SHATTERED

╣TWENTY╠

     Checking her wrist watch, Ethel tapped her hands on the table. She has been waiting in a restaurant for someone who she wanted to Interrogate on the rape case. She ordered a bottle of water when she began feeling dehydrated.
“4:00pm” she muttered to herself, annoyed. She and the person agreed to meet by 2pm on dot, now here she is two hours later waiting for the person. Some people aren't timd conscious. She had other things to do and she couldn't wait anymore besides, it is getting late. She picked up her bag from the table, walking to the cashier to pay for the bottle of water she ordered. A muscular dark skinned man bumped into her, knocking off the cash she was about to give to the cashier. She cocked her head, scowling.
“I am sorry.”  the man quickly apologized, picking up her money from the floor.
“It is okay.” she smiled, taking the money from him.
“Don't bother paying for the bottle water, I will pay instead, for my clumsiness.” the man raised his eyebrow, expecting a reply from her.
“You don't need to. Just stop being clumsy.”
“Let me, please.” he rummaged through his computer bag and brought out some money. Ethel kept silent, smiling.
“I will take that as a yes.” the man said, giving the cashier the approximate amount for the bottle water.
“Thank you.” Ethel thanked the man, after the cashier gave her a receipt.
“Don't mention. By the way, you look familiar.” The man said as they both used the egress of the restaurant.
“I do?”
“Yes, I am Brian Stewart.”
“Brian,…” Ethel creased her forehead and tapped her lips with her forefinger, trying to remember where she had heard the name from.
“Wait!” she stood, facing the man “Don't tell me you're are Brian from Edenville High school?”
“Yes, I am and you're?”
“Gosh! Ethel! Ethel Clifford!” Ethel squealed in excitement.
Brian's jaw dropped as she embraced her.
“So good to see you after hundred years.” Ethel said teasingly.
“Hundred? C'mon.” he pushed her shoulder lightly, laughing.
“Yeah, with all this muscles that…” she punched his arm.
“Ow! What was that for?” he faked a painful cry.
“You deserve it. You never bothered to get in touch with me.” Ethel stuck her tongue out like a child.
Brian chuckled, “I am sorry, I was so busy with school work. You too, did you call me?”
“Ah! I too, I was also busy with school work and I am also busy.” Ethel smiled sheepishly.
“Busy with what?”
“Investigation.”
“Ooh, so you are now a detective?”
“Yeah!” Ethel grinned proudly.
“Wow, congratulations!” he took her hand in a firm clasp, shaking it.
“Thank you,” she batted her eyelashes, smiling. “What about you?”
“Presently, I undergoing an aerospace training programs with NASA– National Aeronautics and space administration. I graduated from Loughborough university, England with a degree in aerospace engineering, last year.”
“That's awesome!”
“Indeed.”
“We really need to talk Brian…I've missed all my friends.”
“Are you still in touch with Sylvia?”
“Oh, yes. Your crush huh?” she wriggled her eyebrow at him, teasingly.
“Ye…ah, the truth is am not in love with her anymore.”
“What?! Anyway, Sylvia was right.”
“Right about what?”
“When I told her you liked her, she told me it was just infatuation and the love you have for will die down.”
“You told her? How dare you?” Brian laughed, blushing.
“She loved you too… well, I don't know if she still does. So tell me, who is that girl, that has stolen your heart?”
Brian rolled his eyes, bitting his lips.
“Can we sit over there?” Brian asked, ignoring her question. He pointed to a vacant bench at an amusement park near the restaurant.
“Sure.”
“A lot happened during the past three years, Ethel. … Infact I don't know where to start from.” he sighed deeply, folding his arms across his chest as he slouched, resting his back.
“You have to start from somewhere.” Ethel said as she crossed her leg over the other as she sat.
“My mum died the same day I got admission into Loughborough university.…”
“Ha!” Ethel gasped, surprised.
