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I focused my sole attention on the clock in my room as it made its usual ticking sound. Putting my undivided attention on anything at this point was all i could do. I was lost on what to do or even how i should react at this point.
“You do know i’m not going to eat you or anything Amanda” I heard Frederick suddenly say out of nowhere.
As you’ve probably guessed, Frederick and I were currently in my room sitting on my bed. And please don’t get any funny ideas from what i just said. While i was sitting down on a far end of the bed, Frederick was also on another end. Good thing my bed was big enough for that.
Pouting I replied. “Of course I know that”
“Well the huge distance between us says otherwise” He released a low chuckle gesturing to the huge gap between us. I couldn’t still believe that my mother agreed to this. My heart has been beating insanely irregularly since we got to my room. I was admittedly nervous.
“Fine” I said with a sigh. I stood up and moved closer to were he was. Now looking back i realize that my actions were indeed stupid.
“Yes much better” he told me with a mega watt smile.
After that nobody said anything. The air seemed somewhat dense. It was almost like neither of us had anything to say, for me that was…. you could even say normal, but for Frederick it was down straight unusual. I mean it was like he always had what to say all the time, so this was indeed strange.
It seemed like Frederick finally got his mojo back because he finally spoke.
“So your mom is….” He dragged his word for an unusually long time before he continued “Nice?” his final words at the end of the day came out as if it were a question.
I let out a laugh at this “No need to sugarcoat your words, i am well aware that she’s an A grade bitch” It might have sounded crude to the ear but alas it was still the truth. Don’t get me wrong i do love my mother, i love both my parents even though they don’t seem to reciprocate those feelings. But it was no secret that my mom’s attitude was crap.
An awkward look over took his face as i spoke. “I wouldn’t really exactly place it plainly like that, but yeah, its quiet close to that” I smiled a little it was cute that he was trying to be nice.
Silence reigned again shortly after that, i didn’t want it to stick so i asked him a question.
“Did you know about this dinner?”
“No i didn’t. I actually found out today just like you did. I told my mom i could come alone and that she should rest in the hospital but she stubbornly insisted that she comes” Oh that explains a lot then.
“I’m sure she would be fine. She’s a strong woman” I tried reassuring him as i noticed a worried expression on his face.
He sighed but still managed to give me a smile “I hope so”
“Right and all, where did you go to soo urgently in the morning. You left me in the library. You didn’t really say much in the note that you wrote” i tried to hide my disappointed tone at the end. Truth be told i was looking forward to still seeing Frederick by my side when i woke up, but when i didn’t see him i was a little bit disappointed.
“Oh that” he said in realization “There was a mild crises in the company and i had to go there immediately. I was thinking on waking you up but i wanted you to rest well. Sorry about that” He looked genuinely apologetic so i did forgive him.
“It’s alright”
“And also i have been meaning to ask” I began.
Frederick raised a questioning eyebrow. “Ah nawa o, is this twenty questions or what?” I gave him a look.
“Just kidding, ask away”
“As i was saying, i have been meaning to ask, Just what is the name of your family’s company” I already had a guess, but if it was what i was thinking then i was wrong about one thing.
“Right, it’s true sef i haven’t told you. The name is Zora’s Enterprise” Yup just like i thought, i was indeed wrong about one thing. Frederick’s family wasn’t merely the word ‘rich’, they were infact beyond the measly boundary of wealthy.
Everyone and i mean everyone knew Zora’s Enterprise. It was a global enterprise. It was situated in almost all the countries of the world. That was how big it was. They were specialized in different areas, Oil, entertainment, coal mining. You name it.
Who would have thought that i was engaged to the heir of the enterprise. It all made perfect sense now. My parents really wanted this engagement because they knew they would benefit greatly.
“Oh” i muttered.
“Hmm you don’t seem all that surprised. First time i’m seeing such a reaction from someone after finding out the name of my family’s company” It’s not that i wasn’t shocked at all, it was just that i hid it well.
“Just show’s i’m special” I playfully shrugged.
“And special you indeed are” He said easily agreeing with me. Not what i was expecting but i’m not complaining. I blushed a little at his statement.
“Oh right, i almost forgot to tell you. You look extraordinarily beautiful today Amanda, not like you aren’t every other day” He was smooth i will give him that. He sure did know how to make a girl blush multiple times in a roll.
“Thanks. You don’t look too bad yourself” And i was infact saying the truth, he did look good. But unlike me that was wearing what was a formal gown, Frederick was dressed casual. It was really unfair that the boy could look good even when he wasn’t trying as much.
“I…” The shouting of our names from downstairs made Frederick to halt what he was about to say.
The screams of our names was really alarming and very loud. It seemed urgent so we both rushed downstairs. Frederick was obviously faster than me as he was a sports person. But we did take some time in reaching there being that my room was on the top floor.
When we finally reached downstairs the sight that greeted us was horrible. Frederick and I stared wide eyed in horror at the scene before us. I spotted both my parents with worried looks trying to help Mrs Zikora who was apparently bent over on the floor vigorously coughing out thick chunks of blood from her mouth.
And to say I was reassuring Frederick few minutes ago that everything would be alright. It turned out that everything ‘WASN’T’ alright at the end of the day.
