In love with a stripper.

The angel of death.

As I walked up the path to my grandmother's house, a sense of worry and despair lingered in my heart. She had been unwell for a while and is currently fighting for her life at the hospital. Grandma was diagnosed with coronary artery disease a year ago—a day after my birthday. Doctors confirmed that she had only a 20% chance of survival. The thought of losing Grandma brought tears to my eyes but I fought back.

But as I opened the door to her house, the tears quickly rushed out—like a genie set free from a bottle. "I can't afford to lose Granny" I muttered. I whispered a short prayer to the universe and asked that Grandma be saved. I wiped my tears with my already crumpled handkerchief, heaved a heavy sigh and walked to the kitchen. The aroma of homemade soup filled the air.
"Mmm...Chef Chloe at it again". I sniffled. Chloe had prepared Grandma's favorite soup—butternut squash soup with chili. I quickly went to my room and changed from my work clothes and off I went to the Government hospital to give granny her meal for the night.

The sight that awaited me was heart-wrenching . 
As soon as I entered her hospital room, a loud silence greeted me—-Good evening Aaliyah!
There, lying peacefully on her bed, was my dear grandmother, her eyes closed and her hands folded. It was as if she had fallen into a deep slumber, never to wake again. My heart sank almost immediately as I called out her name but there was no response.
"Oma Oma" but nobody responded except the angel of death, of course.
The room felt still, and there was an eerie emptiness that sent shivers down my already shocked spine. Granny was gone! My Grandma! My world has come to an absolute halt. I quickly shouted for the doctors and they came in. Ms Lisa checked her impulses and sighed.
"I'm sorry Aaliyah"

Tears welled up in my eyes as I knelt beside her, overwhelmed by a mix of grief and disbelief. I held her frail and wrinkled hand, hoping for a miracle, but deep down, I knew she was gone—for good. Memories of our time together flooded my confused mind - her warm hugs, her comforting words, and her unwavering love.
With a shaky hand, I dialed Chloe's number but she didn't answer. I wasn't expecting anything different though, it was 8 pm already and she was busy.

With a heavy heart, I went closer to Granny, kissed her wrinkled forehead, and muttered an "I love you". I left the room and walked absent-mindedly on the road.

I could hear cars beeping as I tried crossing a particular roundabout but I couldn't care less. The fact that Oma was no longer with me was something I couldn't come to terms with. She was my life, my whole world.  My college dreams are now in shambles.
I felt a shoulder push me away as I fell on the pavement. I yelled in genuine pain as I hit the hard pavement.
"Are you blind?" The guy yelled.
I let out a disgusted scoff, wiped the dirt on my jacket, and tried to get up. I instantly regretted that decision—the pain I felt was hell.

The guy snickered and offered his hands to me. I looked away, took his stretched hand, and got up on my left leg. Oh great, I've twisted my right ankle. "Can today get any worse?" I cried and silently cursed today.
"Hey, are you crying?" The guy stared at me confusedly. I quickly hugged him and cried my eyes out. It took a while before I felt a hand wrap around my back. He patted my back for a while before finally disengaging from the hug.
"I'm sorry." I mouthed and wiped my tears. I'm very sure that I look like hell right now but that didn't bother me.

The guy asked me what was wrong but nothing came out of my mouth when I tried to talk. I felt numb. I shook my head and asked him not to worry amidst tears. He further probed but I didn't budge. I tried walking away, forgetting I'd twisted my ankle. The guy got a hold of me just as I was about to land on the ground, again! He offered to take me into his car and I didn't argue. The typical Aaliyah would have argued and wondered about her safety but now??

I told him my house address and in about fifteen minutes' drive of silence, we arrived.
He helped me get out of the car and took me to the house. The absence of Grandma could be felt in the house. The guy helped me sit on the worn-out couch in our small living room.
He got up and turned to leave. After the first step, he turned and said "I'm Brian and I hope you feel better soon". With this, he left the house. I closed my eyes and curled myself like a worm on our couch.