To Hate Emmanuel Johnsons - Episode 22

Emmanuel's pov:

tessy just slapped me and i don't even feel the sting. She looks at

her hand like it hurts. Why cant i feel the pain?. Its because i am

numb. After storming off when i saw prosper or whatever his name is,

hugging tessy, i went and sat under the coconut tree at the back of

our school. I needed to blow off steam. I sat there for just a few

seconds when i heard my phone which i sometimes sneak to school,

ringing in my pocket. Who could be calling me by this time? I had

thought and when i checked the caller ID i saw Mr alex's name, i

answered and just like i expected, he told me my result was ready. I

took permission from my vice principal and headed to the hospital.

Even before i opened the envelope i knew the outcome. It was written

all over Mr alex's face. Opening and reading it confirmed it. I have

cancer. Pancreatic cancer to be exact, just like my mother. After

reading it, i couldn't help but cry as reality hit me in the face

again.

"emmanuel, you have to be strong"Mr Alex consoled me.

"strong? What's the need, i am going to die" i said

"ofcourse not. You are very lucky emmanuel"

"lucky to have cancer? What are you talking about?" i asked him and he

gave me a little bit of goodnews

"your cancer is still at the early stage

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. It can be cured. Your father

has the resources so you can get cured" this brought a sliver of hope

to my heart. If there was a chance that i could overcome cancer then i

would.

Mr Alex talked to me about the different treatment i would undergo.

Radiotheraphy, chemotherapy and surgery if its needed. He told it

would be painful and that it would also be a battle of the mind . I

have to be strong. I told him i would undergo treatment.

Unfortunately, the only adequate hospitals in Nigeria that have the

required equipments and doctors were either in lagos or in abuja. He

helped me book an appointment at an hospital in lagos. Now, all i have

to do is tell my dad then I'll be moving to lagos for treatment. The

only con of this arrangement was the fact that i wouldn't get to see

the people i have grown to love. Olivia and tessy. Yes, i love tessy.

Its true what they say that at the face of death, you realise many

things. I now know that what i feel for tessy is love, not a simple

attraction or crush or even lust. No, i love her. And now, i have to

let her go. We were never meant to be. My dad's wedding to tehila is a

stumbling block and now my sickness. I know she has feelings for me so

i have to let her down with care but when she catches me as i say my

last goodbye to olivia i tell her about my revenge plan against her. I

even told her that our kisses were all part of my revenge. And she

slapped me.

"i am sorry" i keep on saying but she just starts walking away from

me. I cant let her leave like this, we may never see each other again

so i grab her and hug her from behind and cry. This is the second time

i am crying in the presence of tessy but this time she doesn't comfort

me, she cries with me.

"i am sorry, please don't leave like this" i say but she just place

her hands on mine for a second then pull them away from her. She wipes

her tears at the entrance of olivia's class before entering. I watch

and see as she comes out with olivia and they walk away. I watch their

back as they leave.

Read " To Live For Once (Set Me Free II) " by the same author ( Ameh juliet )

. It was necessary, i tell myself. She would not be

hurt by my leaving to lagos if she hates me, which i think she does

now. I don't want to be like her father who abandoned her, but i think

i'll still end up looking like i did the same to her. I don't want her

pity either, so my sickness would be kept a secret from her. I stand

there for a long time just staring into space until our school's

security man comes to tell me, they have to lock the school before i

leave.

On getting home, i wait patiently for my dad's return. Thankfully, he

comes early today. After his dinner, i sit him down and tell him about

mom's cancer and mine. He looks torn by the news and he swears to

Change and pay me more attention. We hug and cry together as we mourn

my mother. I know he now loves tehila and i don't object as long as he

is happy.

My dad wants me to start my treatment earlier so he decides to push

his wedding forward so he could marry tehila faster and we could all

move to lagos. He wants to marry tehila before my treatment because it

may take a long time to cure it and so that tehila will help take care

of me during my treatment.

He calls tehila and now, the wedding has been set for the weekend.