♡

Rena's doctor had checked in at the Crawford Medical Institute and placed a call through to the house line.

That morning, she was with a skewer, three inches deep into a freshly baked loaf of bread from Mandy's.

Yea, she was no baker or culinary expert but derived such satisfaction from discovering each morning just how perfect Mandy's bakes were.

Just as she made slices of the warm bread, the house phone rang and she though reluctantly, dragged her slender self in those quick short strides over to the telephone.

"Hello?" She voiced as she placed the receiver to her ear, glancing at the neatly sliced pieces of bread ; satisfied.

"Dawson household?"

"Speaking."

"Can I please get Miss Rena Dawson on the line?"

"Speaking."

After her somewhat nasal-ish, somewhat soft yet anti-feminine voice sounded, there was a disturbing silence at the other end of the line.

"This is doctor Maxwell from the medical institute." A masculine voice softly stuttered- finally breaking the synapse.

"Oh, doctor." She cleared her throat. "Hi."

"Yea..." Another series of pin-drop silence followed, then the doctor finally spoke;

"How are you?"

♡

University of Crawford East or Crawford Arts was the only and most renowned arts university in town and due to this fact, introverted home-lovers like Rena Dawson had a greater advantage since they could go to school there from home.

Yea, even at age 23, she was anything but ashamed to do housesitting for her parents every blessed day- and she loved it!

Besides, since the pair was always so busy with daddy's church, there wasn't a candidate as qualified as herself; Jenna her genetic lookalike attended a college outside town and only visited when she was in a financial mess or missed home-cooking.

Either way, the answer was rarely because the girl was fiercely independent - it was becoming a problem too...

She never did ask for help.

On one of those good days when the mountains which stood in clusters afar off behind the school were foggy, the air was slightly chilly and the sun peeked in from admits cheeky clouds, Rena sat under an orange tree in the expanse of the school field, reading poetry- it was a classic by Shakespeare.

From a distance, a feminine figure clad in denim and a woven sweater marched towards her, clutching a brown leather tote and mustering a grin on her small round face.

"Nike," Rena called out.

"In the flesh." A brownskinned girl exclaimed as she neared, panting softly.

"I thought you had class."

"Sick leave jare."

Nike sat next to Rena and retrieved a medium-sized tub of yoghurt from her tote.

"Indeed, you look so sick to me. Let me check your temperature." She teased and playfully pinched her friend's neck.

"Yee!!! Leave me alone. Just say you want to beg and stop harassing me, joor."

"Me? Beg you?! Why will I beg you when I can just snatch it?"

Nike touched the tip of her tongue and pointed to the sky.

With a mouth full of yoghurt, she muttered a jumble of words that Rena didn't wish to care about.

In one swift motion, the latter robbed her counterpart of the tub of yoghurt and took off.

"Rena!!!" Nike screamed in a fit of annoyance mingled with the amusement her eyes lit up with and chased after Rena- the yoghurt thief.

♡

Rena and Nike sat together once again but at the former's mother's kitchen island.

'The Dawsons' was proudly carved on an open wall space at the left end of the kitchen right above the kitchen cabinet- Nike's eyes were judiciously fixed on it.

"Why?" She asked with a hint of amusement in her tone.

Rena was lost.

"Why what?" She asked; spreading her friend's slice of Mandy's loaf with Nutella.

"Who does that?" Nike's tone was soft and steady; laughter was evident as a glint in her eyes as she pointed at the family's name carved on the wall.

"You're sick. You know you're sick, right?"

"No, but seriously? Your family is so weird like guy..." she bit into the sandwich greedily.

"Don't call us the Churchsons." Rena spoke, melodramatically clenching her fists.

But nonetheless; "Churchsons .. ha ha," Nike spat out with a round of laughter.

"Renie," a masculine voice occupied the ambiance.

"Daddy," Rena squealed.

"Good day, sir." Nike scurried away from the table briefly.

"Yea, God bless you, my dear." Mr Bryan Dawson stood at the entrance of the kitchen with his extra large copy of the Holy Bible in hand, clad in a brown tux.

Rena rushed to embrace her father.

"How are you doing, my princess?"

"I'm fine. Where's mummy?"

"Mummy's over here," a feminine voice sounded. "Long, hectic traffic. Stuck in a piece of metal for hours..."

A lightskinned middle-aged woman pulled her weary self into the kitchen in a bubu gown, tugging a green leather purse and a shopping bag behind.

Her head was judiciously wrapped in a tiger skin print chiffon headscarf while the eoolen braids she wore cascaded down her back.

Rena rushed to help her mother with the load.

"Are these ours?"

"The groceries?"

"Yea."

"No, they're for the missionary. Tomorrow, you'll go to In & Out and get groceries for the house," Mrs Dawson spoke, scribbling down on a small note pad with heavy eyes and a pair of glasses which sat meticulously on her pointed nose.

Rena had inherited this feature from her mom, whilst her second had a wide flat nose like that of their father.

"Nike."

Mrs Dawson finally noticed the girl who sat unusually quiet at one end of the island- she had been calculating how she would chip into the mother-daughter conversation to pay her respects.

"Good day, ma."

"How are you doing, dear?"

"I'm fine, thanks."

"And your parents?"

"They are well, ma. We thank God."

Rena held back laughter.

Mrs Dawson glanced at her and left the kitchen shortly; then it was just the two girls.

"We thank God," Rena mockingly imitated her friend.

"What is wrong with this one?" Nike questioned and nursed a sharp hiss.

"But since when, now?"

"See, when in Rome, you act like..."

"Leave that thing." Rena teased. "I've started influencing you," she added.

"You wish." Nike retorted playfully.

"But you know its true."

Nike waved her hand melodramatically dismissing her counterpart's remark.

She walked over to the cabinet where the grocery bag lay and fished out a bag of chips she had been eyeing for a while.

"Nike!"

"Are you going to finish that?" She asked, pointing at Rena's sandwich.

She snatched it.

"Missionary food."

"Abeg leave that thing." She leaned in and asked in a whisper; "Does your mother want to cook? I never chop any better thing since morning, oh." Nike explained, devouring the sandwich and digging into the bag of chips.

"That is a mighty lie- you of all people."

"Take it or leave it, then. Have you taken them?..."

A panging silence drilled through the atmosphere right after Nike's question.

A mix of shock and unease washed over Rena. Her expression was frozen- bewilderment.

"Taken what?" She retorted.

"Rena, we're not going back to this."

"Then let it be!"

Nike put down the half-eaten bag of chips and stared intensely at her friend.

"What is wrong with you?" She sternly asked- her expression serious.

"Nike just ... leave me alone."

"And I won't," Nike fired back.

Rena breathed uneasily.

She paced about the kitchen, placing both arms over her head and down, and back on her head again.

"Nike," she called.

"Yea?"

"Nike."

"Hmm?"

"Leave..."

"What?! I should - I - I should leave your house?!" A wave of emotion washed over Nike;

She was hurt and angry.

"Yes," Rena replied, finally making eye contact but this time, her eyes were teary.

"I should..." Nike's voice trailed off in a whisper and she as well fought back tears.

Immediately, she pushed herself off the table and stormed off, shoving Rena aside.

"Bitch," she murmured to her hearing and left the kitchen.

Rena held herself self-pityingly and broke down sliding across the kitchen wall.

"She's the bitch; feeling like she's

doing me a favour. I don't need her," she murmured to herself. "I need God."

♡

It was about 7:00am; the early hours of the morning and the Dawson house was stiff silent.

Rena lay in bed that virgin hour, scanning her red, brick wall from the bed she lay on.

Her sullen eyes were firmly fixed on the wall at the other side of the bedroom- the tired eyes held something heavier than the bags beneath them and saw something beyond the brickwall she stared at.

Sunlight filtered in from her nude-coloured blinds and bathed her light brown skin as she laid among the lavender sheets- Still.

Completely still she laid, resembling her own ghost.

She leaned to the bedside, retrieved a handmirror and gazed into her reflection.

"I bet makeup won't cover this," she muttered to herself as she studied her swollen eyes and the dark circles they were adorned with.

"I look terrible..." she mused.

A soft knock sounded on her door. Her bare feet softly kissed the carpeted floor as she made for the door.

"Who is it?" She called out- her voice a bit more nasal-ish than usual.

"Rena, we're off to church." Her mother's voice faintly echoed at the other side of the door.

"Do you hear me, dear?"

"Yea..." her voice trailed off weakly.

Rena sat herself on the bed. Then, splashes of the previous night begun to wash over her.

***There she was sprawled on her bed; there was a storm outside.

The power was out; her room was darkened, only dimly lit by the rechargeable moonlamp at her reading table.

Flashes of lightning highlighted her figure in the darkroom, casting vigorous shadows on the brick wall.

Used tissues decorated the carpet at every corner as the thunder and heavy downpour masked her sobs.

"I'm tired!!!" She whispered. "Let me die," she chanted softly. "Take me already... why?... when?..."

Her strange prayer continued steadily until she fell asleep.***

It was quite strange how beautiful the morning looked after the storm and intriguing how pretty Rena turned out to be after each rough night- more mesmerising was the fact that her stunning look transcended mere makeup routines.

She slid into a pair of blue jeans and a green checked Tshirt- the shirt was Jenna's though. She had left it behind in Crawford with some of her belongings and being a fashion enthusiast, it was an advantage to Rena who wasn't too crazy about clothing and style.

She had a class scheduled for 4:00pm later in the day and recalling the disagreement that had occurred between herself and Nike the previous day, she felt guilty somewhere deep down inside her and blamed herself immensely and hoped to use the first half of her day to make up for it.

In her defence, she was defenseless. "She loves you like her own blood and she stuck to you like a fool." She muttered to herself, as she handed her bedroom key over to Joan.

"Mummy and daddy will be back by evening." Joan informed.

"Okay. Have a nice day," she smiled at the chubby, darkskinned housekeeper who had caught her talking to herself for the umpteenth time.

Rena held the wooden rail and hastily descended the short flight of steps.

"Rena," Joan called, causing her to halt midway.

"Yea?" She responded, looking over her shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

Rena paused and took in a deep breath, feeling a wave of unease.

"Yea." She smiled- that feigned smile; a dark blanket concealing the unspeakable.

"You know, I learnt something." Joan approached her, equally descending the stairs.

"What did you learn, Joan?" Rena asked in a jovial tone as though they were having a lighthearted conversation but the heaviness inside of Rena already densed the atmosphere.

"I learned ... that sometimes, its okay to not be okay."

Rena adjusted her posture; her back straightened as though she had been suddenly hit by something.

She clutched the small leather bag strapped to her upper body and painted the marble floor with her gaze.

"Thank you, Joan." She muttered and glanced at her wristwatch. "I want to leave now if you don't mind. Bye." She mustered that smile again and dashed out of the house.

"I'll be back before nightfall," Rena yelled right before the front door slammed shut.

♡

Now Rena knew Nike quite well and she knew what she liked, loved and went completely crazy over- the slightest things.

Yoghurt; Nike loved yoghurt to the moon and back but S'n'C yoghurt?- she went bonkers over it!

S'n'C aka Sweets & Chills was the heart of dessert and sweet treats in Crawford and Nike was a chronic frequenter.

So, Rena decided that she would get the king-sized special as a peace offering and hopefully, the glutton in Nike would conform.

♡

"I'm sorry."

Rena's pitiable tone broke the miserably awkward silence dominating the ambiance.

The two girls sat opposite each other in the living room of Nike's small apartment.

The entire space was artistically invaded with shades of purple- from the couch to the cushions to thick curtains that hung tall, even to the table cloth and little aesthetical decors scattered here and there.

Nike cleared her thoat- expression blank.

The gorgeous tub of deliciousness sat on the table, in the middle of both girls. It was evident that gluttonous old Nike was fiercely battling the effects that the king-sized yoghurt had on her.

The cream coloured cellophane bag that had conveyed the treat was roughly crumpled up in Rena's right hand while in the other hand was a bowl and spoon she had retrieved from Nike's kitchen.

"I know I was a complete fool and I deserve whatever name you're calling me in your head right now," she chuckled sadly.

Nike rolled her eyes, holding back a smile.

She continued; "I'm sorry for how I reacted and I know I shouldn't have ... It's just that everything's been so so difficult."

