BREAKS IN A SIGH

The next day, Sage knocked at the door of his mother, Luna. ''Who is there?'' she asked. ''Mom, it's me, Sage'' Sage said. ''Push it open, son, it is not locked'' Luna said. He opened the door and saw his mother taking a look at her newly purchased clothes. ''Good evening, mom'' he said as he sat on a stool next to his mother. She stopped what she was doing and looked at him. ''Good evening, son, you look worried, what is it?'' Luna asked with her eyes fixated on his face.

Sage smiled, and stood up, took some of the clothes her mother had bought, started picking and looking at them, one after the other, saying how great they looked, as though he actually cared about how bad they were or not. Luna was not paying attention to what he was saying. She only placed her suspicious gaze at him. When it seemed to her that her son was not paying attention to her gaze at him, she walked to him and placed her right hand on his shoulder. ''Tell me son, I can feel it, I can see it, I am not a child. What is bothering you? You came here not looking happy, unlike you. Leave those clothes, sit down and tell me what's going on'' Luna said and sat at the edge of her bed as she dragged Sage along. He smiled, but still was noticeably with some facial expression of some hard feelings. ''But mom, I am okay'' he said, trying to force smiles out of his frozen cheeks. ''Now, no, you are not going to tell me that, I gave birth to you and have spent my life with you for decades, I mean decades, not just some years. Son, I understand you. Tell me something. So, what is it?'' Luna said, imploringly. Instead of opening up as his mother had asked him to, he stood up. ''Mom, just finish what you are doing, I am not running out. I will be waiting in your sitting room'' he said, and took a walk to his mother's personal sitting room. It was a smaller sitting space attached to her bedroom. ''I see. But whatever it is, my son, don't overwork yourself'' Luna said, as her eyes trailed him while he walked to a sofa chair there and sat down. She stood up, and tried continuing from where she stopped, but was overwhelmed by a feeling of uncertainty over his noticeable discomposure and facial de-tachment.

