Myles came out of the hospital feeling more refreshed than he had gone in, he a heave and sigh heavily. He was about to reach for his phone but felt phones in both pockets and it occurred to him that he had picked Zuriel's phone before coming to the hospital. Taking them both out he returned his to his pocket and turned hers on. On opening it he saw that her phone was filled with unread messages both from her family and network.
Out of curiosity he went ahead to open the first message. It was from he father.
"Mamele,how have you been,do you eat well?"
"Don't refused food when you are angry OK"
"Is he treating you right?"
"Are angry at me?,you neither call me nor reply my messages"
"Would you forgive me if I say am sorry?"
Was the most recent text,going through those messages Myles could feel the care and love the father had for his daughter, he wished he could say same about his father.
" at least she was lucky in that part" he thought to himself as he went on to tab on the messages sent by her mother.
"Call me when you have the time"
"Your sister is doing fine and her surgery is slated for the 3rd of next month,she really wants to see you,she hadn't stop asking why you wouldn't come see her and all of that,we really wish you did see her before the surgery but given the circumstances I doubt if that would be possible"
Of course he expected nothing less than this from her mother from the little number of contacts they had had with the woman he got to know that she wasn't a lady easy to please she was bad at expressing emotions and you could hardly tell,well except when she's angry. The barely smiles and those not even try to his her displeasure for some reasons he would say he was never sure of himself whenever he's with her.
"Iron lady" that's what he thought of her as.
Moving to her sister's who he had never met but had seen her photos on one or two occasions. "Thirza" was her name and just like Zuriel had the Israeli signature in her appearance and features,she was the reason behind this union from Zuriel's side.
She had sent a few instead.
From the video you could see the hospital white walls and a heavy machine by her side with tubes running from the machine to her body.
She was pretty as well but look nothing like Zuriel.
Thirza began by clearing her throat,she didn't know what to say or she had a lot to say but did not know how to began and that could be seen by her facial expressions and how she continuously shifted from one side to side.
"I wanted to...." She began bit her voice sounded coarse so she cleared her throat again and then continued.
"I really miss you Adira, I just don't know why you hadn't come to see me at the hospital after my admission but am trying to understand that" she kicked her lips and then gave a wide smile you could see through that it was fake, it left her lips so thin that you did fear it was going to tear.
"I know sometimes I've been crazy, made you worry about me when it supposed to be the other way round and still won't apologise with the conclusion that you understood. I wished I could see you as soon as possible, please come visit me"
"Would you?" As she made the last statement you could see the tears in her eyes and then the screen went black and for about ten seconds it remained like that then totally went off.
In the second and most recent video she was in the same predicament but looked more detoriated in health than the previous,she was breathing more heavier and Myles didn't know whether it was his eyes but the machines looked more sophisticated and the tubes greater in number. To some extent Myles was angry at his grandma for sending them on a so called honeymoon when his wife's sister was in such a bad state of health and he being oblivion of the situation had made sure he made life so unbearable for her.
"Am here again Zuriel" she shaky in a shaky voice like she was about to cry.
"I can't do it anymore, I can't hang in any longer,my strength is draining each day,am getting weaker and weaker as the day goes and I feel a day is coming when I will loose all my strength and the will to leave" she sniffed and for about a minute she couldn't speak and only cried.
Myles was hurt,he never knew her condition was this bad and for the first time in a long while he felt pity for someone.
"How bad could it be?"he thought.
"Am tired of the drugs,the injections,the constant routine test,being confined in a bed and in one room,the strict diet and the several procedures and tube running to my body is driving me crazy"
"I can't say this to mom and neither can I to dad, I don't want them to start grieving about my death before it's actually happens and with the way they are they did go all spiritual about it and it's crazy, am the one with the sickness and the one with the pain but I can't voice it out because they did rebuke me, I know how am feeling right, I don't think I will survive this, at this point I just wished they did take me home, what's the point of getting treated when I can't live forever,i will die eventually so why not now" her voice grew faint again and then she went silent.
Once again she sobbed for a while.
