Heaven on Earth

Part 7

After Clara's dad's funeral, Erasmus realized that he had ignored Rose completely. He went to knock on her door and saw that she was in tears and holding a bottle containing pills. He quickly drew closer to her and realized she had swallowed most of it already

"Angel please don't do this...I'm sorry Erasmus, but I'm just a pain in your neck, I'm of no use to you... stop talking like that, you mean a lot to me" within a few minutes, she passed out. He tried to revive her but she wasn't coming around so he called his doctor. When the doctor arrived he ushered him into Rose's room, after checking her, he told Erasmus to keep a close eye on her in order for her not to repeat her actions. He felt it was his fault that she tried to take her life.

She was having a fever "No, please don't do this_ don't hurt me..." Erasmus who was sitting on a chair in the corner of her room was beside her in seconds. He got her to wake up and go back to sleep as the doctor instructed him in case this happened. The following day he did all the house chores and prepared breakfast with all the culinary skills he could gather. He placed the breakfast on a tray together with her medication and headed towards her room. When he entered, she wasn't in bed, his heart stopped for a moment as fear gripped him at the thought of loosing her. She came out of the washroom and without thinking Erasmus went to embrace her, even though quite astonished, she really needed that hug.

"Don't scare me like that again, okay" he warned and she just nodded. He sat her down on the bed and proceeded to feed her because she didn't want to eat but he persuaded her. Rose didn't want him to bring up the issue of what happened to her when she went missing. When he sent the tray to the kitchen and joined her, he asked the question she dreaded and waited for an answer

"Angel, please tell me what happened to you...I went out for a walk that day because I hadn't been out since I started living with you...okay and?... then I saw a drunkard at the uncompleted building_" she hesitated before going on, by this time tears welled up in her eyes, wanting to flow. "He chased me, even though I managed to run, he caught up with me and he_ he took advantage of me...what! Oh my God, I'm so sorry" he reached out for her and consoled her.

"I know that you will not want me in your house anymore, don't worry, I'll be leaving today... do you think I'm heartless to let you out on the streets again especially after what happened? You are staying here". She just stared at him speechless

"Angel, you don't have to say anything, just accept my help...thank you Erasmus, you're really kind, God bless you". He was leaving to his room when Angel called him back, "Can you please sit here till I fall asleep?... of course, I can do that".