I woke up to see Cherry paying full concentration on the road and yelling at those who chose to be disobedient and ignorant of the road signs. In no time, the sweats were gone. She revved one more time and turned off the ignition.
"Here we are. Home girl" she said with a good tone of excitement. I helped myself down from the car and was greeted by the gatekeeper. He was kind enough to ask about my health and also surprised to see me back home in less than twenty four hours.
I kept thanking her for choosing to spend the weekend with me. Some times the supplemented favor you need might never be said out before they come to you.
She would have to leave at night and get ready for work on Monday. But before I would let her be, I needed still answers to our last outing. Each time I ask her to regenerate the gist I would support with a wink.
"Okay fine. I know you are still hungry about the weekend. But you need to rest and not compound more and more problems for yourself". Her excuse was perfect. So she wouldn't tell me or say anything further. And if I don't remind her next, she would forget to mention it again.
In no time too, I forgot about everything and even the questions I had lined up in my head to ask her vanished too. Bringing back the past into the future could be more worse than anything. But that's just who I am. I have a meticulous nature of about seventy percent. I would say I got that trait excessively from my mum. You ever buy something, you need to state it out. You need to go somewhere, there was a time in and time out book we all signed as children. And she would monitor it. Though it didn't last for so long but while it was still effective in the mean time, we dare not to escape filling in that book. You wouldn't know when she would just come in all of a sudden unplanned and ask your whereabout. That's for my brother who sneaked out some times thinking he was clever enough to under match her intelligence. And for each time he swerved from the rule, there was a huge Price tantamount and attached to it. There was a certain time he had to pay heavily with his meal. And some times with his pocket money. We saw it all as modern day slavery and punishment never knew it was molding us for the better.
Well, now that we are grown, we can sit round the table and laugh out loud at every single disgusting incident we had.
It was time for Cherry to go. I was almost in tears. I hurried up a sorry face and emotions played their roles well at that moment. I wouldn't have to miss her much if I were also resumed to work because I know work activities would churn on us and we would only communicate at night. We sat for a while and kept talking for hours before she carried her hand bag. My clothe she was putting on and a good thing we are of the same size. Only some physical deficiencies which were obvious but as ladies, we knew how to improvise for them. That was no big deal. I escorted her to the door and her final bade ushered in an administered nurse who will attend to me till I get better.
"So you see, you aren't Alone after all" she smiled as she said and shut the door. I heard the taxi screech as I laid for the first phase of injection. I was surprised when the young girl; perhaps lady asked to help in anything I might want to do. I asked her immediately if that was included in their ethics and she couldn't give a definite answer. She said she just wanted to help around and covered up with "that's what she's trained to do." Care giving is her hobby. I sensed she wanted to dodge from hospital duties. "Thanks I will be fine dear". I said and she still didn't understand I meant she should leave. I went upstairs with little strength and might. When I came back down stairs she was still lingering around but this time, she has changed to a casual outfit. I concluded that something was amiss somewhere and I would figure out. Too many thoughts in my head and a million and one question to ask her.
First, why would you have to change your outfit in my own house? She couldn't wait till somewhere else to do that? I asked her to leave politely and assured her I will be fine but she insisted she's off from work duties and to my sensitivity I took my phone and texted the doctor.
I was lucky enough to have seen the name on her ID dangling on her chest together with her ID number. I couldn't recall the full number but I believe when I text the name, it should ring a bell in the doctor's head. It would be bad if he doesn't know all his staffs by name. I texted him saying I have seen the nurse he sent together with the name and also asked if she was off duty. He called back and then I made it not too obvious for her to understand. All questions he asked, I kept giving the yes answer and inner sound as affirmative. Then by this, I knew I was in the right hands for a while.
We were there sat across each other staring at the TV. I never gave my instinct a second chance. I kept glancing at her on occasions. There was silence in the room. I observed in one of my glances a blue black mark on her upper arm. Just a little covered by the dress she wore. Then I decided to ask just to break the silence. The deep silence in continuity just made me feel I was like in total darkness.
“But why would you change into another dress here? You should have at least waited till you get home”. She sighed and just shifted her position swiftly. She must have been lost in thoughts. Totally drained, that her answer was different from the question I asked her. When she asked for the question to be repeated, I answered by saying I just wanted to know if she’s okay and comfortable. But I didn’t stop staring at her upper arm and in no time I popped out the question like an angry detective receiving answers from a muted suspect.
“I love your tattoo. Though I can’t consider myself drawing one but when I see them I admire them on people”. She looked at me like she just heard me speak gibberish.
“Tattoo?” she asked with a scattered face.
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