"I voiced out to the nurse and she said I was being hypochondriac,but am the one with the disease and the pain, I know what am feeling inside,none of them know and no matter the amount of empathy they feel for me they did never have the exact feelings. But you know dying is actually a good thing at least I won't have to think about getting good grades, and am finally going to be free of our house financial problems am going to get a full rest forever, I wouldn't have to wake up early to prepare for the day's business while everyone else in the neighbourhood is asleep,no late night sleep because I will be asleep forever, wouldn't that be nice" she said trying to force a smile on her cracked lips.
"I only have one wish Zuriel,that you did come to see me before the plane with tyre takes me home. I don't know why you haven't but I have a haunch that mom and dad are hiding something and I hope you're not part of it, cause I will be angry at you" she said and sigh.
"Please come see me soon ,so I can go in peace, am really frank about dying, forget being hypochondriac and the fear of surgery, I just know I won't survive this,so forgive me if you also feel that am being negative and shouldn't being saying this but I can't deny this feeling, everyday I sleep with the feeling that I might not get to see you one last time and the following day I did try my best doing away with the doctor's suggestion of getting maximum rest, I know I know am going to die but sometimes I feel am not prepared enough"
"Yes,i just remember another point why it did be good if I die, when I finally go, mom and dad are finally going to start saving,they did have one burden less because they don't have to pay for Hospital bills and waste money, you're finally going to get our room to yourself and don't have to lack because of me again,isn't that nice?" She said and smile.
"Great news Zuriel,am finally going to die" she whispered and was about to end the video but change her mind and said.
"Hey, make sure not to ignore this one okay, or I might choose not to die and make you loose all those opportunities" she said in quite a jovial voice.
"It's hard okay, even for me,sometimes am torn between having to live and not to, but what choice have I got,whatever will be will be,so take heart and forgive me if am being in considerate of your feelings and all of that,forgive my selfishness and lack of thoughts, forgive me for having make you loose all the opportunities because I had to be taken care of, forgive me for being such a weak elder sister and not having the physical strength to fight for you,forgive me for being the person I've have been all the while, forgive me for making you all grown even at such a young age,for making you do all those chores and work when I was weak, forgive me for not protecting you well enough and thank you for all the responsibilities you took without complain for me, I love okay " as she said thus words you could see how hard she was trying to tame in her tears and she did a great job with that until the video finally ended.
*** ***
" Pass me the salad" Myles requested of Louis as he sat across him on the dinning table.
"what happened to please" Louis wanted to retort but held himself back. They had more pressing issues to worry about than matters as trivial ad this.
Silently Louis extended the bowl towards him as he munch the bunch in his mouth.
While Myles ate silently,like Amelie in an attempt to wade off the gloom in the room brought up a joke about Ada as a baby.
With a smile on her face she said.
"I can remember like yesterday when Ada was a baby,she had runny nose all season round and cried almost throughout the day, the funny part was that photo" she laughed and turned to Ada's husband.
"Pete,did your wife ever showed that embarrassing photo of hers, she was such a cry baby and you need not to be told judging from the photos we had of her when we were kids" Amelie as she and Louis muffled a laugh while Ada gave each of them an angry stare.
"Babe how bad were they?" Arthur Amelie husband demanded with a smirk on his face.
"Come on Arthur, I thought you were nice?" Ada commented.
In no time Amelie got everyone grinning from ear to ear with the exception of Myles who seemed to be interested in nothing except his food.
"Myles, are you with us at all?" Ada demanded.
Myles who had zoomed off didn't hear her speak,he had his eyes fixed on his food and though all his focus seems to be there he hadn't been actually eating a thing.
Louis had to hit his foot to pull him back to them.
"Are you okay at all?" Arthur demanded and in response he gave a tight smile.
"We all are also worried about your wife,we all wish she did get up that hospital couch as soon as possible and if money could buy her health we did give all we got to achieve that, the doctor said she will be fine and we all believe she did be okay" Arthur said in an attempt to shake off the sad mask off Myles face.
"Thanks for your efforts and care towards my wife I really appreciate it" Myles responded.
"My wife, really my wife" his subconscious scoffed and a sly smile almost appeared on his face amidst the circumstances buy he did well by quickly pushing it away and covering with a glass of wine to his lips.
"We are all family, we need no formal appreciation ,the show was unnecessary" Louis retorted.
