Chapter Thirty Three
Everything is blurry. I ran into the ICU, the fastest I can.
No he cannot die. Dad can't just die.
"Mom!" I hysterically shouted, hugging her. She was crying too as she looked at daddy.
Dad has a lot of tubes attached to him. He was asleep or unconscious. I do not know.
"H-he had another attack today...a-and it was a bad one...t-they said he'll not last t-that long." Mom cried her heart out. I hugged her as tears flow down my eyes too.
"He had an attack last night. I thought he died already...Your uncle is doing something about it. H-he is trying his best b-but your dad's body...he is not responding that well...and I'm afraid..."
"Shh. Mom please. It will be okay. He will survive this. He cannot leave us."
Mom looked straight to my back, she saw Vince, giving him a small smile. Vince in return smiled back at her. "Everything will be okay mom." He said.
"Can we talk in private?" Mom asked me. I looked at Vince and he nodded at me.
"I'll buy you food." He said, leaving us.
Mom and I settled on the chairs in front of the ICU. She wasn't at ease.
I held her hand, causing her to look at me. She sniffed, and inhaled, like she was about to confess something.
She is making me nervous.
"Monique, darling... I know this shouldn't concern you but I guess we needed to tell you now..."
My heart beats faster. It was a prolonged agony.
"What is it mom?" I softly asked.
"Your dad...he invested his retirement pay to a business. It earned at first, he thought he had trusted business partners. H-he gave one fourth of his retirement at first, then one half...until he invests it all..."
"It earned. Almost returning 20 percent of its investment yearly for three years...and now he got it all in..."
She sobbed, and somehow I knew where it was going... "The business, it was a scam. They put up a company in his name, he agreed to that, then, during his first heart attack, he knew the business had overflowing debts, and his business partners eloped."
"I didn't knew he invests it all. And we paid half of the debt already..." She sobbed.
"But the other half...it was already impossible. I used my retirement pay, the house is on loan, even our cars..."
"And yesterday...the banker went in, telling us he had to repossess the house when we cannot pay."
"It caused this. His second attack." Mom sighed and smile a little. "We cannot afford his stay here Monique. We had no money. Your uncle was willing to help, but not in the long run, they had their families too."
I hugged mom tight. "I'm here. I have savings mom. We will figure this out okay? Don't worry about it." I said, wiping her tears away. "I will find a way. I will find a way. Don't stress yourself out. I don't want you to be sick too. I cannot afford it anymore.
She nodded at me and hugged me. "Thank you my princess. Sorry if mom and dad failed you."
"You never did mom. You provided me everything. It's time for payback."
She smiled at me and kissed me. That was how Vince saw us. He had meals on his hand, giving me a small smile.
Later that night mom told us to go home, that we can come visit them tomorrow. I did not want to, but she was persuasive about it.
I sat silently at the passenger seat, thinking of all my finances.
I wanted to buy Vince a good branded watch for Christmas but I needed to tighten up my finances. We had to pay for the bills, and the debt too.
I had to act like I did not know the problem. I do not want Vince to do something about it. I sighed. Four million dollars. How am I going to raise that?
My thoughts were shifted when Vince held my hand, causing me to look at him.
"I called in France, mom send the best cardiologist in Europe. He will figure out a way."
I smiled at him. "Thank you Vince." I simply said.
He kissed the back of my palm and held it tight. "Don't worry honey. I will always find a way. He will live."
Days has passed and I am sure Vince had no idea about the debt.
I've been disposing my investments, encashed all my savings.
But all of it did not reach the four million.
Vince was paying daddy's bills. It was something we fought about, but in the end I was defeated.
He send in three cardiologist, the best of the best.
The next day I saw Mark, running towards us. Vince tightened his arm around my waist, like a lion ready to attack his predator.
"Monique. I heard about what happened." I smiled and nodded at him. "He's asleep." I tried moving away from Vince but I did not succeed.
I looked at him, then back to Mark who is looking at us. "Mark, of course you've met my husband, Vince."
I just needed to secure him too. Vince can really be possessive, and I am afraid of what he can do.
Mark offered a hand which Vince looked at, I gripped his hand, telling him to be polite and shake it.
He did.
But I felt a fighting electricity with their gazes.
It was not unknown to Mark that I just needed someone as my husband back then.
"Can I talk to you Monique?"
"You can talk to her with me right beside her. Right honey?"
I nodded at him.
Mark look at him, obvious he's not happy seeing Vince me.
"I called on the American Doctors Association, they can look at his condition. He'll be in priority, the head doctor is with the same organization as ours."
"I called the best of the doctors in the world. They are on their way. Thank you for the concern for dad."
Vince is being sarcastic. Obviously.
I smiled at Mark. "Thank you so much for the help Mark. When are you coming back to Africa?"
He did not answer immediately. I saw him looking at my left hand, where Vince put in the emerald ring, which was hard to miss.
"After the holidays. The medical team will go to another country in Africa."
I nodded. "I guess you just got home? You need to take a rest Mark" I softly said. "Thank you for the help. It is much appreciated."
"Anything for you Monique. I'll call you sometime."
I nodded and wave him a hand. Then Vince did his stunt. Kissing me deeply, our lips locking. Knowing Mark saw us.
