A woman's dilemma - Episode 35

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Benedict:


"Sorry we lost him." Those words slam into me like a sledgehammer.
"No!" My father's young wife sobs out. I close my eyes against the emotions fighting inside of me. Grief, pain, regret, numbness. Numbness wins as I let my eyes open and watch my family. My sister has her arms around my stepmother as they both shake in each other's embrace . My eyes settle on my brother as he says a few words to the doctor that I don't quite catch what he says. The doctor slips a piece of paper to him then walks away. Benson walks over to plop in the chair beside me. I grimace at the identical eyes staring at me.
"Father left a note for you." He whispers to me. I frown deeply at the paper he's stretching out to me.
"For me?" My father and I don't talk much. It's hard to believe that I'm the one he felt it important to leave a message for. I realize my hands are shaking as I take the paper in my hand and pull it open. My father's tiny scrawl creates a deep pang inside me.
 

BENEDICT, 

  I'M NOT WASTING TIME TALKING ABOUT HOW YOU SHOULD BE STRONG  ABOUT MY DEATH AND ALL THAT SAPPY STUFFS. I JUST HAVE ONE THING TO SAY TO YOU NOW THAT I'M DYING AND SEEING MY LIFE FLASH IN FRONT OF ME

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. FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS BOY. I DON'T WANT YOU ENDING UP LIKE ME. A SOUR OLD MAN WHO LOST THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE BECAUSE HE COULD NOT LET HER PURSUE HER DREAMS OF BEING A BASKETBALL STAR. IT KILLED ME TO SEE YOU FOLLOW IN HER FOOTSTEPS BUT WHAT KILLED ME MORE IS SEEING THE FIRE DIE IN YOUR EYES AFTER THAT ACCIDENT. DON'T LET ANYONE DEFINE YOUR LIFE, NOT EVEN YOUR FATHER. REACH FOR THE STAR. 


  If not for the familiar scrawls on the sheet of paper, I really would not have believed that this was written by my father.
"What does it say?" Ben asks. I drop the paper on my lap and breathe back the emotions choking me.
"Mom was a basketball player." I say in one breath.
"Cool! How did we not know that?" My sister comes to sit by my side.
"I think that's the reason she left father that fateful day. To pursue her dreams. She died trying. " I remember our father telling us about how mother's plane crashed into the ocean. Cold and lonely death. No wonder my father didn't want me following the same dream. He was trying to protect me. Now he's giving me his go ahead. Funny how I didn't know that it was what I needed to get back to the court. The file on my bed at home comes back to my mind. Today is the last day I have been given to give my response.
"We need to call Nicholas and Prosper." My stepmother's soft voice interrupts my thought. I look up to her sad eyes and bolt out of my chair. 
"Hey! Where are you going?!" Benson calls out to me.
"Have to get home."
"What the hell man, dad just died." Benson falls into step beside me regardless of the disapproval in his voice.
"This is what he wants me to do." 
"Then I'm coming with you. We both know you can't stand driving during the day." My lips form a thin line but I don't want to go over the trauma of the accident especially with Benson. I don't argue with him and let him walk with me out of the hospital to his car.

Amy:


