He touched my neck with the back of his hand and immediately his eyes popped. “Turn the car around. We need to get her to the hospital. She wasn’t lying”. They nodded and turned the car around and turned on the siren. I was almost unconscious when we got to the hospital. I had flashes of when I was hurriedly rushed inside lying on a stretcher.
I woke up after sixteen hours in a strange hospital room. It was deja vu for me when I opened my eyes. I scanned through the room for Gerald again and sighed in relief when I noticed he was not in sight. I looked again for Harry in anticipation to tell him about my weird dream and how I almost got into trouble with the cops. My anticipation crashed when I didn't see him either.
I laid there and dozed off. I woke up after an hour and everything became clear. The hospital room was unfamiliar and the sharp but painful pain from my abdomen hit in. I panicked and tried to touch my abdomen but I couldn’t. The Iv on my arm stopped me. I hissed in pain and cursed seconds before a middle aged woman walked in with a familiar face. It was the cop from the airport.
“Hey Mira, you are awake. I got scared, '' he smiled softly. He walked beside me and sat on the chair there. The middle aged woman examined me before turning to the cop. “Felix, she has to wait for recovery. She is a fighter”. She said with a smile. “Thank you mom”, he responded. She looked at me with concern and asked how I was feeling.
“My head is heavy, my abdomen is sour and the pain is killing” I answered without holding back. She nodded and took a deep breath. “Mira, when did you notice you had lost your baby?” she asked gently. I blinked as tears gathered in my eyes. “8th of june”. She looked at the cop and turned back to me. “That was two days ago. Why didn’t you get medical attention? The delay caused some serious complications”.
My eyelids failed me as tears poured out. I was sobbing heavily as I tried to explain but she hugged me. “It's ok baby, you don’t have to say anything”. Her hug was comforting as I sobbed in her arms. “Felix is here, you can give him the name or contact of any family member or a friend he could contact. You will be fine” she patted my head before walking out.
Five minutes later, Felix asked; “You have nobody here right?”. I laughed bitterly because he was right. “I was curious, I had your purse the whole time and I checked your passport, you have no family members here. This is also your first time in Levino. Why did you come here in such a condition? And without a phone or an address” he asked gently. He looked at me and noticed how hard it was for me to speak. “It can wait. You should rest''. He said before he walked out.
A week later, I walked out of the hospital assisted by Felix. He looked strange because it was the first time I had seen him without his uniform. He helped me to his Car and got to the driver’s seat. As he drove slowly, I closed my eyes leaning fully in the car. He looked at me from the rear mirror and said, “don’t think too much about it”.
It was as if he saw through my thoughts. Three days ago,Felix and his mom had the most intense conversation with me. I eventually found out I had a surgery after seeing the stitching on my abdomen, but I was clueless on what reasons I had. I asked Felix’s mom who happened to be the doctor incharge of my case. She waited till Felix was off duty before she decided to spill it.
“Mira, we had to do it to save you. Remember this” she began. “When you were rushed in here, it was almost too late. Apart from the fact the you lost so much blood, you were not given proper medical attention. You had blood clots in your womb which attracted infections. Mira, your baby was not fully evacuated. We opted for another evacuation which was successful but we had another complication after series of test. One of your fallopian tubes had ruptured. We had no choice than to commence the surgery so it doesn't breed future problems for you”.
I listened curiously as she explained all that has happened in my body. “However, there is some bad news that you deserve to know”. Her words scared me but I listened attentively. “Your chances of conceiving naturally is 10%. You might consider IVF in the future to get pregnant”. It was after she left to attend to other patients, I understood all she had said. I am partially barren, without IVF I might never birth a child.
Felix held my hand in a comforting manner without words. It was not easy for me to accept it. I had lost myself, my family, my child and my chances of becoming a mother all in one day because of a man.
“This is my apartment. I hope you find it cozy”, Felix parked the car at the garage. It was a modern bungalow. He helped me out of the car and led me inside. It was a simple sitting room with a prominent color, gray and white. I sat on the couch weakly with a blank mind. Felix left me and got ready for work. He walked out fully dressed in his uniform. “I hope you get comfortable. Your room is on the left. There is all you might need here. Rest and get better”.