"You know what it means when you can't keep your thoughts to yourself?, It means you are immature, you need not say all you think" Ada cautioned earning herself a side stare.
He would have given her a befitting comeback if it hadn't been for the presence of the other mature men at the table.
"I will have to excuse myself" Myles said as he got up and left the table and his unfinished food while the others quack at him as he retreat.
Right on impulse Arthur made to follow him but his wife held his hand holding him back.
"Give him some space he needs to think of his wife and miss to realise her value in his life.
*** ***
"I make a promise to once again, heal Zuriel and I promise to turn a new leaf,to be faithful caring and be all you want me to be, I did be a good husband, I won't shout at her of make her cry again,so give me another chance my lord" he was saying as he walk round the round only to make a turn and come face to face with Arthur and then it dawn on him that he has been praying out loud if what he just said was a form of prayer.
"You know what it feels like when you deep you hand into hot sauce and pull it out as soon as possible?. That is what making bargain with God in time of hardship is like. Arthur said as he walked further into the room. That's why the scripture has warned us against making rash promises,they are easy to make when we actually need the help but hard to keep when we've got what we want.
Myles just stayed like a fixated baby as he watch in talk.
"You, you..." He began and end up stammering and then he hissed.
"You've always had it easy with God and with everyone one around, a perfect wife and a perfect family, am sorry if I look so pitiful right now, but I've through hell all my life, you got married to the woman you love, I didn't, you have family you can always turn to but apart from my grandmother I have no one, even those I call friends am not certain if our friendship will still exists if I don't have what I have anymore. I've never felt close to anyone...close....close enough to share my inner feelings with. I always have people around me but I've never felt I belong, to the few I thought I was close to I always end up disappointed, you get that feeling and with all that stress am saddle with a woman with special need to Carter for in the name of marriage, I can barely stand for myself how can I stand for Zuriel"
"Just look at what happened, I don't know what to say to my grandmother or her parents, I actually don't hate my wife but I hate being responsible for her" he said shaking his head vehemently.
"Guy, you need to calm down and gather yourself together, being married isn't that bad,even if is to a woman you don't love, your ability to think positive and see positive I assure you is the only way to have peace,learn how to let go, talk about your problem, if you can't find a friend in anyone you can make your wife your friend, believe me Myles when I tell you this, there are times you feel like ending your marriage, you think the love and understanding you once felt you share is lost, but you know what will keep you together ,friendship, that's what will keep you going, I tell you this Myles if you can't be married to the woman you love, be married to your friend and if the woman you married is not your friend make her one, am telling you, you will have a swift journey in marriage even more than those in love and you probably may find love in that friendship. You know what keep old couples together even after several years of marriage "friendship" Pete said as he patted Myles on the arm.
"You say if like it's so easy" Myles muffled.
"I guess it isn't, but when you push for it with all you might, you find yourself in it effortlessly" Pete commented.
"I guess...." Myles was saying when his phone rang, only for him to take a peep to see it was a call from his grandma. On excusing himself Arthur exited the room to give him privacy.
*** ****
Amelie sat on the opposite side of both her sister and her husband, as she zoomed her eyes on them she debated the right way to approach them with an issue such as this.
Clearing her throat she adjusted her arms on the table and began.
"Pete, may I know why you asked by sister to quit her job?" She demanded but Pete instead transfered his gaze to his wife disappointed that she had told her sister something he thought was meant for them two.
"What you're shocked?"
"You think I or we wouldn't find out?, Soner or later the information would have leaked so let's deal with it now and get over it as soon as possible"she said ignoring Ada who had been putting effort a lot of effort in her eyes trying to shut up her sister.
"Cut the chase Ada, someone needs to speak up for you"
"I actually told to, for the betterment of our kids and our family, and I suppose this was suppose to be our family issue not a general topic?" Pete said directing the last part to his wife as he stared at her intensely.
"And what are we,strangers?" Amelie said in a firm and loud voice.
"Amelie,bring down your voice others might her us" Ada said in a soft and almost quiet tone.
"Others, by others you mean, Arthur, Myles and Louis, aren't they family too?" She demanded leaving her sister speechless.
"Both of you" Amelie said as she pointed a finger to her sister and her husband.
