Lost without goodbye
746 Words
THE DRIVER'S SECRET
Chapter Eight: Lost Without Goodbye
The days turned into weeks.
Weeks slowly became months.
Yet every morning, Collins still picked up his phone with the same hope.
Maybe today...
Maybe Ruth had finally found a way to reach him.
He dialed her number again.
"The number you are trying to reach is switched off."
He closed his eyes in disappointment.
"Ruth... where are you?"
---
Losing his job had changed everything.
The little savings Collins had managed to keep began disappearing.
First, he sold his television.
Then his refrigerator.
Finally, he sold his motorcycle just to survive.
His landlord, Mr. Okafor, had been patient for three months.
But patience has limits.
One hot afternoon, the landlord knocked on Collins' door.
"Collins."
"Good afternoon, sir."
"You know I like you."
"Yes, sir."
"But you've owed me four months' rent."
"I know."
"I've been trying to get another job."
The landlord sighed.
"I believe you."
"But I also have my own responsibilities."
He handed Collins a letter.
"You have two weeks to vacate the apartment."
Collins accepted the letter quietly.
"I understand."
As the landlord walked away, Collins sat on the edge of his bed.
For the first time in years...
He cried.
Not because of the house.
Not because of the job.
But because life seemed to be taking everything from him at once.
---
Meanwhile...
Ruth was also fighting her own silent battle.
She had managed to replace her phone.
She immediately opened f*******:.
Her heart raced.
She searched for Collins' profile.
Nothing.
She tried again.
Still nothing.
She searched using different spellings.
Nothing.
She didn't know that Collins had stopped using f*******: after losing his job.
Without internet data and without hope, he had abandoned the account.
Ruth lowered the phone slowly.
"Lord..."
"Please help me find him."
---
Several days later...
Ruth woke up feeling unusually weak.
The smell of breakfast from the kitchen suddenly made her nauseous.
She rushed to the bathroom.
Her mother followed quickly.
"Ruth!"
"What's wrong?"
"I... I don't know."
Her mother looked at her carefully.
"When was your last monthly period?"
Ruth froze.
She counted silently.
One month...
Two months...
Her face lost its color.
"No..."
"It can't be."
Her mother became concerned.
"We're going to the hospital."
---
At the hospital...
The doctor smiled gently after reviewing the test results.
"Congratulations."
"You're pregnant."
The room became completely silent.
Ruth felt the world spinning around her.
Pregnant?
Her mind immediately went back to that unforgettable weekend with Collins.
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
The doctor noticed her reaction.
"Are you alright?"
She nodded weakly.
"Yes... I just need a moment."
As she walked out of the hospital, her mother held her hand.
"Who is the father?"
Ruth couldn't answer.
Because the only man she loved...
Had disappeared without a trace.
---
That evening, she sat alone in her room, staring at an old photograph she had taken during her trip.
It was a picture of her and Collins standing together outside his apartment.
She gently touched Collins' face in the photo.
"I've looked for you everywhere."
"I don't know where you are."
"I don't even know if you're alive."
A tear dropped onto the photograph.
Then she whispered,
"Our baby is coming."
---
Back in Enugu...
Collins packed his remaining belongings into two travelling bags.
There was nothing left to keep him in the city.
His uncle from the village had called earlier that day.
"Come home."
"You can stay with us until you find your feet again."
With no job...
No home...
And no way of finding Ruth...
Collins had no choice.
The next morning, he locked the apartment for the last time.
Before entering the bus, he looked around the neighborhood.
Every street reminded him of Ruth.
The park where they laughed.
The church where they prayed together.
The restaurant where they shared lunch.
He smiled sadly.
"I promised I'd never stop looking for you."
"I hope one day our paths cross again."
The bus engine started.
Slowly...
It pulled away from the city.
At that exact moment...
Miles away...
Ruth placed her hand gently on her stomach.
She whispered,
"I don't know where your father is..."
"But I'll do everything I can to protect you."
Neither of them knew...
That destiny was quietly preparing another man to step into Ruth's life.
A man whose wealth could change everything...
But whose heart would one day be shattered by the truth.
End of Chapter Eight
- Writer
