Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Anxious

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Narrators pov

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"Who is she?" Josh asked as he walked around the pool table. He needed to pot the last ball to win the game.

"Who?" Anthony understood what he meant by the question but ignored his friend. He didn't want to talk about his relationship with Elena especially since he wasn't sure about his stand with her. They had been inseparable this past month, they went for quick strolls, dates and made passionate love but he still didn't know where she lived. He had asked her to introduce him to her parents but she gave him a flimsy excuse why it was still too early for them to announce their relationship to their family.

He had no problem with showing her off, he loved her and wanted to know her better more and more and maybe spend forever with her but she seemed skeptical as to if she was unsure about them.

"Don't play smart with me, you know who I am referring to," Josh replied facing his longtime friend.

Anthony shrugged his shoulders "Do you mean Elena."

"I guess that's her name since you haven't introduced her to me, yet."

"She is a good friend of mine."

"Just a friend or is there more between you too."

Anthony knew he couldn't hide anything from Josh even if he wanted to, he had a way of getting the truth out of him.

"I like her a lot," Anthony said, his eyes focused on his friend. He saw no condemnation but questions in his friend's eyes.

"Have you told her how you feel?"

"Yes."

"Does she feel the same way?"

"I guess so."

"But?" Josh asked, he knew his friend too well to know when he had uncertainties about something or someone.

"I don't know. I just have a feeling that she is hiding something from me. I could be wrong though."

"Have you spoken about your doubts to her?"

"Not, whenever I want to, we end up in bed." He smiled remembering.

Josh smiled too "Talk to her, and also introduce me to her. We could all go on a double date."

"That sounds like a plan," Anthony replied. It felt refreshing talking about his fears to a good friend who was willing to listen and not judge least of all give unsolicited advice.

They both walked to the bar and ordered a huge glass of beer like old times. They had been friends since their early school days, a friendship of mutual trust and fondness.

Josh had been the flirtatious one amongst the two friends. He seemed to have a new girlfriend every other month and even when he parted ways with them they maintained a cordial relationship with each other.

Anthony on the other hand was a bookworm or nerd. He only had time for his studies, even when he liked someone and his friends pressured him to pursue her he found a way to stop himself.

He was determined to graduate with honors, get a good job before finding love, everything was going according to plan until Elena came along. His dreams and ambition were still intact, he already had a wonderful job offer from an oil and gas firm owned by a Cameroonian who migrated with his parents to Nigeria when he was just a child.

The job came with a well-furnished apartment, a car, and a six-figure earning. He would be resuming work for the first time on Monday. Anthony had a lot to be grateful for, he had found love and had a wonderful career and good job; the future was his to take.

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Elena woke up feeling nauseous and very weak, she had felt this way for the past two weeks but today seemed to be the worst.

As she stood from her bed, she had dizzy spells and a violent churning in her stomach, she ran to her bathroom, bent over the sink, and threw up.

She waited for a little while and when her spasm stopped she washed her face and went back to her room and laid back on her bed.

"What could be wrong with me." She wondered, "I can't seem to remember when last I fell ill." She made a mental note of what she had eaten the day before that could cause her to feel so sick now and couldn't think of anything.

Just then a knock came in and the servant called her to come downstairs for breakfast. Just the thought of eating sent spasm around her and she felt faint again. However, she dragged herself out of bed and went into her bathroom for a cold shower. The last thing she wanted was to alert her mother of how unwell she felt, she wasn't in the mood for her pestering.

The dining table was set with fruits, toasts, scrambled eggs, baked beans, sausages, and a pot of Steaming hot coffee stood at the center, but rather than feel excited and hungry, she felt horrible. She sat opposite her mother who was buttering a toast.

"How was your sleep Elena., " she gave her daughter a quick look and continued with what she was doing.

"Great, I guess," Elena replied. She could feel her body start with another spasm.

"Are you okay, you look tired and there are circles around your eyes."

"I have to go." Elena stood up and ran up the flirt of stairs to her room. She went into her bathroom, bent over her toilet, and threw up. She felt exhausted as soon as nausea wore off, struggling she stood from her stooped position and went back to her bed to lay down.

Her mother was seated on a couch waiting for her. The expression on her face made Elena worried.

"When are you expecting your period?" Her mother Mrs. Badmus went straight to the point. She wasn't one to beat around the bush.

Elena started to speak but stopped mid-sentence as her mind made a mental note of her menstrual cycle. Of course, she was supposed to have seen it last week but it never came. Her mind had been so occupied with the thoughts of her moments with Anthony that she forgot that her period was late.

She started to perspire, her mind churned with fear of what might be happening or has happened as the case may be.

"It's on the way," Elena replied, trying to force a smile she hardly felt.

"I would call the doctor to come over, you might be down with malaria." Mrs. Badmus said to her only child.

"No mum, that's not necessary, I will be alright if I have some rest. No need to call the doctor." She tried her best not to look anxious or panic, the last thing she wanted was to have her mother all over her.

"Are you sure?" Her mother looked her over, her eyes narrowed, doubt written all over her face.

"Yes, mum."

"Ok, if you say so. I won't call the doctor for now but any little scare from you again I will make the call." She stood and left her daughter alone in the room.

Elena waited and when she couldn't hear the sound of her mother's footsteps, she went to her door and locked it up.

Sitting on her bed with her elbows in her knees and her palm covering her face, Elena wept. She had a gut feeling that her worries and fear were about to become a reality.