In my shoes (Completed)

Melanin dripping I lu ...(39)

AN: Please vote for this chapter and enjoy

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Kapinga POV

"Mom," I said. But to my ears, that voice sounded so foreign. Or maybe it was the word that sounded foreign. After all, there was so much hope and even more disbelief accompanying that one word I uttered.

I had made no move to go closer to the bed. I could see that there was someone in the bed, but I could not see the person properly. My head was split in too. A part of me was overjoyed that my mom was alive and here. I still had her. While the other part was refusing to believe that this was all real. My mother could not be alive still. Not after all this time.

I was so lost in thought that I did not even realise that the king and gotten up from his seat. He went and took Mukendi from the other side of the bed and was leaving the room. It was only when he placed his hand on my shoulder that I was returned to reality.

"She has been asking for you," he said. I then turned to look at the king and could see the genuineness in his eyes. This was real. In his eyes though there was also a whole lot of sadness. Before I could even ask him how this was possible, he was out the door.

For some reason as soon as they left, I felt self-conscious. My nerves were back in full force again. My hands were shaking, my mind was racing with ideas and I forgot how to walk.

"Kapinga Muenda come," were the words that pulled me from my state of shock. As soon as the words hit my ears, I knew what I needed to do. So, without even thinking it further, I rushed to my mother side. This was an instinct I had learned overtime. Whenever my mother used my full name to call me it meant that I had to drop whatever I was doing. No matter what it was and run to my mother ASAP. It also meant that I was about to get a speech about something I did wrong. But this time, I cried before I even got the speech.

My mother is still alive.

"Mom," I said as my hand instinctively to hold hers. I needed to touch her. To feel her so I could know that all of this is real.

"Kapinga, my child," mom said. At this, more tears ran down my face. I could not help it. I was still a child. I had not felt like a child in a while and I missed it. As the tears blurred my vision, I failed to see that my mom was struggling to lift her hand. Through the tears, it looked as if her hand was trembling. But as I reached to hold her hand I realised that she could not hold her hand still. It was then that I also noticed that she had scars all over her arm. They were mostly healed up but still looked very messy and deep. As I took this in, more tears, silently ran down my face.

My mother's face was swollen. She had a bandage wrapped around her head. She was wearing a gown but I could see part of some scars on her chest. The rest of her body was covered up and so without thinking, I started removing the duvet covers to see it all. It hurt seeing all that they did to her but I needed to see it all.

"No, please do not," My mother said. Her trembling left hand reaching out for my hands that were holding the duvet.

"I cannot have you see it," she said. It was amazing how my mother manged through all this pain, to still wear a smile on her very tired and worn out face. So, I re-tucked the duvet over her body as per her request. When I finished doing so, I just stood there watching my mother. I was unsure of what to do

"Sit down Kapinga," my mom said, after a few moments of me just standing next to the bed watching her in silence. As soon as the words left her mouth, I let a breath of relief and sat down on the seat at the bedside.

I had no idea how to react around my mother. She was always too strict with me so, we never did the lovely dovey things. That was my dad and I. I do not even remember telling my mother that I loved her.

"Mom I...I," I started but the words just would not come out of my mouth. I cleared my throat hoping that it would make it easier for me say the words and tried again, "I lu.. I lu.."

"I know," she said and smiled back at me. Making me finally release the breath I was holding. When I thought my mom was dead, I always regretted not ever telling her that I loved her. That weight was too much to bear.

"Tell me how has Safe Heaven been for you?" My mother asked after a few more moments of awkward silence. I was very grateful that she asked because I had no idea what to say to her.

"The king got me a place at the school dad went to. I am going to become a healer like him," I stared very excited about everything. And then my brain started working again and I stopped my spiral and asked, "How, did you get here?"

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QOC: have you every told anyone that you loved them before besides your family members? How did that go?

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