Chapter Five

Caroline stopped in front of an old but sturdy wooden door and knocked lightly. The door opened slightly to reveal a lanky young man. He asked, perplexed, “ Sis, what happened to you? Why are you wounded all over?”

Caroline replied calmly, “it’s nothing serious. I just got into a little car accident.”

“Caroline, is that you? How serious was the accident, did you go to the hospital, which part of your body was injured?” John, with a head of gray hair, quickly came over to fuss over Caroline before adding, “Are you still in pain? Who is the driver that hit you?”

“Sis, are you badly injured? Do you need any help?”

Taking in her uncle and cousin’s anxious and caring questions, Caroline’s heart was immediately flooded with warmth.

Enveloped in the room’s yellow light, Caroline appeared much paler. “It was only a minor accident. Even the doctor said it’s nothing serious. I’ll be okay after a few days of rest.” She didn’t want to show more than that lest it worried her uncle, “Uncle, your body is still weak, so why aren’t you in bed? John had a kidney disease. Plus, his work as a general cleaner meant that he had to sleep early to catch his morning shift.

“ I had a weird feeling because you were out so late, and you see, something bad did happen to you.” John said sadly, “weren’t you already in an accident six years ago? Isn’t that enough? It seems that God really has it out for the Roberts family….” It was hard to argue with John’s logic because things truly hadn’t been easy for the Roberts family.

Her father died, she lost her memory after a car accident, and even her marriage ended in a divorce. When they were down on their luck, John contracted a renal disease and his monthly dialysis ate into their already pitiable family account. John’s son, Cole was an ace student, worthy of the country’s best university.

However, to spare his family the additional costs, Cole chose to continue his education at a local state school. The fees were much lower but it greatly restricted his otherwise bright future. Today she got into another car accident so her uncle was understandably upset at God for treating the Roberts family this way. However, Caroline was secretly thankful because the accident had brought back her memories.

“Uncle, take a look at me, I’m really fine so don't worry. Furthermore, it is thanks to today’s accident that I recovered my memory. So, I’m sure things will be looking up for the Roberts family soon. Both John and Cole looked at Caroline equally surprised.

“Sis, are you serious?”

Caroline nodded, “why would I joke about something like that?” I couldn’t contribute to this family previously because I knew literally nothing, but from now on everything will change.”

“Yay, Sis. You finally got your memory back!” Cole cheered. He is twenty years old now but he will always be a child in Caroline’s mind.

However, he quickly thought of something and his smile turned awkward. On the other hand, John who had a more naive outlook on life was overjoyed for Caroline’s sake. He didn’t have the presence of mind to realize how Caroline’s recovered memory might have impacted how she viewed her misery for the past few years.

But Cole had the empathy to intuit that the contrast between the years before Caroline lost her memory and the past few years must have been too difficult to stomach. To be frank, it was hard for Caroline to accept initially. Nonetheless, she was not one to dwell on the past. She collected herself quickly.

Caroline claimed tiredness and retreated to her bedroom after a few more words with her family. John also went to bed. Just as Caroline prepared to sleep, she heard a knock on the door of her bedroom. “Sis, are you asleep?”

“I’m still awake, come in” Caroline replied as she sat up in her bed. Cole pushed open the door to her room carrying a bowl of hot porridge in his hands.

“Sis, I was worried you haven’t had a bite of food since morning so I made some porridge using our leftovers. I added an egg for protein, it will help with your recovery. Careful, it’s hot.” Coke set the bowl down on her bedside table and said with affection.

Caroline looked at the young man that stood beside her bed. Six years ago, Cole was still a bright eyed child, pure and kind hearted. Six years later, his eyes had lost that naive luster but thankfully he still retained his kind heart. Cole was right that Caroline hadn’t had a bite to eat since that morning. She picked up the small ceramic bowl and slowly took one spoonful of porridge after another.

Cole sat at the edge of the bed, his black eyes staring at her with a mixture of complicated emotions. He finally asked “Sis, did you really remember everything?” After a quick glance at Cole, she nodded. He smiled and said, “That’s wonderful news! It’s great that you’ve recovered your memory, let’s forget all about the past and start anew. After my graduation this year, I promise I’ll work super hard to support our family. Your body is still weak so stay home and rest. Leave everything to me, I’ll bring home lots of money to support the three of us.”

Caroline replied with a smile. “ I believe you, but please stop worrying about me. I assure you I’m fine.” Caroline saw through Cole’s words and picked up the concern he had for her. “Sis, you’re still human so how could you be fine about the sudden changes? You were a star student at Harvard University, heading for a bright future if it wasn’t for that godforsaken accident.”

Caroline’s encounter if experienced by anyone else would be extremely discouraging. Anybody would be frustrated if their bright future was forcefully taken away. However, Caroline was not just a random person. She believed her ability wasn’t defined by a Harvard university certificate. She believed she could survive divorce and break free from poverty.

She was no longer afraid of the things that pinned her down. She was going to reclaim her life and this time around and nothing could stand in her way.