"And if he does he will lose his license." I hugged him tight. "You told me you will be good with him already."
He shrugged and said. "I'm trying."
It's been a full month and daddy was making a huge progress. He was still in ICU, but he's getting stronger.
Vince was also getting mad at me for working, he said I could just stay at home or with mom, that I need not to work.
But he didn't know I really had to.
Somehow we survived to pay the bank a little for over three months, thanks to my savings.
But I really needed more finances.
"You just had to tell Vince about it." A little voice in my head was saying.
But paying daddy's bills was too much already. Too much.
It is Christmas eve and I withdrew my last money from the bank.
I walked on the streets, finding something to give Vince.
I stopped by a luxury watch store, a beautiful watch caught my eye.
It is perfect for him.
I inquired on it, hoping my money will fit in.
But sadly it didn't. I sadly went out of the store, and find him another present.
I never knew this feeling before, of not having enough money, and I must say it is difficult.
I looked over a men's boutique, that was were I saw a beautiful necktie with cufflinks.
The one I wanted the most did not suffice for the money I had, so I settled for the second one. It was a plain necktie, and the cufflinks were made of gold, engraved was our initials--VM.
We had a little gathering at the hospital, we ate together, shared laughters, kissed and hugged each other.
And we all know, we had a very little time. It is known to us. We are doctors, and even if we are not, just seeing dad, we all know.
Dad called Vince and I near him, with difficulty he said. "You look happy together. Am I going to have a grandchild soon?" He was catching his breath as he speak.
"Not yet daddy. You have to be strong so you will hold your grandchild." I said, controlling my emotions.
He chuckled a little, "As they say, if there is birth, there is death..."
"Dad!" I burst out in tear, hugging him. "Shh. Stop crying little one. If my life is a needed sacrifice for your baby I gladly will."
"Darling stop saying that!" She joined me in hugging him. "I love the both of you. We all know this is my last Christmas so you take care of your mother Monique alright? And I'm sorry..."
"Shh. You will not die dad! You will not."
He gave us a small smile, kissing us both and closed his eyes.
---
Dad fell asleep after our little dinner. Mom wanted us to go home and celebrate Christmas on our own.
I found Vince over skype with mom. It's not yet Christmas there but he greeted them, apologizing that he cannot come home because of dad's condition.
"Say Merry Christmas to Monique for me okay? And make babies!"
"Yes mom. Goodbye. I love you." He said and rolled his eyes.
I walked towards him, he was massaging the middle of his brows. I massage his back, trying to give him a little relief. "You can go home Vince. They need you there."
He rotated his seat and pulled me to sit on his lap. "My wife's here. I need to be here."
I gave him the little box where my gift was in. "Merry Christmas honey. It's not something grande if you expect one, maybe next Christmas."
His eyes glow in fascination, he opened the small box, seeing the necktie and the cufflinks. "VM." He said, holding on the cufflinks.
"I like it honey. Thank you." He said kissing the tip of my nose.
He turned his seat, not letting me move out of his lap. He reached for a small box too.
And I knew what was in it.
He opened it, it has three different bangles.
It's Cartier love bracelets.
He opened the lock, it was a pink gold, something uncommon from the gold Cartier. I knew this wasn't something he bought somewhere. He locked it on my hand, the three of them. "I'm keeping the key so you can never remove it."
I looked at him and held his face. "This is too much Vince. My gift wasn't as close as this..."
"I don't care about the price. Anything from you is treasurable."
We shared a kiss filled with love, exactly when our lips parted his phone rang.
I got it, and answered it before giving it to him.
"Vince speaking yes Alexander?" He asked.
"The Queen of Lexumbia just died."
"Bye."
I moved away from his lap, but he was fast not to let me. "I..." He trailed. "I want to go to check if Katherine is alright, but if you do not want to then I wouldn't."
I smiled at him and nodded. Somehow, I did understood where he was coming from, and he will forever be Duchess Katherine's knight in shining armor.
I held on his face, caressing his cheeks a little. "I trust you." I said, "I know it is also a duty to come there, please visit mom and dad too, I know mom wanted to see you."
He pulled me and nuzzled my neck, "Can you come with me? Just two days and we will go back?"
I pulled away and shake my head. "As much as I want to I can't. But I trust you."
Trust. It's a big word.
But I really do trust him. With everything he did and how he showed his love. I have learned to trust him.
Maybe Duchess Katherine is a part of his life that I cannot tame yet, that I cannot hold onto yet.
But someday I will. I wanted to be close with her too, and to totally enter with Vince's life.
"I haven't introduce you to the whole world." He said.
"After we fix everything honey."
I packed Vince's things. He did not want to go, but I pushed him to. It was just an hour after our talk. I called in his pilot to ready the plane, telling him Vince will go to Lexumbia.
Vince was pouting like a kid, he did not want to leave, but he has to.
He was sitting on bed and I finished closing his luggage. Then I walk in front of him, held his face with both hands. "You have to go now honey."
"Don't want to."
I giggled. "Please Vince? You need to. Say hi for mom and dad from me okay?"
"Can you just go with me?"
"No. You have to go okay? Call me."
"One move from Mark while I'm away I'll throw him to Pacific Ocean. You know I'm not kidding."
"I will not talk to him I promise."
He stood up and held my face. "I'll miss you."
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