Pearls of Love (Episode 17)
I tried talking but nothing was coming out of my mouth. I think I had been badly injured. I tried to get up but couldn’t, my head was too heavy, and I almost screamed out. I wasn't sure where I was and wanted to be sure nothing was wrong with Ann and the kids, but I couldn't move, I tried to tell Esther I needed to see Ann, but I couldn't talk and I became scared, perhaps, one of my senses have been affected. I just hoped my nervous system had not been damaged.
Somewhere I think I heard Ann sobbed, and my heart leap. Was she hurt, what about the kids. Hopefully none of them were hurt. I was able to do some reasoning but no one could hear me. Another thought ran through my head, could I be possible dead?
Maybe when someone is dead, like we see in movies, maybe they are able to see people while those people are unable to see them. I was sensing what was happening around, but no one seemed to notice me, maybe I was unconscious. Somehow I was sure I wasn’t dead.
It was with this thought that that I forced myself up. I was able to get up, but was immediately sent on my back by a sharp excruciating pain, running from my head down my spine and I saw stars everywhere. Before my eyes were shut off, I saw Ann as she knelt somewhere beside me.
'Dan ...., oh', she cried. I wanted to tell her not to cry, that I was just bothered about her and kids, but I couldn't talk.
'He'll be okay. I think he needs some rest', Esther told her.
Another doctor came, a male. I think they must have injected me with a sedative because I didn't remember any other thing until I woke up mid-day the next day.
I was kept in a room, downstairs; I guess they didn't want to take me up the stairs to avoid complications.
As I opened my eyes the first person I saw was Pat and I tried to smile to her, she was sitting just beside my head and touching my head lightly with her palm, and I heard.
'Daddy, please get well'. Somehow I knew I had to get well and leave that hospital bed, my kids needed me, and the home must have missed me too.
I was a bit relieved now that I had seen Pat and know she was alright, it was only Peter I was yet to see.
'Baby Pat', I called gently. I liked calling her that, she was my pet in the house.
'Daddy, daddy is awake', she runs out to announce.
'Mummy-Peter, daddy is awake'. She announced, and I heard steps coming towards the room. It was Ann entered first.
'Oh, thank God', I could see the relive as she planted a kiss on my cheek. I wanted to pull her to me and kiss her, but I could not. I missed her so much. One night of unconsciousness was enough. There are so many things I needed to know right there.
Peter came in and sat on the edge of bed.
"Sorry daddy".
I nodded.
'Was any of you hurt?" I really needed to know. None of them looked hurt nevertheless; I needed to hear it all.
'No', she replied.
'What happened?'
'You still need to rest', she replied.
No, not me, what I want now is to know what happened, nothing else mattered, I didn’t like being kept out of things, like that.
'I don't need any more rest', I told her.
'Okay, let me just tell the visitors, I have to be with you, okay" She got up and left.
'Daddy, the police came. They've been guiding the house since last night'. Peter said as I held his hand.
That sounded impressive; I didn’t know they were that efficient. When Ann returned, she told me what happened after I had been hit with the gun. She had screamed and one of them had rushed at her trying to strip her, but she fought him. Suddenly, their leader ordered them to leave. That was how they left. She had called the cops immediately and called her friend Esther who came to the house that night before they managed to get me to the hospital. She couldn't reach Ken and Kate on phone until the next morning. The police had later come and took notes, then sent two cops to look over the house.
Well, I was relieved, knowing nothing happened to any of them. I immediately started thinking of the precautionary measures to forestall recurrence of such an incidence. I thought, perhaps in the past I hadn't been too concerned about security, I thought it was something I had taken for granted for too long. It wasn't just enough to have insurance on properties and life, but good security on all of it should be encouraged.
I was on sick bed for two weeks; I had developed fever aside the bruises sustained from the attack. The company I worked for were informed of the incident and I was granted sick leave for a month. Ann took a week off too from work to stay at home with me.
Exactly a week after, I was fully ready to go back to work. On the Monday morning, we prepared as usual, by now the police officers had left the house. I was going to use the Monday in search for a security company to secure the house. I needed 24 hours security surveillance. Though it would be very expensive but was the best thing I needed in such situation.
By the time I resumed back to work, I had piled up load of work on my desk, that needed to be attended to, and I knew I was going to have a very busy week. The monthly board meeting was also a few days ahead.
I had two un-read messages only in my personal inbox that was a surprise because I got up to twenty genuine messages every day, not to talk of junk mails and other irrelevant mails and forwarded messages. And so I was expecting to have over a thousand messages or thereabout, but was seeing only two unread messages.
I let out a sigh as I opened the messages and noticed they were irrelevant mails, just then, my eyes picked a mail from Rita, and another one still from her with a different subject line, they were flagged “Read”. My heart skipped. I had deleted the only message I received from her weeks before now. These messages came while I was indisposed and the only person that could access my mail was Ann; I wondered if she did read the messages as she didn't mention it.
I opened the mail. The first mail was a brief message just like the previous one.
Dan,
I hope you are well, haven’t heard from you of late
Rita,
The second mail reads:
Somewhere I think I heard Ann sobbed, and my heart leap. Was she hurt, what about the kids. Hopefully none of them were hurt. I was able to do some reasoning but no one could hear me. Another thought ran through my head, could I be possible dead?
