THE EX FACTOR #29
Little
drops of water make a mighty ocean. Little gathering of steps make a long
journey. Little collection of mistakes make…?
The
gentility of the evening breeze and the fluent flow with which it subtly
caressed my face was really relieving but the relieve couldn’t be compared to
the fact that in a few minutes I’m going to be leaving this hospital ward that
nearly turned to the graveyard of my character except for the stunt I pulled,
just in the nick of time.
I
couldn’t but remember how a couple of days ago would have called time on the
respect and regard my peeps had for me, even affecting the faith they had in me.
But was Kate seriously about to divulge that part of this insane story to
everyone?... So she would’ve told her boyfriend that we planned to make it look
like she impregnated June and manipulated him into taking responsibility. He mustn’t
know… or not yet, if there’s no time he won’t know. Yes!... Not yet.
I
grabbed my phone.
“Hello?”
“Hi
Jay, how are you?”
“I’m
fine. Just said I should say thanks to you and your husband for showing up at the
hospital. I really appreciate.”
“Husband?!”
Lizzy laughed. “Jay, you won’t kill me. Well, you can say thanks to our faces.
How about that?”
“Nah!...
I honestly don’t think I’ll be driving through your route in a long time.”
“I
understand, but you wouldn’t need to cos we’ve already entered the hospital. We
should be in your ward in less than five minutes.”
“Okay,
better. See you.”
Three
minutes later, Lizzy, Tammy and Lizzy’s Fiancé entered the ward, where I sat
quietly on the window side chair, staring directly at the door like some unseen
beings were having a party there.
“Uncle
Jay!” Tammy snatched her hand from her dad’s and ran all the way across the
room into my outstretched arms. Which kind of made her dad look a bit embarrassed.
“How
are you dearie?” I curled her up in my chest, kissed her forehead, and sat her
down on my left lap before looking up to meet the gaze of the two adults staring.
“I’m
fine. I’ve missed you”
“Aww!...
I’ve missed you more sweetie.”
I
greeted Lizzy, shook hands with Dorothy’s dad and started a conversation before
it again occurred to me ask any of the two what happened to me the other day if
anyone had any answer whatsoever.
“Liz!
Do you have any idea how I got here?... I mean from driving in my car to lying
down in a hospital bed. It’s crazy right?
For
reasons unknown to me, Lizzy looked at me like I had just asked her if I could
go home with Dorothy. She drew out her handkerchief from the right pocket of
her jean and dabbed her wet eyes. She looked at me straight in the eyeball for
around half a minute before she finally found her voice.
“You
nearly got yourself killed Jay. You ran into a truck from behind. Road safety personnel
who helped rushing you here said if the truck had been oncoming, it would’ve
been another story entirely. They couldn’t even hold the truck driver for any offense since it was you who ran into him.” She sniffed, wiped her nose and
continued. “You were lost in thought and probably just forgot you were even
driving. You made me feel very bad about everything that happened that day. If
you had died that day, it would’ve taken me a very long time to forgive myself
cos I would’ve felt I had something to do with it and it also would’ve taken a
lot of persuasion and convincing talks to make me feel otherwise.”
The
way Lizzy bluntly said what she just did made my heart skip a bit. If I had ‘died’
damn! That was really deep and mind pricking. If I had ‘died’ like I was a
chicken or a mosquito who ran out of luck. If I had ‘died’… well, thank God I didn’t
die. But truth be told, I was indeed carried away that day. I’m quite a sore
loser and I felt like I had lost that day. I felt a bit betrayed and all my
plans for Liz and Dorothy just flew out of the window. But I didn’t get so
carried away as to run behind a truck. I can’t even remember driving behind any
truck but that’s plain history now. Again, thank God I didn’t die.
“Promise
me you’ll never allow anything to occupy your mind while you’re driving ever
again.”
“I
won’t”
“No!...
Promise me!... be it work, relationship, worries, anything. And anytime you’re
about being engrossed with any thought while driving, you’ll always remember
you made me a promise. Even if we’re not in contact anymore, Promise me Jay!”
“I
promise.” I replied with an amount of soberness, looking at the floor tiles.
“When
is Dave coming to pick you?” Lizzy asked.
“Any
moment from now, I guess he’ll show up. I’ll call him to know when he’ll be
here and where exactly he is.
The
three of them kept my company for around half an hour before they called it a
day. They took pictures with me and Lizzy called them reference pictures for my
forum. I cracked a few jokes, Tammy did some indoor run around and Lizzy’s fiancé
was the photographer of the day. In general, the day was fun and I was reveling
in the just concluded event when my phone rang.
“Hey!”
“Whatsup
Jay?... How are you feeling?”
“I’m
good.”
“I’m
on my way to pick you up. Dave called me, said he has some impromptu errands to
run and that I should help in picking you from the hospital.”
“I
was just about calling him now. Where exactly are you?”
“Just
past Spectranet office. I’ll soon be with you. Alright?
“Alright.
Please hurry. I’ve overstayed my welcome here and the smell of the whole place
is beginning to disgust me.”
“Yes
sir.”
Half
an hour later, I was done with settling my bills, clearing myself; I had a
shower and a change of clothes, then Kate helped me find my way to her car,
parked not far from the facility’s main entrance.
“Thanks
Kate” I said as she drove me home.
“You’re
welcome” She replied without turning her head.
The
silence that prevailed for the next few minutes was very disturbing and it was
like we knew what each other wanted to talk about, we just didn’t want to talk
about it.
Five
minutes later, I shrugged of the awkwardness the discussion was going to cause
and decided to talk.
“Were
you really going to confess about what I thought you were gonna confess about
before I spoke up?”
Kate
turned, looked straight at me for around three seconds and faced the road.
“What
exactly were you thinking I was gonna confess about?”
“I
was thinking you were gonna confess about I, June and David’s plan to make
Tunde, the etisalat guy who’s now your boyfriend…”
“Fiancé”
Kate quickly cut in.
“Okay,
your fiancé asking June out to finally have his way and make him believe he’s
responsible for June’s pregnancy. That was the plan before nature smiled on Dave
if we could call it that and she suffered her miscarriage, leading to the change
of plans and you guys getting along and the level you are in your relationship
now.”
“Well,
that part kind of skipped my mind.”
“You
mean that wasn’t what you were going to confess about?”
“Nope!”
I
felt a bit stupid. So I just wasted my calculations and energy to pull off that
throat defying stunt. So that wasn’t even what she was going to talk about. Imagine
the fear that gripped me when she was about talking. But wait!... if that wasn’t
what she was going to confess about, what is?
“Then
what were you about confessing?” I asked making a face like I didn’t believe
that wasn’t what she was going to talk about although I totally believed her.
“Nature
didn’t smile on Dave. I felt a strong connection between Tunde and I, the very
first time we spoke and suddenly felt the need to protect him and guide him out
of harm’s way”
“What
exactly are you trying to say?” I asked in disbelief.
“Nature
didn’t make June suffer a miscarriage. I did!”
My
jaw dropped.
Everything
is fair in love and war. Except one is fought with the head, while the other is
fought with the heart
Mature
Minds Talk.
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