Chapter 31: Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty one
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"Lola, Lola, wake up!" I vaguely heard my name being called in panic. What was going on? I answered drowsily until whoever it was shook me roughly.
"I'm up, I'm up!!" I yelled. "What is it?" I turned to put on my bedside lamp, only to come face to face with a disheveled Laila.
"Dad just suffered a seizure. They're taking him to the hospital right now!!!"She informed frantically. The news registered and I bolted out of bed without delay, Laila hot on my trail.
I rushed down the flight of stairs, heading straight for the front door. The blaring of the siren from the ambulance overwhelmed me the moment I got out of the house. I saw him being lifted from the stretcher on to the trauma board. I took in the sight, he looked so helpless and vulnerable, to think he was alright that morning.
"Would you like to join the patient in the vehicle ma?"One of the paramedics asked my mum who was visibly shaken. She nodded slowly, while Laila placed her palm on her right shoulder, a way of asking if she was sure about it. She nodded reassuringly, just as I offered to join her.
"Just come with the rest, I'll be fine." She assured and climbed in. Her facial expressions were unreadable but her eyes gave a glimpse of the storm brewing inside of her. How she pulled a strong demeanour in spite of all she had been through, amazed me, her strength was something to emulate. I watched them shut the doors and my heart sank. The searing sensation sizzling in the pit of my stomach gave me a sense of foreboding. This wasn't going to end well.
"Lola, hurry!" Ima bellowed from the back seat of mum's range rover. They were all seated, obviously tensed as I was.
"I think we should pray" Ima suggested as Grey started the vehicle.
"For what exactly?" He questioned, sounding a little irritated. Ima just stared back at her husband through the rear view mirror surely expecting him to back her up but he just looked away. I saw the hurt flash across her features as she recoiled, staring out the window.
We journeyed in silence afterwards. My mind was blank, I clearly couldn't tell when it came to the rest. In a matter of minutes, we found ourselves parked in front of the hospital. I got out just in time to see him hurriedly rolled into the ER. We all sat in the waiting room, barely acknowledging each other.
I watched my mum's every move like a hawk. How she sat, leaned against the wall, arms crossed and eyes closed probably in prayer. Her lips pursed in a thin line, and her glasses still perched on her nose. I watched her slowly take it off and placed it back in its casing. I shifted my gaze thereafter.
Laila and the rest of my siblings sat opposite me while Ima sat next to me on the finely cushioned settee that furnished the VIPs' waiting room.
Perks of being wealthy, I guess.
The tension was palpable and it surely was about to heighten. The shrill sound of a mobile phone broke us all out of whatever reveries we found ourselves. It belonged to my mum, we all watched in silence as she picked up the phone.
"Hello." She said dryly."Gerald? How on earth did you get my number?" She hissed. She gasped at whatever she heard from the other end then there was a pause.
"Fine, just don't create a scene whenever you get here."She huffed and hung up.
"What did he say?" Laila voiced out.
"He heard about what happened, when I asked how, he told me he had his ways and said he was on his way" mum replied, taking cursory glances at everyone in the room perhaps trying to decrypt our reactions. I gave a muffled groan and her gaze settled on me for a brief moment before she went back to her initial position.
I dreaded the awkwardness that would come with his presence. I mean, what do you say to someone who just appeared out of the blue and turns out to be your long lost biological father who, by the way, is supposed to be dead?
Uhhh Awkward!!!
We stayed in partial silence, exchanging few words, here and there.
Gerald soon joined us, his domineering presence had us all on our toes. I barely looked in his direction, although I felt his gaze on me. I stared down at my phone, simply fiddling with it. I found a few missed calls from David and even a text message that read : 'Been trying to call, hope you alright? Give me a beep whenever you see this'
My thumb hovered over the call button as I mulled over what I was going to say to him if I called. I was in no place to explain the situation of things to him. We just started dating, it was too early to burden him with my family crisis. Maybe it was a silly move as he knew a lot already but these new found complications were hard to grasp, letting it out to a non member of the family would be completely unethical and immature.
With that, I pushed the power button and slid my phone back into my pocket.
I yawned tiredly, we had been seated for quite a while. I needed to stretch, I stood up to do the needful and on cue the doctor came in.
"Family of Sir Benson Gregg, yes?" He asked, gazing at everyone present through his thick rimmed glasses.
"Yes." we chorused, all on our feet.
"I'm sorry to announce, Mr Gregg suffered a stroke accompanied by an immediate seizure."
"His blood pressure peaked at an unusual pace,perhaps as a result of towering stress levels , that led to his current situation."
Horror filled gasps clouded the room. Mum finally had that breakdown she was trying to hold in. I rushed to her side along with Ima.