“Doctor, can I see my mother now” Frederick frantically asked the doctor that had just come out of his mother’s hospital room.
After what happened in my house few hours ago, we hurriedly rushed Frederick’s mom to the hospital. The look in Frederick’s eyes as he saw his mother’s condition will forever hunt me. There and then he looked like he was going to break down. That was the very first time I’ve seen Frederick look so shattered. And to top it all up he looked beyond exhausted.
I was also astonished that my parents also stayed in the hospital with us. It’s sad how they wouldn’t have been bothered to stay if it were me in this condition, But for a person who was almost like a stranger to them they practically dropped all they were doing to be here. Oh the irony.
“Yes you can go in and see her, although she’s sleeping now” The doctor said. And he then added “But not all of you can go in at once. At least two at a time should be okay” After telling us that the doctor left.
Frederick turned to face my parents. He politely thanked them for coming and said that they could go home and rest, and that he would bring me home himself. My parents being my parents didn’t even waste a second before agreeing to what Frederick had said. The least they could have done is at least pretend to care. Or maybe this was even much better. But before they left they did send their regards to Mrs Zikora.
“Let’s go in” I said with a small smile nudging Frederick a little.
“Yeah” He reciprocated my smile although his didn’t reach his eyes.
As we entered the hospital room I couldn’t help but gasp. Just like the first day I saw Frederick’s mom laid down on the bed with manifold tubes attached to her, it was the same right now only that this time the tubes looked a lot more. Tears began to gather in my eyes. This woman has been more of a mother to me in less than a week than my own actual mother has ever been to me. Seeing her in such a condition literally broke my heart.
I immediately blinked away my tears. I couldn’t be weak at this time. Frederick needed me more, she was his mother after all. Just imagine, if I felt this way I just wonder how Frederick must have felt.
On cue I heard a low sniff from my side. Frenzied I turned and I was shocked by what I saw next. Frederick, one of the strongest person I know, a person that could easily brighten your entire day with a single smile, had tears rolling down his face.
“Frederick is everything okay?” I literally facepalmed myself on the face. Of freakin course he wasn’t okay. Which son would in this situation.
“Of course you’re not okay, how can you be okay. I’m so sorry that was a very stupid question…” I kept rambling on, I guess I just I didn’t know when to stop.
The next thing I heard was a low chuckle. “It’s quite okay Amanda. It’s comical how without knowing you easily lifted my mood” He turned to me and smiled. Although he still had tears rolling down his eyes.
Well that was a relief. I thought I made everything worse. I turned my gaze back to a blissfully sleeping Mrs Zikora. Her hair as always was covered, if it was possible it looked like she had gotten paler. I can just imagine the pain she goes through everyday.This content is © NôvelDrama.Org.
“You know Amanda” I was surprised when Frederick started talking after a while. “I know about my mother condition. I know about her ‘real’ condition” He put much emphasis on the word real. “I’m sure you do to” I was surprised that he found out about it but at the same time I wasn’t.
“I begged the doctor to tell me about it. Although she tried to hide it, she was getting paler and much weaker as the day passed. So I knew something was wrong somewhere” His voice cracked a little but he cleared it just as fast.
“I know she didn’t want to tell me because she thought that was a way of protecting me. But frankly, it really wasn’t” I didn’t want to say anything as this was the first time I’ve Frederick freely express his thoughts and feelings to me and I wanted to treasure it.
“To be perfectly open with you Amanda, I’m scared” This time he actually broke down and it was such a heart breaking sight. “I’m scared because I know she might not make it. I’m scared because I might be left all alone in this world. I’m scared because I feel like I would have nothing to live for anymore. And most of all I’m scared that I might retrograde back to my old self. Amanda I’m soo scared”
“First my father and now my mother. Is God that cruel?” It was admittedly agonizing watching him. I could feel my own tears coming but I knew I had to hold it back. The mere sight of Frederick weeping like a new born child tore my heart apart. His words too made me much more sad. Didn’t he know that he had other people in his life that loved him?
I knew it was time for me to talk, and so I did. I didn’t want to say anything like ‘Don’t worry everything will be fine’ because I didn’t know if it would actually be. I knew it was only right to reassure someone when you knew absolutely what the outcome would be. And sadly I didn’t.
So instead I said this “Frederick hey look at me” I tiptoed so my hand could reach the height of his face, and I made him look directly at me.
“You won’t be left all alone in this world because you have me. You will always have me” I sincerely promised. At least I knew that it was a promise I could keep.
“Also have you forgotten that you have four other friends that will also support you. And please and please, I don’t want you talking that nonsense that you don’t have anything else to live for again, because you do” I stated firmly “Your whole life is still very much ahead of you. And most of all your mother wouldn’t like you talking like that” Frederick stared at me with some kind of emotion that I couldn’t properly decipher. His tears were all dried up now.
“You’re telling the truth right? I will always have you” He muttered out. He looked almost like a child saying it which made me to let out a small smile.
Reassuring him with a nod I responded affirmatively “Always”.
It seemed like my answer was all he needed. With a growing smile of his own he pulled me closer to him and hugged me impishly, which made me to believe that it meant he will never let go.
I guess I wasn’t the only one that somewhat needed another person to lean on.