Page 72 of Rewind

The clerk rubbed his chin. “Hmm, maybe my memory can be jogged with a bit more incentive.”

Ethan would have slammed this kid’s head against the wall if there wasn’t a barrier between them. “Fuck it, I’m just going to call the police and wait for them to get here.”

The other man chuckled. “Good luck with that. They rarely come around here and if they do it won’t be for hours.”

“Look you little shit, there’s a woman in danger. I know you don’t give a damn but think about it if someone close to you was in a bad predicament. I’m sure you’d want someone to help them. So take this damn 50 and tell me what you know.”

The clerk held his hands up. “Damn man you ain’t gotta be so serious. I was just fucking with you. I saw shorty a little while ago go up with this baddie with a fat ass. They’re on the fourth floor. Room 401 I think.”

That had to be Amina’s cousin, Candace.

“Are you sure?” Ethan demanded.

“I never forget an ass that fat.”

Ethan tossed the bill on the counter and dashed to the elevator that had a huge out of order sign.

“Fuck this hotel!” he roared before spotting the door to the stairs.

With his heart pounding a tattoo against his chest he took three stairs at a time hoping he’d reach Amina before it was too late.

Chapter

Twenty-Five

The sun shined brightly stinging Amina’s eyes. She raised her had to shield herself from the glare. Once her eyes adjusted to the brightness of the light she took in her surroundings to see she was in a beautiful garden.

Pink rose bushes lined a limestone path that led to a big white gazebo with a flower arch decorating the front of it.

A familiar tune rang out. Someone was humming something she hadn’t heard in a long time. A song she used to hear whenever her grandmother did her house cleaning.

Amina walked toward the gazebo and saw a woman with her back turned to her. She had long, iron gray microlocs that flowed down her back. She wore a caftan that resembled a monarch butterfly.

Amina’s eyes filled with tears. She knew that tune. She knew that hair. She knew that caftan.

“Grandma?” she whispered.

The woman turned around. Her beautiful dark brown face was still etched with laugh lines and the kindness in her dark eyes shined as brightly as ever.

Amina ran to her outstretched arms. “Grandma!” Her body slammed into her grandmother’s and she wrapped her arms tightly around her as she burst into tears.

Her grandmother squeezed her tight and rocked her back and forth. “It’s okay baby. I’m here.” She stroked the back of Amina’s head.

“I miss you so much. Why did you have to get sick and leave me?” Amina cried.

“Aww baby. That’s just the circle of life. Don’t you remember I taught you that we all eventually return to the Earth. My cycle had been completed yours was disrupted abruptly. That’s why you were given a second chance.”

Amina raised her head. “What do you mean, Grandma?”

“Let’s sit down.” Granny took her hands and led Amina to the bench carved inside the gazebo.

Her grandmother looked the same way she did before falling ill. Amina couldn’t stop staring. “Grandma, how are you here? Am I dead?”

Grandma chuckled and gently wiped the tears from Amina’s cheeks. “No, child. You’re in limbo right now. This is a place between life and death and where the dead and living can meet.”

Amina wrapped her arms around her grandmother’s waist. “I want to go wherever you go. I miss you so much.”

“Ah chile, you’re talking nonsense now. You don’t really mean that. You still have a lot of living to do. Besides, that cute Dr. of yours would miss you terribly, wouldn’t he?”

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