Chapter 5 SHATTERED

SHATTERED

Renee placed a hand on my shoulder and drew me closer to her, as she pulled me in for a warm embrace, I needed it, I let myself stay in her warm embrace that I had almost lost count of time.

"Don't worry, it's okay, I heard everything", Renee was my older cousin from my daddy's side, she was more than a cousin to me, I love her so much, she has been of more help to me than I would ever imagine.

I left Qatar for Florida very early this morning, I had planned everything out, sorted my Visa and passport and lastly I dropped off my wedding ring on his glass table, where he would definitely see it first thing in the morning.

"Please get in", Renee urged me to enter into her car, I recollected myself and walked in, the black shade hiding my eyebag and my smudged eyeliner from the excess fit of tears I had thrown myself into.

The drive to her house was a long ride, but it was peaceful, soothing and calm and I could not be happier for her not having to ask me any question.

She pulled into her garage and parked, everywhere was quiet, the scenery was a perfect place for a vacay, but I wondered why I had never thought of going to somewhere like this for my honeymoon and I just remembered that we never had any plan of going for a honeymoon.

My chest rambled with hurt, "This looks like a home", I mumbled.

I saw her face drop, wasn't her and her husband still together?, I asked myself.

"Let's go in", she says.

I hummed and followed behind her, once we were inside she welcomed me and showed me to my room, for now, yes for now, because I had already started planning for my future, I wasn't going to let the hurt Rashid had bright me pull me down, Never.

~~~~~~~~

I stretched my hands across the bed, what was I searching for?, the bed was empty, and then everything started rushing into my head, from the night when he had said I was cheating on him until when I smacked him hard across his face.

Christ!!!, I groaned, I sat up in the bed, covered my face with my hands and began crying again, I juts could not hold it, I couldn't keep my voice down, I was going to let all of it out.

I was so deep in crying that I didn't notice not heard when the knob of the door turned and Renee walked in.

Until she walked to the bed and sat near me, that was when I turned and noticed someone came into the room, and juts seeing her made my wails became louder, I knew she was here to sympathize with me, and I didn't want that, I don't want the sorry faces, I don't want everyone to keep looking at me like though I had been broken to pieces, never.

"It's okay Jane, it's okay, everything would be alright, stay put and hold yourself together, everything would be okay", she soothed.

"When?, tell me just when?", I echoed, I was deeply hurt, I don't think anyone had bore the pain running through me, I would not wish for my enemy to feel so hurt like this, I feel like I was being cut into half.

"It's okay, it would be better someday, but if you keep on crying, then there would be no going further, you would stick here and just tell me where that would send you too, it would just be you against you", Renee disclosed.

Sincerely, I find truth in what she's saying, if I should keep wallowing myself in self pity, I would be doing myself no good, not to me and definitely not to me.

"I would get you your food here, I hope you are very hungry, because I made your favorite", Renee cooed.

My face lit up, don't judge me, I love food and in this very situation where they are talking about my favorite food, ohhh no.

I was treated to Conch Fritters, Conch is what you find in those big spiral shells that tourists love to buy, they are made with soft yet chewy shellfish meat. They are small fried balls of glorious seasonings with chunks of conch, celery, onions and peppers.

I smiled within me, so she still remembered my favorite, when we ran around in the beach looking for spiral shells that I would take back home to my mum so she could cook it for me, when we were so young and happy.

~~~~~~~

It was afternoon already, we both were in the garden, the sun was a little bit hot, I checked the time, it was 3:06 pm, she must have noticed how tired I was from the weeding and gardening, she ushered me into the house and took my farming tools from me.

I had forced her to allow me come do some work with her, something that would let me keep my mind and thoughts away from him and I wasn't more grateful when she finally allowed me to come with her.

"The kids, don't you think it's time to go pick them up?", I asked her, this was the time we do close from school, and definitely I knew I was correct after all it hadn't been long since I left highschool.

Her face dropped, "There are no kids Janelle, definitely none", she muttered.

Christ!!!, why was I so stupid not to have noticed it, throughout yesterday and today I had no chattering of young children, no track of them playing around in the house, neither did I see any little clothes that would give a hint that children dominated this house.

"I am so sorry Renee, I really am, I had no idea", I said to her as I walked towards her.

"It's nothing, it's been fourteen years and I learnt to move pass it", she sighed.

"Silas, he doesn't want an adoption?", I queried, Silas was Renee's husband, a very lovely and understanding man I had grown to love, don't get me wrong, just the agape love shit.

"I don't want it, I can't stand it and he's literally okay with it", she confirms to my thought, Silas would do anything to make her happy, this was her choice and I don't want to pry further.

"That's fine, you would have yours someday, but have you guys gone to a doctor?", I asked.

"Yeah, severally that I have lost count", she dusted her both hands on her jean.

QATAR

Rashid strolled to the glass table, he didn't want to think something stupid right now and he hoped it wasn't what he was thinking.

He woke up with a groan, his head hurting as fuck, he had taken pain killers, he didn't know why his head was hurting so much, he didn't take any liquor but his head felt like he was having a hangover.

When he was sure he was good, tht was when he noticed Janelle wasn't in bed, he knocked on the bathroom door, no sound, no answer.

He strode to her drawer, it was blank empty, nothing, just nothing, no hint of where she would have gone to.

He looked around, called her phone but it wasn't going through, he felt his temperature heating up.

That was when he looked at the glass table, there was a note and..... the ring he had given to her, a toast to their being forever.

He opened the note, "Cheers to forever, thanks for the gift", just that, his eyes went to the ring, he remembered that night he had gone on his knees.

He was going to give her the silent treatment so she would admit to her infidelity, but he never expected she would take it that far by running away, he never knew she was going to leave him, forgetting everything they shared.

His hands turned to fist, his fist pounded on the glass severally, his knuckles began bleeding, he felt shattered, she had no right to leave, and he was going to find out who permitted her leaving. He didn't feel the pain emanating from his bruised knuckles but rather from his heart, he felt all of it.

Also, he had actually not gifted her anything, so what gift was she talking about?, He was going to find out later.