Chapter Four
Two years passed by and Jade graduated from school. Her dad and siblings regularly visited her. No one was allowed to mention Dustin in fear that she would again land up in the hospital. She wanted to ask so many questions but everyone avoided the sore topic. It pained her to see that to them Dustin had just disappeared from the face of the earth. The last two years her dad did not allow her to visit Travis Springs.
However, that was over now and she finally packed her bags and said goodbye to her home of two years. Hugging her grandparents for bearing up with her, she promised to visit them soon. Jaden had come to take her back home and she couldn't be happier. She was an adult now and could visit Dustin in the prison. She would go and check up with his granny.
The familiar faces and surroundings of Travis Springs calmed her soul. She felt like she was free again. Her dad welcomed her with open arms. Her dad looked happier and everyone informed her that Jayson and her dad had patched up. Jayson was in love and he was marrying the love of his life, Karen. She knew that her older brother Jayson and her dad had a fight long back and they were not on talking terms. Jayson had left home. So the news of their patching up was a welcome surprise to the whole family.
Her father had invited Jayson and his fiancée to dinner in the evening. She waited eagerly to meet her oldest brother, who was thirteen years older to her. Juliette hugged her too. She was studying architecture in Austin. Jade caught up with the latest gossip happening in their lives. She missed home so much.
In the evening, Jade met Jayson and Karen. They made wedding plans and bonded after a long time.
Two days later, Jade went to Dustin's restaurant to visit his granny. The restaurant looked the same as it did two years earlier.
Opening the door, she was surprised to see a solitary customer sitting although it was lunchtime. At this hour, usually the place would be full of customers. She saw the empty seat at the cash counter. Dustin would sit there and stare at her. She sighed heavily. Where was granny?
She went inside the kitchen and saw a very frail looking granny, cooking for the solitary customer. Only a single attendant was there to help her. Her heart broke at the sight.
"Granny?" She squeaked, her voice was choked with suppressed tears and refused to cooperate.
Granny turned around and saw her. She froze as if she had seen a ghost.
"Jade?" She whispered in disbelief.
"Yes granny, you remember me?" She asked, with tears in her eyes.
"Oh sweetheart, you came? How can I forget you? I thought you forgot. It's been two years," said granny.
The attendant went out to serve the customer his order.
"Dad sent me away to Alabama, granny. I wasn't allowed to come back. Now I'm 18. I'm an adult. No one can stop me. How's Dustin, granny?" She asked, hesitantly.
Her granny sighed deeply. "He's broken. He has lost the reason to live. He doesn't talk whenever I go to see him," said granny, wiping the tears in her eyes.
"I'm eighteen now. I want to go and see him granny. Can you tell me the prison and cell details?" She asked and granny wrote down all the details on a piece of paper.
Jade helped in the restaurant a little,"Why aren't there any customers, granny?" She asked, confusedly. Ever since she arrived, there were only two solitary customers.
"Ever since Dustin was sent to prison, the people of Travis Springs do not come here anymore, " granny said, with a heavy heart and a painful expression.
"But why? We have to do something to bring them back, " said Jade.
"What can we do?" Asked granny helplessly.
"Let me think, granny. I'll come up with something," she said with hope. She had to do something to keep Dustin's dream restaurant up and running.
Jade took her leave promising to return soon. The next whole week she was busy with college admissions. She wanted to study Bachelor of business administration - marketing from University of Austin. She wanted to handle Dustin's restaurant and make it so successful that when Dustin was released from prison, he would be happy.
She easily got admission and her classes started a week later. She didn't want to relocate to Austin. It was just a 25 minute drive away and she drove to college everyday and back. She had to help granny at the restaurant. She couldn't still think of something to improve the sales at Dustin's restaurant.
It was a Saturday and she did not have college. She drove to Imperial prison to see Dustin. Her heart sang and she was excited at the prospect of seeing him. Her love for him had increased over the years. She parked her car and got down and went straight to the gates. Showing her identity card, she went inside, spoke to the prison guards and waited for Dustin.
She couldn't contain her excitement. It had been 2 long years since she had seen him last. The wait seemed to stretch forever. The guard returned alone. She searched beside him, behind him to see if Dustin was following him, but no. There was no Dustin.
"Sorry ma'am. The prisoner does not know you. He has refused to meet you," he said, with a sorry smile on his face.
Jade stood shocked at what he told her. Dustin didn't recognise her? How could he forget her so soon? Two years, only two years was enough to forget her? He didn't want to see her?
Tears streamed down her cheeks. "There must be a mistake, sir. I'm Jade Meyers. Did you inform Dustin Moore that I have come to see him?" She implored.
"Yes miss. I told him exactly that. He doesn't know you and he doesn't wish to see you. I'm sorry, I can't do anything else," he said apologetically.
Jade went back the way she came. Her eyes were full of tears. She felt devastated. For two years she faced life with only one hope. When she would grow up and be able to see Dustin?
She returned home and locked the door of her room and sobbed her heart out. Her eyes were swollen and there were no tears left to fall.
She couldn't face the reality that Dustin didn't remember her anymore. She swore to herself that she would visit him every Saturday till he acknowledged her presence and came to meet her.
She didn't go to his restaurant for a week. She was too upset to face granny's questions. Life went on and classes went on. For the next two weeks she went every Saturday to Imperial prisons with the hope of meeting Dustin. But she only faced disappointment every time. Dustin didn't want to meet her. He sent the same response through the prison guards. That didn't deter Jade even 1%. She was determined to make him remember her.
She visited granny and told her what happened. Granny was stunned by her grandson's reactions. She tried to comfort an upset Jade, but couldn't. Jade sobbed uncontrollably onto her frail shoulders. Her heart broke at the sight and she decided to talk to her grandson on her next visit.
