Blessing or a Curse? 1

As Maia stood at the pavement she waved at one of the taxis that passed by, so one stopped for her in which she hopped on. She thought of going to the supermarket first which is 10 km west straight from the campus before going home.

"Where are we going, Ma'am? The driver politely asked through the rearview.

"Dadadadadadada-dadadada-dadadada..." Maia was about to say 'supermarket' when her phone suddenly played Für Elise of Beethoven, she looked into it and saw the University President calling her so she just told the driver to 'go straight' as she slid her right thumb to the screen and answer the call.

"Good evening, Sir! This is Professor Maia speaking!" She greeted. As the car she's riding is passing through the busy night of the city.

"Good evening to you as well, Professor Maia! I would like to remind you about the arrival of our potential new members of the school administration that's why I called you." The University President reminded her.

"I absolutely not forgotten, Sir! In fact, their facilities and necessities were already arranged as per request, I also have Senior students who will cater their arrivals oriented." She responded with professionalism.

"I am grateful to have a faculty member like you, professor Maia, you already experienced suffering and sacrificed so much for this institution but you chose to stay, I'm already ashamed to put you incharge of another task again, I just can't find anyone who is like you yet, I hope you don't forget to treat yourself from time to time." The president gratefully but sadly said on the other line of the phone.

"Noted, Sir." Maia replied but she forgot to tell the driver that she is heading to the supermarket and she didn't noticed this even after she hanged up the phone. She just looked straight at the road as she sat quietly on the backseat.

"May I know now where are we going, Ma'am?" The driver politely asked for the second time.

It's been thirty seconds but Maia did not respond, the driver would like to repeat the question but she suddenly grunted out of a sharp pain coming from her head and the world seemed to be muted in seconds for her.

"Ugghhh... Hss..." Maia touched her temples and shut her eyes with ache. It was short but painful.

The driver was bothered with this so he looked at her at the rearview again but what she saw was a woman looking at the interior of the car with wonder and confusion.

"Where am I?... Who are you?" She asked the driver with weariness. "Why am I inside a car?" She raised her voice a little in a frantic tone.

"Ma'am, what are you saying? You called a taxi and now you're in a taxi." The driver explained though he doesn't know what is happening here.

"I... I called a taxi? I... I'm just standing in front of a mini store and I haven't called any taxi yet!" She is now starting to be hysterical.

"Ma'am, I picked you up in front of the university, not from a mini store." The driver explained with a heavy conviction, *Oh what's going on? I thought she's normal.* The driver said to himself.

"How could that be?! Tha-that tha-that's impossible!"

"Yes, how could you say that, Ma'am?! It's impossible!"

The two argued in the car.

"Stop! Stop the car! Please stop the car!" Maia pleaded as she tapped the driver's seat continuously, "Please, stop the car!"

"Let me stop to the next unloading area, Ma'am, I'm not fond of ticket treats of policemen." The driver requested but he is worried that he is being framed as a kidnapper right now.