She tried to forge ahead to finish what she was doing, but found out she could not continue until she understood what it was. ''Son, are you sure you are okay?'' she asked while holding a gown in her hands. ''Mom, I am good'' Sage said as he took the remote control from the armrest of the chair, trying to take off the attention of his mother from him, so she could fo-cus on what he met her doing when he came in. It seemed their conversation was going to be long that he wanted her to finish what she was doing before he started engaging her, or may-be there was more than necessary inside his head? ''No, son, you are not, now stop pretend-ing'' Luna said, dropped the cloth and walked to the sitting room and sat next to him. Sage ended up laughing. But her mother, Luna, was not anywhere close to being amused. This was a son that grew up from her arms, and like she said, had known her for decades. ''Let's go talking, because I am not amused by your cover-ups. So, son, what's eating you up from in-side that even your beautiful smiles and laughter are ghostly remains of what they used to be?'' she asked, desperately. Her words made Sage more emotional this time, so that his eyes reddened up. ''How long have you held that remote control, yet you have not used it to put on the television? Come on, son, what is it? I am your mother. You know I love you. Tell me something, and I am not going to hurt you for telling me'' she continued as she now placed her hand on his shoulder. Sage unconsciously dropped the remote control on the side stool, or did it slip away from her freezing palm? He emptily robbed imprecisely his left palm on his head trying to get some composure before delving into the reason he had come to meet his mother. ''Put it all together, son, I am listening'' Luna said, as she fixated her eyes on his lips so she wouldn't miss a word that would come out of his mouth. ''Mom, are you pregnant?'' Sage asked as he bent his head, towards her. There were echoes of silence, before Luna tried to organize her thoughts so she could come up with reasonable words for his question. ''Son, is that why you look worried. Of course, I am pregnant'' she said and adjusted her body on the chair, maybe to get the whole of how her son felt about it. ''Oh, mom, and you have nev-er told me'' Sage said, terribly. Luna laughed out loud and Sage became both stunned and confused. ''Son, do I need to tell you that I am pregnant? Are you my husband?'' Luna asked, humorously as she laughed over it. Sage adjusted his body, and was now, with strong-er courage, to go deeper into the purpose of his coming. ''Mom, there is a reason why I am worried now, after all, I shouldn't have bothered myself if someone was not bothered about it, already'' Sage said. His words hit Luna in a way that looked as though she was taken una-wares. ''Son, what do you mean? Is it because of my age?'' she asked, closely. ''Mom, that's inclusive, but not all about that'' Sage said, and leaned heavily on the backrest of the chair, before her mother removed her hand from his shoulder and took a breather. ''So, tell me, who is worried, and what's the reason? I didn't even know that the pregnancy had started to show'' she said as she started looking at herself with disbelief and some creative amusement. ''Mom, I am worried'' Sage said again, with depictions of concern written all over his face. ''Son, say something, what is it?'' Luna asked, imploringly. Sage was trying to think out something from his head. ''What's it? Don't worry about my life, I will push through it. My age should not bother you. I am strong'' she continued. ''I am not talking about all that, mom. There is something'' Sage said, now with a frowned face. ''It's alright, make me un-derstand you, son'' Luna said, in appeals. ''Mom, daddy is worried'' Sage said, and uncon-sciously or unconsciously, picked up the remote control from the side stool. ''Your dad?'' Luna asked, curiously. ''Yes, my dad, he is not happy, and he made it clear too'' Sage said, frowning his face with worries shown on his face. Luna took a breather, thinking about what to say. ''So, what about his worries?'' Luna asked, in sulks. ''I mean, mom, he did not deny his worries'' Sage said, looking at her with the same ugly glare, showing some depictions of disappointment. ''So, why are you looking at me like that?'' Luna asked with indignation. ''Mom, it seems you are not getting it, or are you?'' Sage said angrily. ''Now, make me un-derstand. Because I would like to understand why becoming pregnant for my husband has become a problem. Not that you are afraid of me being able to carry the baby to term, or doubt my resolve to carry the baby. So, isn't it better you tell me what it is?'' Luna asked. ''I am worried mom, because my father said the pregnancy is not his. That's why I am worried'' Sage said in a low voice, yet its bass tone was loudly deafening. Luna was shocked to hear that from her son. ''Son, who told you that lie?'' she asked audaciously. ''Mom, it is the same man'' Sage said. ''Who? Which man'' Luna asked, looking as though she was about to lose her anger. ''Dad, my father'' Sage said. Luna became more worried. ''When did he say such a thing to you?'' she asked. ''Is it more necessary when he said that? I just decided to have it discussed with you today. Is it true?'' Sage asked, resolutely. ''What do you mean by that?'' Luna asked, daringly. ''That the pregnancy is not his?'' Sage said, ignoring her anger. ''How dare you ask me such a silly question?'' Luna asked, aggressively. ''Because he told me so, I decide to clarify this with you before I have another discussion with him, on this'' Sage said. Luna looked at him scornfully. ''What, mom? Why are you looking at me like a bad person, here?'' he continued. ''You mean somebody talked down on your mother, and asking her disrespectfully was all you could do?'' Luna asked him in words that lacked base for understanding. ''Mom, I have not disrespected you, any way here. I mean this was what daddy told me, and I thought the right thing was to have it discussed with you. I am no longer a baby'' Sage said. ''Oh, you mean, you have grown so much that you can talk to me any way you feel, right?'' Luna asked in glare. ''Mom, not that, I don't mean that I have grown to disrespect you. Mom, you know I don't'' Sage said, but just that when he tried to continue, his mother interrupted him. ''But that's what you just did now'' she said. ''No mom, I never did. Let's see it this way, we have had a wonderful family that not only myself boast of, but including my friends, and this coming at this age of our family life, and you think I should not be worried, mom? Am I kidding or what?'' Sage said. Luna took a breather to wrap her head around her words just to make sure they came out smelling better. Sage dropped the remote control on the side stool. Luna smartly looked deeply at him to know maybe the level of his disgust of her now ''I am not saying you should not express your feeling but then'' Luna said and paused. ''But, what, mom?'' Sage said, questioningly. ''Son, I mean that's not how to ge the right information from a family member, especially a parent, or am I not one?'' she said, trying to play guilt into the head of her son. ''I am sorry mom, if I had sounded rudely. It wasn't intentional. No, I did not mean to be disrespectful. I apologize'' Sage said. This made Luna lower her head, or maybe she was creative about it, in order to rob her son emotionally, of things he may have created in his mind against her. She needed a breather, not just a breather, but a space in time, so she could have a word with her husband about it before engaging her son, or maybe have some words created to make him calm down and mind his business. ''Stop, mom, I don't want us to be too emotional with this. It is a difficult accusation if you ask me, and if it was a lie dad just told me, I don't know'' Sage said and paused right there. His words appeared to his mother as things coming from a mind that was so made up to get to the root of a thing. ''Please, let's continue, mom'' he continued as he started patting his mother on her shoulder in a tone of apology. Luna became really emotional, not for anything else, but because her game had come under threat, not from anyone else, but from her own child who she still remembered how his pregnancy came about. ''I am sorry mom, about my tone of voice'' he said further as tears started gushing out of her eyes. ''Sage, does it mean that you have not found out that your father doesn't sound right all the time recently? Does that mean you don't interact with him? I don't know what's wrong with Axel these days. If he gets angry he can say anything without minding how hurtful those words are. Okay, see how you carried that anger to me. It was so disrespectful. I don't know where to place it. I am so pissed off now'' Luna said, in a creative tone that could change the mind of a lie detector if it has one. All she needed was a breather to think about this whole thing; how to subdue Mr Axel with his deception or maybe with another. ''Son, if a healthy man meets an ovulating healthy woman, what does your biology says happens?'' Luna asked, wittily. Sage smiled. ''Boom, pregnancy'' he said, comically with smiles depicting his joy about what he had just heard from his mother. It was now his conviction that his mother had not got the pregnancy somewhere else, other than from his father. He came close to his mother and started apologizing, but then, Luna chose not to talk. ''It is okay, mom. I want to go somewhere now. I will be back soon. I love you mom'' Sage said and stood up. Her mother only nodded her head to affirm she heard him clearly. She had become tired, yet silently worried about what had just happened. Sage left the apartment.

