CrossRoads

Chapter 9

Bella
I run to my dad's room with excitement.
"Dad, I got us tickets to the new mall opening down town tomorrow. Let's.. ".

"Honey" the voice cuts in
"We have plans tomorrow, hope you haven't forgotten."

"Plans" dad asks
"What plans?"

"Your always forgetting, I wonder what you'll do without me. We have movie plans."
she walks out of the room.

Dad never forgets anything and he'll do much better without you.
I really want to ask him why he's agreeing to whatever she says. But I'll end up shouting and it won't be good for his blood pressure. I don't wanna be the reason he ends up in the hospital.

I walk back to my room, not the same way I left. I pick my phone and dial Dora's number.

"Hey dear, how are you?"

"Am good Ma. What about you?"

"Am ok" she clears her throat.
"I am surprised by your call, hope there's no problem."

"No. I  wanted to ask if your free tomorrow.  I have tickets to the new mall opening down town. I would love if we can go together."

"Sure that will be very nice. I was actually doing something before you called. So we'll talk later"

"No problem Ma".
She cuts the call. The excitement I have right now, is more than the one that was taken away from me. Is this how people with mothers get all excited when going out with their mum?

Twinkle
"Stacy, what are you doing here. I thought you have an afternoon class".

Stacy and i are about to enter the university. For the meantime, i take piano lessons while Stacy enrolled for extra classes.

"Yea, i just hurried over to give you these tickets".

"Tickets for what?"

"Its for the mall opening downtown tomorrow. I want you to go with your mom".

"Can't we go together?". I ask

"I would have wanted that, but my mom and i have a ceremony to attend tomorrow".   

"Okay".

"Make sure you go with your mom oh. I got to go now. See you later, I'll call you".

"Okay bye".
I know she's doing this on purpose. She just won't give up in her quest to bring Dora and i closer.

I try looking for Dora around the house, but i can't seem to find her. Am at her room now. This is the first time am entering her room, and she's not here either.
Am about to leave when i notice a book close to her pillow. My curiosity is over the roof. Since she overheard my discussion, i guess am over invading her space.

As i turn the pages of the book, only tears leave me. A drop of it stains the book, am shocked by what i see. I hear footsteps, i think its Dora. I don't want her to see me this way so i turn my back against her.

"Twinkle, is anything wrong" she pause. I guess she has noticed that i read her book, because i left it opened.

"If you loved me this much, if you did miss me, then why did you leave? Why are you coming back now, why didn't you come 5 or 10 years ago? Why didn't you come when i was 6, 10 or 14. At least, at that time, it wouldn't hurt this much".        

"Twinkle i...."

I cut her short, i sniff a bit and finally face her but avoid eye contact.
"Am sorry for invading your space. I looked for you around the house but couldn't find you, that's why i came here.
I wanted to give this to you".
I hand her the tickets.
"Stacy got it for us. I have something to do, so I'll leave".

Dora
She always ask me why, but never waits to get my explanation.
What if she does wait to listen, what would i say?
How would i tell you that i wasn't enjoying life while leaving you behind. Where would i start to say that i was receiving drips, injections, blood transfusion for the past 15years.

I didn't want you to have to see your mom sick every day. I thought it was all for your good. But isn't it funny how our good intentions turn out bad.

Twinkle    
I thought if you truly love someone you wouldn't want to hurt the person. Looking at everything, it shows she loves me but based on her past actions, I just can't agree.
She wrote something in her book about me each year. Well, I love the one she wrote when I was sixteen. That was last year.

"Where should I begin?
I could say am very proud of the amazing woman you've grown to be. Though I haven't seen you, but my heart has. I wish you know how much I love and cherish you.... "

Oh, that's all I can remember. But it was nice sha.

I walk to the balcony of my room. The scene is quite something to see. Ben asked me out for dinner tonight. He said he'll pick me up by 5, just two hours more to go. I think I should probably get ready.

Which dress should I put on: long, short or trousers. Since it's a dinner, maybe I'll wear a dinner dress. But I think it will be too much. I just want something simple.
Stacy's presence is what I really need now. I can't even call to ask her to help me pick an outfit, because she's not aware of this outing. She's gonna freak out, so I didn't tell her.

It's past five, am sitting on the couch in the sitting room.
Ben should be here by now, I wonder what's keeping him. Maybe he's stuck in traffic, or his car broke down, what if he had an accident. No no Twinkle stop thinking stuffs like this. He's not picking up his phone, so am sure he's on his way.

I feel a gentle touch patting me on the shoulder. "Twinkle wake up, go to room and sleep".

It's Dora, why is she telling me to go sleep. I have a date with Ben, he's on his way.
"What says the time" I ask

"It's 2am, you fell asleep on the couch. I didn't want to disturb you, so I let you be. But seeing how uncomfortable you are, you need to go to your room".

"2am. Did anyone come to look for me?"

"No"

"Are you sure, maybe he rang the doorbell and you aren't aware. What if he's been waiting for me and left?"

I head over to the window. I check my phone, maybe he has been calling. But there's no missed call.

"Twinkle" She screams my name.
He didn't come. You waited for him and fell asleep. He didn't call, he didn't come.

"No, Ben wouldn't ditch me like this".

"Hy, calm down". she drags me away from the window and down to the couch.

"It's good to love, it's beautiful to tolerate the person you love. But not at the detriment of your value and self respect".
She holds my hands and places it on my chest.
"Listen to your heart. Not the part that's in love, but the part that's in pain. Start recognizing when someone isn't good for you. Don't give them an opportunity to waste your time. The interest has to been shown in their efforts, the talk supported by their actions and the trust earned by their consistency. Your only getting hurt by holding on. Let go and make room for someone better. People come and go, someone better is on the way".

I feel myself resting on her laps, as her words sink in.