A mist was settling on the fields and the dampness coming up in a thick blanket from the ground after the sunset. Nadia looked back quickly to see if the stranger was still following them but with the high bushes on either side of the path she couldn’t see anyone. Danny had twisted his ankle badly when they had tried to run away on seeing the stranger. Suddenly Nadia could see a glimmering light far in front of her. She knew that she had to do everything she could to reach the light before darkness fell. In the meantime Danny couldn’t walk properly. The threatening stranger was out of sight, but Nadia knew he wasn’t far behind. She pushed her hand deep into her pocket and her fingers closed round her mother’s locket holding it tightly as if trying to gain some strength from it. Danny seemed to sense the danger and kept as quiet as possible, although it was all so strange and bewildering to him.
“Nada,” he whispered, “I want to go to gran’ma, please Nada.” Nadia could only shush him and keep walking towards the light.
At last, they reached the door of a rough cottage in the middle of the field and Nadia gently rapped on the door, wondering what to say and how to say it. No one came to the door though the light could now be seen shining through the window. The thunder and flashes turned into a fierce storm and blew the rain up into the porch where they were standing. Nadia had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. All her busy activities had served till now to keep away the fear – the fear of the future, of the unknown. But now, her helpless situation, the storm and the darkness brought it out in full force. She sat on the doorstep with her brother’s head propped on her lap and started weeping bitterly.
Suddenly she saw a shadow moving in the gloom towards them. It was the very man who had been following them the whole way after they had left the station! Nadia jumped up and gathered Danny up, ready to fly.
“Hold it there, young’un,” said a gruff voice, “where do you think you are running to? There’s no other house hereabouts.”
“Please sir,” begged Nadia through her tears, “Please sir, my brother’s hurt his foot and I can’t carry him anymore. Please don’t hurt us. I have only this coin left. We must reach our father’s house.”
The man looked at them for sometime, focussing on Nadia; and taking a key from under the matting went into the cottage, calling her to follow. Nadia was aghast! The man came out soon enough and quickly scooped up Danny in his arms and went in again. Nadia ran in after him, protesting. He settled Danny on a couch and pulled off his boots and attended to his ankle. The way the man moved around the house showed familiarity and Nadia wondered whether this could be his house after all. But the neatness of the surroundings and the contrast to his dirty and rough clothes and face belied it. He brought out some food and some milk and made them have it. Nadia was surprised by his gentlemanly behaviour, although she still tried to keep a distance from him, reluctant to change her mind about him. His gruff kindness, especially to Dan, and the food too maybe, slowly toned down her fear and distrust of the stranger.
Very politely, she asked him who he was. He told Nadia that he was Jim Smith and that this was his sister’s house and since she had been called away to attend on a sick person, she had asked him to look after it for a few days. Nadia was shocked. The name on the postcard hit her heart as it matched with the name she heard. She drew in an enormous sigh of relief at this explanation. She was bursting out of happiness, dancing on the clouds. Nadia jumped off the chair and ran to her father’s lap.
“Nadia? Dan? Tell me it’s you! I’m sure it’s you!” Jim exclaimed.
“DADDY!” Nadia and Dan cried out cheerfully.
Nadia was glad that she had not run away but instead stayed bravely to face the danger for her brother’s sake and now everything had turned all right. The stranger’s unkempt exterior had misled her to jump to a hasty conclusion. But she would never forget the hour of terror and suspense for the rest of her life.