The next day, just a few minutes after Mr Axel's home doctors had left, his wife, Luna, de-cided to have some words with him. ''Honey, I want us to have some words, do you have the time now?'' Luna asked him as his domestic chef, Larry, cleared the dining table. ''If it won't be a long talk, let's have it, I will be going out in the next hour'' Axel said as she tried to reach out to one of his specially made sofa chairs in his personal sitting room. ''Come over here, Luna'' he continued as tried to seat safely, so he does not hurt himself as his limbs were still not flexible.

Luna walked to him slowly as she submerged her thoughts in an emotional turmoil, as it had been a thing of concern to hear her husband calling her by her first name, Luna. It used to be 'Sweet-heart' and as far as she was concerned, it was as deep as it sound-ed. It was a moment of regret, as it seemed, or maybe there was more to it as she struggled within herself to capture into her heart a boldness that was manipulative enough to assert something or maybe to influence an outcome. She had wished everything had just faded away instead of escalating to a level where the whole family would be shaken by it. At this time, she did not know whether to wish her husband dead, to cover everything in ancient secrecy or be a little bit pushy. But one thing she was sure of, was, she knew she needed all the boldness in the world and some emotional blackmail to survive the moment. There were many things to lose if either Axel acted on his conviction and suspicion or their supposed son, Sage, chose to keep the will and act on it as his father seemed to have stipulated.

When she joined Axel in his sitting room, he was uneasily seated as he continued darting his head around in anger. She suddenly understood that, she needed to come up with another approach. So, she sat next to him, but that made Axel uncomfortable so that he adjusted him-self, giving a cold gap between them. Luna looked shocked and became more creative about the situation as she quietly looked at her husband. Axel chose to show the wall his face in-stead of showing it to his wife to know what she was up to that morning. There was no doubt that even though he was passing through a lot as a result of his illness, he was mindful of his environment, and here, of his wife, whom he had suddenly developed odium for. He was so convinced that the day she pushed herself on him on his sickbed and tried to arouse him sex-ually, penetrative sex did not happen. So, to him, the pregnancy she was trying to pin on him seemed to be a hard nut to crack, by the sick man.

