You Again (Completed) ✔️

2.

At 7am, I'm given forms to fill out for my discharge. I quickly fill them out and take them to the nurses station.

I don't want be here longer than necessary.

The woman takes the forms from me and she says. "Goodbye,"

I hurry out of the hospital, being careful of the doctors that seem to be rushing around.

There's still heaps of people in the hospital, who were more injured than me.

As I step out of the hospital I see George next to a black SUV. He has a group of men surrounding him. He turns towards the door and a smile spreads across his face. He walks over. "I'm here to take you to your place to collect your things. Then I want you to spend some time with my family before you leave. Darcey took a liking to you."

A smile spreads across my face. "I took a liking to her as well, sir. She's a great a kid and you've raised her right."

"Thank you," he opens the door for me and I climb in.

George moves to the other side of the car and he climbs in, sitting across from me. "You're house was higher up, so it didn't get damaged during the tsunami. A few teachers weren't as lucky as you. They lost their passports and other documents. So, they'll have to go to their consulate on the island to get a new one. It will take them a couple weeks to get it. I'm afraid that all the children won't have any good teachers when they leave."

I touch his hand. "There's other people out there that will be interested in teaching the kids. I've learnt a lot from the children while I was and I'm really going to miss this place. Do you want to know the really reason why I took a job here?"

He nods.

"I couldn't go back home. The place where I grew up with my family. A boy told me that if I stepped foot back into the town he'd ruin my life. I was scared to return home. So, when I came across the opportunity to become an English teacher for the kids on this island I took it and not once have I regretted it."

"And now you want to go back to the place you grew up?"

I nod. "It's about time that I face my past. I want to move forward and enjoy the rest of my life. I don't to live with regret, especially after what happened here.

As we drive down the dirt track theirs heaps of trees on the ground. Power poles are on its side, cars have mud on it and some look like it went a few round with a truck.

George looks out the window. "A couple days ago the road was blocked by the trees, power lines and cars. I got together a group of people and we cleared everything up." He turns towards me. "My wife and three other kids were safe in the house when the tsunami hit and when I saw the rush of water from the balcony of my place I thought my daughter would be dead. When things settled down I went to all the hospitals to find her, but I couldn't find her. There was one hospital that I didn't try and with a sinking feeling I thought she was dead. Until I saw you on a stretcher with my daughter holding your hand."

George wipes his face as he remembers that day. "You know she didn't want to let you go. She cried when I pulled her away. I had to promise her that she would see you again in a couple of days. I took her home after she was checked out. She had a few bruises here and there. Other than that she was perfectly fine."

I don't really know what to say to that, so I stay quiet.

Before I know it the car comes to a stop in front of the building I live in.

The guy that I rent the place from is standing in the doorway. He looks at me as I approach the place. "Hey, Jaryd. How are you?"

A smile spreads across his face. "Better that you're here sweetheart." He wraps his arm around me. "Do you know who that guy is?"

I nod. "I saved his daughter. That's who he is."

Jaryd drops his arm from around me. "Do you have the keys to your place?"

"No, I lost them when I was caught in the tsunami."

I don't have my handbag either. I wonder if it survived the tsunami.

Looking at George I say. "Can we go to the school. I want to see if my handbag is still in one piece."

"Sure,"

I hurry up the stairs and pack my clothes into the suitcase.

It doesn't take me long to pack my stuff. I put my photos in my carry on bag and then I walk back down the stairs to where George is talking to Jaryd.

George looks up at the moment I exit the building. "Let me help you." He takes the heavy suitcase from me and we walk to the car.

I climb into the car. "Bye, Jaryd." I wave at him as the car heads in the direction of the school. "George did the school get hit?"

He turns towards me. "I don't know. I never made it to the school. It looks like we'll see for ourselves in a moment."

The school wasn't too far from my place. It was down the road and I walked there all the time.

There was heaps of people walking around the island, but right now there's no one out and about.

Maybe, a lot of them are tending to their wounds from the tsunami. Or they're too scared to step foot outside.

It's going to take a while for people to live again especially after the devastation that the tsunami left in it wake.

There's a few body bags at the side of the road as we arrive at the school.

A cross is placed close to their bodies.

Looking at the school I see that it's still standing, but you can see that the tsunami had reached the school as there's dried up sand on the floor.

Moving forward I walk towards my classroom. I see my desk next to the door that leads to the next classroom.

I unlock the draw and find my handbag in there.

My purse is dry and all my stuff in there seems in good condition.

It looks like the water didn't rise as high here since it's a little higher up than the beach.

There's a bush track behind the school that we took to the beach.

It takes about thirty minutes to reach the beach from the school,

I wonder how the rest of the teachers are?

As I finished thinking that three teachers walk into my room.

One of them being the teacher that told me to leave George's child behind.

She walks over to me. "I'm glad you're alright." Looking at my bag she asks. "Are you leaving?"

"Yes, I am."

***