 For once I'm not late but I wish I am. Anatomy is the first course of the day and I'm not ready to face Benedict yet. My mystery man! Who would have thought he'll be so close when I'm focused on not finding him. Funny enough, I can't place this man with the caring man who told me it's alright when my world came crashing down on me but just last night, when I'd been able to fall asleep after my awful dream about Frances, my sleep had been infiltrated by weirdly brown eyes and scars cutting through a perfect brow. I shake my head of thoughts and look up at the traffic signal and I have just six seconds to get to the other side of the road before the calls start moving. I'm sure I can make it in six seconds so I make a run for it. I'm almost at the middle of the road with just three seconds left when my two inch heel gets stuck in a hole in the road. I almost faceplant into the tarred road. I cuss out loud. This is not the place for this. If only our leaders will do their jobs right and fix these roads. Various car horns blare at me and I start to panic. The other side of the traffic is flowing freely but I find that I'm blocking the middle lane. I can't just leave my shoe. I have a class and getting an ear full from Mr Benedict is not on my schedule today. I want him to like me and not think I'm tardy.
"Sh*t" I pull my legs from the shoe then bend over to pick it up.
"Stupid. Shoe!" I yank the annoying shoe off the road with too much force and knock myself on my ass. A car coming at me at full speed on the other lane flips my heart into the stomach. 
"Arhhhhhhhhhh!!!" I scream my head off in horror as the car screech to a stop just a few millimeters from my face. Oh my God, I feel like I just had an accident without being hit.
"My God! Are you okay?!" The voice sounds so far away with my heartbeat louder than the cars honking like hell. I try to stand but fall on my ass.
"Here. Let me help you." A pair of soft hands come around my waist to lift me up. I use the body as support and stand on wobbly legs.
"Let's get you out of the road, lady. You___" My head lifts up to stare at the man who almost crushed me under his car and I gasp in surprise.
"Sir?!"
"Amy?" We both say at the same time.
"Get out of the road!" An angry driver yells at us from his car.
"Let's get you out of the road." Benedict takes my hand and lead me to the side of the other side of his car.
"Let's get out of this traffic." He says before closing the door for me. I sit like a dummy and watch him go around to the driver's seat. Something is different with him. He's too cheery to be the man I left in his car last night but that's not it. Something else is off. Something I can't put my fingers on right now. He comes back to the car and helps me buckle my seatbelt. His perfume tingles my nostrils which is different from the one I smelled on him last night. The car is different as well. More classy and expensive looking.
"Are you okay?" He asks when he turns on the ignition of the car. His turns to the side to look at me and I realize what's missing on his face. His scar! And his eyes are less brown. Did I imagine the scar? Maybe the shock from the near accident has my mind in a mess.
"Hey, you hurt? We can go to the hospital." He says when I don't reply and I shake my head.
"I can't be late. You as well." I tell him and he nods.
"You're right. We still have time to talk right. It's just a few minutes past 8. I really don't want us to part ways like this after I've been waiting for this day for so long." He smiles sweetly which is starting to creep me out because Mr Benedict just hasn't smiled this much since I've known him. He's looking at me expectantly and I scratch my head like a dimwit.

Read " Redemption " by the same author ( Ameh juliet )

. I don't think I heard the last thing he said. did he ask me a question? 
"What were we talking about again? I sort of spaced out." I say sheepishly. I expect to be chastised but he smiles. Again. 
"Breakfast. At the eatery out front. We have a lot of catching up to do." He says pointing to the small eatery upfront. Catching up? Omg! Does he know? That I'm the woman he helped years ago to the park. Was I that obvious last night? What does he want to talk about? I really want to hear it so I nod shyly at him.
"Great. I won't take much of your time." His hand creeps on mine on my lap and squeeze it lightly. My eyes bulge their sockets. This is so weird. 

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  • Views (7362)
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  • Comments (9)
  • Rating (4.5)
  • Dolapo Oloyede picture
    Dolapo Oloyede
    Still enjoys the story
  • Shiru picture
    Shiru
    Ameh girl, Benedict has a twin brother?? Am abit confused
  • Ogunbusola Omobolanle picture
    Ogunbusola Omobolanle
    M confused o M sure dats not Benedict
  • Busayo Ilori picture
    Busayo Ilori
    He's not Benedict, but Benson and I guess he was d one who helped Amy in d 1st episode. Nice episode
  • Benedicta Osei Arhin picture
    Benedicta Osei Arhin
    What just happened? Or I'm hallucinating? Is that Benedict?
  • Benedicta Osei Arhin picture
    Benedicta Osei Arhin
    What just happened? Or I'm hallucinating? Is that Benedict?
  • Eunice Ache picture
    Eunice Ache
    I hope Benedict and Benson won't start fighting over Amy?
  • Shiru picture
    Shiru
    What if she likes the groomy one? I hope not , it will break my heart. Benson is sweet while the other is gloomy
  • Pamela cube picture
    Pamela cube
    What happened to him, Why is he acting nice all of a sudden?
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