The Second Path

Chapter 45

NOTE: The town name has been changed from 'Barnawa' to Mansur.

Song: Ashes by Celine Dion

Chapter 45

I arrived at the hospital not long after Asmau's arrest. The police officer that drove me back told me not to tell anybody about what happened at the police station today. But what he didn't know, was that the entire hospital already knew about the gist of both Asmau and Hauwa.

In this town, gist travelled faster than light.

When I got back to the ward, Kaka was very very very angry with me for disappearing again, that she refused to talk to me. Not like she ever talked anyways. But, she refused to pick up her pen and paper to answer me. I tried to explain everything to her and the only response she gave me was that I was a 'citizen of ABC (Amebo Business Centre)'. She said it was something I inherited from my mother. But was I really an amebo?

After I read her only response, I groaned and dropped the paper on her bed. I looked straight at Kaka to say something, but she seemed distracted at something behind me. I turned around to see what she was staring at and it was Kauna. She was finally awake.

****

"She is still a bit dizzy." The doctor said while flashing his mini pen torchlight into Kauna's eyes, "But if she stays awake a little longer and drinks plenty water, then it will begin to go away."

He turned off his torchlight and stood upright before turning to me, "Try not to give her too much cough syrup again. Next time, if there's anything wrong, you should visit a pharmacy instead."

I nodded, even though I was clearly not the one that gave her the cough syrup.

"As for you," He flashed his torchlight into my eyes, almost blinding me, "Your own is special deliverance." He brought down his torch and looked at me in concern, "You mean to tell me that all that shouting and running yesterday was really because lizard touched your legs?"

This was the hundredth time someone from the hospital was asking me this question. After my last night's drama because I thought Kaka was the lollipop killer, almost everybody kept referring to me as 'the girl that was possessed'. I had to give them the first stupid lie that came to my head because I never wanted Kaka to find out that I thought she was the lollipop killer. It would kill her.

"You should be closing your hospital windows often." I muttered aimlessly.

The doctor just shook his head in amusement and walked away.

Later that evening, Kauna and I soaked our indomie in hot water in a takeaway pack for dinner. That was the only thing we were capable of eating because there was nobody to cook for us here.

Kaka refused to eat the indomie with us, according to her it was a 'children's food'. As we ate the hot-water indomie on the floor, I kept glancing at Kauna from time to time. She was fully awake now and no longer dizzy like before. Ever since she woke up, she never said anything. I didn't know whether it was because we did not end up on good terms the last time we saw each other, or it was because she just didn't have anything to say.

"I'm sure you must be wondering how you got here, baa?" I finally spoke up, after slurping the little indomie left on my takeaway pack.