(Lily’s Pov)
I stepped out of the house feeling all refreshed. Just in front of our building, I was lucky enough to see a taxi that just dropped off a passenger.
I know I’m beautiful but the way the taxi driver looked at me in admiration made me feel embarrassed even when I was supposed to be happy.
“Hello pretty, at your service” the dark skinned and well looking young man who sat on a driver’s seat in the taxi said to me.
Not all of these taxi drivers were kind enough to compliment their passengers, some would insult you or charge you more than what you’re supposed to pay if they had the chance., so I was a bit surprised when the young man complimented me.
“I’m going to City Hospital’ I said not looking at his face and pointing to the direction that led to the City Hospital.
“Hop in ma’am” He opened the door for me and gave me a “go ahead and enter” gesture with his head. That was quite strange.
I couldn’t remember the last time I boarded a taxi, it has been ages, Mum drove me to school until she died then Dad took over and drove me to school till I graduated.
He had bought one car for me, although not for me because he bluntly refused that I shouldn’t drive myself instead I should get a driver. So basically the car was for my former driver, my mood changed immediately and I squeezed my face because each time I remember how hard I begged my dad to let me drive myself and yet he refused it would make me angry.
“You good?” the observant taxi driver who has been looking at my face through his mirror without my notice asked me.
I looked at him to be sure he was referring to me because usually, people mind their businesses when in a public transport, so how come he cares about my mood.
“Oh! Sorry ma’am, I just hope you’re good”
“Why do you care?” even if I didn’t ask the way I looked at him was enough to understand what was going on in my mind.
“We don’t see pretty girls every day, and when we do, we don’t like seeing them look sad” At this point he actually tasted my patience, I mean I just wanted to feel sad and get over my past but then a total stranger wouldn’t let me.
“So people aren’t allowed to feel sad anymore?” I really prayed hard in my heart he doesn’t misunderstand me from the tone of my voice but then he didn’t disappoint.
“Not for a pretty girl like you, Beautiful girls don’t feel sad” I would tell that I had butterflies in my belly when he said that, I raised my eyes and looked direct into the mirror to admire my beautiful self but then our eyes locked. Looking at each other in the mirror I quickly remembered how Austin showered me with lots of love and every beautiful thing we shared before he betrayed me with my best friend.
How easily people fall in love, thank God for the traffic green light that signaled that we can move since we’ve patiently been waiting for our turn.
We both looked away and didn’t talk to each other again. I was embarrassed at this point, I felt like he was flirting with me but then I couldn’t get mad at him because he was doing it in a polite manner.
The atmosphere was becoming cloudy at though it wanted to rain, while some people were hurrying to get to wherever they were going, some were walking gently as if they didn’t care about the weather. Me on the other hand didn’t care at all, I’m in a taxi and will enter the hospital as soon as the taxi dropped me. All I cared about was to go see my Dad.
As we drove closer to the hospital, the gentle beats of Hillsong worship music started to play in the taxi.
“Isn’t it too much for one taxi, the compliments, the questions and now the music” I haven’t even finished analyzing the whole thing when I noticed him humming and shaking his body to the beats of the music. He slowly started singing and I as sat there I was amazed and inspired at same time.
Hillsong music are usually soul lifting and it lifted mine at that moment seeing the way he blended his voice with the music. I would’ve joined at that moment if I knew how to sing the particular music he was singing but I sat at the passenger’s seat and pretended not to be enjoying the whole thing.
The hospital is just some minutes away and didn’t think I would be able to endure how my feet hurts inside my shoe, I slowly bent and removed my shoe and carefully positioned my feet on them. “now I’m comfortable”.
It was such a beautiful sight to behold as I looked out of the window and saw a group of people who gathered to appreciate a young boy playing guitar with so much enthusiasm and joy, one can actually tell how happy he was with the way he smiled and danced whilst playing his guitar.
“it takes just little things to be happy”.
At that point I wished I would be as happy as this young boy, even though he doesn’t look rich, he looked so happy and satisfied. I almost asked the taxi driver thinking he was my personal driver to stop by so I can enjoy his music before I realized myself and gave a heavy sigh to relief myself.
