Chapter 40

They both sat in silence for many minutes, with several thoughts running in their minds. Juana thought deeply about what he said. He was going to kill his father. Who was his father? She wondered. Then her mind struck a knowledge. Was it Doctor Paul? The man who saved her father? Could it be him? His story was similar to Jason's. He had said he had an adopted son and that he himself was a widower. He had said his son threatened to kill him.

Jason had told her he was an adopted child. He had also said his father frustrated his mother to death. Why had she not thought about this earlier? Why had fate brought father and son to her? Was she meant to help them make peace with each other? One was trying to kill the other, whereas the other was trying to get his son's forgiveness.

She remembered the loneliness and emptiness she saw in Jason's father's eyes when she and Colin visited him. She was shaking with shock. She was not going to have a hand in that man's death. He had a kind soul, even if he had been bad in the past.

She was going to make sure they make peace with each other-father and son, and maybe, just maybe, things will start to fall in pleasant places for them. The truth might come to limelight and Jason, sorry Michael might not have to go to prison, or die. But it was going to be really hard.

Jason might kill him the next day if she didn't do something, and if she refused his request of staying by him, wouldn't he harm her too?

She thought about Colin. He wasn't safe too. He won't stop trailing Jason, believing he was Helen's killer. Colin said he had evidences to back it up. She thought about her mother, and Selena, and her father and grandmother. She thought about her bullies- Eric, Lilian and several others.

She thought about Ivy's pregnancy and the nightmare. If Ivy dies, and if Jason goes to prison, if her own mother dies, and if her father marries Selena, and Granny grows older and dies, and if Colin loses his life in a bid to find his best friend's killer or doesn't but breaks up with her, how would life be? Everything would not be the same again. She'd be very lonely. It would be really bad. She would not even stay alive to see how things were.

Would things ever get better? She sighed. She knew she was over thinking and had to stop. She had to write God soon. It's been a while.

Michael was panting. She looked at him and wondered why. His breaths grew louder and uneven, and he shifted uncomfortably on the bed

"Are you okay?" She asked softly.

He held the left side of his chest and coughed lightly.

"Jason" she reached for him.

"Hey are you okay? Are you okay? What's wrong?" He kept coughing and holding his chest. Juana stood up: "I'll call the doctor, okay?" She was not thinking straight. She was walking towards the door. "Don't... Don't" he said coughing.

He pulled her back and staggered towards the window. Still holding his chest, he let down a rope which he took out of his pocket carefully.

The end of the rope was tied to the window and his body. He jumped down slowly, more like slipped down. The window shut tight. He was gone.

Juana was worried for him. Sleep had flown away from her eyes the minute he arrived.

Was he having an heart attack? She thought.

When day breaks, she was going to have to do something quick. She was not going to tell Colin that she'd be visiting Michael again. If she wasn't discharged that day, she'd leave the hospital anyway

Juana knelt down by her bedside and prayed for Michael.

Afterwards she laid on her side and listened to the clock tick. It was the only sound in her room.

At exactly 2am, she got a text from him.

"I'm fine now. We should see you soon. Get well on time" he texted. She was relieved.

When dawn broke, she got up and waited. Colin and Baron came to help her back home. She didn't allow Colin to embrace her. Doctor Alan prescribed some drugs and discharged her. She was happy. Free at last.

Immediately they got home, Juana had her bath and changed her dress. Then she texted Jason: "I'm on my way. Looks like there's a whole lot I still don't know about you"

She sneaked out of the house after breakfast. She made sure everyone was not in the living room when she left.

She needed to hear Jason's full story. She didn't stop calling him Jason even though he was actually called Michael.

He was at the doorstep when she arrived. He embraced her tightly. He was smiling. Juana was glad to see him like that. When he smiled, he glowed.

"I feel threatened. This place isn't safe for me" he said when she sat.

"Why?"

"I've got lots of threats from unknown people since I've been here"

"Why? Isn't this your house?"

"It is. I built it with my own money. I'm guessing those people are families to the people I've killed, in my past" he said. "I wish they can just forgive me. You know, come meet me face to face and talk to me. I'm really sorry for hurting them" he sighed.

"Jason" She began. He looked her in the face "Why don't you forgive your father too? You want those people to forgive you and let go of the past, why don't you just do the same with your father?"

"Why don't y'all just let sleeping dogs lie, and start all over again? Maybe not here. Maybe somewhere else, but with peace in your hearts towards each other" she said, and she meant it.

"Forgiveness will bring life. Vengeance will only cause more pain, and deaths" she said. He looked outside. Without saying a word, he left the living room. He went outside and stared at the clouds. Juana soon joined him there.

"I'll show you something", he said to her, "Maybe when I do, you'll understand that my father doesn't deserve to be forgiven" he said slowly.