Late Eighteen

29| Chapter twenty nine

"You sneaked out?" The big mouth therapist shrieked as if she was hearing the story for the first time. This time, I didn't bother to conceal my glare as I shot her the meanest look that I could. She hissed and began to jot down things on her notepad. "This rebellious kids of this generation."

"So, I was alone after my friends abandoned me to—" She interrupted me again.

"Around what time did you sneak out?" She clasped her old wrinkly fingers and placed it on the table.

I clenched my fists in annoyance. "Around after nine in the night."

She screamed again. "Jesus! What were you thinking? You parents made the mistake of naming you Ruth. Even Ruth never did this in the bible. She was obedient and responsible, the complete contrast of what you are."

"Can you please let me talk in peace?" I snapped at her, softly banging my hands on the table.

Old woman or not, she was really getting on my nerves.

"Just so you know, there is no peace for the wicked. But yes, you can go on."

I sighed and breathed through my nose. "As I was saying, my friends abandoned me at the party and I didn't know what to do. I was naive, young, and stupid—"

"Thank God you know."

"—and I thought leaving the party arena and going upstairs would be good for me to breathe—"

"Was there no air downstairs?"

"There was, bit I need to breathe good air. I felt constipated and caged in an atmosphere filled with sweat and alcohol and I assumed stepping up would do me good."

"Well, did it do you good? The air I mean."

"It did, until I was— r-ra-rap."

"Raped, I know. You don't have to tell me that part, I already know that."

Then why did you ask?

She clapped her hands twice, pushing her chair back and standing up from her seat. "Well, that is all for today, I'll see you next Saturday."

My mouth dropped open as I stared at  her in disbelief. "Wait, that's it? But I don't feel better. Infact, I feel worst than I was when I came in here. I thought therapists are supposed to serve as a shoulder to lean on to help you cope with your psychological effect!"

"Are you trying to teach me my job?" She asked with squinted eyebrows and a hand on her hip.

"No ma, what I'm simply saying is that therapists— like you— are supposed to encourage and help you—"

"What makes you think I can help you when you can't help yourself?"

"But that's your job! Why am I her then if I wouldn't gain anything from it?" I almost shouted, aggrivatedly throwing my hands into the air.

"Your mum sent you here, I didn't force her." Came her simple reply.

I scoffed and walked out of her office, intentionally banging the door on the way out. The cool breeze that hit my face as I went out the door calmed me down, and reminded me of just how much I felt suffocated in that office.

I sighed.

My life keeps getting worse and I hate it.

I just want to be free.

-

I stepped out of the building, sucking in a deep breath as the harsh sun hit my face. I pulled my jean jacket off and leaned against the iron barricade guarding the entrance of the building.

Sarah's and co therapy and health care centre was printed on an extremely large board at the top of the barely. Fancy name, but horrible hospitality and serve.

I will remember to give them a one-star rating and an horrible review of my own on their page too.

Mum should be here soon, she usually comes to pick me up at three PM since my therapy ends at two thirty PM and it's already after three. It's been like this for weeks now, mum takes us— Zoe, Zion and I, especially me— to anywhere we need to go and comes back to pick us up. Her work schedule doesn't permit that, but she tries to make time at all costs.

I'm not complaining though, atleast I don't have to wait at the bus stop for half an hour to catch the bus.

I ran my eyes across the street, reading billboards and banners to occupy myself. Suddenly, my eye caught Ezekiel walking into the hospital just across the street.

What is he doing there? Is he sick? Did something happen?

I picked up my bag, checked the road just so I don't run into a car and followed him into the hospital without him knowing. Thankfully the hospital didn't have a receptionist to stop me from trailing after him into the huge building. Just a public hospital with an extremely large parking space with huge buildings guarding the sides to form a rectangle.

Pretty complicated if you ask me.

I continued to follow him as he climbed up a set of stairs and trailed down a long corridor. I quickened my steps so I don't lose him as he walking really fast as if he knew someone was following him. Hewent left, I went left. When he took a right, I followed him too. When he tried to look behind him, I made sure my hair covered my face.

Until I lost track of where he passed since I was so busy using my hair to cover my face to prevent him from recognizing me.

I stopped and groaned.

"Why are you following me?" Ezekiel's voice behind from me startled me as I let out a loud gasp.

I turned around to look into his eyes. I began to shake my head nervously as I played with my fingers. "W-what? I wasn't following you. I just came to visit someone here and I got lost and—"

He rolled his brown eyes at me. "You don't have to deny it or lie, I knew you were following me."

My words got stuck in my throat as I tried to deny it again but he interrupted me. "Follow me."

Waiting waiting for a reply, he walked down a corridor and five doors before he stopped when he got to a white wooden door. He looked at me before pushing it open, waiting for me to enter after him, before shutting it close.

My eyes widened as I saw a woman figure on the bed. Her face was covered in tubes with a big iron machine standing beside her, an oxygen mask covering her nose. I gasped as I got closer to her bed, Ezekiel gently trailing behind me.

"Who is she?" I asked, now standing beside her.

Ezekiel flashed me a sad smile, pressing a kiss on her forehead before clasping her fingers around his. "My mum."

What?

I gasped again and looked from the young beautiful woman who now looked older than I think she should be to Zeke who was looking down at her with teary eyes. "What?"

I guess that explains the resemblance.

"She has chronic cancer, the doctor says she has only a few weeks to live. She's been here for almost a year now, she's been on life support."

He blinked as he tried to control the tears. "I'm sorry." I whispered, looking down at my feet, not knowing exactly what to say in this type of situation.

"It's okay, everyone has their own demons. Unfortunately, this is how I cope with mine."