When she tried to talk to him, one thought or the other pulled her down. This happened so many times, until she summoned some guts inside her head. ''Honey, are you okay? You are not acting like someone who is okay. Tell me, what's wrong?'' she asked him as she adjusted herself so she could have some wandering eye contact with him as his face was on the left side of the wall, and chose to be silent. One could understand that those words had angered him the more, especially the word, 'Honey', the pet name she calls him. ''Honey, please, talk to me'' she continued. ''Please, madam, can you, by this time, call me by my first name like I call you yours, Luna?'' Axel asked, in a tone that no doubt came off like a warning than sug-gestion. She was taken aback as she paused for some seconds before trying to open her mouth again. She shrugged it off with pints of courage. ''Okay, if that will make you happy. So, what's going on, Axel?'' she asked, focusing all her attention on his side view, since it seemed it was all Mr Axel was willing to make available to her as her walker had started shaking in hands, depicting his boiling rage. ''Like what?'' he asked, and now tried to adjust his body more frontally towards the wall. ''Honey, but then, you are not even looking at me'' Luna said in a tone of plea. ''No, you are wrong. It is Mr Axel, rather. Point of correction, Mr Axel is my name'' Axel said. ''Oh, sorry, I apologize'' Luna said, laughingly. But that was an awful laugh because she looked awful trying to make whatever it was look less serious. ''I have not called you by your first name since we wedded, decades ago, but now, you have chosen for me what name to call you and to you, the best name is your first name, right?'' Luna said, trying to manipulate him emotionally. Mr Axel was mute.

A few seconds later, Luna seemed to have gotten some composure and opened her mouth. ''Well, I have to tell you this, it will be too uncomfortable for me to start calling you by your first name, just because you are sick and maybe thinking that I am no longer in love with you, or something? I am not comfortable addressing you as Mr Axel, just suddenly, because you think you are no good. Oh, come on, honey. Is that an inferiority complex or something?'' Luna said, smartly. There was silence, as so many things started running wild into the head of a stroke hit Axel. He was wishing to have it all a dream instead of thinking that someone, his wife of years, was trying to manipulate him. He turned and positioned his face towards Luna. She was thinking that maybe there was a change of heart, but it wasn't. ''I have lived with you for decades, I have not laid my hands on you even when I was being pumped up by strength in my veins, but now I am down, don't force me to use my walker on you. You know how shameful that can be, right? I have discovered that I find it difficult to control my anger these days. Please, learn to call me by my birth name, not even my aliases if I have any. Just a reminder. If you have forgotten, my name is Axel Hedges, you can choose to call me any of the two names, but anything 'honey' or things close to that, I say no. Yes, no, I am not interested, I am done with that. Or better still, go straight to the point, why did you want us to talk?'' Axel said and adjusted his shirt. ''Hor, oh, sorry, please, I want us to talk about this pregnancy, something'' Luna said. ''It is okay, what about it?'' Axel said looking daringly at her. ''I mean, Sage, my son, came to my room and asked me if you were the one responsible for my pregnancy, and he went on to say that you told him that you were not responsible for it. So, why did you go that far? What happened? Why are you denying your child? Is that okay or out of frustration, or something?'' Luna said, trying to act smart. Mr Axel looked deeply into her eyes, instead of being wrapped in the grip of pity, he started laughing. This looked so embarrassing to Luna even though she understood that it was his effort to keep his ground for his truth. ''Woman, I understand what it is, but I don't understand what it is not. You are pregnant, right? Good, there is no problem with that, my only problem is you pinning it down on my head, and I am not going to take that. Meet the father, put him in the know, while I survive or die. I don't want to push it hard on you. Because I know it has been over two years since I lost my feelings for having sex. I lost vigor and enthusiasm for it. Last time you tried to make it work, I knew, I was aware that it did not work, so why are you trying to make me look like a fool? Why can't you wait till I am gone before testing the state of your menopause?'' Axel asked angrily. ''What do you mean, Axel?'' Luna asked, sadistically and stood up from the chair. ''I mean nothing, other than justice to the innocent baby. Do the right thing, the child is not mine'' Axel said, defiantly, as he was now shaking his walker. That was the length of his anger over Luna's mischief. ''You mean I cheated on you?'' Luna said, trying to push her narrative harder on. ''No, you did not cheat on me; you cheated on yourself because I have made ready my will. Do I need to make amends for it? I don't think so, but I must admit that I am disappointed. Find the father of your baby and get back to me. I am not angry now, but don't force it on me. My health doesn't need it'' Axel said and started staggering to stand to take his leave. When he was about to fall, Luna stopped talking and reached out to hold him lest he fall. ''No, leave me, I am okay, I am not falling, I am only learning to walk, and maybe learning to feel disappointed, you know?'' Axel said in staggers. Luna was taken aback. ''I don't know what you are talking about. I don't know what had come over you. Let me help you. Don't fall, honey'' Luna said and still went ahead to hold him. ''I said don't touch me, woman'' Axel said and used the little energy in him to push her away. He lost his balance and fell back on the sofa chair, while Luna fell on the floor and broke her left arm. She screamed in pain. Mr Axel ignored her, thinking it was all a script she was playing, and walked away from her. While Luna was still screaming, Axel called his per-sonal driver, Mr Joe, downstairs, and he drove him away to the Renewal Physiotherapy Clin-ics where he received massaging therapy.

