CHARLESMy head is pounding hard, and my eyes feel like they’re glued shut. I manage to force them open, and then immediately wish that I hadn’t. The bright light in the room hurt my eyes, so I shut them and only open them again when I have gotten accustomed to the light.I’m in a hospital room … I realize that right away. I glance around and realize that I’m alone, and it’s afternoon. That is no surprise. I don’t have anyone who is close to me enough to sit with me in a hospital room while I’m sick. Belatedly, the events of the past several days come rushing back to me, and I sit up suddenly. My head begins to swim, so I wait for some time for it to calm down before pulling off all the stuff that is connected to me in a bid to keep me alive.The wounds that are all over me protest my movement, but I need to know … need to know where Jessica is and if she made it out of the island alive too. I really hope she did. I can’t bear to think otherwise, because it would hurt a lot.I had co
Sebastian comes to visit me a few days later, his look somber and his expression serious. He takes one look at me and shakes his head before speaking.“You look like crap, man.”“Why, thank you. It’s very kind of you to say so.” I reply sarcastically, and we share a smile. Despite all his money, Sebastian is one of the most down-to-earth and friendliest guys that I’ve ever met.“How are you feeling?”“Much better than I would have thought. That’s for sure.”“Good, good. Carol and I came to see you some days back, but you were still out of it.”“Yeah, I heard. Thanks, man for everything.”“It’s not a problem. We’re family.”“So, have you heard from Jessica? Is she with you guys? I’ve heard nothing about her except that she checked out of the hospital without being cleared to do so. Is she alright?”“Yeah, about that. We need to talk about her. What happened between you two on that island?”“Huh? Why are you asking me that? We were cool with each other. At first, I’ll admit that she was
JESSICAFor days now, I’ve been very ill, tired, and nauseous. When I first got back from the hospital, I had chalked these feelings of illness up to the fact that I left the hospital before I was supposed to and now, I’m suffering the consequences. I have since discarded that notion though.Now, along with my illness and nausea, I’m suffering from a very acute case of disbelief, if such a thing exists. I stare at the pregnancy test strip in front of me in disbelief, willing one of the two red lines to disappear. Maybe if I stare at the strip long and hard enough and will the line to disappear, it will obey my command. However, like the countless number of strips that I’ve wasted in taking the test in the past week, this one doesn’t obey my command.I’m pregnant. I’ve had up to six days to get used to the word, but still, it feels so foreign, as though I’ve never heard it before now. Six days ago, my doctor had suggested taking a pregnancy test, after I complained to him about the wa
CHARLES I’m lying in my hospital bed, alone as usual, when there is a faint knock on the door and the knob turns. Ever since I sent Meghan away, I rarely have visitors, except for the occasional work colleague.The lady who steps into the room looks vaguely familiar, but I can’t really tell who she is, so I just lie there watching her curiously as she approaches my bed. She takes one look at me and her lips curl in what suspiciously looks like distaste.“Hello. Do we know each other?” I ask her. She does not reply, but instead, takes one of the chairs in the room and draws it close to the bed. It is only after she is seated that she speaks.“I see you’re still alive and healing quite nicely.”“Okay … nice to meet you.”“Where’s your fucking fiancee, you asshole? Did she get tired of your sorry ass and left you too?”“Um … I’m certain I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I tell her in bewilderment. She looks and definitely sounds pissed, whoever she is, but still, I can’t remember
Samantha, or Bianca, as she insists I call her, takes it upon herself to visit me every other day after that last visit. I wonder what she wants, and in the end, I have to ask her why she’s being so nice to me, and she tells me that she just wants to be my friend.She’s even there on the day I get discharged and helps me get into the car that one of my drivers collects me in. She asks if I wouldn’t mind if she followed me home, and I say I won’t. she’s been nice to me and she’s actually an interesting fellow to have around.“Don’t you have a job that you do?” I ask her when we get to my house, already feeling uncomfortable and regretting why I asked her to come with me. I’m not a kid, and it is quite clear exactly what she wants from me, but after what happened with Meghan, and more recently, the blow that my ego suffered after Jessica, I’ll prefer to stay away from women for a while.“That’s actually a rude question.” She replies, not sounding the least bit offended. Instead, she fol
CHARLESIt’s been over a month since Jessica and I got rescued from the island on which we were stranded on, and now, I’m beginning to realize that she is never going to reach out. My wounds, including the terrible one on my stomach, which had been operated on, are healing nicely. They’ll leave scars, but the scars will not be as horrible as I had first imagined.I’ve resumed work too, which is a huge relief because I was literally dying of boredom and restlessness doing nothing. Bianca has made herself a constant presence in my house, as she checks up on me at least every other day.At first, I’m uncomfortable with her constant presence around me, seeing as I only just met her, but Bianca is not one to be told what to do, as I’m fast finding out. However, I’m starting to get used to her, and finally realize that her being around isn’t all that bad. At least, it helps to get my mind off Jessica … to an extent.“I think you should move to a bigger place. This kind of house is not befit
I’m surprised, but it’s obvious that I’m not half as surprised as Bianca is. She looks panicked, and when Meghan knocks on the door a second time, she visibly jumps.“Is anything the matter?” I ask her.“Is … is that not your ex-fiancée at the door?”“Yes, I don’t know what she’s doing here or how she even knows my house, but …”“I don’t want her to know I’m here.”“Why not? It’s not like you two know each other, or do you?” I ask, tilting my head slightly and regarding her with interest. There’s something off about the way she’s behaving.“Of course not, but I just don’t like meeting new people. Anyway, I’ll need to go poop. Don’t let her know I’m here. She’s your ex. I don’t want any drama, especially baseless ones.” Bianca informs me in a no-nonsense tone, before disappearing into the toilet with her hand bag.I find her behavior strange and amusing to say the least, especially because she took her handbag into the house with her. Finally, I open the door and let Meghan in.“I thou
JESSICAI haven’t seen Samantha in over two weeks, which is a surprise because I’m usually the one who gets tired of her presence and want her to leave. I’ve tried her number several times, but it is always not reachable, and I’m starting to panic.It’s now that I know that having zero friends is not always profitable. I have no shoulder to turn to, neither do I have anyone to ask for advice, and loneliness is eating me up. I fleetingly wonder if I should chat up Sebastian’s wife, but immediately discard the thought. We’re not that close for me to be asking her if she thinks it’s a good idea to keep my baby. Besides, Sebastian is Charle’s cousin, and there’s no guarantee that his wife will not tell him what we discuss. One cannot trust couples who are in love.Finally, when I’m a month and two weeks pregnant, Samantha gives me a call.“Hey, girl. How’s it been?” She asks me casually.“Where the hell have you been? Why hasn’t your number been reachable?”“Oh? Did you miss me then? I w