Rena's tone started to weaken and become shaky. "Mummy and daddy don't understand what is happening to me.

They take it all so casually. They don't know that I need them. They're always at church. I mean, I love God but ... but... this is just too much!..." Rena finally broke down in tears. "Sometimes, I think they love the church more than they love me.

I'm their daughter for crying out loud. I mean Jenna is too and they hardly give a damn about her but what about my condition?... Daddy always says God is in control and Mummy?- I know how much she cries when she thinks I'm not looking."

"Rena," Nike began. "Your parents are merely scared."

"Then what about me?! I'm going to-"

"Rena."

"But it's true for God sakes!"

"Maybe ... you should have a little faith. It would help you cherish the life you have now so that you'll be able to make clear choices and decisions." Nike 'preached'. She was already by her side with a tissue.

"Thank you." Rena breathed in deeply and dried her tears.

"If you like cry from now till next semester, I'm eating this yoghurt alone." Nike teased. "I know your tactics," she added.

"Stupid girl," Rena playfully commented, pushing her counterpart's head fondly and they both burst into giggles.

"Well, the truth is that I also called you a bitch and that was just out of frustration oh... but I couldn't sleep with the thought last night so ... I'm also... I'm also sorry.

I actually wanted to visit your place with this peace offering."

Nike reached behind the sofa she sat on and retrieved a cellophane bag with a logo- Mandy's.

Rena dove at Nike and snatched the bag enthusiastically.

"Mandy's!!!" She yelled. "So you're this empathetic?..." she teased.

"Leave me alone, joor."

Rena immediately dug into the warm piece of baked divinity while Nike on the other hand simultaneously began devouring into the tub of yoghurt.

"Do you know ... he called?" Rena began.

"He-who?"

"The doctor."

"Well of course he did, he's your doctor for crying out loud... or is your brain also affected?"

"Nike," Rena called out in a serious tone. "I've told you not to make jokes with this thing... you're.." Her voice trailed off to tears.

"I'm sorry." Nike compassionately rushed off to her side and offered her half-eaten tub of yoghurt as a compensation but before Rena could get a spoonful, she playfully snatched it away, forcing a chuckle out of the former.

Silenced passed once more.

"What's with the doctor? ... You like him?"

Rena's eyes lit up as of something far off. "Nike?..." she called softly, still staring into the distance.

"Hmmm." Nike replied.

"Could it be that I'm like one of those girls in those movies that they fall in love with a man right before they die?..."

"Rena!" Nike screamed chasteningly.

"No, I'm just saying, because..."

"Rena."

"Nikeee ... reason, now. I have never felt such peace in my life before. I feel so happy whenever I see him or even hear his voice... Its not natural."

"So you do like him," Nike muttered mischievously, scooping yoghurt into her mouth.

Rena suddenly jumped off the purple sofa, making gestures with her hand like someone performing in the opera and continued her speech; "Maybe he's the only thing that can give me true happiness ... maybe this is God's way of restoring.."

"Church girl!" Nike exclaimed.

Rena relaxed into the couch and spread her arms out with head tipped backward.

"Nikeee... This is the first thing that has excited me in a long time. Have I ever been this interested in any guy before?" She asked, wide-eyed.

"Renaaaa."

"What?"

"Slowdown. Look, I know how this feels and it feels right. Yes?"

"Yea... because it is."

"But this guy doesn't like you. I mean, we can't be sure that he does. We don't want to break your actual heart now, do we?" Nike gestured at her, like a mother giving out advice. "Rena, you have never dated a guy in your life so I don't want you being used by any one."

Rena recoiled into the chair. "You're right." She rubbed her shoulders like but it wasn't cold in.

"Nike, you think I'm being desperate?"

Nike chuckled.

"A little bit, maybe. Cos, there are more fulfilling things a young lady could do for herself rather than being entangled with man," she explained.

"Hmmm," Rena hummed dramatically. "Madam-I pay-my-rent-and-run-my own-business." She teased.

A grin momentarily lit up Nike's face.

"Miss daddy's girl. If you like, don't start planning on how to leave your parent's house." she teased right back. "I'm even an inspiration to you- showing you the way.

Later your people will say I'm a bad influence..." Nike's voice trailed off into laughter as she slapped her own knees 0in amusement.

Rena rolled her eyes.

"They didn't say bad. They said bold."

Nike laughed harder.

"What is bold?!" She exclaimed in a high pitched tone, overwhelmed by amusement.

"You need help," Rena muttered in annoyance.

Her eyes drifted to a wall at the right end of the living room right above the couch Nike sat on- there was a picture frame hanging on the wall.

"You still have this?" She asked, approaching the picture of herself and Nike about eighteen years ago.

"Yea, I found it in my storage. I didn't even know I had it." She smiled.

Rena chuckled fondly as she examined the photo carefully;

In the photo, a slender brownskinned girl stared back at her with huge, rabbit-like dentition and gem like eyes that lit up with childish amusement and wonder.

Another girl with darker shade of brown skin stood next to her, with her hand fondly curled around the former's neck.

She had little beady eyes and a smile that spread across her small round face. She superceded the first girl in body mass but was a bit shorter.

"Do you remember when this picture was taken?" Nike asked as she joined Rena on the wall; examining the frame.

"No," she replied, not shifting her gaze.

"It was..."

***September 24th 2007, in front of the Dawson's family house- it was Nike's birthday and Rena had decided to throw her a party.

"I'll celebrate your birthday for you." Four-year-old Rena assured.

Now, it wasn't that Nike hailed from a financially constrained family.

It was just that the girl's parents never had time for her; typical of multi-millionaire-coupes in that part of the world.

Due to this fact, one could even say that Nike was lucky to have met Rena in her life and at such a young age.

It equally posed as a great advantage to Rena who at that time, was always at heads with her identical twin, Jenna.

The girls were as close as siblings; well, at least closer than Rena and Jenna were.

Everyone did assume the pair would grow out of it but that was a tale for some other time.

Nike being a year older decided to play the role of an elder sister to Rena, always protecting her, even at school.

Their bond was strong.

Nike was the perfect company for Rena, who was a naive church girl always getting picked on by other kids- unfortunately, she wasn't stubborn and bold like her sister and the latter wasn't even going to the same school as she was so she couldn't stand up for her frail sister.

Nike even fought the authority of Rena's parents who saw her as a bold influence on their daughter, instigating major change on the girl.

It was the two of them against the world until Nike's family finally moved away to a far-away town.

Luckily, they ended up attending the same university three years earlier after completely losing contact with each other for four years in a row.

It was all thanks to Nike who due to a thirst for freedom and independence moved back to Crawford to stand on her feet and reunite with her friend, Rena.

In her own words, she wanted a breath of fresh air from 'The Vampire Couple'- her parents...***

Both their minds simultaneously jogged back to reality as they stood; pinned to the wall, each of two legs hanging from the purple-coloured couch Nike had been seated on as their curious eyes desperately scanned the picture frame on the wall, right above the couch.

A giggle escaped Rena.

Nike's head snapped to the left and soon, she too was giggling.

The giggled turned to laughter, and soon, they were laughing hard and Nike was on her back in no time.

"Why are we laughing?!" Rena asked, crouching down beside her on the carpeted floor.

"I don't know..." she responded, words mumbling out of her mouth.

Rena's face tightened as she fought back laughter- Nike's funny visage cracked her up even more because to her, the girl resembled a pumpkin when she laughed that hard.

Rena held her belly, head tipped backwards.

Then, she held her chest... then her head.

Suddenly, she flung herself on the floor; she was no longer laughing- coughing and violently.

"Blood," Nike muttered with a pang of terror in her eyes.

"Not now.." she mused, taking Rena up in her arms.

Rena coughed so violently that her face reddened, but not in a good way.

She begun wriggling, her body vibrated on the floor.

Nike retreated for a while, allowing her to settle down.

Soon, she was still- pale.

"Rena," she called and tapped her softly.

Rena didn't move. Nike's shoulders relaxed. She grabbed her phone from her back pocket and dialed a number.

It rang.

"Hello?" A feminine voice echoed at the other end of the line.

"It's done," she voiced sternly, staring down at her friend's still body.

♡

Mrs Dawson stood in her dimly lit kitchen; arms agape as she paced to and fro. Her bare feet brushed against the marble floor as her brown ankle-length chiffon gown gracefully swept its uneven surface.

Worry- it was boldly embroidered on her face.

Her nose scrunched up to support the pair of glasses that sat on her pointed nose.

Hands ran through her braided hair as she counted down the seconds-

One, two, three...

The house telephone rang momentarily and she pounced on the receiver like a lion on its herbivorous prey.

Her hands shook nervously as she handled it.

"Hello?" Her shaky voice mused, with eyes that vigorously searched the environ like a thief's.

"It's done," the voice echoed from the other end of the line.

The woman put down the phone. Her body vibrated with the anxiety that bit into her flesh.

"Hospital," she mused to herself, grabbing her car keys off the kitchen island.

She soon dashed out of the house with such unhealthy speed, leaving Joan with the house key and an ounce of worry.

It was almost like she- Joan could feel the wave of the storm that was about to hit.

But there wasn't much she could do. The young lady tightened the strap of her plus-sized maid-dress, tailored to suit her physique and resumed her household duties.

She was always up and doing, shunning Rena's helping hand on numerous occassions- her way of showing appreciation to Mr Dawson and his wife for dusting her up from the slums.

***It was then in downtown Crawford; about ten years ago when She was yet to be the developing town she currently was.

J-baby as Joan was popularly called then was the youngest, smartest-looking hotcake in Olosho district.

Barely 16, she found herself caught up in the fast life ... prostitution was her muse.

Since her parents had passed before she knew who she was, she had been bred and brought up by a certain vile relative- a pimp who entreated her to sell her body for money.

He first introduced her to the trade by using her as a test subject for about a half of her developing years;

Haineous indeed,

But the middle aged patrons that slept with sixteen-year-old Joan could be compared to the animalistic idiot.

It was only a matter of time before she took in with a child whose father was unknown.

On one of those gloomy dark-weather days in Crawford and her young life, Uncle Dumebi as she'd addressed him was in sync with all the demons that walked earth's surface.

Joan was a few weeks into her fourth month then and it was the third month of her stay in the dimly lit, smelly little room Uncle Dumebi had trapped her in since he found out about her pregnancy.

A plate of rice and a bowl of a watery, colourless substance with dots of greens- stale vegetables was all she got on days that the miserable drunk remembered to feed her.

Of course he wasn't directly related to her; the man was her maternal step cousin but she called him uncle due to the age difference.

Joan had grown to hate him more than she hated herself and life.

He killed every form of childish innocence and dignity in her.

She was ready to die in that little room- and sure, she tried to every single day but

... there was a safe, faint presence with her everyday for the period she was trapped in that room.

Joan assumed it was her baby; that she had formed a bond unbreakable with the unfortunate little thing.

It made her feel peace, on days that either little Ma'ami kicked so violently or the weight of carrying life strangled her.

Even on the days she thought about strangling herself.

Sometimes, she would think about all the hurt Uncle Dumebi had caused her and would try to vent it on herself so she could eventually die.

But, she couldn't...

To her disappointment, she probably didn't hate him that much ... or was it that she surprisingly loved herself a little? ...

Or could it have been the presence?

On that fateful day when she met Mr Dawson, Joan had planned to escape her hell.

Luckily, Uncle Dumebi had invited some midwives to deliver the child.

On seeing the condition of the man's place, one of the women decided to take Joan to her place to rest after delivery.

The girl escaped on the third day, abandoning her newborn.

She was nearly knocked down by Mr Dawson's Station Wagon in the middle of the cool, dark night of downtown Crawford.

There on the wet tarred road she sat, staring wildly at him clutching a few of her belongings to her chest.

Mr Dawson stared down at her in shock and wonder- he thought it was an animal or possibly a bandit due to her bulky form.

That night as Joan rode home with this inhumanly kind stranger, her eyes watered with the words he spoke to her;

'She was worth more than her mistakes' and, 'the people that once exploited her would beg to be partakers of her breakthrough.'

All her life, she was a toy to disgusting people- abusers, but since she begun living with the Dawsons, she felt worth and purpose spring up in her over the years.

