Chapter 201
Valeria made a trip back to Margaret’s home in the county, but she didn’t bring Selena along. The journey itself wasn’t far, but Selena had just had the stitches removed from her fracture, so it was best for her to rest quietly at home.
Valeria arrived at Margaret’s house a little after two in the afternoon.
In the few days since they last saw each other, Margaret had grown even thinner.
Valeria had called ahead before coming, so Margaret was already waiting at the door. From a distance, she spotted Valeria walking over, suitcase in tow, and Margaret slowly walked over.
Valeria’s heart ached. “It’s so cold right now. You shouldn’t have waited outside for me.”
Valeria had one hand dragging her suitcase and quickly reached for her grandmother’s hand with the other, wrapping it in her palm to warm it. Even with gloves on, Valeria could still feel
how cold it was outside.
Margaret smiled. “I just came out. I checked the time and figured you would be here soon.”
Valeria hadn’t gone into detail on the phone, but Margaret looked a little disappointed when she glanced behind Valeria and saw no one there. “Did Lenny not come with you?”
Valeria replied, “She broke her foot recently, and with the heart surgery she had, I decided to let her rest at home for a while.”
Margaret seemed very happy when she heard that Selena had undergone heart surgery. “Then she’ll be like a normal child from now on.”
Valeria followed Margaret inside.
She had installed an air conditioner for Margaret a few years ago, but Margaret rarely used it. Whether it was the freezing winter or the scorching summer, Margaret was reluctant to spend
the extra money on electricity,
Valeria found the remote and turned the unit on. The warm air hit her face, making her eyes
sting. It wasn’t from the heat, but from a wave of sadness.
She rubbed her eyes and opened her suitcase, taking out the things she’d brought over. She had bought some health supplements, clothes, winter shoes, a few common cold medicines, and two boxes of low–sugar pastries from a well–known cake shop in Slate City.
“Grandma, when I was walking over, I saw a few families moving out.” Valeria had noticed small trucks parked outside with people carrying things in and out.
Margaret said, “That started happening a little while ago. They’ve had a redevelopment plan
Chapter 201
for years, but nothing happened. Then they started tearing everything down out of the blue this year. Our whole village will be demolished.”
“Demolished?” Valeria frowned.
Margaret had never mentioned that before.
Cranary was a distance away from the center of the Verdanci District. There were about a hundred households, most of them elderly, since the younger generation had gone off to work
elsewhere.
Everything had been normal the last time Valeria was here.
Margaret said, “Everyone here is looking forward to it. We’ll get apartments once everything’s demolished, and we’ll even be given some money.”
But Valeria could tell that Margaret was sad.
Margaret had lived here for decades, and even Philip was buried here. She had always thought she would spend the end of her days here, but now the place was going to be gone.
“Granny.” Valeria gripped Margaret’s hand tightly, squatting down to look up at her. “I’m going to move back to Verdanci District after the New Year. I’ll find a job, and we’ll buy a place. So come live with us, okay?”
“What nonsense are you saying?” Margaret patted the back of Valeria’s hand. “Why would you come back here? What’s Shane going to do? Life in the big city is so much better.”
Valeria buried her face in Margaret’s lap. “Lenny can go to school here. Didn’t I study here before? Whether a child does well in school depends on them. Didn’t I get into Stredview University?”
Those years she’d studied in the Verdanci District were, when she looked back, the happiest days of her childhood.
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