"You both need some senseful talk and counseling"
"We are fine, Amelie" Ada said under gritted teeth.
"Don't deceive yourself because you're not, we both know you aren't,okay, so let's be Frank and not lie to each other" she said to Ada and then turned to Pete.
"Are the children struggling in any way, you want your wife to sit at home day and night and watch over kids when you have a nanny to do so, why are you so insecure?, It isn't enough what she had sacrifice for you all thid while you still want her to give up herself for you believe and wish, do you need a reminder.....
"Amelie" Ada cautioned.
"I knew you were a fool in love but I thought getting Married was going to make you wise Amelie. How muchore are you going to let go for this man, your education wasn't enough,your body, your loyalty, neither yourself and now your career ate you daft , Pete are scared that she might end up being better than you?, You want her to sit at home and make babies like some factories"
"Pete never have I requested anything from you, but today I sit to ask you as an elder sister to your wife, for the sake of the love you claim to have for her , you let do what she wants, it's right that she summits to you as her husband, but it wrong you take advantage of it and twist her to your will, if you love her you will give her what she wants" Amelie beseech.
"Please Amelie, Ada said as she held her eldest sister's hand in a pleading manner.
"Am tired Ada, am tired of having have to sit and hear people say nonsense about you because they feel you made a wrong choice of a husband, and now even within me I can't defend your actions or your husband because this,is just a proof, let's not close our eyes to the obvious fact that he doesn't support your career forgetting that the same career had sponsor a better part of his education and life" Amelie spat.
"And you feel it's just rifht to seat there and rid me of my ego?" Pete said as he rose to his feet in anger his tall form towering Amelie petite sitting form. Ada rose on impulse and wrapped her hands over Pete in an attempt to cool him off but he shrug off her hands.
"Ego, do you have any?" Amelie laughed causing Pete to flare the more.
"You threw away your ego the moment you made my naive sister lie to our parents so many times to get you funds for your education and then you made her pregnant when she wasn't ready, you married her and still lived off the money she earned making dresses and modeling, all your certificate all those accolade you were awarded in school and the many degrees and masters, all of those she should receive praise for because she sponsored"
"Ada, can you hear your sister, and you call yourself a woman, you can't even keep your home matters to yourself and go about telling the world the little you do for me?" Pete said in furry to his wife.
"Little you call it?" Amelie said as she rose to her feet to match up his gaze.
"Oh little, what have done to my sister rather than destroy her, apart from being ungrateful, domineering, unsupportive and inductive, what good have you ever given to her, she did forget so soon all she had to give up for you, don't forget you are the reason she has no certificate to her name and while you acquire more and more like the selfish man that you are she was out there fending for the family and caring for the kids you put in her, and the small thing she finally succeed in building for herself you want her to give up. All you've done is suck and suck up my sister like a leech...
"Amelie enough" Ada screamed.
"Enough of what, tell the man the truth, is it hard or is it too much for you to take in?, It's so shocking how you defend a man who squander your money on other women and keep his to himself,stingy that he wouldn't buy you a cap" Amelie said and say in anger as she threw herself to a corner.
Pete stared at his wife with bewildered eyes.
"Of course we know you cheat, who doesn't? It no longer news Pete, I've always held myself back tjoughany times you push me by causing my sister pain but I always remain silence, but sorry I couldn't hold myself back today " Amelie said giving him response to the question his bewildered eyes asked.
In anger Pete quickly match out of the house and Ada tailed behind him like a flt after feaces.
"You call yourself a woman Ana a wife and yet you stood and watched your sister drag my name to the mud without a word" Pete said as he came to s halt in the garage.
Ada painting heavily after running with heels had her hand placed on her chest as she bent to regain herself.
"You can't even keep your home secret, you go about informing others what you discussed with your husband and what if I chase after women, it's your fault that you can't keep me interested enough as not to find pleasure outside.
Ada was shocked to the core at her husband's response. She was left gaping and closing her mouth for a while and I then she chuckled.
"Pete you make me laugh" she said as she walked to stand in front of him matching up to his gaze.
