Chapter 56

Six years later

~Eliana~

“Mum, I want more pancakes,” Ian said, skipping into the kitchen.

“And you shall have more,” I said, wearing a broad smile, as I served him with two extra pancakes.

“Thanks,” He said, stuffing his mouth.

“You’re welcome,” I told him, turning off the heat from the gas cooker.

“What’s that over there?” He asked, pointing at the plate of food I was aiming to put inside the fridge before we both left the house.

“Mac and Cheese, what does it look like?” I retorted.

“It looks more like poop,” He mumbled.

“Come again?” I asked, glaring at him.

“I didn’t say anything,” He replied, trying not to look me in the eyes.

“You said something, sweetie. You said your mum’s food looks like poop,” I said, walking close to him.

“I was only saying the truth. We both know you’re not the best cook there is, and the only you’re good at making is pancakes, and you’d be okay as well with pasta if it wasn’t too soggy anytime you made it. Please, employ a cook and save us the stress of trying to eat Mac and Cheese, when we’d throw it out at the end of the day, and order in some pizza,” Ian said.

“You’re not going to grow up well eating only junk, and besides, I try my best to feed you well. Do you know how long it took before I got good at making pancakes? Now, you also admitted I’m getting better at cooking pasta. Soon, I’ll be good at cooking Mac and Cheese. Practice makes perfect, Ian, and I’m not employing a cook,” I said, putting the Mac and Cheese in the fridge.

He grunted. “I’m sorry, mum. I know you’re doing your best,” Ian said, dumping his cleared plate in the sink, as he skipped back to the living room.

“Wash your hands, will you?” I yelled after him, then heaved a sigh.

I was so overprotective of Ian and I didn’t want him to love someone else’s food or get too close with someone else. That was the reason I kept trying to learn how to cook, even though I was obviously not cut out for cooking. I could buy fast foods for him, but definitely not employ a maid or cook. He was my son, and from the moment I held him in my arms, I kept on wondering how life would be without him. My greatest fear was getting my son snatched out of my hands.

Being saddled with a six-year old child, a job at the coffee shop next to his school in the morning, and writing scripts at night, was not easy for me at all, but anytime I saw a smile on Ian’s face, it was all worth it. He was the best thing that had ever happened to me, and I would give him the world if he so desired.

He was a cute little child with adorable brown eyes exactly like mine, which was the only thing he took from me in terms of physical appearance. He looked like Alistair Duke in every other way, from his black hair to his pointed nose and his pink lips. He also had fair skin like his father, instead of inheriting my brown skin. I would have said he got his long eyelashes from his father as well, but we both shared that trait.

In many ways than one, he looked exactly like Alistair, and that was why even though I had tried to forget about Alistair for the past six years, it was impossible, because anytime I looked at my son’s face, I went down memory lane to a time when I had been happy with his father.

“Mum, can we go now?” Ian asked, disrupting my thoughts.

“Just a minute,” I responded, as I tidied up the kitchen, taking the last pancake from the tray.

I rushed into the living room, closing the kitchen door behind me.

“Here,” Ian said, helping me button my blue striped shirt, which I was wearing over dark blue jeans, and black flat shoes.

“Thank you,” I told him with a smile.

“What would you do without me?” He asked, returning the smile, exposing the fact that he had lost his two front teeth.

“Absolutely nothing. That’s why I need you by my side,” I said.

“I’ll never leave you, mum. I love you,” He said.

“I love you, too, my baby,” I told him, patting his head, lovingly.

“I’m no longer a baby,” He retorted, with a glare.

“You sure are. Babies are being told everything, and I have to tell you everyday to not watch TV before school. Turn it off, will you? Also, help me close the curtains. I’ll be outside waiting for you,” I told him, grabbing my house keys and my big black handbag.

A few minutes later, Ian met me outside, and collected the keys from me, which he used to lock the door.

“Did you switch off the lights?” I asked.

“Yes, mum,” He replied.

“And you made sure you didn’t leave the tap in the bathroom running?” I inquired.

He seemed annoyed. “Yes, mum, I did,” He replied.

“How about your video...”

“Mum, my video games are all turned off, I kept all my toys under the bed, my clothes aren’t lying around, I’m not taking my phone to school, I didn’t forget my homework and I’m not wearing yesterday’s socks. Can we go now?” He asked, with an irritated look plastered on his face.

A smile crept onto my face. “Yes, we can,” I replied.

“Thank God,” He said, and began skipping, as I walked closely behind him.

That was how we lived everyday, and even though my son was growing up too fast, I knew deep down that he’d always be my baby.

“Slow down, will you?” I asked, with a mouthful of the last pancake which I had taken.

“No. I don’t want people knowing I’m the son of a grown-up who still eats on the road,” He responded.

