Then the driver returned, shaking his head.
“She’s gone.”
“Gone? How gone?”
“She turned into an alley near the fabric stalls and disappeared. I searched everywhere. She’s fast.”
Mika leaned back against the seat, his eyes fixed on the crowd, his mind racing.
That little girl was no ordinary child. She had vanished like a shadow, leaving behind only questions—and a necklace that belonged to him.
Mika did not sleep that night.
The image of the little girl, her worn school uniform, the necklace, the absent father—it all haunted him.
The next morning, he came back, but this time with his hands full.
He had brought a small bag. Inside were schoolbooks, beautiful black shoes, a teddy bear, a lunch box, and two illustrated storybooks.
He found Hope in the same place, holding her tray of yams.
As always, when she saw him, her eyes narrowed.
“You came back.”
“I told you, I’m not a bad man.”
He gently placed the bag in front of her.
“What is it?” she asked suspiciously.
“Open it,” he said softly.
She peeked inside and let out a cry of surprise.
Books. Shoes. A teddy bear. Everything new and shining.
Her suspicion softened.
“Is this really for me?”
Mika nodded.
“If you’ll accept it.”
“Yes.”
She looked down, then up at him again.
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