A few minutes later, Larry, Axel's chef called him on the phone and informed him that Luna, his wife, was taken to the hospital by Health Emergency Ambulance. ''What happened to her?'' he asked, carelessly. ''She said someone pushed her down on the floor, and she broke her arm'' Larry said, trying not to say he was the one that pushed her down, after all, Luna had not mentioned his name. ''Someone, you mean?'' Axel asked, wittily. ''Yes, she said someone'' Larry said. ''And that someone has no name?'' Axel asked, sneeringly. Larry was silent. ''It is okay, sorry about that. Called Sage, and informed him about what had happened. I am in the clinic now. Just call and inform him, please, goodbye'' he continued, without feeling of qualms whatsoever before cutting the call. Larry was stunned by the tone he used to talk to him. At that time, he had known that there was something going on, but he was not in the know about the angle their misunderstanding was coming from. He did as he was instructed and dialed Sage's phone number. ''Hello, Mr Larry, good day'' Sage said. ''Good day, Sage'' Larry said. ''Hope my dad is okay?'' Sage said, curiously. ''Yes, he is fine. He just left for Clinic a few minutes ago'' Larry said. ''That's fine, so what's it, your salary?'' Sage said, laughingly. ''No, not salary this time, it is your mother'' Larry said. ''My mother, yes, what is it?'' Sage said, terribly. ''She was rushed to the hospital'' Larry said. ''Hospital, what for, what happened?'' Sage asked, curiously. ''She said she fell down and broke her arm, her left arm'' Larry said. ''So, which hospital is she at?'' Sage asked, impatiently. ''Bridge Cross Hospital'' Larry said. ''It is okay, thank you, let me go straight to the place, I am on the road already'' Sage said, slowed down his car, turned and started driving to the Bridge Cross Hospital. On his way to the hospital he decided to call his dad and dialed his phone number. ''Hello, son'' Axel said as massaging therapists were working on his body. ''Dad, I am going to the hospital, I got a call now that mom broke her arm and was rushed to the hospital'' Sage said. ''Really?'' Axel asked, pretentiously. ''Yes, that was what Larry told me on the phone. But don't worry, I am driving to the hospital now'' Sage said. ''That's fine son, I am in the clinic now. Drive carefully'' Axel said. ''Okay, dad. I will call you back when I get there'' Sage said. ''It is still okay, son. Please, drive safely, I repeat'' Axel said. ''I will, dad, okay, bye for now'' Sage said and cut the call.