Mrs Dawson received her warmly like her own, and so did the twin girls the couple was blessed with.

Mrs Dawson went the extra mile to ensure they took Joan who was three years older than they were as an elder sibling.

Not to mention her education that they sponsored till date, setting her up for therapy and various workshop sessions to build her into the woman she was made to be.

Nevertheless, Joan still felt grossly indebted to the couple as bits of her past crawled up the rusty vines of memory lane to catch up with her- she'd left her child to the same fate her parents had abandoned her to... and the guilt still ate her.

The Dawson couple were her god. They were the only good thing that she had ever encountered in her life, even as a young vulnerable minor.***

Her mind jogged back to the present as she shook off the wave of nostalgia that briefly overwhelmed her...

♡

It was about 5:00pm at Crawford Medical Institute when a slender, brown-skinned, twenty-three-year-old girl was rushed into the ward.

Doctor Maxwell was the only less busy practitioner on duty at that hour. Stella- his 'partner,' and her team were currently occupied with a soon-to-be-mom.

"She's your patient." Stella scolded, mixing in a cup of coffee for the night's shift as she sat at her office desk.

She had just finished aiding nature in bringing new life to the world- an additional citizen of Crawford.

"I know." He groaned, pacing about the room in long strides.

"Then how come you're this careless with her?! For crying out loud, there was poison in her system." She placed the cup to her lips and sipped her drink.

Maxwell tipped his head backward and took off his glasses, revealing feminine eyes that added to his natural allure.

He was a fine, tall man.

Though not front-page magazine, head-snapping, jaw-dropping kind of good looking but he sure made the handsome guy chart and was quite a reserved ladies' man;

He was a gentleman with a somewhat European-resembling visage and a pale, brown-ish skin.

"I know, I know, but ... the girl is hardly around for checkups. I called in once or twice to check in on her but ... I didn't think-"

"Once or twice!" Stella exclaimed. "Max, she's a cancer patient for crying out loud and you know very well how suicidal they can be. What if she'd died?

What would that have said about you as her doctor?"

"Nobody's dying, Stella." He replied casually. "I'll fix it."

"Hmm. Goodluck with that one- you'll need it." She scoffed and finished her coffee.

Maxwell ignored her remark and exited her office in his majestic Dwayne-Johnson-ish strides as his shoulders danced inside of the snow-white coat.

♡

A splash of orange and pink painted the evening sky as the rays of the setting sun casted itself on the light-blue bedsheets.

From where she lay on the hospital bed, Rena could see the mesmerising view of Crawford's beautiful mountains and the hilly road that stretched upward into the distance, making a cluster of identical buildings on the hill to appear like a celestial city descending out of the sun itself.

She sighed- unconsciously she had held her breath for the few seconds when she took in the amazing view.

It somewhat stole her attention from the crisis that stared her in the face like a black shadowy figure in a bland grey mask.

Her arms and legs felt limp and her chest like she was carrying the weight Crawford's mountains on them.

Her eyes drifted to explore the ward- it was serene;

Brick walls, carpeted floors, a casual potted plant by the door and a small cabinet in the corner.

It felt quite comfortable in the room but she wasn't interested in finding comfort there since she had no plans of spending another day at the Institute.

Rena sighed again, but this time, in silent frustration.

Her eyes travelled down her body; she was clad in a light-blue hospital gown and a drip was connected to the back of one of her hands.

She didn't wish to be there at the time. She never did.

No one had come for her yet- sad. Mummy and daddy undeniably must have still been busy at the church ... as always.

Nike ... Nike couldn't have known. They had fought.

"As usual... Can't remember anything," she mused.

It wasn't the first...

Nor the second..

The third?- no. It couldn't have been.

Rena momentarily heard a knock. Her eyes snapped away from the window view to meet that of a doctor- her doctor.

"You're awake!" He remarked, leaning against the door.

She thought the doctor was quite a friendly one and there was always this aura of inner calm she felt around him.

"Yea, I am." She replied feeling weak from the attack.

Maxwell being a good doctor noticed how unnaturally stiff she was on the bed.

So, he broke eye contact briefly and advanced towards the intravenous electrocardiogram, inspecting it meticulously.

After a few minutes of paying attention to the machine, his patient calmed, just as he planned.

"Miss Dawson," he called turning to her with a swift spin of the heels.

Unfortunately, she suddenly stiffened again.

The young doctor arched a brow in dismay.

This time, he went through a stack of files on the cabinet at the corner of the room and muttered the words; "You'll be fine," to make up for her name that he had called earlier.

Seconds rolled into minutes as he focused on the sheets of paper rather than on her.

He really needed her to be calm so she could open up to him.

He was well aware how secretive suicidal patients could be...

With fingers crossed, he slowly peeped over his shoulders hoping to find her finally calmed.

Instead, he met a pair of widened eyes staring back at him.

"Weird girl," he muttered under his breath, putting down the few sheets of paper in his hand.

He proceeded to draw a chair closer to her bed.

"How are you feeling?" He asked with a calming subtle smile- professionally forged.

"I'm okay. I feel better."

"Any migraines?"

"A lot."

"That's normal." He pressed his palm on her forehead.

She stiffened again.

He hesitated.

"Are you okay?"

"Hmmm," she hummed a yes as her heavy-lided eyes stared back at him.

"I disagree." He scrunched his brows slightly. "Why have you been so jumpy? You can tell me about it, can't you?" He smiled again.

"About what?"

Doctor Maxwell paused and pressed his lips together in disappointment.

Stubborn, he thought.

"The lab scientists found poison in your system, Rena." His tone was serious and deep- finally called her name for the first time.

She stiffened again.

He continued; "Have you been having suicidal thoughts again?" He asked in a softer tone.

He thought they had been through this phase already. "Its okay if you have," he muttered with compassion.

Rena's eyes had begun to water. She shut her eyelids tightly to prevent the crystalline balls from falling down her face.

"No, it's not!!" She cried.

Doctor Maxwell's eyes widened. Emotion- finally, he was getting somewhere.

"Shhh," he hushed.

This time, she didn't stiffen and instead gazed outside the window;

The sun had set and night was fast approaching.

"I..." Rena put her hands together and fidgeted with her fingers. "I... thought..."

Her words slurred.

The doctor stared down at her, waiting for words that didn't come out.

Her brown skin radiated in the crystal moonlight.

He watched her expectantly.

But,

Her mind drifted...

***Mummy and daddy stood over the stretcher- the former weeping uncontrollably whilst the latter nursed an expression of grave fright.

Rena's eyes dulled, opening and shutting at regular intervals.

Lazily, they searched the room; The doctor was there too- as terrified as her parents, only that there was a glint of something she assumed mummy and daddy had lost a long time ago.

Hope.

"You can't go any further from here... we have to ........ the ICU...... critical," Rena heard one of the specialists warn.

She felt life slipping away from her- she smiled.

But the pain was unbearable. It was probably the reason she couldn't shut her eyes and transcend.

Then she began to feel regret. Not for attempting to steal the breath of life from herself, but for not doing it in a more efficient way.

"I wouldn't have used the knife," she muttered to herself as they wheeled her away.

"You'll be fine," the doctor assured, staring down at her.

A bunch of hours later, the specialists had finished from surgery.

They'd managed to stabilise Rena and she had finally woken up.

"Am I dead yet?" She muttered, rolling her head from side to side.

Mrs Dawson who sat next to her burst into tears on hearing her daughter's utterance.

Her husband calmed her and requested for time alone with the teenage girl.

"My princess."

"What do you want?" She asked weakly but emotionless.

Mr Dawson was well aware of the fact that his daughter had lost all hope in any form of remedy.

"You won't die." He voiced sternly, staring right into her void eyes.

"Oh," her eyes lit up with mockery. "Did God say that too?" She asked with a soft chuckle.

Her father sighed.

"Rena,"

"So its not princess anymore. Well of course its not since all I am now is a stale piece of vegetable.

I mean, look at me; I'm a corpse already. Its too bad I can't be your perfect child anymore.

I know Jenna would like a turn. I mean, I've been doing it for the past eighteen years."

Rena tried to turn her body to the window- away from her father but when she couldn't, she turned her head alone.

"God will make a way..." he begun singing a popular song they used to sing in church together ... when Rena still used to attend church.

When she used to attend church; it was about four years ago.

Rena was a lovable child and even when she went into her early teens when most children begin to change most times for the worst, she still remained a hardworking, ambitious teenage girl at school and in daddy's church.

She inspired her mates with how much she dreamed, how much she knew at a young age and how boldly she spoke- even those who weren't as opportuned or as privileged as she was.

She was a wise little woman, a problem solver and even allowed a bit of her daddy's qualities to rub off on her.

For instance, Mr Dawson being well to do used his church as an agenda to grow, invest and create opportunities for the less privileged people in the town, even while informing them about the Word of God.

He proffered resulting to showing them the nature of the God he believed in- thus, he found Joan.

Rena saw all her daddy did; she saw the number of hopeless masses he gave new hope.

She saw the children of her age that had suffered terrible things like abuse, poverty, addiction, trauma and neglect and how they'd been lifted.

In all, she wondered just how wonderful the God that inspired her daddy to do all these was if her daddy was this amazing.

This and all was the inspiration and the drive that made her love 'the God'..

She was taught she could talk to the God- he had ears.

She could trust the God- he wasn't human.

She was also taught that this God was love.

She could feel the God around her when she wanted to, and only when she wanted to.

He felt like the peace of the breeze, the warmth of the sun, the force of the storm..

He felt like the galaxy of stars in the night sky.

Even when she wanted Him to feel like her pillow during dark nights, He did!

Dark nights?- Rena indeed had dark nights.

No one but her family knew she was a sickler ... a cheerful joy-spreading sickly child.

She still believed this God until her occasional visits in the hospital and regular medications and periodic attacks turned into something more horrific..

And the girl into something else.

"...He works in ways we do not see..." Mr Dawson continued his song.

"I'm trying to sleep for crying out loud. Nurse!!" She cried.

A nurse showed up momentarily and advised Mr Dawson to leave the ward.***

Rena's mind slipped back to the present as she groaned in fear of a traumatic nostalgia.

"You thought?" Doctor Maxwell asked on noticing that he'd been staring at her absentmindedly.

"Its nothing," Rena mused.

He drew his seat closer to her bed.

Rena noticed the movement and glanced at him.

His glasses reflected the moonlight, restricting her from seeing his eyes.

"Rena," he called. "I've known you and your parents for the past four years that you've been my patient. I know its been tough for you and them. I'm sorry."

Silence reigned for close to a minute- he waited for a reply but she was mute.

Finally speaking, Rena asked;

"How long do I have again?"

His heart sank on hearing her words- to his surprise.

"F-four months," he stuttered.

"Thank you."

She shut her eyes for a while such that he thought she'd slept off...

And he was right- she had.

Maxwell covered her with the bedsheets as she drifted away into dreamland.

♡

It was dreamhour at Nike's...but she had to eat, especially after the long, hectic day.

She lifted her grey enamel pot, taking her food off the fire.

She served herself- a wholesome helping of ogbono soup and an extra large heap of the autonomous eba.

She needed to eat- at least for the sake of her mental health.

She just had to.

But, it all backfired sooner once she sat at her small dining table and realised that she had no appetite for food;

Not even eba!

She pushed herself off the table and dashed into her bathroom.

The room was filled with aesthetics and well, a lot of purple.

She turned the tap knob, running a bath for herself.

In no time, she slipped out of her clothes and into the bath.

Nike shut her eyes for some calm- it wasn't working.

It was then crashing down on her from two angles;

Her past and the guilt of what she'd done to Rena.

Her past...

Nike's mind slipped into the forbidden door- the door she didn't wish to open. The door that would have been shut if Rena was with her because it was the good times she spent with her best friend that kept the door shut.

Rena found a way to make her feel like a better person every single time...

A person better than who she actually was... or rather had once been.

***The Martins Mansion stood tall in the grey weather of Crawford one fine evening.

In a warmly lit bedroom, a girl sat at a cocoa brown mahogany desk, seemingly engrossed in a few sheets of paper, coloured pens and grade A pencils scattered all over the desk.

