Chapter 4
1454 Words
"What!" Ava shouted
"Where is she now, please?" She asked as confusion engulfed her.
"She's admitted to Stevenson Memorial Hospital" The voice replied
"Okay. Thank you" Ava said uneasily
"What is happening today?" Ava cried out as she quickly turned to find a cab
In less than two minutes, a cab pulled over in front of her
"Where ma'am?" the cab man asked
"Stevenson Memorial Hospital. Fast" She hurriedly boarded the cab
"(Phone rings) Hello, Ava what do you want I said I'll come back late in the night" Nora quickly said before Ava could say anything.
"Nora, Meet me at Stevenson Memorial Hospital now, mom had an accident" Ava quickly replied before Nora cut the call
"What!! I'm on my way."
Stevenson Memorial Hospital.
Ava arrived at the hospital and went straight to the receptionist asking for the doctor but she was told to wait because he was busy. In less than twenty minutes, Nora also arrives and finds Ava pacing the reception of the hospital.
"Ava, where's mom? What happened to her? What is her present condition" Nora asked all at once feeling uneasy.
"I haven't seen the doctor since I came, I'm told he's busy" Ava replied weakly. She's extremely overwhelmed and confused.
"Sit down Nora, it'll be fine" Ava tells Nora when she notices how uneasy she is starting to get.
"Nothing must happen to Mom Ava" Nora said with tears in her eyes
"Nothing will happen…"
"Are you Miss Foster?" A man wearing a white lab coat coming from the hallway called out to Ava.
"Yes, doctor. How is my mom…"
"Where is she?" Nora cuts Ava
The doctor faced Ava
"Your mom had a brutal road accident when she was rushed in here and unfortunately, she broke her spine…"
"Where is she? Can I go see her?" Nora asked again shouting
"Relax young lady. She's in ward 4b, you can go and see her but she is unconscious at the moment." He turned to Nora and said calmly.
He turned back to Ava with seriousness in his eyes.
"Miss Foster kindly meet me in my office after seeing your mother."
Ava and Nora entered ward 4b and saw their mother lying unconscious on the bed with bruises all over her body. The continuous beeping of machines in the room makes the atmosphere tense.
"Ava, Mom is badly injured. "Nora's eyes welled up with tears, feeling extreme pity for her mother.
"Mom, how did you end up in this state?" Ava asked rhetorically, trying to hold back her tears.
"If I had gotten home a bit earlier after I was fired this wouldn't have happened. It's all my fault!" Ava screamed she couldn't contain the tears that filled her eyes as it poured freely
"No Ava, it's not your fault. It's none of us fault. No one can control circumstances that are meant to happen" Nora moves close to Ava trying to comfort her.
"These circumstances are too much for me to bear Nora. First I was fired, and you came back home needing academic fees - you are on the brink of being a dropout, Nora, the landlord has given us three weeks to move out, and now this. All in a single day. Ah! I'm pained" Ava lost herself totally in tears.
Nora also hearing the predicaments that hit her family in a single day broke down in sadness and cried silently.
After crying for about fifteen minutes, Ava broke the silence.
"Let me go and see the doctor to hear what he has to say." Ava stood up from her mother's bedside wiped her tears and those of Nora and headed to the doctor's office.
"Doctor"
"Oh, Miss Foster. Welcome, please take a sit." greeted the doctor gesturing his hand to the seat opposite him for Ava.
"(Gulps) What is the present condition of my mother?" Ava asked
"(Sighs deeply) We only stabilized your mom at the moment and in less than two weeks, an operation needs to be performed." The doctor said with a worried look.
"Operation?" Ava asked, dazed.
"Yes Miss Foster, an operation will be carried out but I must let you know that this operation is to avoid any complications that might arise in the future as it does not guarantee that your mother will walk again" The doctor shifted his glasses and said bluntly.
"The operation will cost $200,000 and another $50,000 for medications and to get a wheelchair after the operation but you can deposit $150,000 for us to get started."
"That means I need to provide $250,000 in two weeks?" Ava sighed heavily as she began to sweat profusely
"Miss Foster, you can work on the deposit first ." The doctor paused to grab Ava's utmost attention.
"In less than two weeks" He corrected her.
Ava was gripped with fear as she heard the doctor's last statement. Reluctantly, she stood up, and as she was about to step out of the doctor's office, his deep voice reminded her again.
"Miss Foster. $150,000 deposit, in less than two weeks, we need to see to your mother’s health immediately" His voice resonated.
Ava exited the doctor's office to meet Nora and she explained everything the doctor told her to Nora.
"I'm fed up Nora, where exactly will I get $150,000 deposit for Mum’s treatment when I can't even pay for your academic fee which is just $5000?" Ava questions Nora weeping.
"I don't just understand why life chooses to be so bitter towards us today. It's too much for us to bear!" Nora said to herself feeling very moody.
"I'll go to my former workplace tomorrow morning to see if my boss, Mrs. Charlotte can lend a helping hand" Ava said as she wiped her tears, a glimpse of hope showered on her because her boss loves her so much and Ava decided it'll be a nice idea to shoot her shot.
"I pray she does because mom must not die" Nora sits beside her mother placing her in her mom's face and crying with pain
"I have to go home to prepare myself for tomorrow morning" Ava was already exhausted and weak and it was evident that she needed sleep.
"I'll stay with Mom" Nora replied silently.
Next morning.
Ava couldn't sleep through the night, she was thinking about all that happened to her and what the reaction of Mrs. Charlotte would be like, she was in a spiral of thought both positive and negative, and then her alarm went off.
"It's morning already? I didn't even sleep." She mumbled as she put off her alarm and checked the time. 6:00 am.
She picks up her phone and calls Nora
"Hello Nora, Good morning, how are you doing? How's mom's health?" She asked, afraid to hear something bad.
"Good morning Ava, I'm good but mom isn't" Nora replied bursting into tears
"It's okay Nora, everything will be fine. I promise you that" She said in a tone not above a whisper
"Are you already preparing to go to your boss's place?" Nora asked
"Yes. I hope something good comes out of this" Ava sighs
"I hope so too. Bye Ava"
"Bye Nora, stay strong"
Ava jumped out of bed and quickly took her bath, she put on a denim blue jean trouser and a white blouse. She grabbed her bag and suddenly remembered something.
"Wait a minute, Mr. Benjamin gave me his business card, and be said he has a business deal for me" she thought
She rummaged through all her bags looking for the card, anxious about where she could have kept it. As she turned, she found it laying in the drawer beside the bed.
"There you are"
She scanned the card carefully and noticed that it was owned by Harris John Corporation, the most popular clothing brand in Ontario, written boldly on it is Benjamin Harris - CEO. She gasped as she realized Benjamin was the CEO of Harris John and quickly called the number written on it.
"Hello?"
"Hello Ava Foster, I've been expecting your call" Benjamin replied Ava in his deep voice.
Perplexed, Ava asked
"How do you know it's me? And how did you know my surname? Mr. Benjamin"
"Let's keep that aside and it'll be much better if you call me Benjamin." He chuckled.
"Okay Benjamin, you said you have a business deal for me. I'm eager to work in your company" Ava quickly said, waiting for Benjamin to tell her the business deal he has for her.
Benjamin laughs
"You are not to work in my company, you are to work with me" Benjamin declared, his voice strict.
"I don't understand." Ava voiced out
"You are going to be my contract wife"
- Writer
