Goodbyes

Dara lazily counted the minutes away for the class to be over. It was her worst - math. Ironically, she always got top grades in math making everyone feel she loved it. "Over my dead decaying matter ". Those were the very words she had told her aunt. But of course no one believed she meant every word of it. She did.

Finally the bell rang. Today was just Monday and she needed the weekend already. She was picking up her already packed bag when the math teacher said,

"Goodbye class."

She froze. She didn't like the word. Who was she kidding. She loathed it.

Standing just in front of the door she let her mind go back to the root of this hatred...

<3<3<3

"Adaiah wait for me", 5 year old Dara screamed after her cousin.

It was one of their family's Sunday get togethers. They had both been allowed to play outside - a rarity in itself - so the adults could discuss and prepare lunch. Dara seized this opportunity to show her cousin their new garden. Though older than her by only three months, Dara admired her cousin and wanted her to approve of her special place among the lavenders. They were her favorites.

Well her cousin had definitely approved and then moved on to chasing the butterflies. Also another rarity for a spring day. The signs the heavens give us. If only we can read them.

They spent a good thirty minutes in the garden before her aunt's voice rang out telling them it was time for lunch. They grudgingly marched back to the house and into the dining where lunch was set and her aunt and uncle were seated waiting for them.

"Where are mum and dad?" Dara asked.

Her uncle replied, "There was an emergency at the hospital. You know your mum and dad are very busy people."

"That's right," she replied proudly "They are the best doctors ever."

She sat down and as she looked up while her aunt filled her plate, she knew something was off.

"Are you alright, aunty?"

Their eyes met and in that instance Dara knew her aunt wasn't alright.

"Dara be a good girl and don't bother your aunt. Eat up."

After a moment's hesitation, Dara decided she was too hungry to investigate. She ate and forgot entirely about this event. It was seven hours later the call came in. She remembered her aunt saying she would have to stay at their house for the night. She never left.

<3<3<3

"Out of the way, weirdo."

Now staring at Adaiah's back as she left the class, she wondered if it was her fault they had grown apart.