I chuckled, lightly. Trust me, I’m not the only grown-up who does that. Your father also...” I started, then kept quiet abruptly.

“My father eats on the road as well? Thank goodness I don’t know him. Imagine having two parents that would embarrass you by eating while walking. One is more than enough” Ian said, shooting a small smile in my direction, as he skipped away.

My heart thumped loudly. I don’t know why and how those words had flown out from my mouth, but I was glad to have been blessed with such an understanding son, who just ignored it. There was a time he always asked me about his father, and I just had to be honest one day to tell him his father had hurt me and left me even before I could get a chance to tell him I was having a baby.

That day, I realised that I hadn’t been wrong to name him Ian – Gift of God. I wasn’t that much of a Christian, but I knew he was a gift, and he was the consolation I had gotten for all the years things had gone so wrong in my life. He understood me, and he was glad that I had left such a man. He never asked to see his father after that day, and I never brought him up...Well, until today.

“Mum, are you done with eating?” Ian asked, staring in the opposite direction.

“Yes, my love. Why?” I responded, wiping my hands with a tissue paper.

“Audrey!” He called out loud.

That was when I got to know he had been staring at his classmate and friend, Audrey, a pretty little blonde-haired girl, that looked exactly like a doll. He hadn’t wanted her to see me eating, which made me wonder if he was truly embarrassed by my actions.

“Ian,” She said, in a tiny voice.

Both of them seemed really excited on seeing each other, which wasn’t surprising as they were just resuming school today after a long summer vacation, which I kept praying would come to an end, as Ian took delight in terrorising all the customers at the coffee shop where I worked with questions, and kept making demands for basically everything that was edible. I guess one could say he took that from me.

Ian insisted we wait for Audrey, whose mum was buying sweets from a confectionery store, and since I still had thirty minutes to when work resumed, I gave in to his demands like I always did. I wished I could be a tough mum for once, but those cute puppy brown eyes could never be ignored for once.

“Mum, I’m leaving with Ian and his mum. You can catch up with us later,” We heard Audrey say, and just like that, she ran towards us.

“No!” I screamed, seeing an oncoming vehicle speeding hastily.

The little girl stood right in the middle of the road, looking really frightened and scared. I hadn’t taken time to register what she had screamed to her mum because they were right across the street, and I didn’t know she was just going to run into the middle of the road.

The driver of the vehicle, which was a company’s bus couldn’t step on the breaks immediately, and before our very eyes, little Audrey was sent somersaulting in the air, and she landed back on the ground with a heavy thud, hitting her head on a pole.

“Audrey!” Ian yelled, dashing right into the middle of the road, trembling in fear.

I ran right after him, along with other people who were present, as well as the driver, who seemed scared and practically confused. Tears rolled down her mother’s eyes as she dropped her bag, running over to see her little girl.

She was covered in blood, and was only managing to breathe. Her body was already cold, and my heart ached, knowing it was only a matter of time before she kissed the world goodbye.

Ian shook his head, refusing to believe what had just happened to his friend, since his kindergarten days. He held her hand in his, sobbing hard, pleading with her to stay a little longer.

“Audrey, don’t close your eyes, please,” He said, with tears streaming down his face.

“Has someone called the ambulance yet?” An old man from the crowd screamed.

“It’s useless. My daughter won’t survive this,” Her mother said in a shaky voice, accepting the hard truth already.

“Stop being pessimistic, will you?” I retorted, trying my best to stay calm.

“You’ll be fine. You have to be fine,” Ian said.

I noticed her eyes were closing as she became colder. As young as she was, she seemed to be fighting to live, but it wasn’t working. A drop of tear slid down her face, as her breathing relatively reduced.

Ian closed his eyes, held her hand tightly and asked her not to go away yet. I was trying my best not to cry as I saw the life of his friend being snuffed right out of her, and we were all helpless as there was no way we could thwart the inevitable...or could we?

Before my eyes, I saw something I knew I had seen before. As Ian held on to Audrey’s hand, his veins became obvious, and they were black, as though receiving something from someone else.

“Oh no!” I muttered.

Ian was taking away her pain, and thus, healing her. Her eyes opened widely, and she started to breathe normally again.

“Audrey, are you okay?” Her mum asked, seeing the change in her daughter.

Audrey smiled, giving her a positive response, as she was still too weak to speak.

Ian suddenly collapsed to the floor and I ran over to meet him, taking him in my arms, unable to get a grasp of the situation. Things had been going too good for so long now, and I should have known that they were going to change soon. In my life, nothing good lasts forever.

“Are you okay, my baby?” I asked.

He smiled weakly, “I’m no longer a baby,” He said, opening his eyes.

I smiled back at him, but the smile vanished from my face when I realised that the eyes staring at me wasn’t brown. They were yellow, and they were glowing.