At the top right corner of the wooden desk, an electric lamp stood, casting its warm light on her brown skin and art pieces-

Interior decor; she'd been designing aesthetics and designs for houses and she loved it.

It always took her sad little mind off the bad things that bothered it.

The girl- Nike, was talented and it was unarguably evident in the way she'd decorated her bedroom in shades of purple and violet.

Hints of brown wood, red brick and black carpet and curtains stood out in the right proportions.

In all, she loved her room; it was her sanctuary..

The only thing she loved more than her room was her best friend, Rena whom she liked to see as a kid sister.

Besides, she had no siblings and Rena being a twin never got along with her own sister.

As she sat at the table scribbling, she heard a faint crash, probably coming from the other end of the large house.

"Mom! Dad!" She cried, dashing out of the bedroom.

"You're a stupid man!..."

"Shut up! Useless woman! I'm leaving this house for you."

"Mom ... dad?!" she ran down the hallway to the other side of the house where her parents bedroom was located.

Nike's father stormed out of the bedroom, pushing her to the side- he was drunk again and mom was angry because he was 'staining the family image again.'

"You're lucky the press took a shot from behind. At least we'll be able to cover up this mess for you." Mom scolded.

Dad was really wasted in that state- he muttered some slurry words that no one could pick up and staggered from one end of the hallway to the other as he went. Nike feared he would fall.

The girl watched her father leave as usual but this time was different; he didn't come back.

"Mom, dad isn't back yet." Little Nike stood at the doorway of her mother's library, desperately clutching the doorknob.

"Nike, as you can see, I'm very busy with some important work. Go and do your colouring." Mom ordered.

But Nike had no colouring to do... she finished from that phase of education years ago and mom should have known that!

She wasn't even sure mom knew her age but the woman knew her lousy sheets of documents such that whenever she instructed Nike to get them, she would call them by their number as they were organised in the cabinet.

"I'm going to see my friend."

The girl stood for a while, waiting for permission.

"Did you say something?" Mom looked at her, feeling a bit irritated.

"I said I want to..."

"Nike, here's some money- just go, go away and don't be home in an hour."

Mrs Martins waved her daughter off.

Nike gazed at her mother in amazement and checked the library clock- a few minutes past ten.

There was no way she being an eleven year old was going anywhere at that hour.

She just wanted to buy her mother's attention ... again. But as usual, it turned out to be that it was way too expensive.

It was quite obvious that her mom just needed time alone with one of her numerous flings.

"Which of them?" Nike asked in anger, mingled with sadness and frustration.

"What?!" Mom exclaimed, not lifting her eyes from the sheet of papers.

"Is it Sam, Harry, Benedict, Vic or?-"

Mrs Martins jumped to her feet and tore a brutal slap across her daughter's face- but probably not brutal enough because the girl didn't move.

She must have been used to it already.

"Are you stupid?! Go to your room!" She yelled in her high-pitched tone.

Nike turned around and started to walk away but mom changed her mind and pulled her back.

"You know what, you need to learn a lesson you ungrateful, little thing!"

Nike knew this one;

Mom was going to lock her up in her bedroom again..

She threw the girl into the bedroom and clicked several locks shut.

Nike breathed in deeply; calm. Luckily, she had a spare key that mom wasn't smart enough to find out about.

Whenever she needed anything, she snuck out in the middle of the night- Nanny helped her.

She was left with a choice none other than to help the poor girl since Mrs Martins literally forgot that Nike was alive.

Her popular phrase was; "Out of sight and out of mind."

In all, she preferred to be locked up in her sanctuary than be caught up in the drama of the vampire couple- what she called them.

Nike drew the inspiration from one of the numerous children's storybook she used to adore reading when she was stuck in her bedroom.

Vampires according to the book were portrayed to be self-seeking egoistic creatures, even to their loved ones and if you asked her, that was the perfect description of her parents!

Nike was well used to all the stunts her parents pulled until she turned teen and it grew worse.

"Suzanne, just file for a divorce for goodness sake! Look at what you're doing to yourself!"

"I wish it was that easy." Mom was sprawled on the floor of the kitchen in an unsuccessful attempt to drown her sorrows in alcohol.

"It is. But you?- you just care about what other people think more than what's really best for yourself and your family?!

You just don't ... care. You're selfish." Nike scolded.

"If I'm selfish, then your father is a pathetic demon! ... I hate him so much..." her lips broke into a smile as she sipped from the bottle again.

"The press, the public, the other Senators, the company, our reputation- everything is at stake."

Mom continued to explain mindlessly. She couldn't take it.

Nike stormed out of the kitchen and dashed into her bedroom.

Her handset rang- it was Rena's parents. Her friend had had another attack.

Nike ransacked her own bedroom until she came across the wooden cabinet right under the dresser.

She slid her hands behind and pulled out a transparent bag of white powder from the back of the cabinet. The girl breathed in deeply.

"I'll need strength to be strong for myself and for Rena," she reassured herself and opened the bag.

After multiple intakes of the substance, Nike lay on her bed for a while and pondered on her life;

She knew she had a problem.

She'd learned it wasn't perfect anywhere.

Even Rena's amazing family had flaws and her seemingly perfect front-page magazine family ties were even more broken.

Nike glanced at the substance one more time; a far-away look in her sunken eyes.

"If Rena survives this, I'll stop." She vowed to herself touching the only bit of nature in her room- the potted plant at her bedside***

As Nike's mind darted back to the future, fresh tears cascaded down her small, round face.

She sank her entire form in the warmth of the tub of water and breathed in deeply.

She loved her friend dearly- she was her source of inspiration and strength and that was how she was able to remain the strong one.

Everything Nike did to Rena was for her own good.

Rena simply inspired her without moving a muscle.

Every challenge that came the girl's way was like a ray of hope for Nike because the former always overcame them so she knew that her friend would overcome this one as well.

♡

"You did what?!"

"It was ... I thought it was for the best but," Rita's voice quaked as she knelt before her husband, with hands clasped in front of her.

Their bedroom was dimly lit with only the light of the night lamp at their bedside and that of the moon outside the window by the sofa.

"But you killed her even more!" Bryan felt his head spinning like yarn. He drew out a desk chair and sat on it, placing his head in both palms.

He loved his wife but, she was quite a handful sometimes and this time, she'd overstepped.

"She's still alive, Bryan..." she explained, trying to cushion her fault.

He slowly turned his head towards her and spoke in a hoarse tone;

"But you should have waited. Why did you let anxiety and hurt push you so far? Do you even realise what you've just done?!" He wore a dead stare as he fought the tears that clouded his eyes.

The man felt his heart thump so hard, it felt like it would rip right out of his chest.

"Yes ... yes ... I know I've done a grave evil but, my love, please..." Rita desperately crawled up to where he sat and held on to both his legs, weeping uncontrollably.

Yea, she'd done wrong- really wrong and this time, it would take more than just her husband's love for her and his sympathy to right these wrongs.

Bryan stared down at her- she looked miserable.

He felt pity for her and for himself.. but most especially for the victim of his wife's latest misadventure.

Her misadventures?...

Oh, Mrs Dawson had had many of those in the past;

Many that no-one could've fished out, even if they tried and it was all because her loving ... naive?- doting, rather.. her doting husband got her out of it.

Bryan wasn't fond of recalling who his wife was before he married her.

He liked to see her as though her being married to him turned her into an entirely different person;

And, it was safer for him that way.

"Bryan..." Rita called, pathetically. "I'm breaking.." her voice drifted off as she burst into tears of deep anguish.

"Shhhh" Mr Dawson leaned down on his wife and helped her seat on the chair he was previously seated at.

"I know." He comforted. "And I'm very sorry you're going through this with me but, God is with us and I am with you. I love you, Riie."

Rita burst into fresh sobs and clutched her husband tightly.

Mr Dawson led his wife to bed.

♡

The very next morning, Mrs Dawson stood in her kitchen prepping the family's breakfast with the assistance of Joan- something she rarely did.

She felt motivated on this particular day so she'd decided to make the meal herself.

On other days, everyone would simply help themselves until dinner time when the ladies of the house would help with the cooking or they would all eat out.

But this particular day was different; she felt wonderful from the previous night.

The kitchen was beautifully lit with the golden rays of the sun.

It was sunny that day in Crawford- clear skies and there was no fog coming from the mountains afar off.

It must have been a good day! ... for some people.

Due to the colour scheme of the kitchen;

Brown, reddish brown, carton, azure..., the kitchen looked simply delightful in the golden rays of the sun.

"Beat the eggs before the vegetables go in," the woman instructed as she took out a few slices of bread from the toaster that sat on the cabinet.

"Yea, mummy." Joan replied.. "You seem to be glowing this morning." She complimented.

"Oh, it shows?!" Mrs Dawson gushed, touching her cheek with her palm as she smiled. "My dear. You'll understand better once you get married."

She threw a glance at the young lady who shrugged her shoulders in response as she worked.

As Joan fried the omelettes, Rita set the breakfast table right on the kitchen island- She loved the family to eat breakfast there.

Mrs Dawson was about leaving the kitchen to call Rena for breakfast. Suddenly, she halted in her steps as the memory of the previous day washed over her.

She quickly leaned over the kitchen sink and washed her face. Momentarily, Nike entered the kitchen♡

Mrs Dawson stood in her dimly lit kitchen; arms agape as she paced to and fro. Her bare feet brushed against the marble floor as her brown ankle-length chiffon gown gracefully swept its uneven surface.

Worry- it was boldly embroidered on her face.

Her nose scrunched up to support the pair of glasses that sat on her pointed nose.

Hands ran through her braided hair as she counted down the seconds-

One, two, three...

The house telephone rang momentarily and she pounced on the receiver like a lion on its herbivorous prey.

Her hands shook nervously as she handled it.

"Hello?" Her shaky voice mused, with eyes that vigorously searched the environ like a thief's.

"It's done," the voice echoed from the other end of the line.

The woman put down the phone. Her body vibrated with the anxiety that bit into her flesh.

"Hospital," she mused to herself, grabbing her car keys off the kitchen island.

She soon dashed out of the house with such unhealthy speed, leaving Joan with the house key and an ounce of worry.

It was almost like she- Joan could feel the wave of the storm that was about to hit.

But there wasn't much she could do. The young lady tightened the strap of her plus-sized maid-dress, tailored to suit her physique and resumed her household duties.

She was always up and doing, shunning Rena's helping hand on numerous occassions- her way of showing appreciation to Mr Dawson and his wife for dusting her up from the slums.

***It was then in downtown Crawford; about ten years ago when She was yet to be the developing town she currently was.

J-baby as Joan was popularly called then was the youngest, smartest-looking hotcake in Olosho district.

Barely 16, she found herself caught up in the fast life ... prostitution was her muse.

Since her parents had passed before she knew who she was, she had been bred and brought up by a certain vile relative- a pimp who entreated her to sell her body for money.

He first introduced her to the trade by using her as a test subject for about a half of her developing years;

Haineous indeed,

But the middle aged patrons that slept with sixteen-year-old Joan could be compared to the animalistic idiot.

It was only a matter of time before she took in with a child whose father was unknown.

On one of those gloomy dark-weather days in Crawford and her young life, Uncle Dumebi as she'd addressed him was in sync with all the demons that walked earth's surface.

Joan was a few weeks into her fourth month then and it was the third month of her stay in the dimly lit, smelly little room Uncle Dumebi had trapped her in since he found out about her pregnancy.

A plate of rice and a bowl of a watery, colourless substance with dots of greens- stale vegetables was all she got on days that the miserable drunk remembered to feed her.

Of course he wasn't directly related to her; the man was her maternal step cousin but she called him uncle due to the age difference.

Joan had grown to hate him more than she hated herself and life.

He killed every form of childish innocence and dignity in her.

She was ready to die in that little room- and sure, she tried to every single day but

... there was a safe, faint presence with her everyday for the period she was trapped in that room.

Joan assumed it was her baby; that she had formed a bond unbreakable with the unfortunate little thing.

It made her feel peace, on days that either little Ma'ami kicked so violently or the weight of carrying life strangled her.

Even on the days she thought about strangling herself.

Sometimes, she would think about all the hurt Uncle Dumebi had caused her and would try to vent it on herself so she could eventually die.

But, she couldn't...

