Chapter 114
I watched as the kids took turns sliding down the mini slide in the park and I watched as one kid hung off the monkey bars. My mind flashed to the day when I fell off a monkey bar when I tried going across. I fell flat on my face and my nose was so badly hurt that I almost fainted at the amount of blood pouring out of the wound. Little Cassandra thought that she chipped off her small button nose that day and freaked out. I remembered running to Bryant who freaked out even more than I did when he saw the blood on my nose.
He scolded me while he rushed me to the clinic with me on his back. I cried and told him to close his piehole because my nose hurt.
I smiled at the silliness; there was no connection between my ears listening to his nagging and my injured nose.
I pulled my jacket's hood up when a breeze hit me and sent a chill down my spine. The joyful squeals of the kids sliding down the slide and chasing each other continued to fill the air. However, the sound of their screams and squeals turned faint. My eyes caught a familiar face walking past with three kids by his side.
They were the same kids I saw the other day. I felt relief flood through my system when I realized that the chances of the kids being child―trafficked turns out to be low I'm glad that the children were in somewhat safe hands.
One was still perched on the man's shoulders, his small hands circling the man's head. The other two were holding his hands and once again, it was the little girl who pointed to the park. I could faintly hear her plead with him to let them play. "Please Cole, we'll just be a few minutes. I promise I'll come straight back to you when you say our time is up." I could hear ‘Cole' laugh breathily and give his approval.
My heartbeat started to pick up its pace when I realize they were coming my way. Soon enough my heart was doing a mini race in my chest. I pretended to scratch my head and subtly pulled my hoodie lower to cover my face.
The children were adorable.
I could feel my features softening at the sight of them. A small smile tugged at the ends of my lips as I watched how the two kids ran off to join the others in the playground in front of me. The youngest was lowered to the ground and as soon as his foot made contact with the Earth, he went off running after the other two.
I found myself thinking again, losing myself in my thoughts. They called him Cole and not dad. I assumed Cole was his name.
They didn't call him uncle as well, although it was possible that he asked them not to call him uncle. I don't think they weren't his and that they weren't biologically related to him although the youngest one could be but there's no way to be 100% sure.
They could be his nephews and nieces.
My heart broke at that thought. Once again, I thought about the possibility that I may have caused those kids some pain by hurting someone who could be their father.
I have experienced loss and to imagine that I might have inflicted the same kind of pain these kids might have lost their father figure at such a young age was unbearable.
Tears pricked my eyes at that thought and a lump formed in my throat. Guilt flooded my system in a nanosecond and it made me feel as if I was suffocating. Guilt over what I might have done to these poor kids and guilt that the realization came so late.
I might have ruined 3 poor kids' lives and I barely missed a beat in my daily routine.
‘Have I really lost my humanity?' I thought with utter horror as I realized I was stared at the green blades of grass in front of my shoes, distracted.
