What On Earth Is Happening?

Carol was feeling relaxed and happy as she drove to Glyfada. She was used to driving here. It had taken her a long time not to be scared to drive this journey. Driving, even though she had passed her test, had been a huge phobia of hers. It had taken her a long time for her to trust herself, and believe that she actually could do this strange thing that humans now did. She thought that maybe she was too clumsy or totally uncoordinated and that she had the reactions of a sloth. The thought of killing someone was also devastating to her and it took many years for her to find the courage to take driving lessons. When she had her licence the fear of having an accident had stopped her from being able to drive long distances and from driving regularly.

Carol climbed out her car and looked for her daughters, who were already standing outside the car, waiting for her. Glyfada was the town closest to their village that had shops and eateries. Her daughters needed clothes so it was her chance to spend some time with them. It had become a common occurrence that when the girls required new clothes or necessities that she would take them to lunch. They walked from the parking area until they reached the stores. The girls stopped abruptly but when they did, Carol couldn't believe what she saw in front of her eyes.

"How was this possible? "she thought, "I can see classmates from my childhood, the present with my teenage girls, and that I am also here with a child I don't even have."

She could see the boy she used to have a crush on in grade five to six. He was running in front of her as if she was a child of eleven again. She could also hear the laughter of her best friend, Anastasia, when she was eleven on her right with her long wavy hair almost to her bum. Carol remembered how she had envied Anastasia's hair. She had wanted her hair to be as long as that but it just wouldn't grow more than halfway down her back. Anastasia was small and delicate and Carol could see the laughter in her blue-green eyes.

At her other side, she saw her daughters, one a dirty blonde and the other with hair the colour of honey. This was how her children were at this time in her life, beautiful, fashion obsessed girls. Always immaculately turned out. The strange thing was she was pushing a baby in a pushchair in front of her. She didn't have another child at this time in her life. The pushchair was new which didn't surprise her because she had thrown the other pram away after having Tina. That's because she thought Tina would be her last child.

It was strange to think that she could see different events taking place at the same time. How could she see before her a child she had never had? Not only that, but why was her best friend when she was a child, next to her? When she looked on Anastasia's side she could distinguish the grounds of the elementary school she attended as a child. When Carol looked forward the view was what she expected, she could perceive the same street lined with stores that she usually took her girls to for shopping. The only difference was that she was pushing a baby in its pram in front of her. A baby that in her world didn't exist. Carol stopped to try and assess the situation.

"Eleni, how come I'm pushing a baby round the shops today?" Carol asked.