As we drove past the scene I resorted back to listening to the one being played in the taxi. It wasn’t long enough and it finished playing.
“Fela Kuty?” I asked him as the next song on the play list started playing and it was that of Fela.
“are you a fan?” he asked with surprises written all over his face.
“My entire family is a fan, we love Fela’s music” I said while shaking my body and singing along with the music. I guess it’s now my turn to sing and dance. He felt left out just the way I did while he was enjoying that of Hillsong even though I enjoyed that too.
“Ooooooookay!” he exclaimed as he increased the volume of the song for me. Even though he didn’t like the song, one could tell he was enjoying the way I was flowing with the song.
“Fela to the world” “I love Fela” I shouted, throwing my hands up in the air.
“I love him too” he added and we both laughed so hard.
Scru sruuu scruuu scruuuuuuu that was the sound of his break pad, as he slowly lowered the speed of his taxi making a spiral like movement until he finally stopped.
“Here we are ma’am” he said looking back to look at my face.
“oooooh, we’re here already? so fast? Why not?”
I wasn’t ready to come down of the taxi because I was busy enjoying my Fela music, I don’t know why he didn’t play it first. I didn’t bother bending down for my shoes, I used my hand to trace each of my foot in them.
I opened the door and carried my father’s food and was about hoping out of the taxi.
“do you need any help”
“no, thank you, I’m good” even though I didn’t know whether he was serious about the help thing but I rebuffed the offer.
I paid him for the ride and headed into the hospital for my day.
“call me whenever you want to go round the world” his voice was so loud that the pedestrians heard him clearly.
“how can I even call you when I don’t have your number?” I muttered and smiled to myself at same time.
It was a wonderful ride anyway.
Lily’s Pov)As I walked gently and quietly down the hospital’s building and heading to the ward where my dad was, my heartbeat increased, it dawned on me that my life was about to change forever, even though it wasn’t a good one but I didn’t care that much since it was for my father, I can do anything to get him on his feet again.As I approached the staircase I held the bag I used in loading the food very tight and was extra careful on how I walked on the slippery well tiled floor. City Hospital is one of the best in town and it’s beautiful environment speaks for it, and when it comes to life supporting machines, they have everything any good Hospital should have. In our family, City Hospital does it for us.Soon, I got to my father’s room and as I opened the door I saw a fair, slim and lanky nurse attending to him, I stayed aside and watched them until she was done getting every information and doing every checkup she needed to do.“I’m done ma’am” the nurse said putting her record
(Lily’s Pov)It’s already 5am in the morning and all I had in my mind was signing the contract and paying for the hospital bills, I can’t remember sleeping in the night, I was filled with so much anxiety, it was like the longest night of my life, I watched my Dad sleep so peacefully, each time I looked at him, I went close to him and put a finger close to his nose just to make sure he was still breathing since I didn’t hear him snore as usual. My dad is such a chronic snorer that one would hear him snore even in the next room, so it gave me great concern when I didn’t hear him snore all through the night.The day was getting brighter and the hospital was filled with sounds of patients and guardians greeting each other and praying, the cry of children wasn’t exempted, there was a particular kid who didn’t allow the whole ward rest in the night, he kept on crying out of pain and I wished he could get well that night but wishes aren’t horses.I got prepared and woke my dad up to tell him
(Jack’s Pov)After Lily signed the contract, I felt a little bit of happy, not happy that she was my wife, contract wife, I was happy that I was going to have an heir, someone who would replace me and who will inherit all my properties since Karen didn’t give me any.In our society where money has so much influence, it was hard to find a woman who truly loved me for me, all the women who once surrounded my life was because of what they stand to gain off me. I loved Karen, we met in a night club and I loved her energy, we got to know each other and I found myself falling in love, “stupid me” I gave a heavy sigh“thank God for my life” she almost ripped me of everything I had after we got married, she made me believe she had some health issues as to why she wasn’t able to conceive and the doctors are asking for a huge amount of money to treat her.Each time I remember my story with Karen, it makes me bitter, and that’s why I will never attach myself to any woman, sometimes I see Karen e
