Chapter 2 – THE TIMELY STRANGER

SISTER PAMELA'S POV

"What happened here, little girl?" I asked.

I was already driving when I noticed the little girl standing by the car. I wanted to ignore and continue on my way until she started leaping to the driver's side so I figured that something must be wrong. I decided to take a closer look and I noticed that the car had been involved in an accident.

The car was in a deplorable situation and from my analysis, no one should survive this accident. But if the girl could be alive and moving, then maybe there could be some survivors.

I was late on my journey to Beetville Town but then I must see if they are any that can still be saved. So I immediately parked my car and rushed over to the scene.

As I approach the little girl and the car, my mind wandered to so many possibilities. Like what had happened, who was in the car, is the little girl the only survivor, or are others still alive, and even how did she survive this?

When I arrived, I took a look at the young boy and the woman in the car and saw that they were dead. And when I got to the girl and the man, I saw he was still struggling with his breath.

"My family" she murmured.

"Were you in the car with them, tell me what happened?" I requested.

I brought out my phone and dialed 911 but it could not connect.

"Junior pushed me out" was all she could say.

I noticed that she was reluctant to move away from the man who I figured should be her dad and so I said to her. "Please let me take care of this. Daddy might have one or two instructions for us"

Reluctantly, she stepped a foot away and cringed onto my side. I made to get him out of the car but he stopped me by saying. "Stop, no need to. Just..." he stopped.

"Sir, I can hear you," I said and leaned towards him.

"The booth. Open it... money... yes some money... for ... money..." he was losing his breath and he struggled to talk.

"Sir, let me get you to the hospital. You can still breathe, let me get you to the hospital immediately" I offered.

"No" he tried to scream.

With the way he had reacted to the idea, I knew something was seriously wrong with him so I decided to take a proper look at him and I discovered that his stomach was ripped open with his intestine out.

I was going to scream but quickly restrained myself because of the little girl. She was yet to understand what was going on, and so, my scream might cause her to begin to panic.

"Okay, sir, I understand. So what about the booth?" I asked.

The dying man was struggling to keep his eyes open and finish his sentence. "She... she," he said, looking at the girl.

"Yes sir, she" I urged him on.

"Mo...ney for... for her" he responded.

"Okay, money for her in the booth, so how do I open it?" I inquired.

"Fin...gers" he breathed his last and shut his eyes.

"Daddy" the girl whispered. "Daddy, not you too daddy"

I made the sign of the cross over the dead ones and said a short prayer for their souls to be accepted in the Lord's bosom.

After that, I turned to the little girl and said to her. "Daddy left something in the booth for you and it could only be opened with his fingerprint but too bad his fingers are of no use now. See, let me make some calls and see if the network is okay now"

I took my phone and dialed 911 again, and just like the first time, it did not connect. I sighed. My network is not receptive here in Everestland. I would have gotten a new sim card on my visit, but since I was only going to spend two days here, I had dismissed the idea.

"Come," the little girl said to me.

She dragged my hands and led me to the booth.

"Do you have the keys?" I inquired.

"Only I and dad's fingerprints can open everything. And of course that of Rich too" she said.

"Rich, is that your brother?" I asked.

"No, he is family" she replied.

She placed her thumb on the keyhole and the booth opened.

"There," she said pointing to a small suitcase. "That is the money my dad was referring to. You can take it and leave, and thanks for stopping by"

I collected the suitcase and opened it. It was filled with bills. I estimated that it will run into thousands of dollars if not over a million.

"But the money is meant for you, why give it to me?" I asked.

"I can always get a lot more" she replied.

"And what would you be doing all alone in this deserted road if I leave. It is getting late?" I inquired.

It was already 6 pm and the day is getting dark. I have more than three hours' drive from here to get to Beetville Town. And there is no way I am going to leave a little girl all alone in this lonely express road of North Seaside of Everestland.

"Rich will come for me. Dad said he is family and that he will always be there for us in all situations" she replied.

"I am Sister Pamela, but you can refer to me as Sister. What is your name?" I asked.

I was still a stranger to her and to get her to come along with me in the meantime, I must have to show her that I was more than that.

She looked at me, and for the first time since I met her, she smiled. She was just so little and naïve. She could not even grasp her situation at the moment. I could tell that she believed that her family will come back to her soon just like in children's plays.

"I am Annabel Macpherson" she replied.

"Okay Annabel, you see, your dad has handed you over to me at least for the meantime. I know you would prefer to be with Rich but he is not here yet. I have also tried to get help, but that is not possible. So what if I say I take you along with me to Beetville Town and tomorrow I will come and locate Rich. Or do you know where he lives or even his phone number?" I asked.

I know it is a big question for girls her age, but she appears to be very intelligent and quite conscious of events around her. So she might be able to give me the answers that I seek.

"No, I don't. He has moved into his new house at the outskirt of town and we were going to pay him a visit there for the first time" she replied.

"Okay, what about his number, anything at all that we can use to trace him?" I asked.

"I don't have any of those" she murmured.

"That is okay, I will try and locate him myself then, but then we have to leave here now. The journey is a long one" I said.

I held forth my hand to her, and she placed hers into mine and I led her to my car.

Now it is obvious that God had caused the delay that has happened at the convent in Lakeside so that I can meet Annabel.