Lara folded her arms round her chest
as she watched her mother in-law
pack some fruits into a basket.
"You're going out" she said rather
than asked.
"Yes, but I'll be back soon." Amara
replied covering the basket with a
table cloth.
"I'm coming with you..." Lara began
to say.
"No..." "I'm coming with you!" she
said
firmly.
"Lara, you can't come with me,
okay?" Amara tried to soothe her.
"Is there anything wrong? You've
been going out now for the past one
week, and...and... Or is there
anything you're hiding from me?"
Lara said with a frown.
"Now, Lara relax your nerves, okay.
Stay back, I'l buy you something
when I'm coming back." Amara
patted her.
"Okay then...I'l be going back to my
place." Lara pouted.
"Lara! You can't..." "I can't stay here
all alone!" Lara
began to cry.
Amara sighed, she knew her game is
up.
She needed to tell Lara the truth.
But how would she start? Tony
would be discharged that night.
"Errm..Lara, Tony had an accident,
he'll be discharged today." she said
slowly.
"Accident? Tony?" Lara held her
chest firmly.
"Yes, he'l be discharged today."
Amara sighed again.
"I'm coming with you to see him!"
Lara said huskily.
"No...I'l drop you at your place
instead, you'l see him later in the
day, when he's been discharged."
Amara told her.
Lara felt her knee go weak, she
prayed the accident isn't that bad.
::::::::********::::::::
Lara toyed with her cornrows out of
boredom, her mother-in-law had
called to tell her they were on their
way.
She tried to imagine what Tony
would look like, maybe he would
wear a scowl, or perhaps bark at
her.
She heard the front door open, she
stood up sharply, expectantly.
"Welco..." what she saw made her
Tongue stick to the roof of her
mouth... Tony sat in a wheel chair,
he looked
so pale.
Chief Ifiora pushed the
wheel chair into the room.
Lara looked on, she tried to speak,
but couldn't. Tony looked up at her,
he held her gaze, his eyes full of
regrets, sorrow and pains.
Lara looked away, tears stung her
eyelids, was it real? She asked
herself.
"Don't cry." Amara hugged her. Lara
wept on her shoulder, she
watched her father-in-law push
Tony in his wheel chair towards his
room.
Tears blurred her vision. Was this the
same Tony she saw few days ago?
Now he is in a wheel-chair?
She hugged her mother-inlaw and
they both wept holding each other
tightly.
To be continued