Chapter 16

She woke up to murmuring, people were talking inaudibly in the hallway beside her door.

Sophia thought it was happening in her late afternoon dream, but she woke and still heard two voices murmuring outside her door and one had masculinity to it. she wasn't expecting anyone, not Stan nor Maureen and her doctor was supposed to come in the early mornings. she sat up under the duvet to listen for a while.

"Is she here already?" The male voice asked.

"Yes_yes sir, she is but she's sleeping. you can meet her once she's awake, her doctor thinks_"

The feminine voice was interrupted harshly. "I don't care what the doctor thinks, and I don't care to see her." Hisses.

Sophia could hear footsteps retreating, and nothing. She didn't grab much from the little conversation but she guessed it was one of her maids. either Sabina or the other one whom she didn't know her name.

But who she was talking to? She didn't know.

But that was the least of her problems now. she rested her back on the wooden edge and exhaled. She needed to start her physiotherapy soon.

Everyone talked about how crippled she was but no one cared to know if she had chances of getting better except Stan. He gave her the good news the other day and she cried so hard.

At least her dreams weren't all gone, she could return to college find a better program and be independent. Not waiting on another to provide for her.

But before then she has to continue with her online programs.

"Monica!..." She trailed off.

"Where do I know you from?... Monica, Maureen..." Sophia kept on repeating these names trying to get her mind to remember. Surely the name wasn't just in her nightmares it was part of her reality that got lost in the cause of the accident.

Her stepmother was keeping something from her, it all felt different and surreal.

That whole day she stayed inside her room racking her fragile brains to recall what happened before her fatal accident. She refused to eat, needed no distractions for her brain till she slept off again at sundown.

****

Jason stepped out of his tear rubber Audi E-Tron which was part of the wedding gift his parents gave him. Putting his dark shades in place, he walked into the bar and searched for his friend Sean.

"And look who we finally have here" Sean teased. While shutting his laptop. "Isn't this like the latest couple in town?"

Jason dropped on the seat before him ignoring his friend's comments, he pulled off his glasses. "You ditched me, man, I came to you for help and all you did was feed me reasons why I should go home to die."

"And yet you're still alive."

"I managed, Charlotte threw me out too she is angry at me. We promised to elope a few days ago but I didn't have my passport, went back to fetch it and bang! My conniving father already went through my things and seized my passport. He's somewhere in Kano I don't know."

"I need a drink, waiter" he called over while Sean watched him carefully.

"So you meant to elope with that good for nothing woman?" Sean shook his head in disbelief. "Now I know you are a fool, Jason. You think you're running from a hot pot but your jumping into the fire itself. Lemme be sincere with you here, Charlotte is nothing but a gold digger!."

His friend sat still staring at nothing afraid to show Sean the emotions in his eyes. Sean thought might be right about Charlotte but it hurt Jason to hear it from him still, it pricked him.

"Have you seen the news? The blogs?" Jason started on second thought.

Sean shook his head.

"Then I think you should. At least she has a better reputation in people's eyes than a cripple."

Sean batted his lashes in realization. His friend was suffering, he could never understand how that sucked but he still thought Jason was overreacting.

"Am a sorry man, that's very insensitive of me to say, I know how it feels to be revered and adored then end up with the unexpected. But I think you shouldn't mind the news, they always talk. Why don't you finish your program in school then get a job if you keep a low profile for a while the paparazzi will be off your neck soon."

"Sure, I'll do that... But, I can't sleep in that house" he confessed.

"Why?."

"I see her everywhere now, it feels like a nightmare and I don't have the balls to face her yet. I'll just avoid her at any cost. don't want any awkward moment. And to think it was the same house I begged my father to sell to me at a cheaper price, now it's a wedding gift and a horror" he chuckled at the irony of life.

"At least you got that baby outside there, it's damn fantastic" They both looked through the window at the car parked outside.

"Yes love that one, the sound of the engine revving makes me wanna cum!" both burst out laughing.

"You're so stupid Jason, you've always loved cars and I the ladies."

He looked down at Sean's laptop. "Were you studying?."

"Not really, just surfing the net for an article, am taking my studies seriously man, and soon I'll get married as well."

"Why would you want to marry now? I can't even picture myself married now. You of all people, the ladies man, want to jump the train?" Jason laughed.

"Am serious Jason, I love Miriam" he twisted in his position and brought out a small box placing it on the table before them. "I found I love her so much and would want to spend my life with her. But am having cold feet maybe she might reject it?."

Jason was perplexed, he never even in his next life imagined his friend Sean married. It didn’t fit. For God's sake the guy was no husband material, even he Jason wasn't but he was ten times better than Sean.

"What happened to you, Sean? Is this you talking about? I mean I thought you loved the free life? The booze and women?... And Miriam? Did I think you just wanted to play her for her innocence? Or did she?" Confusion was etched on his forehead.

"No she didn't, but I fell for her innocence. I just... Am tired of the same old shit, I love the feeling of being in love, it's wow. Then I realized you're married and soon Mason will join so why waste time when I have someone who loves me to the Moon too." He smiled ear to ear.

Jason felt like slapping the silly smile off his face.

The two friends drank till they couldn't and talked till they were out of things to say, Sean excused himself after a long time saying he needed to be at a class meeting with his coursemates. Jason wasn't ready to return to his new home so he left for another friend's place.

***

"We could pretend we didn't see each other or we don't. But the fact is, we always will be in each other's way so I suggest we get along soon. Don't you?" Maureen asked while spinning on her heels before Stan who was pulling off his lab coat.

"Well I don't mind, the silence is worth it. Am tired Maureen I need to rest, tomorrow is Sophia's therapy I have to be there"

"Oh, let her be, am talking about you and I Stan. We're both living in this house alone and lonely at night especially. We could get along and kill boredom or..." She Drew closer to his tired form placing a hand on his shoulder, she squeezed it soothingly causing Stan to almost let out a moan in relief but he caught himself on time.

"I know you work a lot, but there's no one to put you off the stress. I can help if you want? We both are still young and vibrant isn't that a nice coincidence?" she bit her glossy lower lip.

Stan was out of words, he didn't think what he made of this conversation. Was the old woman making sexual advances at him?!.

"Excuse me" he brushed her hands off and retired to his room never to come out till the next day. Inside the bathroom, he thought so much about the incident downstairs.

Surely the woman was derailed. "Young and vibrant" he muttered in a mocking tone. "That old hag, silly woman."

The only reason he let Sophia's stepmother be in his home was that she had nowhere else to go to as she claimed. But it was just for a few months so she could get a new house for herself.

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