(Lily’s Pov)After the horrible experience I had with Jack, signing the contract, I rushed back to the hospital to deposit the hospital bill so that the doctor can proceed with the surgery. I got to the hospital and I went straight to the accountant to make my payment.“here’s your receipt ma’am” the receptionist who doesn’t have a smiling face handed me my receipt of payment and I headed to the doctor’s office to give it to him so he can start the surgery immediately.“here you go” I stretched my hand out giving the doctor the receipt“what’s that Miss. Hailey?” the doctor asked looking all surprised“the receipt, I’ve paid all, please can you do it now?” I teared up as I dropped the receipt on his table. The doctor picked receipt and saw that I’ve paid everything and asked that I sit down.“you see, Miss. Hailey your father needs to calm his nerves before we can proceed, go and get him ready, the operation room will be ready in the next 10 minutes” that was exactly what I wanted to
(Lily’s pov)Nights after nights, I couldn’t sleep, I prayed for a miracle but it wasn’t coming, I had no one to cry to, not even one person to console me, the only friend who should have consoled me betrayed me with my ex fiancé, Austin.My dad was the only one I shared my pain with but now that he is gone I was left to bear all the pains alone, I almost exploded. All my hope has been swept off, I saw what was before me but I wasn’t ready to face it, not alone, not with someone who I could run to when I can’t bear it anymore, not with my dad. Pain became my food, I fed on pain day and night.While I mourned my father, I started getting weak, strength left me and I couldn’t do anything to help myself anymore, there was no one to ask me how I was doing since our nanny stopped work when dad got sick.I wished to die and join my parents but death wasn’t coming.Since I was the only family my dad had left, I planned his burial all alone, paid the mortuary bills from the money Jack gave me
(Jack’s Pov)I dived and was resting on the sofa in my room when my assistant knocked at my door and told me that I had a visitor, I knew I don’t make friends and I wasn’t expecting anyone either, so who could that be.“who did you say is looking for me?” I wanted to know if it’s something I should care about.“she said her name is Lily sir”“oh, but she said she wouldn’t be coming to house without a wedding” I muttered to myself without my assistant hearing me. “is she with bags?”“no sir, she isn’t”“you can go now, go tell her I will be there in a second” my assistant left without looking backI wonder what she was doing in our house that early when she said she wouldn’t be coming until we were properly wedded. I reluctantly dragged myself downstairs putting on my shorts and a hoodie to protect me from the cold weather.“you asked to see me? How can I be of help to you? You aren’t supposed to be here until after the wedding? She looked at me as though she wanted to hit me, she look
It was the morning of their wedding, Rose had no much preparation to make except getting her wedding gown that she bought with intention of reselling it once she’s down with the wedding.Jack at his own end had only Jane to take with him to the wedding. He had woken up early that morning to prepare for his second wedding with a woman he had no feelings for. He lazily dragged his footwear with him into the bathroom and switched on his shower, he had a long bath and when he finally came out of the bathroom, he cleaned his body with his big white towel that was almost half of his big bed bedsheets size.He applied his body lotion and picked up the sky blue suit that has been well ironed and carefully placed on his bed, he brushed his hair with the smooth hair brush that was given to him by his mother on his 223rd birthday.Because of how rich he became since their parent’s demise, he had most of the expensive perfumes, he applied them on his armpits, neck, wrists and his buttocks. Amongs
(Lily’s Pov)We had gotten home that afternoon and Jane took me to my room where I would be staying, I removed my wedding gown and wore a casual clothe, she did too but we didn’t know about Jack who left us for his room as soon as we arrived. Jane was so kind enough to take me round the house and showed me every other places I needed to know within and outside the house. She was a sweet soul, she made me feel at home, I wonder what I would have done if she weren’t Jack’s sister.The tour round the house took almost 4hours, every part of the house came with its own story and Jane was a very good story teller. She started from my own room telling me it was their cradle room when they were still children and how she played around with Jack in the room. The way she told the story made me wish for a younger sibling and I didn’t hide that from her, she gave me to room to share whatever I feel with her and I was happy I had someone I can share my feelings with even though everywhere was stra