I turn around to see an old woman feeding sparrows, I sigh in relief that it hadn't been Lucifer.
Old woman: You seem troubled child.
Amity: How did you guess?
Old woman: You learn a thing or two as you get older. Now what seems to be troubling you?
Amity: My….. Let's just call him a friend….. My friend keeps interfering with my life and it makes me angry and I don't know whether to just up and leave but if I did that he would be angry….
Old woman: Anger is born from others anger, if you let that emotion build within you it will often explode hurting those you hold dear.
Amity: I don't really understand…
Old woman: Sit with me.
The old woman leads us over to a wooden bench and we both sit down. There is silence between us, birds can be heard chirping happily, a light breeze blows through my hair and the sunlight through the trees warms up my skin.
Amity: It's peaceful….
Old woman: Indeed, but that can be changed in all but a second. Mother Nature can be cruel, but if you listen closely that is just her way of saying that she is still here and that we belong to her.
Amity: It sounds like your saying I belong to my friend and only him, no one else.
Old woman: There are those who find their place in this world and there are those who don't. Those people who find their place in this world feel accomplished even if they haven't done anything their entire life, they will be happy. Then there are those who never find their place but they find something else, a person who they cherish and when they find that person they often become protective no matter the consequences, they hold on to that person in fear of losing them forever, in fear of losing that one thing that makes them feel like they belong. Life is too short to be angry and grudges aren't worth keeping, if you stay angry for too long you'll forget what is most important to you.
Amity: So I should be happy in spite of things?
The old woman doesn't answer for a few minutes as she throws bread to the birds.
Old woman: Sometimes you find you find yourself in the middle of nowhere and sometimes in the middle of nowhere you find yourself.
I say nothing, thoughts kept running through my mind, who am I really? What does she mean by find myself? Was there something she knew that I didn't? I had to know, as I turn to say something I realise that she is no longer there. Had I imagined the old woman? No I couldn't have…..
Footsteps approach me and end in front of me. I look up at the person, who seems to be exhausted from running.
Heather: You know I hate running…you…..take…..forever….to find…
Amity: Sorry, I just needed a little thinking time that's all.
Heather: Lucifer wants to apologize to you, y'know.
Amity: I'm over it, all we do is fight, I just… I just don't think it's working out between Lucifer and me.
Heather: Relationships need compromise between both partners, its normal to fight in a relationship and it's a healthy thing.
Amity: I met an old woman not too long ago; she kept telling me things that didn't quite make sense.
Heather: An old woman? Amity, I didn't see any old woman…. Maybe it was just yourself telling you what you need to believe.
Amity: Are you calling me old?
Heather: Haha no, I'm just saying that maybe that inner voice of yours is trying to tell you something about yourself that you don't know.
Amity: …..
Heather: Come on, we should get back, they'll be getting worried.
Amity: Yeah, just give me a few minutes….
Heather nods in acknowledgement and walks off. I take in a deep breath and look up through the branches of the trees, watching a sparrow make its nest out of twigs.
Amity: A house is never a home until it is built up….
I stand up and catch up to Heather, as we travel back to the hospital room.