To her disappointment, she probably didn't hate him that much ... or was it that she surprisingly loved herself a little? ...

Or could it have been the presence?

On that fateful day when she met Mr Dawson, Joan had planned to escape her hell.

Luckily, Uncle Dumebi had invited some midwives to deliver the child.

On seeing the condition of the man's place, one of the women decided to take Joan to her place to rest after delivery.

The girl escaped on the third day, abandoning her newborn.

She was nearly knocked down by Mr Dawson's Station Wagon in the middle of the cool, dark night of downtown Crawford.

There on the wet tarred road she sat, staring wildly at him clutching a few of her belongings to her chest.

Mr Dawson stared down at her in shock and wonder- he thought it was an animal or possibly a bandit due to her bulky form.

That night as Joan rode home with this inhumanly kind stranger, her eyes watered with the words he spoke to her;

'She was worth more than her mistakes' and, 'the people that once exploited her would beg to be partakers of her breakthrough.'

All her life, she was a toy to disgusting people- abusers, but since she begun living with the Dawsons, she felt worth and purpose spring up in her over the years.

Mrs Dawson received her warmly like her own, and so did the twin girls the couple was blessed with.

Mrs Dawson went the extra mile to ensure they took Joan who was three years older than they were as an elder sibling.

Not to mention her education that they sponsored till date, setting her up for therapy and various workshop sessions to build her into the woman she was made to be.

Nevertheless, Joan still felt grossly indebted to the couple as bits of her past crawled up the rusty vines of memory lane to catch up with her- she'd left her child to the same fate her parents had abandoned her to... and the guilt still ate her.

The Dawson couple were her god. They were the only good thing that she had ever encountered in her life, even as a young vulnerable minor.***

Her mind jogged back to the present as she shook off the wave of nostalgia that briefly overwhelmed her...

♡

It was about 5:00pm at Crawford Medical Institute when a slender, brown-skinned, twenty-three-year-old girl was rushed into the ward.

Doctor Maxwell was the only less busy practitioner on duty at that hour. Stella- his 'partner,' and her team were currently occupied with a soon-to-be-mom.

"She's your patient." Stella scolded, mixing in a cup of coffee for the night's shift as she sat at her office desk.

She had just finished aiding nature in bringing new life to the world- an additional citizen of Crawford.

"I know." He groaned, pacing about the room in long strides.

"Then how come you're this careless with her?! For crying out loud, there was poison in her system." She placed the cup to her lips and sipped her drink.

Maxwell tipped his head backward and took off his glasses, revealing feminine eyes that added to his natural allure.

He was a fine, tall man.

Though not front-page magazine, head-snapping, jaw-dropping kind of good looking but he sure made the handsome guy chart and was quite a reserved ladies' man;

He was a gentleman with a somewhat European-resembling visage and a pale, brown-ish skin.

"I know, I know, but ... the girl is hardly around for checkups. I called in once or twice to check in on her but ... I didn't think-"

"Once or twice!" Stella exclaimed. "Max, she's a cancer patient for crying out loud and you know very well how suicidal they can be. What if she'd died?

What would that have said about you as her doctor?"

"Nobody's dying, Stella." He replied casually. "I'll fix it."

"Hmm. Goodluck with that one- you'll need it." She scoffed and finished her coffee.

Maxwell ignored her remark and exited her office in his majestic Dwayne-Johnson-ish strides as his shoulders danced inside of the snow-white coat.

♡

A splash of orange and pink painted the evening sky as the rays of the setting sun casted itself on the light-blue bedsheets.

From where she lay on the hospital bed, Rena could see the mesmerising view of Crawford's beautiful mountains and the hilly road that stretched upward into the distance, making a cluster of identical buildings on the hill to appear like a celestial city descending out of the sun itself.

She sighed- unconsciously she had held her breath for the few seconds when she took in the amazing view.

It somewhat stole her attention from the crisis that stared her in the face like a black shadowy figure in a bland grey mask.

Her arms and legs felt limp and her chest like she was carrying the weight Crawford's mountains on them.

Her eyes drifted to explore the ward- it was serene;

Brick walls, carpeted floors, a casual potted plant by the door and a small cabinet in the corner.

It felt quite comfortable in the room but she wasn't interested in finding comfort there since she had no plans of spending another day at the Institute.

Rena sighed again, but this time, in silent frustration.

Her eyes travelled down her body; she was clad in a light-blue hospital gown and a drip was connected to the back of one of her hands.

She didn't wish to be there at the time. She never did.

No one had come for her yet- sad. Mummy and daddy undeniably must have still been busy at the church ... as always.

Nike ... Nike couldn't have known. They had fought.

"As usual... Can't remember anything," she mused.

It wasn't the first...

Nor the second..

The third?- no. It couldn't have been.

Rena momentarily heard a knock. Her eyes snapped away from the window view to meet that of a doctor- her doctor.

"You're awake!" He remarked, leaning against the door.

She thought the doctor was quite a friendly one and there was always this aura of inner calm she felt around him.

"Yea, I am." She replied feeling weak from the attack.

Maxwell being a good doctor noticed how unnaturally stiff she was on the bed.

So, he broke eye contact briefly and advanced towards the intravenous electrocardiogram, inspecting it meticulously.

After a few minutes of paying attention to the machine, his patient calmed, just as he planned.

"Miss Dawson," he called turning to her with a swift spin of the heels.

Unfortunately, she suddenly stiffened again.

The young doctor arched a brow in dismay.

This time, he went through a stack of files on the cabinet at the corner of the room and muttered the words; "You'll be fine," to make up for her name that he had called earlier.

Seconds rolled into minutes as he focused on the sheets of paper rather than on her.

He really needed her to be calm so she could open up to him.

He was well aware how secretive suicidal patients could be...

With fingers crossed, he slowly peeped over his shoulders hoping to find her finally calmed.

Instead, he met a pair of widened eyes staring back at him.

"Weird girl," he muttered under his breath, putting down the few sheets of paper in his hand.

He proceeded to draw a chair closer to her bed.

"How are you feeling?" He asked with a calming subtle smile- professionally forged.

"I'm okay. I feel better."

"Any migraines?"

"A lot."

"That's normal." He pressed his palm on her forehead.

She stiffened again.

He hesitated.

"Are you okay?"

"Hmmm," she hummed a yes as her heavy-lided eyes stared back at him.

"I disagree." He scrunched his brows slightly. "Why have you been so jumpy? You can tell me about it, can't you?" He smiled again.

"About what?"

Doctor Maxwell paused and pressed his lips together in disappointment.

Stubborn, he thought.

"The lab scientists found poison in your system, Rena." His tone was serious and deep- finally called her name for the first time.

She stiffened again.

He continued; "Have you been having suicidal thoughts again?" He asked in a softer tone.

He thought they had been through this phase already. "Its okay if you have," he muttered with compassion.

Rena's eyes had begun to water. She shut her eyelids tightly to prevent the crystalline balls from falling down her face.

"No, it's not!!" She cried.

Doctor Maxwell's eyes widened. Emotion- finally, he was getting somewhere.

"Shhh," he hushed.

This time, she didn't stiffen and instead gazed outside the window;

The sun had set and night was fast approaching.

"I..." Rena put her hands together and fidgeted with her fingers. "I... thought..."

Her words slurred.

The doctor stared down at her, waiting for words that didn't come out.

Her brown skin radiated in the crystal moonlight.

He watched her expectantly.

But,

Her mind drifted...

***Mummy and daddy stood over the stretcher- the former weeping uncontrollably whilst the latter nursed an expression of grave fright.

Rena's eyes dulled, opening and shutting at regular intervals.

Lazily, they searched the room; The doctor was there too- as terrified as her parents, only that there was a glint of something she assumed mummy and daddy had lost a long time ago.

Hope.

"You can't go any further from here... we have to ........ the ICU...... critical," Rena heard one of the specialists warn.

She felt life slipping away from her- she smiled.

But the pain was unbearable. It was probably the reason she couldn't shut her eyes and transcend.

Then she began to feel regret. Not for attempting to steal the breath of life from herself, but for not doing it in a more efficient way.

"I wouldn't have used the knife," she muttered to herself as they wheeled her away.

"You'll be fine," the doctor assured, staring down at her.

A bunch of hours later, the specialists had finished from surgery.

They'd managed to stabilise Rena and she had finally woken up.

"Am I dead yet?" She muttered, rolling her head from side to side.

Mrs Dawson who sat next to her burst into tears on hearing her daughter's utterance.

Her husband calmed her and requested for time alone with the teenage girl.

"My princess."

"What do you want?" She asked weakly but emotionless.

Mr Dawson was well aware of the fact that his daughter had lost all hope in any form of remedy.

"You won't die." He voiced sternly, staring right into her void eyes.

"Oh," her eyes lit up with mockery. "Did God say that too?" She asked with a soft chuckle.

Her father sighed.

"Rena,"

"So its not princess anymore. Well of course its not since all I am now is a stale piece of vegetable.

I mean, look at me; I'm a corpse already. Its too bad I can't be your perfect child anymore.

I know Jenna would like a turn. I mean, I've been doing it for the past eighteen years."

Rena tried to turn her body to the window- away from her father but when she couldn't, she turned her head alone.

"God will make a way..." he begun singing a popular song they used to sing in church together ... when Rena still used to attend church.

When she used to attend church; it was about four years ago.

Rena was a lovable child and even when she went into her early teens when most children begin to change most times for the worst, she still remained a hardworking, ambitious teenage girl at school and in daddy's church.

She inspired her mates with how much she dreamed, how much she knew at a young age and how boldly she spoke- even those who weren't as opportuned or as privileged as she was.

She was a wise little woman, a problem solver and even allowed a bit of her daddy's qualities to rub off on her.

For instance, Mr Dawson being well to do used his church as an agenda to grow, invest and create opportunities for the less privileged people in the town, even while informing them about the Word of God.

He proffered resulting to showing them the nature of the God he believed in- thus, he found Joan.

Rena saw all her daddy did; she saw the number of hopeless masses he gave new hope.

She saw the children of her age that had suffered terrible things like abuse, poverty, addiction, trauma and neglect and how they'd been lifted.

In all, she wondered just how wonderful the God that inspired her daddy to do all these was if her daddy was this amazing.

This and all was the inspiration and the drive that made her love 'the God'..

She was taught she could talk to the God- he had ears.

She could trust the God- he wasn't human.

She was also taught that this God was love.

She could feel the God around her when she wanted to, and only when she wanted to.

He felt like the peace of the breeze, the warmth of the sun, the force of the storm..

He felt like the galaxy of stars in the night sky.

Even when she wanted Him to feel like her pillow during dark nights, He did!

Dark nights?- Rena indeed had dark nights.

No one but her family knew she was a sickler ... a cheerful joy-spreading sickly child.

She still believed this God until her occasional visits in the hospital and regular medications and periodic attacks turned into something more horrific..

And the girl into something else.

"...He works in ways we do not see..." Mr Dawson continued his song.

"I'm trying to sleep for crying out loud. Nurse!!" She cried.

A nurse showed up momentarily and advised Mr Dawson to leave the ward.***

Rena's mind slipped back to the present as she groaned in fear of a traumatic nostalgia.

"You thought?" Doctor Maxwell asked on noticing that he'd been staring at her absentmindedly.

"Its nothing," Rena mused.

He drew his seat closer to her bed.

Rena noticed the movement and glanced at him.

His glasses reflected the moonlight, restricting her from seeing his eyes.

"Rena," he called. "I've known you and your parents for the past four years that you've been my patient. I know its been tough for you and them. I'm sorry."

Silence reigned for close to a minute- he waited for a reply but she was mute.

Finally speaking, Rena asked;

"How long do I have again?"

His heart sank on hearing her words- to his surprise.

"F-four months," he stuttered.

"Thank you."

She shut her eyes for a while such that he thought she'd slept off...

And he was right- she had.

Maxwell covered her with the bedsheets as she drifted away into dreamland.

♡

It was dreamhour at Nike's...but she had to eat, especially after the long, hectic day.

She lifted her grey enamel pot, taking her food off the fire.

She served herself- a wholesome helping of ogbono soup and an extra large heap of the autonomous eba.

She needed to eat- at least for the sake of her mental health.