“When I heard the news, I wanted to tell the school I wasn't interested in the admission any longer. I was broken, I didn't know where to start from, no body to sponsor me,  I was left with nothing…nothing.” his eyes blurred with tears. “At a point, I wanted to commit suicide but I decided not to do it, what was the point anyway if I committed suicide? Thank God for the government who came to my aid. It's the government who has been sponsoring me. In spite of everything, every help rendered to me, my life is still shattered, nothing can bring back my mom…nothing and worst of all, I don't know the whereabout of my dad, I  don't even know who he is. I don't  know the adjective to describe how I feel, Ethel, I have never opened up to anyone but you.” he whimpered covering his face with his hand.
“I don't know what to say, Brian. I never knew you went through all this… can I ask you this question? I know you are broken…but, don't you think you should be looking for someone who can put back the broken pieces of your life?”
“Someone who can put back the broken pieces of my life?” he laughed sadly, a tears rolled down his cheeks.
“I am serious.”
“Stop saying things that are unreal, please.” he stopped laughing, sniffling.
“As a matter of fact, it is real.”
“Okay, tell me, who is this person?” Brian arched an eyebrow at her, doubtfully.
“Jesus.” Ethel said without micing words.
“Jesus, what did he do for you… I mean what has he done for you? I have heard of this name several times. My mum was a devoted Christian, yet this same Jesus you are talking about killed her!” he said infuriated.  His eyes were red like crimson and veins were showing on his neck and head as he spoke.
“You don't know the truth Brian, stop accusing Jesus of what he didn't do. He didn't kill your mother, okay?!” Ethel shouted back at him, crying.
“Then what did he do?”
“I don't know, it could be it was her time or…”
“It wasn't…it wasn't! She never wanted to die. My mum never enjoyed in this life, she suffered. First of all, she was raped by an unknown person at fifteen, she became a single mother, taking care of me. She did menial jobs to sustain us, she worked painlessly doing everything possible within her power to give me the best education.… she was an active member in church, sewing free clothes for both the women and men in church because that was her business, she was a seamstress. She did lot of charity work in our neighborhood… she served God till her last breathe. Despite all this, Despite all this, she died… ” he swallowed hard, crying. “of arthritis. Look if Jesus is the only person that can fix my life, I rather die than meet him.”
“Brian, why are you talking this way? Do you know what Jesus has done for you?!” Ethel cried in anger.
“I don't care to know!” he yelled, standing up abruptly. Ethel stood up, taking hold of his hand,
“Out of millions of eggs in your mother's womb, a sperm picked you, that shows you are important and special, why didn't your mother think of aborting you? She didn't because Jesus prevented her from doing so, he knows the baby who they call a bastard, will become an astronaut, he will be the first person to travel to Venus, he gave you the air you breathe, he made you handsome…so handsome and talented, that so many boys want to be like you, he made you intelligent, Brian…”
“Stop!” Brian closed his ears with his palms, irritated. “Thanks for your time and company. See you some other time.” Brian squeezed her shoulder lightly and took few steps away from her.
“Wait! Here is my business card,” Ethel said giving it to him. “You can call me whenever you feel like talking,  I am always available. Bye.” Brian looked at the card and smiled bleakly.
“Thanks.” he said and left.
Ethel combed her blonde hair with her fingernails, sitting down back on the bench, allowing the serene air to blow her hair. She pondered on the conversation she just had with Brian, tears trickling down her cheeks. Her phone rang, she brushed her hand against her eye, wiping the tears off, before picking the call.
“Hello Mr Okoye, how are you, how's your wife?” she tried to sound cheerful.
“We are doing great! You?”
“Okay.”
“Sure?”
“Um… don't know.” she chewed on the inside of her lips, sighing.
“We will discuss that some other day, right now there is an emergency.”
“What is going on?”
“It's Belinda, she was just rushed to the hospital.”
“My gracious God!” Ethel gaped,covering her mouth with her palm.
“I have to go now, the doctor calls for me. Bye.” Ejike said and hung up. Ethel quickly tucked the phone in her purse, standing up brusquely as she walked out of the park to the main road.
“Dear God, whatsoever is going on, take control. Do not allow Miss Sebastian to die, she is the only mum I have.” she prayed, muttering.