cover my dark circles with makeup and give a bright smile to my son.

Out of everything that has happened this year, I was glad to have my son, bubbly and excited to visit his grandparents. Hours on the road and finally, I saw the ski resort, indicating how close I was to the border of my small village, but instead of excitement, my heart raced with fear, threatening to fall off my chest.