"Please get it together ma'am, he'll be fine if well taken care of and we sure have one of the best health care facilities the nation has to offer." The doctor assured with an emphatic smile, we thanked him as he walked out leaving us alone to console our mother.
"To think he was hale and hearty just this morning." Gerald muttered worriedly as he paced the room with hands on his hips.
"Yes, he was perfectly fine until you came in with your bad omen!" Mum snapped, glaring daggers at him.
"Excuse me Felicia, that brute you call a husband but brought this upon himself, so don't throw any blames my way." He warned.
"We were just fine until you appeared out of the blue to ruin what we had built for years but I promise you won't succeed in any of your plots and schemes." She marched up to him, barely reaching his shoulders but still intimidating all the same.
He chuckled. Oh no, he didn't!!! His mocking gaze didn't waver even with the glare she threw his way. That kind of glare that had one cowering, that iron woman kinda glare, the fierce, spine cutting one. I was utterly shocked! These Gregg men were too alike, too egocentric to cower in front of a woman.
Their altercation was beginning to get heated but Gerald wasn't done yet.
"What you had built for years? Or what I had built that he has slowly destroyed for the past two decades and trying to use my daughters in cleaning up his messes. Felicia, you're in on this ludicrous attempt to clean sheets and start all over?!" The rage he felt was evident,it radiated off him.
She went mute for a few seconds. Her tensed shoulders relaxed a little bit as she walked to her seat.
"No, I'd never sell my children for anything. Fiona would turn in her grave if I ever willingly agreed to any of this. " She answered, her tone much softer than it was some few moments before.
"Then why are you letting him do this?" His tone matched hers.
"I don't have a say Gerald, I never did." She replied dryly, ending the conversation.
The rest of us watched their exchange with rapt attention, funny how we all lost our voices in times like these.
"The Greggs'?" A young nurse asked as she came in. She looked really pretty.
"Yes?" That was Grey, he spoke up for the first time since we came into the hospital.
I watched the nurse get flustered as she met his gaze, he had his signature smirk on, the flirty one. I almost rolled my eyes at the sight.
"Uhm.."She trailed off and cleared her throat in a bid to regain her composure.
"Doctor Gavor asked to give these prescriptions to be purchased from the pharmacy. Also, he said you all are allowed to see the patient before calling it a night, no one is allowed to sleep over here except the patient. Not to worry though, he will be well attended to. Remember it's room 51E" She recited, handing the sheet of paper to Grey whose hands brushed hers, making her blush a little.
"Have a goodnight everyone." She bade, we thanked her and wished her same. She walked out of the room with Grey hot on her trail giving us the excuse that he was heading to the pharmacy. I chuckled at the sight and so did my other siblings. Mum just shook her head in amusement along with Gerald.
We slowly found our way to the designated room. I entered last and the sight was a lot to take in. He still had the oxygen mask on, he looked so feeble, his skin paled, he could barely keep his eyes open at this point, they looked lifeless. His neck was bent awkwardly to the left and his right limbs laid limply tied to his side.
I sobbed, the sight was pitiful even for someone so inconsiderate, I'd never wish this on anyone, not even him.
We stayed in silence until Grey arrived minutes later, dropping the medicines on the shelve right next to the bed. We led a short prayer session before leaving the room one after the other. As expected mum left last, she was a sobbing mess.
I held on to her shoulders as we made initial deposits and made our way out the hospital building. It was past midnight when we got home, we all retired to our various bedrooms.
Sleep long forgotten, I laid in bed, reminiscing how the previous day had been. Toughest day ever. I could only hope everything would be fine in the end, cause nothing was going well at the moment.
*******
Next day...
"Are you sure about this Lola?" Mrs Chidi questioned me for the umpteenth time. I was back at her shop for a reason.
"Yes ma, I have to do this, I'm in a dire situation right now and I can't stay here for much longer"
"I know you're a fast learner and you've been doing really well for yourself but your freedom party is only weeks away. Allow me to give you a honorable send off." She practically pleaded.
"Ma there's no other way to explain this. I just need you to understand. I'll definitely do something, a get together here with the other apprentices is fine but I have to leave."
After much persuasion from my side, she hesitantly gave in. I couldn't bring her to understand why the whole thing was rushed but I knew I had to leave this phase behind and face more pressing issues. My dreams weren't on hold or anything but this family issue was too much to handle at that point.
Next thing I knew, drinks and snacks were flowing, congratulations were in order and I received them with a wide smile. The last six months paid off, this phase was done and over with. I drove off soon after. Yes, I got my old car back, thanks to my mum.
Next stop :Wole and Sons' Enterprises.
Here goes nothing...
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