He was about leaving when I stopped him. “I am sorry if I am inconveniencing you. I promise to get a job as soon as I can and…….”. Felix chuckled, adjusted his belt and smiled at me. “You are not bothering me, stop thinking too much”. I wasn’t thinking too much, It was the truth, from the moment he saw me at the airport, I had convinced him. Felix paid my medical bills and helped extended my stay after I told him how I escaped Free city.
Harrison had helped with a six month tourist visa while Felix extended the time duration to a year. It was enough time to get my life together. “I am serious Mira, you don’t need to blame yourself for anything. Moreover this house is too big for a cop” he smirked, tapping my cheeks before leaving.
Living with Felix was the first fresh air I inhaled after a while. I felt alive again. It was easy to be myself, sleep when I felt the need to, eat at the table with him and watch a movie. It was a luxury for me, I never had that kind of life in Free city. Gerald believed I had to earn everything. I had to earn good food, using the laundry room, watching tv for twenty minutes and many others.
I remembered Felix’s reaction when I told him I needed a job barely a month after I left the hospital. He looked at me and laughed. “Why do you need a job?” he asked. I played with my hands shyly as I tried to get proper words. “I have been idle and I can’t just stay home depending on you”. He laughed at my explanation and took his plates to the sink.
“Alright. You already have a job. I enjoyed my dinner. All you have to do is to take care of the house and make dinner, maybe breakfast sometimes and get paid at the end of the month”. Felix made me an offer I couldn’t reject. It was almost like living in the same routine and getting paid. I accepted and started taking my work seriously. Within the first two months, I earned $900.
Within eight months, I earned enough to achieve my first goal. It was getting plastic surgery on my face. When I first mentioned it to Felix, he kicked against it. “There is no need for that!, you can use that money to get another degree, get a property, or something else. You are beautiful”. I disagreed with his opinion. It was what I needed. This disagreement caused a partial rift between us. Felix got back from work one day and ignored me as usual but I stopped him. “You are upset. It is not necessary. You already stated that it is my money and my body too!”. He looked at me and walked past but he stopped. “I care about you Mira, believe me when I say this. You are beautiful”. I knew he couldn’t understand and I had to make him. “It is necessary. I look at myself everyday and still see the abused girl from a year ago. I still feel intimidated. Did you notice I took away the mirror in my room? It is because I am scared to look at myself, '' I explained, panting. He held
It was the most passionate kiss I had shared with anyone in two years. It had a soft dangling feeling that made my stomach spark. It was a guilty pleasure. I enjoyed the softness of his lips on mine and how gently he sucked on my lower lip. It was nothing I had never felt before. Peace. I got carried away and almost forgot I was acting. Quickly, it felt like a light switched on in my head, reminding me of my position. I pushed him away and in a blink of an eye, he felt two resounding slaps across his face. “How dare you? Are you roaming mad?” I lashed out without holding back myself. My voice echoed in the room as I was the only person yelling. Harrison held his face and stood there like a statute, surprised and dumbfounded. “Get out! Get the hell out of here before I call security!” I threatened pointing at the door. This was the play button for Harrison. “Listen, I am sorry! I swear, I wasn’t thinking at all” he walked slowly towards me but I moved away from him. “I
“What!!!” He exclaimed with so much shock in his face and voice. “She left? Have you contacted the police?” He asked. “Should I contact them? Shit!! This is a mess. Just a fight? Alright brother, I will see what I can do from here”. He hung up and buried his hand in his hair. “Why in heaven's name did you agree to get married to a man who doesn’t love you?” He said slightly frustrated and angry. I looked at him without words because it was the same question I ask myself daily. I opened my mouth but my eyes opened up its floodgates. Tears flowed down instead of words. “Stop this Mira! Stop it! Crying won’t help anything. If you need help, you need to open your mouth and ask for help” he hissed. Help was what triggered a signal in my head. I looked at him with pleading eyes and nodded in agreement. “I need help. Save me” I pleaded with sob bubbles popping out of my nose. Harrison took off his glasses and sighed heavily. “I can fix you a lawyer that can get you a divorc