When Sage got to the hospital premises, he saw a man being helped by a driver that drove him, to sit on his rollator. When he was coming out of the parking lot, the driver of this physically challenged man beckoned him to assist him to make the man sit well on his rollator. He was well on the heavy side of nature. He quickly walked to them and helped them. ''Thank you so very much, my handsome friend. I am sorry for bothering you with my obesity'' Orion said as he looked at him, maybe thinking about where he may have met him before. It was blurred in weak memory.

''You're welcome sir, please, take it easy'' Sage said. ''That's ex-actly what I am doing, and that's why we called you, you know'' Orion replied with a pint of smile on his face before they both smiled as though they have known each other for ages. ''I will, kid'' he continued. Sage waved at him and joined the elevator.

A few minutes later, he was in her mother's ward at the orthopedic section of the hospital. ''Oh, my son is here already'' Luna said as she lied on the bed with a POP on her left arm. ''Mom, what is that?'' Sage asked, on getting close to her sickbed. ''Son, I am fine now, I just fell on the floor, they said the arm is broken or something'' Luna replied with dramatic smile. ''I am so sorry, mom. You tumbled on something, or did you lose balance?'' Sage in-quired, as he lifted her right arm, maybe to ascertain something. ''I really don't know how it happened, all I can remember is I found myself on the floor and my arm was broken. No, there is nothing wrong with my right arm, it is only in my left arm I have a problem'' Luna replied. ''It is okay; I will meet the doctors and get more information. So, how about the pain, now, is it still as painful?'' Sage asked, curiously. ''No, I am better now, is it no more as painful as it was when it happened'' Luna replied. ''That's good. So, sorry mom'' Sage said as he positioned her neck better on the pillow. ''Thank you, son. So, who informed you about it?'' Luna asked as she emotionally held his hand on her chest. ''Larry did. He called me on the phone'' Sage replied, his gaze drifting towards the door as it creaked open. A wheelchair soon followed, carrying the man he had helped downstairs, accompanied by his driver. Sage's eyes tapered in recognition. ''No, is it not the same man?'' he muttered, as his undecipherable words made Luna to turn her gaze towards the same direction. Mr Orion smiled with heaviness of heart and that was when it became obvious to her that it was him. She was stunned as she speechlessly adjusted her body on the bed. Mr Orion's driver greeted them. Luna acted as though she did not hear him as she was still thinking about the sacrifice it was for Mr Orion Atticus to drag himself to the hospital to see her. Mr Orion continued coming closer and suddenly looked up. That was when he noticed that it was the same young man that helped him downstairs was standing by. He was shocked as he got closer. Sage suddenly remembered that he had not responded to the greeting of the driver, and immediately did, as they came close to the bedside.