She just had to.

But, it all backfired sooner once she sat at her small dining table and realised that she had no appetite for food;

Not even eba!

She pushed herself off the table and dashed into her bathroom.

The room was filled with aesthetics and well, a lot of purple.

She turned the tap knob, running a bath for herself.

In no time, she slipped out of her clothes and into the bath.

Nike shut her eyes for some calm- it wasn't working.

It was then crashing down on her from two angles;

Her past and the guilt of what she'd done to Rena.

Her past...

Nike's mind slipped into the forbidden door- the door she didn't wish to open. The door that would have been shut if Rena was with her because it was the good times she spent with her best friend that kept the door shut.

Rena found a way to make her feel like a better person every single time...

A person better than who she actually was... or rather had once been.

***The Martins Mansion stood tall in the grey weather of Crawford one fine evening.

In a warmly lit bedroom, a girl sat at a cocoa brown mahogany desk, seemingly engrossed in a few sheets of paper, coloured pens and grade A pencils scattered all over the desk.

At the top right corner of the wooden desk, an electric lamp stood, casting its warm light on her brown skin and art pieces-

Interior decor; she'd been designing aesthetics and designs for houses and she loved it.

It always took her sad little mind off the bad things that bothered it.

The girl- Nike, was talented and it was unarguably evident in the way she'd decorated her bedroom in shades of purple and violet.

Hints of brown wood, red brick and black carpet and curtains stood out in the right proportions.

In all, she loved her room; it was her sanctuary..

The only thing she loved more than her room was her best friend, Rena whom she liked to see as a kid sister.

Besides, she had no siblings and Rena being a twin never got along with her own sister.

As she sat at the table scribbling, she heard a faint crash, probably coming from the other end of the large house.

"Mom! Dad!" She cried, dashing out of the bedroom.

"You're a stupid man!..."

"Shut up! Useless woman! I'm leaving this house for you."

"Mom ... dad?!" she ran down the hallway to the other side of the house where her parents bedroom was located.

Nike's father stormed out of the bedroom, pushing her to the side- he was drunk again and mom was angry because he was 'staining the family image again.'

"You're lucky the press took a shot from behind. At least we'll be able to cover up this mess for you." Mom scolded.

Dad was really wasted in that state- he muttered some slurry words that no one could pick up and staggered from one end of the hallway to the other as he went. Nike feared he would fall.

The girl watched her father leave as usual but this time was different; he didn't come back.

"Mom, dad isn't back yet." Little Nike stood at the doorway of her mother's library, desperately clutching the doorknob.

"Nike, as you can see, I'm very busy with some important work. Go and do your colouring." Mom ordered.

But Nike had no colouring to do... she finished from that phase of education years ago and mom should have known that!

She wasn't even sure mom knew her age but the woman knew her lousy sheets of documents such that whenever she instructed Nike to get them, she would call them by their number as they were organised in the cabinet.

"I'm going to see my friend."

The girl stood for a while, waiting for permission.

"Did you say something?" Mom looked at her, feeling a bit irritated.

"I said I want to..."

"Nike, here's some money- just go, go away and don't be home in an hour."

Mrs Martins waved her daughter off.

Nike gazed at her mother in amazement and checked the library clock- a few minutes past ten.

There was no way she being an eleven year old was going anywhere at that hour.

She just wanted to buy her mother's attention ... again. But as usual, it turned out to be that it was way too expensive.

It was quite obvious that her mom just needed time alone with one of her numerous flings.

"Which of them?" Nike asked in anger, mingled with sadness and frustration.

"What?!" Mom exclaimed, not lifting her eyes from the sheet of papers.

"Is it Sam, Harry, Benedict, Vic or?-"

Mrs Martins jumped to her feet and tore a brutal slap across her daughter's face- but probably not brutal enough because the girl didn't move.

She must have been used to it already.

"Are you stupid?! Go to your room!" She yelled in her high-pitched tone.

Nike turned around and started to walk away but mom changed her mind and pulled her back.

"You know what, you need to learn a lesson you ungrateful, little thing!"

Nike knew this one;

Mom was going to lock her up in her bedroom again..

She threw the girl into the bedroom and clicked several locks shut.

Nike breathed in deeply; calm. Luckily, she had a spare key that mom wasn't smart enough to find out about.

Whenever she needed anything, she snuck out in the middle of the night- Nanny helped her.

She was left with a choice none other than to help the poor girl since Mrs Martins literally forgot that Nike was alive.

Her popular phrase was; "Out of sight and out of mind."

In all, she preferred to be locked up in her sanctuary than be caught up in the drama of the vampire couple- what she called them.

Nike drew the inspiration from one of the numerous children's storybook she used to adore reading when she was stuck in her bedroom.

Vampires according to the book were portrayed to be self-seeking egoistic creatures, even to their loved ones and if you asked her, that was the perfect description of her parents!

Nike was well used to all the stunts her parents pulled until she turned teen and it grew worse.

"Suzanne, just file for a divorce for goodness sake! Look at what you're doing to yourself!"

"I wish it was that easy." Mom was sprawled on the floor of the kitchen in an unsuccessful attempt to drown her sorrows in alcohol.

"It is. But you?- you just care about what other people think more than what's really best for yourself and your family?!

You just don't ... care. You're selfish." Nike scolded.

"If I'm selfish, then your father is a pathetic demon! ... I hate him so much..." her lips broke into a smile as she sipped from the bottle again.

"The press, the public, the other Senators, the company, our reputation- everything is at stake."

Mom continued to explain mindlessly. She couldn't take it.

Nike stormed out of the kitchen and dashed into her bedroom.

Her handset rang- it was Rena's parents. Her friend had had another attack.

Nike ransacked her own bedroom until she came across the wooden cabinet right under the dresser.

She slid her hands behind and pulled out a transparent bag of white powder from the back of the cabinet. The girl breathed in deeply.

"I'll need strength to be strong for myself and for Rena," she reassured herself and opened the bag.

After multiple intakes of the substance, Nike lay on her bed for a while and pondered on her life;

She knew she had a problem.

She'd learned it wasn't perfect anywhere.

Even Rena's amazing family had flaws and her seemingly perfect front-page magazine family ties were even more broken.

Nike glanced at the substance one more time; a far-away look in her sunken eyes.

"If Rena survives this, I'll stop." She vowed to herself touching the only bit of nature in her room- the potted plant at her bedside***

As Nike's mind darted back to the future, fresh tears cascaded down her small, round face.

She sank her entire form in the warmth of the tub of water and breathed in deeply.

She loved her friend dearly- she was her source of inspiration and strength and that was how she was able to remain the strong one.

Everything Nike did to Rena was for her own good.

Rena simply inspired her without moving a muscle.

Every challenge that came the girl's way was like a ray of hope for Nike because the former always overcame them so she knew that her friend would overcome this one as well.

♡

"You did what?!"

"It was ... I thought it was for the best but," Rita's voice quaked as she knelt before her husband, with hands clasped in front of her.

Their bedroom was dimly lit with only the light of the night lamp at their bedside and that of the moon outside the window by the sofa.

"But you killed her even more!" Bryan felt his head spinning like yarn. He drew out a desk chair and sat on it, placing his head in both palms.

He loved his wife but, she was quite a handful sometimes and this time, she'd overstepped.

"She's still alive, Bryan..." she explained, trying to cushion her fault.

He slowly turned his head towards her and spoke in a hoarse tone;

"But you should have waited. Why did you let anxiety and hurt push you so far? Do you even realise what you've just done?!" He wore a dead stare as he fought the tears that clouded his eyes.

The man felt his heart thump so hard, it felt like it would rip right out of his chest.

"Yes ... yes ... I know I've done a grave evil but, my love, please..." Rita desperately crawled up to where he sat and held on to both his legs, weeping uncontrollably.

Yea, she'd done wrong- really wrong and this time, it would take more than just her husband's love for her and his sympathy to right these wrongs.

Bryan stared down at her- she looked miserable.

He felt pity for her and for himself.. but most especially for the victim of his wife's latest misadventure.

Her misadventures?...

Oh, Mrs Dawson had had many of those in the past;

Many that no-one could've fished out, even if they tried and it was all because her loving ... naive?- doting, rather.. her doting husband got her out of it.

Bryan wasn't fond of recalling who his wife was before he married her.

He liked to see her as though her being married to him turned her into an entirely different person;

And, it was safer for him that way.

"Bryan..." Rita called, pathetically. "I'm breaking.." her voice drifted off as she burst into tears of deep anguish.

"Shhhh" Mr Dawson leaned down on his wife and helped her seat on the chair he was previously seated at.

"I know." He comforted. "And I'm very sorry you're going through this with me but, God is with us and I am with you. I love you, Riie."

Rita burst into fresh sobs and clutched her husband tightly.

Mr Dawson led his wife to bed.

♡

The very next morning, Mrs Dawson stood in her kitchen prepping the family's breakfast with the assistance of Joan- something she rarely did.

She felt motivated on this particular day so she'd decided to make the meal herself.

On other days, everyone would simply help themselves until dinner time when the ladies of the house would help with the cooking or they would all eat out.

But this particular day was different; she felt wonderful from the previous night.

The kitchen was beautifully lit with the golden rays of the sun.

It was sunny that day in Crawford- clear skies and there was no fog coming from the mountains afar off.

It must have been a good day! ... for some people.

Due to the colour scheme of the kitchen;

Brown, reddish brown, carton, azure..., the kitchen looked simply delightful in the golden rays of the sun.

"Beat the eggs before the vegetables go in," the woman instructed as she took out a few slices of bread from the toaster that sat on the cabinet.

"Yea, mummy." Joan replied.. "You seem to be glowing this morning." She complimented.

"Oh, it shows?!" Mrs Dawson gushed, touching her cheek with her palm as she smiled. "My dear. You'll understand better once you get married."

She threw a glance at the young lady who shrugged her shoulders in response as she worked.

As Joan fried the omelettes, Rita set the breakfast table right on the kitchen island- She loved the family to eat breakfast there.

Mrs Dawson was about leaving the kitchen to call Rena for breakfast. Suddenly, she halted in her steps as the memory of the previous day washed over her.

She quickly leaned over the kitchen sink and washed her face. Momentarily, Nike entered the kitchen.

♡

Mrs Dawson stiffened just as the girl entered into the kitchen.

"Joe?" She greeted Joan fondly with a coy wave of the hand.

The oversized woolen sweater she wore rolled up her arm as she waved Joan.

"Good morning, Nike." The latter fondly responded with a smile.

"Good morning, ma." Nike greeted Mrs Dawson as she neared.

"What are you doing here..." She asked. "So early in the morning?" the woman smartly added on noticing Joan's suspicion.

"I'm actually here-"

"I invited her over. Good morning, Nike." Mr Dawson tapped the girl's shoulder as he entered into the kitchen in his nightie.

Nike stiffened.

Mr Dawson politely signalled Joan to leave the kitchen and she complied.

"Honey, Nike called me very early this morning and she told me something very important."

Mr Dawson poured himself a coffee as he spoke. "Coffee?" He offered Nike- she nervously declined.

"Sit," he instructed. She did.

"What's this?" Mrs Dawson questioned her husband.

"Honey ... sit."

Uneasily, she did.

"Nike, you have something to tell us?" Nike nodded.

Mr Dawson nodded as he sipped his tea.

"Go on," he instructed.

"It was... few days ago. Mrs Dawson called my phone and she said..."

"I know!" Mrs Dawson cut in. "Nike, I know you're a good friend to my daughter and I'm sorry for dragging you into this.

I got the substance I gave you to add to Rena's food from a ... a church sister. I didn't know it was poisonous.

Rena refused to go to the hospital so I thought about intoxicating her and taking her there to be admitted and be properly treated of this stupid disease.

But I only made her worse..." The woman burst into tears and her husband comforted her.

"Yes but that's not what I came to say." Nike explained.

The couple simultaneously looked up at the girl in curiosity.

"The thing is ... I don't think the substance is responsible for Rena's critical condition because, for the past few weeks, she had refused to take her medications."

Nike fidgeted with her fingers- nails painted a deep blue. She continued;

"I tried, but... she was adamant. In her own words, 'God would heal her."

Mr Dawson and his wife froze at Nike's words.

