The following day was a Saturday. Dante woke up a little bit earlier than usual, pacing back and forth along the length and width of his bedroom.He was still bitter about the previous night; even the thorough trouncing he had given to Matthew had not felt enough.He was still thinking of better ways to get back at him after what he caught him trying to do to Lyra. "I could always tell he was a jerk, but a rapist? I could never have guessed that." He thought.“I swear it to the heavens, I am going to make that nitwit pay for every ounce of hair he pulled yesterday. He's going to smell it and would not like the scent."He continued to groan.After a few minutes of going about like this, he stopped at the center of the room when a thought suddenly occurred to him."Wouldn't terminating his contract be a good way to start?”He reasoned, brushing his face with his palm and nodding satisfactorily, as the idea felt like a nice one to him. But before he could do any follow-up on the thought
"Take a look at your skin. It feels so hot. Would you rather not get yourself treated because of what people will say? Why don't you just let us go, Lyra?"Dante queried, still holding onto her; his voice sounded like he was pleading.About two of the security men had already entered the bedroom, waiting at the doorpost."Please excuse us for another second."Dante said, slightly throwing his head at them. They instantly did as told."I'm not saying I don't want to get treated." Lyra finally replied after the security men's exit.Her voice was weak and slow, and her breathing was labored."I'm just saying that I don't want it done in public." She added.Dante stared at her face on his arms for a fleeting instant, then gradually it appeared as though the light of understanding had begun to dawn on him. He gave out three successive nods."I see," he whispered."Is it because of the media? You're worried about what they have been saying about you?""No." Lyra's tired voice came again, bu
It was Monday morning the lustrous shade of the morning glow seeped through the thick curtains radiating the light of the new day. Lyra awoke from sleep with a feeling of renewed vigor. She was feeling so much more refreshed and rejuvenated, unlike the previous day. She yawned and stretched out before finally alighting from the bed. Proceeding towards the bathroom and setting out for a really busy day at the office as usual.The first thing Lyra noticed the moment she arrived at the office building, was the forced and rehearsed mannerisms of her employees right from the moment she parked and started walking towards the glass doors, demarcating the point of entry. The members of staff who first saw her at the base floor immediately wrapped up their conversations suddenly, then they turned to her with extra bright smiles and over-dramatic gestures and she could feel the gazes of tens of other eyes around watching and observing her from obscure corners all over that section.A
It was past 7 pm, and the sun had since disappeared from the sky.The gala party had begun to unfold slowly. The low murmur from the well-dressed attendees persisted. And once in a while, the laughter of an amused guest punctures the air in the decorated hall. Waiters in black and white aprons bore different trays on their hands, holding their heads high.Lyra Daniel was one of these waiters. However, unlike the others, the smile on her face was forced and plastic. She walked from one seat to the next nervously, serving the guests around. And sometimes, when they tried to call her attention to something, they would have to repeat themselves more than twice before Lyra would grasp. "Are you deaf? young woman?" One of them even asked. "I'm so sorry sir, pardon me, it's the music. Too loud." She pleaded, smiling sheepishly.“Oh my God, can you see that? where on earth did Mr. Douglass, pick this Lyra lady from? She's so crude.” One of the younger waitresses whispered to her coll
Lyra literally jumped out of the taxi the moment the driver she hailed earlier parked in front of the hospital gate. She flung his payment at him in a rush, waving and blurting the word “sorry” at the same time as she was running. The driver himself looked momentarily flustered by her craziness but later shook his head indulgently before driving off. On getting to the second floor of the building where her husband’s ward was.Lyra pushed at the door forcefully and ran in, making the cleaner and the two nurses she met there flinch slightly at the sight of her. Felix was lying on the bed with his nose strapped up in an oxygen mask while being connected to some sort of machine. Lyra stopped to stare at her husband with a weepy expression, whispering, “Felix. Oh Felix,” “Calm down, madam.” One of the nurses said.The doctor walked in through the opened door the next moment. “Doc,” Lyra immediately turned to him with her reddened eyes and held out hands. He stopped too
Lyra woke up next to Felix in the morning. Her bones and joints felt stiff, and her eyes were bloodshot due to the lack of sleep the previous night. The movement of Felix's arm made her turn abruptly to face him. His eyes were open now. Which gave her some form of relief. Even his oxygen mask was off. Perhaps the doctors had come in the night "Felix." She whispered with a low concerned voice. He stared at her with frail eyes but seemed too tired to talk, so she reached for the cupboard and grabbed a bottle of water, helping him sit up a little before guiding the bottle to his mouth.After he had his fill, she felt encouraged to go out again and continue her search for the surgery money before his condition started to deteriorate again. She got up slowly. "Felix, I will go and call one of the nurses to look after you. I need to run along now to put one or two things together for your upcoming surgery."But before she could leave, Felix had muttered her name softly and tiredly."
"I don't want to die, I want to live long by your side. I want to carry our children and have a perfect family." Felix mumbled softly on the bed with the paper still in his hand.Lyra closed her eyes as she listened to him because his words were yet again re-echoing the deep wishes of her heart. The same thing that drove her to take such a drastic move in the first place."I desire that too, Felix." She whispered from where she stood, gazing straight at him so he could see the sincerity in her eyes. "Trust me, I do. And I know we will surely get the money they are asking for. I won't let you die."Felix nodded weakly on the bed. But then, after a second, he slowly brought the paper to his face again. "This contract, I think it's not that bad. It's just two years. It's God giving us a chance." He remarked, fixing his eyes on the first page.Lyra inhaled and shook her head in calm disagreement."Two years is a lot, Felix. I can't live without you for that long."Felix coughed, a
Dante held Lyra's hand woodenly as they began to approach the registry. Lyra felt stiff and awkward, her face staring straight ahead and trying not to steal any glance at the flamboyant-looking stranger beside her, the same man who would now be acting as her husband for the next two years and legitimately so. The only thing that bore witness to the fact that there was someone beside her was the fragrant scent of his masculine perfume that kept tickling her nostrils. She inhaled and exhaled quietly as they moved uniformly and at the same pace. Dante, on the other hand, was a lot more confident. He flashed a broad smile and seized the opportunity presented by Lyra's stiffness to steal as many glances of her face as he could, from the corner of his eyes. She was gorgeous, but she was looking too self-conscious. She needed to “Sell the story.” he thought. He leaned towards her to whisper in the loving way he saw husbands on similar occasions due to their wives. "Put on a little