PART EIGHT
"THE STORY"
BY UMORU PRAISE
(Jeremy)
“I will always tag what happened next as magical”
Jeremy beamed a smile
“What happened” Alex and Quinn chorused coincidentally again
“She fell asleep in my arms right away. She was so peaceful, so calm. She slept like a baby with no worries”
*****
Malia woke up a while later on Jeremy’s lap
“Heyyyy… sleeping beauty is awake”
Malia felt a bit awkward waking up on his lap, but she was happy at least it wasn’t someone else.
She returned the bright overwhelming smile Jeremy threw to her. She couldn’t help but titter at the end.
“Thank you” she finally muttered up words
“You are a really good friend, and I’m really happy to have you…”
(Jeremy)
“Like guys seriously! Friends?!”
Jeremy just snapped from all of a sudden
“Like seriously, after what we had for the past five months and what just transpired between us, she still called me a friend?!”
“I mean common, what more do you ladies want!”
Quinn and Alex couldn’t help their laugh
*****
“Oh friends” Jeremy said disappointed
So you mean, you still want to stick with that friend thing after everything that just happened”
“I don’t understand, aren’t we friends” Malia tried keeping up with her naive mechanism
“Oh my God she said it again” Jeremy felt infuriated inside “you know what, since according to you, we are just ‘friends’, I think it’s a time for me to take my leave”
“Why… why are you leaving so soon?”
“Because I have over stayed my ‘friend’ boundary. So it’s time for this ‘friend’ to leave and go do what other ‘friend’ do. So bye”
Jeremy turned to take his leave
“Common Jeremy” Malia beckoned but he didn’t turn back
“Okay I’m sorry. You are more than a friend”
(Malia)
“Did he turn after saying that?” Eli was inquisitive
“Nope, he didn’t budge a bit”
“I think you know what you should have said” Tony said leaning on the cafeteria chair
*****
“I like you a lot Jeremy!” Malia yelled for Jeremy to hear amidst the distance
And then he stopped, but like he had a second thought, he continued walking away
*****
(Malia)
“Common Malia, you know that wasn’t what he wanted to hear” Tony said with certainty
“I had to give it a try” Malia drew a smile on her face
*****
“I love you!”
Jeremy halted immediately
“Alright I said it, so could you please come back”
It took Jeremy 8mins to come back up
“You made me go down the hill before you could say it” Jeremy gasped for air as he sat down on the rock
“Sorry”
“I love you too”
Jeremy drew closer and gave her a kiss on her head
(Malia)
“Then he wrapped his hands round me throughout our view. It was lovely”
“So I guess that’s when you guys started dating officially? Eli asked
“You could put it that way”
Malia’s phone rang as Tony turned off the recorder
“I’m sorry guys, but I have to do.” Malia said after she hanged up on her call. “See you guys some other time”
She picked up her bag and went off
The awkwardness and serenity resumed as Tony and Eli sat alone at the cafeteria
“Mm... Tony can we talk”
Tony hesitated
“Yea but I wanna talk first”
“I am sorry, I am deeply sorry about last time. I shouldn’t have pressurized you or tried to pry…”
“No Tony you weren’t prying” Eli cut in “you were considerate, you showed care and I just pushed you away. I’m so sorry Tony, it’s just that…” Eli hesitated again with a frustrated sigh
“Lil you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I respect you are a lady and you need your privacy sometimes. And I should respect that” Eli gazed at his eyes as he took her hands. “I just want you to know, whenever, I mean whenever you wanna talk, I’m, here for you”
“It’s my mum”
Eli finally spoke up softly
“What’s wrong? Is she okay?”
“She’s si…ck To…ny, she’s really sick”
Tears streamed down her eyes immediately
“She’s dying Tony and its soooo…..” she gasped for air “it’s so hard for me right now”
Tony was dumb struck
“And…the worst of it all…is...is Tony she has just 48hours left”
Eli’s cry had busted loud
“I can’t even go to the hospital because I don’t know what to do when I see her. I’m so confused. She’s the only one I have. I’ve lost my dad and I can’t lose her again. I feel so lonely”
“No you are not” Tony placed her head on his chest trying to suppress his tears “you are not alone, I’m here for you, always. We will figure this out today. I know we will, we always do…”
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