The driver sympathized with Luna, before walking to a sofa chair. Although he did not hear any word of response from Luna, as all she could say seemed to have come through nodding her head in show of surprise and appreciation, as she had been frozen by the gesture it was, to see them visit her just a few hours after she had an in-house accident. Before she could say anything, Mr Orion's driver had walked a little distance from the bed. She managed to raise her right hand and waved at him. Now, a little off from that mood, she closed her surprise-stricken mouth and adjusted herself on the bed, and waved at Mr Harvey, yet again, before he sat down. ''Sir, so, it was here you coming to?'' Sage asked, with sympathy. ''Yes, buddy. Who would have known that we were headed to the same place?'' Orion replied, question-ingly and cheerfully too, as his wheelchair was now parked by the edge of the bed. Luna was surprised to recognize some familiarity between them. ''Nobody would, sir'' Sage replied, with big smiles painted on his face. ''You see, dude? That's life'' Orion said. ''Mr Orion, I thought we discussed it? I thought I told you not to worry, that I was fine?'' Luna said, sym-pathetically. Mr Orion chose not to reply to her but rather gave her an emotion-laden smile. ''How are you doing now, Luna?'' he asked in a low tone of voice. ''I mean, I am fine. I am good. I appreciate this, but you see, it is so stressful for you coming here'' Luna replied, sympathetically. ''Allow me to worry about that, woman, hahaha. After all, someone made it easier for me today'' Orion said, laughingly. ''I don't know what you are talking about, be-cause coming here is stressful for you, come on, I am fine'' Luna said. ''There is no problem, Luna, this young man there made it easy for me today, we met downstairs, right?'' Orion asked laughingly. Sage nodded his head with an affirmation smile as he paid attention to this physically challenged man who chose to inconvenient himself for someone who seemed to be healthier than he was. ''You mean my son?'' Luna asked impatiently. ''Oh, your son? I was thinking he was your doctor when I saw him here'' Orion said, happily, with a look of sur-prise. ''Yes, that's my son, Sage'' Luna replied. ''wow, he is so handsome and goodhearted, too'' Orion said, submissively. ''Yea, my son is'' Luna said, beaming with pride. ''So, how are you feeling right now?'' Orion asked. ''Orion, I am good'' Luna replied, and beckoned Sage to help her sit up. ''It is okay'' he said and helped her. He took an excuse from her to go see the doctors. ''It's okay, and remember to ask them if I could take yogurt. I crave it now, I don't know'' Luna said, beseechingly. ''Alright, mom'' Sage said and left the ward.

The absence of Sage in the room had created enough space and time for these old lovebirds to talk, at least smile more freely. ''You said, he is your son? He is so handsome even though he looks like me'' he whispered, as he stifled a grin, repressing untamed laughter. Luna laughed out loud. ''No, I am not joking, one photograph of mine when I was young comes closer to mind now'' Orion said as he made his wheelchair lean on the side of the bed. ''You know they come in different shapes and shades, too'' Luna said, in whispers. ''Well, I believe you, I don't believe you can rob me this handsome dude if he is mine, anyway. So, how are you feeling now?'' Orion said, pulling a polyethylene bag from a leather bag attached to his wheelchair. ''I am fine now, the pain was so much then. I am much better now'' Luna replied, stretching her right hand to receive the gift he brought to her. ''Please, that's the little we picked downstairs. I will still come back to see you'' Orion said. ''Thank you so much, Orion, you are a darling'' Luna said, humorously. ''Orion? I agree, that's my name, but a darling? No, because I know I am not. Because if I was, this handsome young man would have been mine. Forget stories. We would have been heading to thirty together. Well, the dad was a lucky man. Your dad paid him attention, and you obeyed, anyway. So, that's it'' Orion said, in a low tone that depicted emotion cooked in his outspokenness. ''There you go again. Don't go there, Mr Orion. That's a long time ago. Are we not still friends?'' Luna asked, trying to suppress her own side of emotion. ''Well, I won't go there, after all, I have learned to appreciate two things; the power of physicality and where it lives in a man, and the power of money and things it does in a man. I don't think there is more to learn for me. You would have been mine, forget the stories, Luna. I still remember everything as though it was just yesterday'' Orion said, bluntly.

Luna was suddenly halted, emotionally, by what Orion, her high school boyfriend, had said and was secretly reminiscing on it. ''That is going to be three whole decades now, please, allow it slide, okay?'' Luna said, imploringly. ''I have to, even without a wife and a child to call mine. No, it has to slide'' Orion replied, with a dry hilarity. But Luna knew what it was. She knew that that wasn't a laugh from a happy man. ''But I told you to allow me to scout for a good girl for you, but you did not buy the idea, and said if it wasn't me, that I should forget it. Do you remember?'' Luna asked, calmly, trying to resist an emotional glitch ''I heard you then, clearly, and I hear you now more clearly. But I must struggle to ask you this. Did you expect me to start loving again when you were everything I wanted and waited for? I would feel so ashamed to take that new path of talking love to any other girl out there, then'' Orion said. Luna became speechless as she kept a steady gaze at the blond hair of Orion, intentionally avoiding eye contact.