Harry looked at me with a chuckle, “I should be apologizing that you are suffering because of this. Gerald is living in my dad’s shadow” he concluded. I rolled my eyes and he understood I wasn’t in the mood to back up or defend my husband’s bad behavior. He moved his hand on my waist and slowly rubbed my back in a comforting manner but instead all he heard was a hiss. “What’s wrong?” He asked curiously. I looked away and tried to escape his grip but it was too late. He held me back and came behind me. His breath on my neck was warm. It was electrifying. It was the first time I experienced Romance. He touched the hem of my tee shirt and my body gave me away. My sudden consciousness he noticed. “Relax, I wouldn’t do that”. I blushed shyly. I loved how he looked and took care of me. He slowly raised up my shirt and his expression was a frown. “What the hell!!” He spat angrily. “You have new wounds and healing wounds. Gerald!”. Harrison was more upset than I expected. He
Harrison moved closer to me and pulled me into his arms. His hands around my waist, my butt against his groin area and his lips on my neck. I felt comfortable but my conscience peeked me. “Harry, isn’t this too much? I am still married to your brother “ I slowly moved away from him. I didn’t need his words to know he was sad. “Mira, can you please not remind me that you belong to my brother?”. His voice was fierce and different from what I was used to. “I am not going to be reminded of how miserable I am. You are no longer with him. You are with me now!! With me!” He started again. He pulled me closer this time gently and leaned on my shoulder. “Babe, I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I hate the idea of sharing you” he sighed. I understood how he felt and I wasn’t going to blame him for what fate did to us. I extended my hand to comfort him. I stroked his face and ears. “It’s fine, I am sorry for bringing him up, I just felt we were too close”. Harry ignored me a
“What?”. The whole room fell silent with tension. My response to my mom’s vocal question and their imaginary questions was answered by shock in their faces. “Mathilda talk sense into your daughter! This is pure madness”, my step father spat angrily. He paced around while my step sister was trying to hide the happiness that was pouring out from her heart to her face. “Mira, what’s going on? You can’t just walk in here and ask for a divorce. Gerald is a good…”. Before my mom could finish her sentence, her husband jumped in. “Listen to me Mira Copper, you are not divorcing Gerald and that is final”. I could not tell what it was, but something tempted me to laugh. I laughed bitterly as soon as he was done ranting. “Mira! You are scaring me”. My mom pulled me to a seat. With concerns and fears all over her face. “Mira, I need you to tell me, I mean us, what is going on? Why the sudden flip?” She asked like she was carjoling a child. It took me twenty five seconds
The drive back to my nightmare was the shortest drive in my life. It felt like seconds. Throughout, I stayed far away from Gerald in the car. He would chuckle and look away from me at intervals. As soon as he stepped out of the car, he walked around and opened the door for me like a gentleman. Behind this kind gesture, I knew my whole world was ending soon. He led me inside his mansion and pointed to a seat in the living room. “Mira, whose clothes are you wearing?”. His voice was blasting like thunder in my mind. Gerald kept tapping his feet as he waited for me to respond. In fear, I was dumb. I looked at Harry’s clothes and I dared not to cause a fight between two brothers. I swallowed my saliva as he asked the same question again. “My ….my friend’s sir “. My throat was dried, I needed water but I dared not to ask. Here I was a little lower than the maids. Gerald examined the clothes again and the look on his face changed dramatically. “Expensive brands!
After the incident with Gerald and Harry, I never saw him again till the day I escaped Free City. I was always seeing his cars in the mansion, hearing his voice from the mansion, study or garden but I never saw him. With those thoughts, I went to bed. It was going to be a big day for me at dawn. I woke up at 8:12am the next day and the first thing I did was to blindly look for my phones on the bed. As soon as my hand touched one, I yawned loudly. ‘Mira, I don’t know if I should say Kaira. It’s been a year and I still miss you. Nobody bakes cookies and bread the way you do. I miss having you around. I don’t know how long I can hold on here without you. Don’t push me, you are testing me. You are who I want, I love you. I can’t believe I am writing this at 3 am. Kaira, don’t stay too long, I might lose it ‘. My chest clinged when I read the text from Felix. He was a stubborn man who hasn’t given up on me. The way he loves me scares me, I get frightened by how much he expresses his