Maybe when someone is dead, like we see in movies, maybe they are able to see people while those people are unable to see them. I was sensing what was happening around, but no one seemed to notice me, maybe I was unconscious. Somehow I was sure I wasn’t dead.
It was with this thought that that I forced myself up. I was able to get up, but was immediately sent on my back by a sharp excruciating pain, running from my head down my spine and I saw stars everywhere. Before my eyes were shut off, I saw Ann as she knelt somewhere beside me.
'Dan ...., oh', she cried. I wanted to tell her not to cry, that I was just bothered about her and kids, but I couldn't talk.
'He'll be okay. I think he needs some rest', Esther told her.
Another doctor came, a male. I think they must have injected me with a sedative because I didn't remember any other thing until I woke up mid-day the next day.
I was kept in a room, downstairs; I guess they didn't want to take me up the stairs to avoid complications.
As I opened my eyes the first person I saw was Pat and I tried to smile to her, she was sitting just beside my head and touching my head lightly with her palm, and I heard.
'Daddy, please get well'. Somehow I knew I had to get well and leave that hospital bed, my kids needed me, and the home must have missed me too.
I was a bit relieved now that I had seen Pat and know she was alright, it was only Peter I was yet to see.
'Baby Pat', I called gently. I liked calling her that, she was my pet in the house.
'Daddy, daddy is awake', she runs out to announce.
'Mummy-Peter, daddy is awake'. She announced, and I heard steps coming towards the room. It was Ann entered first.
'Oh, thank God', I could see the relive as she planted a kiss on my cheek. I wanted to pull her to me and kiss her, but I could not. I missed her so much. One night of unconsciousness was enough. There are so many things I needed to know right there.
Peter came in and sat on the edge of bed.
"Sorry daddy".
I nodded.
'Was any of you hurt?" I really needed to know. None of them looked hurt nevertheless; I needed to hear it all.
'No', she replied.
'What happened?'
'You still need to rest', she replied.
No, not me, what I want now is to know what happened, nothing else mattered, I didn’t like being kept out of things, like that.
'I don't need any more rest', I told her.
'Okay, let me just tell the visitors, I have to be with you, okay" She got up and left.
'Daddy, the police came. They've been guiding the house since last night'. Peter said as I held his hand.
That sounded impressive; I didn’t know they were that efficient. When Ann returned, she told me what happened after I had been hit with the gun. She had screamed and one of them had rushed at her trying to strip her, but she fought him. Suddenly, their leader ordered them to leave. That was how they left. She had called the cops immediately and called her friend Esther who came to the house that night before they managed to get me to the hospital. She couldn't reach Ken and Kate on phone until the next morning. The police had later come and took notes, then sent two cops to look over the house.
Well, I was relieved, knowing nothing happened to any of them. I immediately started thinking of the precautionary measures to forestall recurrence of such an incidence. I thought, perhaps in the past I hadn't been too concerned about security, I thought it was something I had taken for granted for too long. It wasn't just enough to have insurance on properties and life, but good security on all of it should be encouraged.
I was on sick bed for two weeks; I had developed fever aside the bruises sustained from the attack. The company I worked for were informed of the incident and I was granted sick leave for a month. Ann took a week off too from work to stay at home with me.
Exactly a week after, I was fully ready to go back to work. On the Monday morning, we prepared as usual, by now the police officers had left the house. I was going to use the Monday in search for a security company to secure the house. I needed 24 hours security surveillance. Though it would be very expensive but was the best thing I needed in such situation.
By the time I resumed back to work, I had piled up load of work on my desk, that needed to be attended to, and I knew I was going to have a very busy week. The monthly board meeting was also a few days ahead.
I had two un-read messages only in my personal inbox that was a surprise because I got up to twenty genuine messages every day, not to talk of junk mails and other irrelevant mails and forwarded messages. And so I was expecting to have over a thousand messages or thereabout, but was seeing only two unread messages.
I let out a sigh as I opened the messages and noticed they were irrelevant mails, just then, my eyes picked a mail from Rita, and another one still from her with a different subject line, they were flagged “Read”. My heart skipped. I had deleted the only message I received from her weeks before now. These messages came while I was indisposed and the only person that could access my mail was Ann; I wondered if she did read the messages as she didn't mention it.
I opened the mail. The first mail was a brief message just like the previous one.
Dan,
I hope you are well, haven’t heard from you of late
Rita,
The second mail reads:
Dan dear,
I suppose this no good way to treat a dear friend. How is your family? I need some help from you. I hope to be in town soonest.
Love,
Rita
Why Love? Why did Ann read my mails without mentioning?
Sweat ran down from my forehead to my nose and a little into my eyes. I checked for my handkerchief, which was supposed to be on the desk, but it wasn't. The office was full –air-conditioned but I sweated all the same. Ann must have read the messages but she didn't mention it, I wonder what she thinks of it. It wouldn't have been anything supposing I had told her before about Rita, but I never mentioned her. I remember something like this once happened while we were in school several years back, she didn't talk about it immediately she noticed, but when she finally did, and hell was let loosed.
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Phone: (234) 08121807240
E-mail: ackcity@gmail.com
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