♡♡

Nurse Kivu pushed a metal trolley into the ward.

The shoes on her little feet made faint clicking sounds as she marched along the carpeted floors of the ward.

She left the trolley at the middle of the room and threw the light blue curtains open as sunlight filtered in to brighten up the the ambiance.

The petite fair-skinned lady glanced around the room and her eyes landed on a brownskinned girl on the bed who was fast asleep.

She had recovered quite quickly and her heart rate was surprisingly steady and healthy.

So, she was no longer hooked up to the intravenous machine- it was an unusual impressive improvement.

Momentarily, the girl opened her eyes; she was awake.

"Good morning," said the nurse.

She was quite soft spoken with a hint of enthusiasm in her voice. She was a fragile-looking woman, but not in an unhealthy way.

"Good morning," the patient replied.

"I've come to give your medication." She explained.

"Oh."

"Yea ... here, I'll help you sit up." Nurse Kivu helped her sit up on the bed, but she didn't need the help all that much.

From the tray, the nurse retrieved a platter- breakfast.

"Is that for me?"

"Yea, it is." She looked up from what she was doing and replied.

"Oh I'm sorry but I don't think I can have anything right now." The patient spoke politely.

"Its normal but you still have to eat a little at least, since you're going to be taking some medication."

She explained, wearing a subtle smile.

"Oh .... Right." The patient finally concured.

♡♡♡

The alarm clock had been beeping since 5:00am that morning.

Sunlight filtered into the bedroom and reflected upon the bed Maxwell laid on. The young man lazily turned to his left and hit the snooze button on the alarm clock.

"Shit! Am late!!" He exclaimed nervously and plucked himself out of bed.

In the bathroom mirror, he stared at his reflection, judiciously scrubbing his teeth.

The young man had hardly had any sleep thinking about his poor patient and her pathetic condition.

It saddened him so much that there was nothing he could do to help her.

It was too late for any more medical options ... she was done.

But what amazed him was how healthy and strong she seemed, regardless of the fact that the dreaded disease had taken over her system.

If only there was a way she could enjoy the little time she had left.

He really wanted to help her- he knew he could. He planned to speak to Stella about it.

"You do know you're not meant to be emotionally attached to your patients, right?"

Stella asked, once he told her about his thoughts.

Maxwell sipped his coffee and leaned across her table.

The woman was quite a sassy critic and it came in handy since he, on the other hand was care-free half the time.

"I know, madam professional." He teased, placing the cup to his lips again.

Stella shrugged.

"I'm just saying because people die everyday... and last time I checked, you have no power over death."

Maxwell suddenly looked distant. The words echoed inside of his head.

"No, I didn't mean it like that." Stella was always so brash with words- so blunt.

"No, its okay." He said in a hoarse tone that didn't interpret the situation as 'okay'.

"I didn't mean to remind you of her. I know she passed away as your patient. Am sorry." She apologised, still unable to cushion her words.

"Its alright." Maxwell half heartedly replied and put down his cup.

Stella was speaking of his ex-girlfriend- she'd died as his patient..

And that was about all that Maxwell was comfortable enough to talk about; The rest of the details terrified him.

But in all, his mind was resiliently fixed on bringing a glint of happiness to his patient.

Yea, it was quite true that he had no power over death but he was hell bent on rendering its essence useless.

Again, there was just something that simply intrigued him about the girl; she was just so ... unusual.

♡♡

Rena stood at the window of her hospital room, taking in the view of the mountains afar off.

She heaved a sigh, feeling her heart lighten.

She no longer felt as weak as she did the previous day.

She was shockingly stronger and the practitioners no longer had to monitor her closely.

Only nurses came from time to time to administer drips, medications and take samples for tests- especially the petite light-skinned nurse who must have been assigned to her specially.

Rena didn't feel the sickness; she didn't lately.

But there were the doctor's reports ... and this continous heaviness in her heart, coupled with hope that drowned.

And it was clear- four months.

"Three months and twenty nine days," she corrected in a mumble.

It was fear that killed her even faster than the disease.

But what she wasn't sure of was if it was the fear of not leaving enough behind or moving forward to meet too little.

Rena didn't know what to feel anymore. She felt ... empty.

She gripped the metal bars of the window and heaved another sigh.

"Renie," a familiar voice echoed behind her.

She spun- it was daddy.

"Daddy!" She exclaimed in delightful surprise.

"Mummy!" She reached out and hugged her mother as well.

Rena's eyes searched behind her parents as if expecting something ... or someone- Nike!

Nike hadn't come to see her. Her belly knotted.

"Where's Nike?" She asked her parents.

"Rena," Mr Dawson began. "You need to rest first. We got you a loaf from Mandy's bakery."

Rena smiled and received the plastic bag from her father.

"Thank you. I've been resting for quite a while now." She assured them. "But what about Nike and why isn't she here yet?"

Her parents stared at her with frozen expressions.

"Nike would soon be here but, firstly we need to talk to you."

Mr Dawson helped his daughter sit on the bed.

"What about?" She asked, looking up at him curiously.

"Your health," he replied.

"I know, daddy. Look, I won't argue anymore. I've decided that staying in the hospital is the best option for me."

Deep down;

She'd decided that accepting death was the best option for her.

"This must be how God wants to heal me,"

This must have been how God wanted her to die; she didn't really want to live for anything- except Nike of course ... and probably Mandy's.

"I've decided to use the time I'll be in hospital to focus on the things that truly matter,"

She'd made up her mind to do all the things that made her happy before she passes and to no longer hold back.

"I know I'd make it through this."

She always wondered how possible it was to get a pink coffin.

Mr Dawson stared at his child with eyes that had begun to water.

"Mummy, don't worry too. You need to calm down- I'm fine. And please, do tell Nike to visit me soon or I'll be mad at her."

She made a subtle frown and reached for the plastic bag with the logo of Mandy's inscribed on it.

Then, she smiled.

Mummy and daddy soon left the hospital, leaving her with words of hope and comfort that didn't even scratch the surface of her heart.

Her mind was fixed on one thing and that was making the best of her time and finally finding herself.

Besides, she didn't find herself in the God all this while.

She was tired of trying and .. if anything, she was even more lost now.

She wanted something similar to ... a bucket list.

At that point, she didn't care what or what not the church, mummy or daddy would say; so long as she wasn't hurting anyone or herself. Right?

She was quite sure she knew the best for her.

Besides, she wouldn't be around to bear how dissappointed her parents would be.

She always wanted to experience only a multitude of things but the few of them were;

To be as confident as Nike was, to meet and mingle with other young people of her calibre, to go to the mountains, to fall out with Jenna one last time and the final addition ... to be romantically involved with a man- at least for the first time.

And her pick was the doctor.

She liked the doctor.

Infact, she had for quite a while, but was too traumatised then to know him on personal terms.

Rena knew Nike was the only one confident enough to do all of the things on her list as she had already done all of it, of course.

That was the reason she needed to speak with her best friend urgently and for the first time in a long while, Rena felt excitement spring up in her.

She sat on her bed, sheepishly smiling to herself when the doctor walked in.

Suddenly, she stiffened.

"Good day. How are you feeling today?" He asked in his sonorous voice, with pocketed palms as he slowly advanced towards her.

"I'm fine. Good day." Rena adjusted on the bed as he neared.

She observed him; he wore a blue and grey checked shirt over brown trousers, and then the coat.

"Uhm ..."

Rena noticed that he struggled to say something so she averted her eyes to make it easier.

"Did you know fresh air is essential for your health especially now?" He asked in a professional tone.

"Yea," she muttered almost inaudibly.

"The Institute has a garden behind the second block." He continued.

"Ok."

The man was silent for a while. Rena felt quite uneasy. Was she supposed to say something?

"I-" she began.

"Its beautiful," his words clashed with hers. "I'm sorry ... did you ... want to say something?" He apologetically asked.

She quietly shook her head in reply. He nodded.

The young doctor took in a deep breath and adjusted his cream-white coat.

"Would you like to see it? The fresh air there is great!" He remarked.

"Okay," Rena agreed. She stared up at the man; there was a glint in his eyes.

Maxwell offered a palm in an attempt to help her stand.

She didn't need it all that much, but she took his hand.

The doctor took her to the garden. It was located behind the second block of the Institute.

Since Rena was strong enough, she walked, but took little steps behind him as they went, making the young man slow down his strides.

"Are you okay?" He would ask at several intervals and she would make a small nod.

She was still in a hospital dress.

He was quite right- the Institute garden was impressively beautiful.

Rena's mouth hung in mid air as she stepped in.

Her school field was the most beautiful representation of nature she had seen upclose before now.

As she stepped in, there were rows of white lilies lining the walkway.

Maxwell studied her expression keenly but she was way too mesmerised to worry about his gaze at the moment.

A number of orchids were artistically paired with beautiful-looking green plants in clusters at both sides of the garden.

Red and pink roses elegantly lined the cream-coloured fence that acted as a demarcation from the white walls of the Institute-building.

And as they went deeper into the sanctuary, Rena took in the sight of more white lilies planted meticulously to spell the initials of the hospital; CMI. An unconscious smile came to her lips.

Then she noticed the glass dome ceiling that curved above like an upside-down bowl.

The dome dimmed down the garden a bit since sunlight couldn't penetrate through it but soon, she also spotted the white and golden lights that hung from it.

The warm lights gave the entire place an ecstatically elegant allure.

At the heart of the garden, there was a small artificial spring and a two way bush path right after it that led back to the entrance.

They stood there for a while, taking in the scene.

"Are you tired, do you need to sit?" He asked and pointed to a wooden bench facing the spring.

She looked up at him with a glint in her eyes- she was content and amused.

Noticing that she didn't understand him the first time, he repeated himself.

"Do you want to sit?"

He placed his large hand on the small of her back as if to guide her to the bench.

"No. I'm fine. I just want to go back to the ward." Rena replied and shrugged his hand off.

The man stood for a while in shock ... or was it perhaps disappointment?- Rena didn't know.

Though she was certain of one thing and it was the tense atmosphere she had accidentally created between them both.

She saw the man's shoulder slouch in disappointment but couldn't blame herself entirely because she had begun to get uncomfortable with the whole situation.

Rena turned around and started going back the way they'd come.

The doctor swiftly followed behind her.

♡♡♡

"You did what?!" Nike exclaimed once she was updated about her friend's encounter with the doctor.

"Nike-e-e, what else do you expect me to have done?" Rena ran her hand over her bushy, un-braided hair. "It was getting awkward," she added in a whisper- face, reddened.

She relaxed in the chair, facing her friend who had colonised her hospital bed.

Nike played along.

She was marvelled that her friend lit up with so much happiness, despite her condition.

She hoped for nothing to change that but got a constant lump in her throat, a heaviness in her chest and a wave of stubborn doubt whenever she recalled that her friend wouldn't last long.

"So that meant he wanted to be alone with you. Open your eyes! This man likes you."

Nike swallowed a huge dollop of the tub of S'n'C yoghurt she'd brought to share.

"Nikee-e-e..."

"Renaa-a-a..."

"Isn't it too early to come to that conclusion? ... I mean..."

"Hmm, church girl. Who certified you as judge over that?!" Nike teased and took another spoonful.

"You'll finish this thing. I thought you brought it for me." Rena snatched the tub of yoghurt from the glutton.

The girls shared quite similar qualities since their personalities had mingled over the years.

For one, Nike loved food in a gluttonous way while Rena loved food as an art. The latter admired nature's decor while the former was rather enthusiastic about interior designing and artificial decor.

The one thing the girls had in common was their lackadaisical attitude towards fashion and style.

In the sense that, Nike was always in an oversized sweater and sneakers with Rena nursing a large shirt over denim.

Now that Rena was with the yoghurt, Nike could focus properly.

"And that reminds me. Nike?"

"Hmm?" She replied in a bored tone with eyes longingly fixed on the tub.

"I ... I have a bucket list." She sputtered with enthusiasm.

Nike's heart skipped a beat, but soon returned to normal once she studied her friend's mood- she was ... okay.

Surprisingly.

"A bucket list?"

"Yea. And I need you to help me."

"With what?"

"The bucket list! Focus!" Rena scolded.

"Oh, sorry." Nike blinked back to attentiveness.

