29/30
MOTHER’S LOVE
in-sert…29
***NOT FOR THE FAINTHEARTED***
I was at what looked like a park and I kept moving about not really knowing where I was going in p@rticular until I sp©tted Austin and started following him, the whole place was empty but I didn’t really mind. I saw him at a far distance since the streets were empty too and I kept calling him but he didn’t answer me, he tried facing me but it looked like it was difficult for him so I started running to him and we got to some bushy area and I couldn’t catch up with him no matter how much I increa-sed my pace. The end of the road had two paths and he took the right one, I ran fas-ter trying to catch up with him but the distance between us was still the same, the bush got thicker each step I took with tall trees and gras-s. I started getting scared and called for him to st©p because the place looked dangerous but he kept on going and I followed him then I heard footsteps
Me: Austin, did you hear that?
He didn’t answer
Me: Austin, someone’s coming
He still kept quiet and I decided to go back but when I looked back, I saw a familiar shadow and I looked at the figure from toe to head knowing fully well who it was
Me: FLORENCE!
She laughed sarcastically
Florence: I now have you to myself and you’re at my mercy, oh how I’ll enjoy this
I got up trying to run but my feet couldn’t move, I tried to scream but my voice wouldn’t come out and she laughed out loud
Florence: you spoiled br@t have always gotten in my way of killing your father which would have made me filthy rich and now I pay the consequences dearly so let me do this now. I was screaming but my voice wasn’t heard then she took out a knife with blood dripping from it then she lifted it up and I closed my eyes expecting the worst until I heard her speak
Florence: DAMN!!
I opened my eyes and saw Austin in front of me covered in blood and she’d stabbe-d him then I saw mom standing behind her with anger written all over her face
Mom: enough of your silly games
Florence: leave me alone Angela
She looked scared
Mom: you have pushed me to my limits by trying to hurt my family and my daughter has proven to be strong so it’s the end of the road for you
She pointed a f!nger at her and the b©dy started melting then she transformed to Rita
Mom: and you’re going to die now
Rita: plea-se Angela don’t, I’ll keep away from your family.
Mom kept pointing at her until she fell to the ground and took her last breath then I turned to look at mom
Me: mom, am I dead?
Mom: you’re not but you’ll have to fight ha-rd throu-gh prayer to get back there
I looked at Austin who got up with a hole on his che-st where he was stabbe-d and he got me scared
Me: wh….
Austin: pray Lucy, you have to get back
He staggered and mom held him in her arms
Me: we have to get back Austin, I can’t leave you here
Austin: you have to go back, this is it I tried saying something until I was interrupted by mom
Mom: pray Lucy, you have to go it’s not safe here
Austin slowly nodded
I started praying and was told not to lose focus even though it was ha-rd , I prayed until I felt my strength draining and Florence c@m£ in search of me so I had to st©p and starred at her not knowing what to do
Florence: baby, I’ve been looking for you everywhere
I looked at mom who gave me an approving look with Austin lying in her arms
Me: mom she….
Mom: go right ahead, go with her, she’s heaven s£nt and means the best for you. Love her just like you loved me because you don’t know what she’s been throu-gh just so she could get here for you, she’s your mother from now on so go with her
Florence held my hand and led me away, I looked behind where mom and Austin slowly waved at me and I couldn’t handle leaving him behind because I felt like a p@rt of me was gone. We finally got to some street with Florence holding me in her arms and the noise made by people was loudly heard
“She just moved, did you see that?”
I heard a voice speak
“Call the doctor”
Another called out
I opened my eyes but the light was very bright so I shut them and tried opening them again………
in-sert…30 FINALE
I opened my eyes and saw dad with an Indian doctor, and everyone looked at me surprised and I wondered what was going on, my throat was dry so I asked for water which I was given and dad helped me sit up as I drank
Me: Florence, Austin, Rita, where are they?
Dad looked me confused
Dad: umm…why do you want them?
Me: I have to see them
The room went silent and I remembered what happened before I pas-sed out
Me: oh no! Austin, where’s he? Is he okay? plea-se tell me he’s fine
Dad: he’s also in this hospital and is slowly recovering
Me: I have to see him now…….along with…with Florence
I saw dad look aside but didn’t pay attention to him then the doctor spoke
Doctor: congratulations Miss Lucy Mulenga, your heart transplant was successful
He said with his Indian accent and I couldn’t believe what he said to be true so I t©uçhed my che-st and I could feel the stitches
Me: I would like to thank the family of the donor for saving my life, I wonder who that angel is
Dad: when is she likely to be discharged?
Doctor: soon but she’ll have to come over for check ups
Dad: alright
The doctor left and it was dad and I who looked hurt and offish even though I expected him to be happy that I’d made it out alive and I broke the silence
Me: does Florence hate me? Is that why she’s not here?
Dad: why do you say that?
Me: I was wrong about her all along, I accused her wrongly, I’ve wronged her in many ways and I want to ask for her forgiveness, I have to make things right with her.
Dad: don’t stress yourself just concentrate on getting better
Me: alright
I could see that dad was hiding something from me so I let him me
.