"Now you blame for your inability to keep your pants tight around your waste, you blame me for your infidelity and your love for whatever has a swollen chest and anything under the skirt, you blame me for your belt not being right enough and you lacking the ability to control yourself, your lust,you blame me for that? Huh
Huh Pete"
"I blame myself and no one else for all the excuses have made for you all thid while thinking tou will change but am so disappointed that you will turn back to say such nonsense to be, it was I who literally trained you through school and that's why you had the opportunity to hook up with those bimbos, I boosted your ego, I foolishly loved you" she signed and wiped her face with her palms.
Holding him by the arms,she said.
"I was also my fault that I had loved you to the core, I should have done this earlier Pete, I no longer care for what anyone will say Pete, I think we should path ways" she said as she pulled her wedding ring off her hand and placed it on his hands.
"Adalene,what did I just hear you say?" Doreen said as she emerged from behind one of the cars and walked towards her husband and her son in-law.
'you think marraige is joke, you think you can jump into it and come out as you want, what will people say of my daughter?" She shouted.
"Us that all you care about?, What Pete will say and think and what about me, I've literally loose myself to this sham in the name of marraige and will foolishly respond to whoever that say I let him go that I love him but today, the day I take the start to let go my supposed greatest supporter tells me not to dear" a pool had began to form in her eyes and every effort to do away with it proved futile.
"Marraige isn't easy, I don't want you to regret afterward" Doreen said in a more cooler tone as she patted crying Ada.
"We can all sit and talk" she added.
"I've done a lot of talking mom, am sorry but am not open to talks anymore, it's time for action" she said as she shrugged of her mom and began to walk away and the stopped and turned towards her husband.
"You've have taken enough away from me, my big dreams, opportunities, my education and the most of all me, I've have given you enough Pete get ready to pay back, you will refund to the last penny, whatever I gave you I will take back, you have me shit and you shall see shit, am going to wipe you clean to extent you loose face and admit you shit"
Pete stared with bewildered eyes, he never knew a day like this was coming so soon, he did always thought Ada was the foolish lover ready to whatever he wanted her to do but her actions today really shocked him and he couldn't help but chuckle earning a glare from Doreen.
"See me tomorrow at my office" she said with cold eyes before matching after her daughter.
It was when she left that the reality of the whole thing sank into him, he owe literally all his achievements to Ada and her family, and she did promised to take all she had given him away.
"Am going to wipe you clean"her words rang in his ears causing him him to go sweaty.
"Apologize and everything Will be fine, she always fall for your sweet words" his subconscious said and he couldn't help but smirk as he walked towards his car.
"It's still the same Ada,my wife, that soft hearted woman,she will listen to the voice of love" he thought as turned on his car.
He drove out as many romantic ideas on how he can please her came into his mind.
*** ***
"Hello granny" Myles said as he held the phone close to his ears.
For a while the other end was silent and he almost hung up and then he heard her clear her throat.
"What happened to your wife" she demanded.
With a light chuckle he said
"She's fine and okay, nothing wron" he said with a fearful laugh.
"Don't lie to me, Doreen told me everything" she said causing his heart to skip in his his rib cage.
He month went dry and he couldn't say a word.
"Myles they trusted with their daughter,how could you let this happen to her to torrent of her getting to hurt ad to fall unconscious?" She ranted.
"What exactly were you up to when she was falling into the pool, where were you?"she screamed with energy you wouldn't know someone her age possessed, it was so hard that he had to hold the phone away from his ears.
He knew his grandma the more he listened the more she will have something to say until he gets tired, he began searching his head for excuses to give her.
"Is the condition so bad, am so disappointed that you couldn't even protect the only person you were responsible for" she said.
"Why does everyone one blame me,did any of you see me throw her into the pool or something, did you see me choking her and all of that, why do you all blame for it?" he asked in anger.
"How dare you shout at me your grandmother, don't you have any respect or shame left in you?" She shouted back at him.
"Am sorry ma, am all drained with the whole thing, I did never wishes for anything like that to happen to her myself.....
He was saying when the door to his room was flung open and the came in Louis with his mom tailing behind him.
"So it was you all along, how could you?" Louis screamed.
His hand was clenched beside him and his eyes red in anger.
Myles held his phone beside him in shocked, his eyebrows furrowed together as he stared in confusion.