The Void Between Hearts ~~ongoing~~

49. Boma

"Paris, Boma, Paris. We want to go to Paris." she states with a stark face, like it's a bad thing.

"Mom, you can't keep a straight face when you say you're going to Paris. It's Paris and that's disrespectful."

She rolls her eyes, "I didn't say we were going, I said we wanted to go."

"I don't see the difference. I just know that you're going." She waves me off. "Tee." I say to him, "you guys should leave tomorrow and spend a month or more. You deserve it."

He laughs like he's hiding something. My brows knit. He laughs again.

"Sweetie," Mom walks to my bed. "I know you're trying to be brave-"

"I'm not. "

"Let me finish. I know you think you're doing what's best for me, but I'm your mother, and that means a lot more than watching you . . ."

Die

She said die, there's no other word more inaudible to her as death and me in the same sentence. "Please, Mom, I'll be out of here tomorrow. Go on your honeymoon. I'll be fine I promise."

"Boma-"

"I'll die if you don't go."

"You could die if I go."

"I'm still going to die anyway. So why don't you just go?"

She stands up. "Handle her please, I can't do this." she tells Tee as she walks out of the ward.

We remain silent for a couple seconds. "Well?" I say, "can you make her go?"

"I don't see why not," he says.

The sudden shift in his stance does not sit well with me. "Are you okay?" I ask.

He starts laughing like he's seeing me through a telescope.

"You're not helping. Are you guys setting me up?"

"B, I don't know what you mean. "

"Usually when people say that, they know exactly what they're denying. I know because I do it too."

He laughs guiltily and shrugs.

Mom walks back in. Her face is all lopsided like she's hiding a smile, or a laugh, or tears.

What's wrong with them?

"You have a visitor," she says.

Of course it's Ivan. "Ivan?" I ask.

"Thank God you know, maybe he can talk some sense into you. Let's go babe." She holds her hand out to Tee who takes it and grabs her handbag. My eyes follow his every move as he follows her out with a half smile.

"Well done parents! Well done! Please don't come back except it's from Paris!" I yell out as they shut the door.

After smoothing out my hair and dress, the door opens back up and Ivan walks in, looking like a basketball player in a violet and yellow baggy basketball short, a violet baggy sleeveless vest, with sweet looking violet coloured Jordans. He has both of his hands behind him with a sheepish grin spread across his handsome face.

"Are you in any way involved with their shady behaviour? Your violet theme gives you out." I ask him, laughing.

"Who, your mom and Tee? No. We didn't speak after our call yesterday."

I laugh at his ridiculous attempt at feigning ignorance. "You so did. What's behind?" I ask.

"Oh," he pulls out his hand and shows it to me.