Strings Attached (On-going)

27. GONE

So my daily routine had been to go to work and then to Oscar's home, to see his mom, primally. It had been a week already and all my life had been centered on these. Rebecca had become one of my priorities, the top most, actually.

I knew how it felt losing a loved one, especially family, I had seen the worst and I just felt the need to help Oscar go through this phase. Seeing his mom smile was enough for me to feel I was helping, in a way, to make up for my failure to be there for my family when they needed me, not that it would have made any difference, actually, I would have died together with them and it would have been perfectly fine. But somehow, I had managed to cheat nature, as a lot of people used to say, and that was unfair to my family. Still here I was, with the opportunity to make another person feel loved and cared for, though eventually she would disappear like faint smoke.

Though her condition got worse every passing day, I still had hope for her. DD had said she had less than two weeks and it had been a week already, so yes, there was hope.

So after work, I headed down to Oscar's house, he had left earlier. My familiarity with the route surprised me. I now knew all the corners like I how I now knew Rebecca's daily meal.

Rebecca was lying down on the couch when I got to the house. Trying to sit up , after I walked in, she smiled at me. She was pretty and her smile, heartwarming and contagious. I smiled back at her and walked towards her. Her head was bare with no scarf today, and she still looked amazing, though it was visible old age was catching up with her.

Looking at her closely, she had emaciated over the last few days. Her jawlines were clearly defined and her collar bones were presenting themselves to the world with pride. Her arms looked slender and that was mainly because she had lost appetite and was eating very little everyday.

"And she came again", she said, chuckling

"Will never miss a day", I took a seat by her on the couch and sat my bag down beside me. "How is it today?"

"Well, can't say I'm feeling much better, but it's okay.. manageable", she said, shrugging.

I nodded, "eaten?"
She shook her head slowly

"I've been trying to get her to eat something, Lisa, but she's not eating"... Janice's voice. I turned to see her leaning against the door frame. Worry literally spelt across her acne free face. She took steps towards us.

"Nothing since morning?" I asked

"Just fruits"

"I'm fine, seriously" , Rebecca interjected, weakly, as though she was struggling to get her words out.

"But you really need to eat something, no meds, so...we go manual" I tried to sound convincing, but she just shook her head.

Janice tapped me on the shoulder, "Sir Oscar asked to see you when you came, he's in his room"

"Uh, okay"....okay.. But I didn't even know his room. That, I couldn't say while his mom was still at earshot, she believed we were in a relationship, so obviously, she would expect me to know where her son's room was. I rose to my feet gently and whispered into Janice's ear, "where's it?.. His room?"

She signalled me to follow her, so I did. As we walked across the grey carpet in the hallway,I carefully studied my surrounding and the paintings on the walls didn't go unnoticed. One thing I knew for sure, although Oscar used to fancy my paintings, he wasn't really a fan.

I didn't even realize I had halted and was staring at them until Janice broke my reverie, "they're many huh? He says they remind him of someone he really loves. That person must really be lucky"
I just chuckled.

"He used to talk about you a lot, you know, and whenever I asked about why he's always getting new paintings despite how many he already had, he just said, 'Lisa loves them', and I eventually got to ask him about who this 'Lisa' was", she said, air coating my name.

"Wait, so you know about him and I?"

"I think I do... And I liked you since the very day he first talked about you, I don't know how but I just did" and then she smiled at me. Just knowing she knew all about us made me shiver in my bones.

Apparently, he was in a room right opposite his bedroom, which I learnt was his office. He sat behind his desk, his head rested in his palms, he was probably sinking deep in thoughts, I presumed. As if the sound of our footsteps dragged him from wherever he had gotten to, he raised his head almost immediately we got to the door, which was already open.

He ruufled his hair a little and the rubbed his eyes a little. "Hi", he welcomed us, with a very lifeless tone.

"I'll take my leave", Janice said, excusing herself from the room, leaving us behind.
"Hey", I managed to say. Though Oscar and I had gotten on quite okay terms, being close to him felt different every single time. "How have you been?"

I took a seat from across him so I was facing him. He shrugged and rubbed his eyes again. "She's dying,Lisa and it seems it's out of my control now. I called DD in today, to check her up and even he had lost hope for her, Lisa...I could send her out of the country, you know, to the world's best healers and hospitals, but as you saw her there right now, she's just a living dead, and I can't.., the stage she's gotten to, is scaring me", he trailed off and before I knew it I was already up from my seat and was going around the table to his side.

I walked to his side to hold him, I could feel a drop roll down my own cheek."Hey...I know it's tough for you, but just know, that whatever happens, I'm here for you, alright?"

He lifted his eyes and looked up at me, "I'll be here when you need me, I promise", and I meant it. I bent down and wrapped my arms around him, from the side, he placed his hand on my arm and stroked. I just hoped my touch or even sound of my breath would be a calming medicine. I wanted to be his steady anchor.

"thank you".

We remained in this posture for minutes, rocking side to side, cocooned in each other's arms.  Until Janice's voice invaded our peaceful space.  Seconds later the screams, got nearer. "Sir Oscar!...sir Oscar!"

I shook Oscar, "Janice is calling from outside"

We both rushed out of his office and met Janice outside, "I think you need to call DD,she's not moving, not responding to anything", she blurted out. We walked past her to the living room where Rebecca laid down peacefully, the corners of her lips twitching up into a small smile, she looked so peaceful.

How are you dead with a smile on your face??

I knelt down beside her and poked her gently, but there was no budge. Oscar was on the phone with DD while Janice was no where to be found.

"He's on his way, lucky for us he's was already in the hood", Oscar said.

In less than three minutes when DD got to the house, Janice also descended with Rebecca's hospital bag. "Are we taking her to the hospital?", she inquired

"relax, Jane, DD is already here".

DD walked to where she laid, held her hand to check her pulse, he checked her heartbeat and with his thumb, he checked for a pulse on the sides on her neck. He shook his head slowly.

"And she's been like this for over five minutes?" He asked.

We all nodded while I dabbed the corners of my eyes with a tissue. I don't know but I just felt I knew what was coming....

He sighed heavily and then looked at all three of us, "I'm sorry guys, she's gone".