When Luna looked up again, maybe to say something, that was when Sage, her son, opened the door and walked in. She swallowed whatever it was with a pint of saliva down her stom-ach and stomached it there with a smile she painted on her face. ''Son, welcome back'' she said. ''Thank you, mom'' Sage replied. ''Buddy, welcome'' Orion said, trying to force some sense of glee on his face. It seemed Sage noticed that he was not as bright as before, when he left to see the doctors. ''Thank you, sir'' he replied with some irremovable concern in his composure and went on to start looking at his mother, turning her neck and head to ascertain if he had sustained bruises from the fall. ''So, what did they say to you and where is my yo-gurt?'' Luna asked. ''They said, it was only your arm that broke, and there was no other issue, except they said, you needed some rest. And here is your yogurt. They said since you don't have any digestive problems you are good for it'' Sage said, smilingly as he handed a polyethylene bag that contained some Tetra Pak of yogurt and tubs, to her. ''Good, buddy, I see how you are taking care of your mom. We all need our mothers. As old as I am, I still hurt losing my mother at the age of nineteen'' Orion said. ''Oh, sorry about that'' Sage replied, sympathetically. ''It is okay, that was years ago, I have grown now, hahaha'' Orion said. Sage smiled. ''Just keep cherishing what you have, I know you do?'' he continued. ''I do sir, I have only one mom, she'' Sage said, with a grin on her face. ''Congratulations, buddy'' Orion replied, and this got everybody laughing. He waved at his driver to come closer. ''Mom, dad called me while I was in the doctors' office'' Sage said, and when she wanted to say something, the conversations going on between Orion and his driver interrupted her. ''Wait, sir, I have some soft drinks here. Sage, please, open the refrigerator, and bring him a soft drink. Or, Mr Orion, tell him the brand you want'' Luna said. ''It is okay then'' Orion said, tapping his driver, to signal him to go and sit down. ''I am okay with any soft drink, not too cold anyway'' he continued, and his driver went back to his seat.

Sage went to the refrigerator and brought him a can of soft drink. ''Thanks, buddy'' Orion said. ''Oh, sorry sir, should I open it for you?'' Sage asked, humbly. ''Oh, no, don't worry buddy, not as bad, I can do that one'' Orion replied comically. That made Sage smile sympa-thetically, as Luna kept a close, yet deceptive gesture at their body chemistry. ''Yes, you were saying something, son'' she said. ''What's that mom? I have forgotten'' Sage said and put his hand into the polyethylene bag he had earlier handed to her and took one tub of yogurt and started eating. ''Son, I thought you bought them for me?'' Luna said, comically. ''I did, but I just changed my mind'' Sage said, comically. ''Don't come again'' Luna said, jokingly. ''Today or tomorrow, you mean, mom?'' Sage asked humorously. ''Like always, lest you finish my yogurt'' Luna replied, laughing out loud. This got everybody laughing as Orion got emotional, but covering it in laughter. ''Son, you said, your dad called you, is he coming here?'' Luna asked, curiously. ''He said he was on his way home. That was what he told me'' Sage replied. Luna was touched by the response she got, and bowed her head down. Mr Ori-on did not know what had happened, but Sage was too in the know.

A few minutes later, Orion and his driver bid them goodbye and left. ''He is so full of humor. Where is he from? Who is he?'' Sage said, inquisitively. ''Yes, he is, he is a nice guy. We used to be very close during our high school years'' Luna replied as he looked emptily into no particular space, and that was emotion undergoing suppression out there. ''I like him. The man hardly removed his eyes off me'' Sage said, smilingly. ''Yea, Mr Orion is a likable man, you can't take it away from him'' Luna said as she opened the polyethylene bag on the cup-board. She took a tub of yogurt from it and started eating, before Sage took permission from her to check something up in his office. She lovingly obliged him.

But then when shall truth find closure? Well, it seems here, truth can only find closure only when lies start playing its character of inconvenience. Until then, the young man that had just left the hospital ward was the first son of Mr Axel Hedges, the CEO of Farmon Holdings. His name was Sage Hedges.