.
.
It felt so good being home and the atmosphere was just lovely probably because I hated hospitals, Monica and Kelvin warmly welcomed me but it got me worried that Florence was no where to be seen
Me: where’s Florence? Where’s mom?
They all looked at each other surprised but I really didn’t mind
Dad: go and get changed first then you’ll find me in the living room where we’ll talk
I quic-kly went to my be-droom where I showered and wore comfortable clothes and I rushed back to the living room where I found dad seated with his head buried in his hands so I called out his name then sat next to him
Dad: what did you mean when you said you accused Florence wrongly?
Me: remember the dreams I told you about?
He nodded
Me: Aunt Rita was the one behind them
Dad: you sure?
I narrated everything that I visioned when I was out and he breathed out loudly when he was done
Dad: well, she was found dead in her house some days ago and has been put to rest, no one knows the cause of her death up to now
Me: hope she goes to hell, where’s Florence?
I was really impatient because I wanted to talk to her and go to the hospital to see Austin since I hadn’t seen him when I was in hospital
Dad: Florence is your heart donor
I thought my ears were deceiving me
Me: wh…wh…what?
My bo-ttoml!pwas trembling and I didn’t notice when my tears fell
Dad: yes she is, she forgave you for everything you ever did and said her love for you caused her to do that
I felt like trash for everything I did
“It’s not worth living if I’ll live a life of regrets” I said to myself as I had a big lump on my throat
Dad: she left this for you
He gave me a piece of paper which I slowly unfolded and it re-ad:
You’ve made me proud that your hale and hearty , I believed you were a fighter and would make it out alive. I did what any mother would do for their child because the love I had for you wouldn’t have let me see you suffer or lose your life. Go ahead and shine like a star by achieving those big dreams you have. I never meant to be your mother’s replacement because I knee how much you loved her since nothing beats a mother’s love but love you as a daughter of my own. If your dad is to find a woman he de-sires to be with plea-se love her wholeheartedly and if she happens to be wicked then leave her to God to judge and be on the safe side. I don’t hold any grudge against you so leave the past behind and I hope you attend my funeral, take care of your father and two siblings. I love you
Love
Florence
I had we-t the paper with tears when I was done and dad just held me ti-ghtly, I stayed in that state for quite some time until I felt dad’s b©dy freeze and I looked at him, he had his eyes focused on something with his jaw dropped open so I followed his eyes and there was Florence with Austin’s mother
Dad: Fl…Fl…Florence
She slowly nodded with tears in her eyes
Me: what’s going on here?
Hi us on plus two three four eight zero five five eight eight nine one eight three on watsapp to get added to our group. .
They approached us and took their seats, I was happy that she was still alive but it got me scared at the same time
Dad: I… I…thought……
Florence: I un-derstand
Dad: what happened?
Florence: I was taken to the room and was almost sed@t£d but then an Indian doctor c@m£ in and st©pped the whole process and Austin’s mother c@m£ in and offered to have Austin’s heart donated instead since he was br@in dead and tests were alre-ady done on him which showed that he was also a perfect match, she thought of what Lucy would go throu-gh when I died so Austin is her donor
No, that wasn’t happening
Not the Austin I knew since my childhood
Not the Austin I shared my happiest and saddest moments with
Not the Austin who was always there for me, life seemed meaningless without him so how was I expected to live without him?
I wailed and asked to be taken along with him then Florence and his mother held me as I cried……
.
.
.
I wore all black and the only thing I fed on were my tears, I couldn’t believe that I was going to say my final goodbye to someone I considered as a twin. Florence had been there for me and I was glad that we were getting along well but I wouldn’t lie by saying that I would get over Austin’s death because the truth was that I didn’t see the point of living, I was brou-ght back from my thoughts by Mapalo who c@m£ in with a tray of food but it was the last thing on my mind and I pushed it away then dad, Florence, Monica and Kelvin c@m£ in as-suring me that they were all there for me but it still made no difference because my Austin was gone and we did a group hvg, I felt better around Florence.
I was in Florence’s arms during the church service because I couldn’t handle what was going on, my face was messed up with tears and snort on it, a handkerchief really could do nothing. We finally went to the cemetery and I wished I was the one who had died instead as the pastor preached, his casket was finally drawn down and I went closer, I couldn’t speak and what I thought was a dream had finally come true. I looked at his mother who had a panic attack and I looked back at his casket, something told me to throw myself in the hole too but it was like Florence had re-ad my mind coz she was next to me holding me
“Goodbye to you my trusted friend
We’ve known each other since we were nine or ten
Together we climbe-d hills and trees
Learned of love and A B C’s
Skinned our hearts and skinned our knees.
Goodbye my friend it’s ha-rd to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky
Now that the spring is in the air
Pretty girls are everywhere
Think of me and I’ll be there
We had joy we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the hills that we climb were just seasons
Out of time……”
I managed to sing until I couldn’t find my voice anymore
Me: rest in peace my dear brother……… :’-( :’-(
***THE END***