Chapter 9 A bad day

Some days, you would wake up and you would instantly sense that today isn't going to be a good day. Today was one of those days. I wasn't feeling good for even a second; my mind was drowning in an ocean of endless thoughts.

Mother looked frail that day, and it bothered me on so many levels. She wasn't the agile Pamela Cole she used to be. The one that yelled at me and Tella whenever we did something out of line, the one that rebelled against her father to marry the man she loved, the one that tried to protect her children against the sour taste of life. . . I couldn't sleep.

I was restless on the bed - thrashing and rolling to this side or that side. . . I would close my eyes for some seconds, and I would envision her dry lips quivering as she said those words: I'm dying. The realisation that the words could actually come to pass made my heart sink. I couldn't bear the thought of losing another parent. Not when it was under my control. I just needed money to pay for her treatment. I could do this, and she'd stay alive, I assured myself.

I thought of possible people I could ask for help. As much as I hate to admit it, Jake and Granddad were the only people that came to my mind. Mum had told me again to ask for my grandfather's help after Tella had texted me his location. But, grandfather lived in San Francisco and getting there would cost more money and I didn't have that amount of money spare. In addition, Mom and grandfather had a very rocky relationship and I wasn't sure if his response was going to be positive. He had disowned her and he wasn't affiliated with her anymore so he didn't own her anything. Although, all through the years, she had been trying to make peace with him but he didn't budge and Mom eventually stopped trying.

The wooden door creaked open as Amy walked in and I reluctantly sat upright, yawning and rested my pillow on my laps covered with the duvet. A flash of light streamed into the room, illuminating the bleak room as she drew the curtains. "Why are you still on the bed?" She asked, leaning against our vanity table.

I yawned again, trying to feign laziness. I wasn't being lazy this morning but mentally tired and I didn't want to bother her with my issues anymore. So I opted for just: "Nothing, just tired."

"Are you sure?" She asked, now putting a few of her things in a medium sized bag she normally carried when she would stay out for a few days.

"Yes, sure-"

She cut in. "Oh. I was beginning to feel worried, I was already thinking of staying back but I decided to ask first." She sounded relieved.

I took in her appearance, she wore blue ripped jeans and a white crop-top. The braids she was carrying were styled; she looked set for an outing.

"Where are you going?" I drawled as I brought myself to stand up. I stood up and started folding the duvet and arranging the bed as I listened to her droning on about the new guy she was seeing. Amy was the type of girl that was scared of commitment so she had sexual relationships with different guys that caught her interest and left them when the spark died, as she would like to call it.

"I'm going to see him this morning." She squealed as she applies lip gloss on her lips. She smacked her lips and smiled dramatically. "How do I look?"

"Damn. You look beautiful." I complimented, making her feel more confident. While she was still checking out her look in the mirror, I picked up my phone to check the time. I had woken up earlier but spent hours thinking on my bed. Between me and Amy, I was the early riser so you could imagine how surprised I was when I found out she wasn't on the bed this morning.

"Yesterday, we spoke about how we spent our day together." She said, breaking through my thoughts. "He is such a gentleman." She blushed.

I yawned. "Please, get out. You've said stuff like this but still ended up leaving the guy." I laughed, searching her eyes for a response.

She paused from the activity and placed her index finger on her chin as though she was in deep thoughts. "Maybe this one is special." She said, "He's so lovely," She squealed, covering her face, acting like a shy teenage girl.

I waved my hands up in the air dramatically. "Woah, thank God. Amy now has someone she's deeply in love with." I consciously exaggerated the love part to see her response.

"What's wrong with you?" She asked, laughing.

"Nothing, I'm just happy for you." I chuckled. "So how long are you going to be away?"

"Me away?" She asked, looking at her sides and then her back and I laughed at this gesture. "I'm still going to talk to you 247, you won't even notice that I'm gone."

"Why are you acting like it's the first time you would be staying out." I raised a curious brow at her. "Besides, I'm not a baby." I shrugged.

"I'm just teasing you. But, I feel like you're not okay and you don't wanna talk about it." The moment those words came out from her lips, I smiled. I smiled not because I wanted to show her that I was okay but because it felt good to know that someone deeply cared about me to sense how I felt regardless of how I tried to hide it. That alone warmed my heart.

"I'm okay. Go and have fun, love." I assured her as she slung her bag over her left shoulder. "I'll text you, bitch. Stay safe." She chirped, and the door banged close behind her as she carried the positive energy away, leaving a faint trail of hope. I immediately envisioned my mother's weak look, so I needed to help her. I would get the money to help her, no matter what it took, even though it meant going to see Jake.