"This yoghurt is mine. Keep off for crying out loud." Rena teased but her friend wasn't distracted by the dairy, but simply shocked at the statement.

"Bucket list," the words played on her lips.

"Yea!" Rena was still quite enthusiastic. "And ... mmm ... he's a part of it."

"He like your fine doctor?" Nike asked in curiosity..

"Shhh. Nike, code word." Rena whispered.

"Sorry, I meant your fine lab goat."

"Lab coat!!" She scolded.

"Sorry, coat. I've just been thinking about goat meat lately." Nike explained.

Rena rolled her eyes in slight frustration and continued;

"I want to do these." She handed a piece of paper to Nike.

The latter read through it carefully- her eyes widened with every line she read. By the time she was done, she was moping like a fool.

"Church girl!" Nike exclaimed.

"What?!" Rena retorted in annoyance.

"Rena." She called her softly this time.

"Hmmm."

"I know you'd like to make the best of the time ..." Nike paused- she felt the heaviness again. "The time you have left but, I know you and I know there are things that matter more to you than all these." Her voice was serious this time.

Rena was silent and still.

Her friend continued; "To want to see the mountains is you but you're scared of heights. To be like me..." Nike smirked. "I'm not all that great as you think. Mingling with other people, Rena you're opportuned, privileged and if anything, other people should be lining up to meet you not the other way around.

Again, I know Jenna is a bitch," they both chuckled. "But I know what you want is to reunite, hmm? Rena don't allow this phase swallow the beauty in you; you're a pure soul ... and as for our fine lab goat,"

Nike's suddenly stiffened and changed her tone.

"I think we should order the goat roasted or do you prefer braised?" She nervously winked at Rena.

The latter felt confused until she noticed her doctor's presence in the room.

"This man no dey knock?!" Nike whispered with a mischievious smile. Rena shrugged her off.

Nike had smartly changed the topic once the doctor entered and thanks to her mispronunciation of the code word 'lab coat,' they were easily able to change the topic to that of a goat meat dish.

"Good day, ladies."

His sonorous voice echoed in the room.

Rena stiffened on the chair she sat.

"Hi," Nike waved with a casual smile as her oversized sweater rolled up her arm.

The doctor walked towards Rena where she sat on the chair.

"It's time for your checkup." He took his thetoscope off his neck and pocketed one of his palms.

"In that case, I'll leave." Nike jumped off the bed and bent to Rena's side. "You don't need to lift a finger; he's falling already," she whispered and took Rena's yoghurt before leaving the room.

Maxwell adjusted the glasses on his nose and heaved a sigh.

"How are you feeling this evening?" He asked.

She nodded.

He smiled a knowing smile and turned his head to the left as though amused by something.

"You know," he leaned on the brick wall with a cool countenance. "I can't really understand what you're saying if you don't speak actual words." There was amusement in his voice.

He tried not to burst into laughter so kept a smirk.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I'm fine," she properly replied.

A few moments passed before anyone spoke.

"Do you still get such thoughts?"

"Thoughts?" Rena repeated nervously with a hint of confusion.

"You know, ..." He leaned closer to her and whispered the last words- "suicide."

Rena looked up at him, feeling a lump in her throat.

Her heart raced.

"No," she mouthed.

He nodded.

Outside, the sun had begun to set by the mountains. It was quite an ecstatic time of day.

Oh how Rena loved to watch the sunset!

She thought it was beautiful.

"You seem to like the sunset a lot. I notice." He said looking towards the open window.

She glanced at him- the sunlight that bounced off his spectacles prevented her from seeing his eyes.

She breathed in deeply and looked at the window as well.

"Yea, I do ... it's beautiful," she replied in her soft, nasal tone.

"And the mountains. Have you ever been to the mountains?" He asked absentmindedly.

The words simply slid out of his mouth as he took in the mesmerising view.

"No, but I've always wanted to. I'd love it." She spoke softly.

The evening breeze swept across the room.

Rena felt the chill of the wind as her feet touched the marble floor.

"Sit on the bed. You'll catch the cold," he warned instructingly.

She instantly obeyed.

Then, he walked over to the cabinet at a corner of the room and retrieved a thick velvet-coloured blanket.

"Lie down."

"Hmmm?"

Her eyes widened at him.

"Lie. Bed." The man repeated in a bland tone.

"Oh ... bed," she muttered absurdly and laid down on the bed.

"Not so stiffly," he remarked with a serious expression as he covered her with the blanket.

Rena stiffened even more.

The man looked down at her with the same expression but this time, there was a distant look in his eyes.

She froze- embarrassed.

Was she supposed to say something?..

"Thank you," she muttered, but he didn't even move.

He just stood there with the bizarre expression, staring.

Rena closed her eyes slowly, pretending to fall asleep.

Seconds passed but she could still feel his warmth.

She gave it a bit more time and by the time her eyes snapped opened, he was gone.

Rena could breathe again,

And she did.

In that moment of solemnity, Nike's words rang in her head as a distant bell.

'Don't let this phase swallow the beauty in you..'

So there was beauty in her.

And if there was, it meant that she'd found herself in this God all this while afterall.

She was beauty.. at least in Nike's words and Nike meant a whole lot to her and if she thought there was beauty in her then Rena would take it upon herself to believe that.

She made a split second decision to take it upon herself to believe this God and whatever it was that He was doing with her.

The evening breeze swept over her once again as sleep took her consciousness.

♡♡

It was morning again..

Nike rolled out of bed with a pang in her chest and a slap of realisation.

Her best friend wasn't going to be with her for much longer.

She knew it wouldn't be noble to keep anything from her, especially the guilt of the err she had done.

Nike knew Rena as a loving, wonderful and understanding soul and she would definitely forgive.

Also, the err was beginning to become a burden too heavy for her to bear; she decided to let the cat out of the bag.

After she had breakfast and freshened up, she slid into a red Xl cotton sweater and a pair of jeans.

She'd also decided to stop by at Mandy's and buy her friend a loaf of their best stuff.

She felt enthusiastic about the whole thing and anticipated getting it off her chest.

She'd never had to feel such guilt about her friend before ... well except when they were younger on Rena's birthday when Nike ate her cake in half, thinking it was one of the dishes in the buffet.

"Okay..." she heaved a sigh and studied herself in the mirror, standing sideways with her brown leather tote strapped to her shoulder.

She wore a short, black bob wig with little strands of red. Then, she combed out the extension and dashed out of her apartment, heading for the Institute.

When she arrived and walked into the room, Rena was being served breakfast while she chatted with a petite nurse who seemed familiar.

"Nike!" Rena exclaimed, once she sighted her friend.

"In the flesh.." she mouthed weakly as a knot formed in her stomach.

She walked down to Rena's bed and set her tote down.

"Mummy and daddy just left." Rena explained.

"Oh! You're really shining this morning," Nike teased and stole a little piece of the omelettes on her friend's plate.

Her counterpart chuckled and slapped her greedy hands off.

The nurse stood idly in the room, holding a metal tray.

"Oh!" Rena exclaimed. "Nike, meet Kivu."

The nurse waved shyly.

"Hi," Nike waved back as the oversized sweater rolled up her arm.

"Kivu, this is my best friend, Nike- and sister!" She added enthusiastically.

"And sister!" Nike remarked with the same positive energy.

The nurse smiled warmly at the girl's bond.

Then, Nike remembered that she needed to tell her friend something important.

"Mmm. Rena I have something to talk to you about." She muttered to her friend.

"Uhm, Rena I'll just come back for the plates," nurse Kivu announced and left the room.

"What is it? Did you bring my usual?!" She stretched forth a hand and did a cheerful dance on the bed she sat on.

Nike chuckled nervously and retrieved a plastic bag from her tote.

Then she handed it to Rena.

"Yay!!" The latter exclaimed and dove into the baked treat from Mandy's. "You said you had something to tell me."

"Yea."

"Well?"

"You see ... I don't want you to be upset with me. I need you to understand me."

"Understand what?" Rena asked with her mouth half-full.

"Did you remember ... the attack you had?"

Rena nodded. "But it was quite faint and I can't completely remember."

"Rena ..." Nike heaved a deep sigh. "It was me. I ... I caused it."

"Hmm?!"

"Yea, me."

"No, I mean I don't understand. What do you mean?"

"I mean ... that day, you had the attack.." Nike had begun to cry. "I added - I added something to ... to the loaf I-"

Rena let the baked treat she held drop to the ground.

She thought Nike was joking but there were tears.

If it were a joke, she wouldn't be crying- Nike hardly cried.

"Nike ... you're joking. You didn't. You're joking!" Her voice shook and her eyes had begun to water as well.

"No. It was your mother; she came to me and she was worried.

You were giving up on treatment and she was scared. The plan was..."

"My ... my- mummy? ... The plan?!" Rena exclaimed.

"The plan was to drug you and get you admitted in the hospital but ... but, we didn't know it was poisoned." Nike looked down and sobbed.

"So the poison shortened my days!" She had reddened with rage.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I just wanted you to get better; Rena, I was scared. I'll break the bank and do whatever I can to get you to recover."

"Even attempt to kill me?!" Rena got a bit violent and shoved Nike.

"I'm sorry..." the latter cried even harder.

"Shut up! Shut up!! Am dying, Nike. I'm dying..." she burst into an anguished cry and slid to the ground.

Rena pulled the bedsheets with her, causing the dishes with which she had been served breakfast to crash to the ground.

Nurse Kivu momentarily dashed into the room on hearing the ruckus.

She advised Nike to leave the room and tried to calm her patient down.

♧♧♧

It was sunset in Crawford.

Rena sat on her hospital bed clothed in a blue-green hospital dress.

In front of her sat Mr and Mrs Dawson conversing with her doctor.

They were about to sign the release form since in their opinion, there was no reason to keep their daughter there at the Institute for much longer.

She wasn't improving and neither was she diminishing- at least not physically.

Mr Dawson held his wife, comforting her as he explained to the doctor how he wished for his daughter to stay close to them during her remaining days.

Rena on the other hand sat idly on the bed- not moving.

She looked stale, like a statue; seeming so lifeless.

The young doctor glanced at her at regular intervals, breaking his attention and sometimes making Mr Dawson call his name.

He saw the girl's sadness; it was quite intoxicating.

He wondered what she truly wanted and hoped her parents were reasonable enough to consider.

Maxwell studied her pityingly- she was nothing but a shell of herself.

A knot formed inside his stomach once the realisation that he was about to fail another patient hit him.

Mr Dawson called his attention again.

He cleared his throat.

"Pardon, sir?" He blinked back to reality and asked the man; "Were you saying something?"

"Yes. I was asking where we could sign the release form."

"Oh, down the hall at the receptionist's desk." He explained.

Mr and Mrs Dawson rose from their seats and hurried out of the room to sign the forms for their daughter's release from the hospital.

Then, it was just Rena and the young doctor in the room.

"You're quiet ... are you okay?"

She was still.

He wondered if really she could hear him.

"Uhm, Rena?" He called her name and tapped her gently on the arm.

She still didn't respond.

He shook her a bit harder this time and she blinked rapidly.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yea..." her voice drifted off.

"Its fine if you don't want to leave."

"What ... is the use? I don't have a choice anymore."

"No ... you always have a choice."

"Maybe not now."

"Why don't I..." he picked up a file, then dusted it up and continued; "Make up a medical excuse for you to stay here for one more day?"

"Is that necessary?"

"For you ... I mean, in your condition- I, Rena you need it."

"It's just that ... it's just, I don't know ... I don't know what to do with my life anymore." She burst into tears, placing her face in both palms.

He placed a palm on her shoulder and rubbed it- she didn't shrug his hand off so he proceeded to rub her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.

She broke down even further and her sobs grew louder.

Her body quaked quite violently.

Then, he hugged her.

Maxwell felt her body feel lax in his arms.

She didn't move- the girl just sat there,

not reciprocating his action but she was calm.

He receded and sat on the chair before her.

"Do you want to go home to your parents?" He asked softly but sternly.

She shook her head- still lowered.

"I understand," he touched her arm. "Do you want me to convince them to let you stay here?"

Rena snifled.

"I'll be fine," she said sternly and dried her watery eyes and face then laid down on the bed.