Shaman Of The West Village

I leaned lazily against my bus seat waiting to arrive at my destination.

Sitting in one place for four hours straight is very unlike me.

Sitting like this was making my body ache, so I couldn't wait till I get off this damn bus and stretch a little.

Looking at the way we are heading now, it might take a maximum of 1 hour and 30 minutes.

So till that time, I just need to be here and keep brooding about the difficult spot I am in.

I checked my phone to see if my mom had called me yet.

I don't know but she has been acting very strange lately. Just like in the morning, she packed me and my younger sister's bags and told us to stay with my grandma for some days without any reason.

Suddenly meeting my grandma whom we haven't visited since I was five years old was undoubtedly going to be awkward.

I wanted to ask a lot of questions to my mother about it, but looking at her current mental state. I didn't find it right. that's why I just did as she said. But now let's see what will happen.

My mother said she would call to check on us in the middle of our journey but, she never did.

I am the idiot who thought she was gonna call.

I looked at my younger sister Emily who had headphones in her ears. She doesn't care about what happens around her. Always in her own world.

Sometimes I secretly wished that I was like her but being an adult is very hard.

The only reason Emily came without uttering a word was because she had her summer holidays. She was bored in the house that's why she didn't have much to do in her free time.

If it was some other time then she would have nagged a lot because she hated to leave her room. She always used to stay there while playing with her video games.

Emily took out her headphones and stared at me with a poker face.

"Why are you staring at me with that miserable face of yours? Did something happen?" She asked me while taking her headphone off.

"Nothing, I am just a little worried. Mamma said that she would call but, she still didn't."

Emily just sighed. "You thought she was gonna call? Don't act surprised, you knew that but still were hoping for her to call and check on you. right?"

Emily giggled. "You need to come into reality. That woman has gone crazy. She doesn't care for us that's why she is sending us to stay with Grandma because she couldn't handle us."

"And that's not how you should talk about your mother. Emily, I know she was not there with us most of the time we wanted her. But… she still took care of us, Even after Dad's death she took care of our needs. We had food on our table, went to a nice school, and got everything we wanted."

I sighed. "If you can't be grateful for that then just don't talk nonsense for the person who gave us so much."

Emily just rolled her eyes and went back to hearing her songs.

Who is going to tell this child? Even though I understand her. She is not wrong to feel that way.

During Emily's childhood, our mother was not at home often because of her work. She used to call our Neighbour's daughter to babysit her. That's why Mom and Emily never had a good relationship.

Maybe by being neglected in her childhood, She started to feel hatred for mom and made a perception that her mom doesn't love her. But I know that is not true.

I hope someday she will understand this too.

I closed my eyes to stop worrying about it. but suddenly my eyelids started to feel heavy and with that, I fell asleep.

***

I felt like someone was shaking my body that's why i woke up and saw Emily calling me. "Anna wake up, I think we have arrived."

Maybe I fell asleep in the middle of the journey without my knowing.

I rubbed my eyes and got off from the seat.

There were only a few passengers on the bus now.

I took off my bags and came out of the bus.

By looking at the surroundings. I started to feel very familiar with the place, Even though I haven't been there since I was a child.

We were currently standing at the bus stop and looking at the address Mom gave me.

Emily also came outside dragging her suitcase.

"Did no one come to pick us up? I think Mom didn't even tell Grandma that we are coming." She said while being annoyed.

"I hope she at least told Grandma about it..." I started to look around us. "But anyway... We at least have an address... Don't worry we'll arrive there safely." I tried to console her.

"How about we ask someone to show us the way?" Emily asked while pointing at an old guy who was digging a hole in the field.

I agreed, it's better to ask someone about the address than roam like a lost ghost.

"Excuse me. Can I ask you something?" The man looked up at me with a blank expression.

"Do you know where Isabelle Perkins lives?"

The old man looked at us and asked "Do you mean the Shaman of the West Village?"

Shaman? Was Grandma into practising divination and healing?

I have heard about them in books and movies but never saw them in real life.

Make sense why I am so much into supernatural stuff.

Emily slowly whispered in my ear. "Is this old man tripping or something? Who believes in shaman and stuff?"

I glared at Emily who then pouted and stood still.

That child doesn't know how to talk to her elders properly. Maybe Grandma will teach her later.

"Okay, fine can you please show me the place? In the address, it said it's near Kelana Lake.

The old man nodded and asked us to follow him.

Emily looked at me with disbelief.

"Are you serious? We are going to follow him like that? He looks so freaking suspicious." she said while looking at the old man.

"Don't worry. If something happens then i have a knife and pepper spray in my purse. So just trust me. Alright?"

"But still..." She still had her doubts but I cut her off.

"No, but... Just follow me. We don't have any other choice anyway."

I pulled her hand towards me and we started to follow the old man.