ChapterThirteen
1573 Words
RICHARD’S POV
I sat on my bed confused about how the wedding played out to be, maybe Natalie was right and everyone else lied to me, including my mom.
“Honey, your breakfast”, my mom entered the room followed by Olivia, the chef, who was holding a tray.
“She wouldn’t deceive me, would she?”, I thought as I stared at my mom who was smiling beautifully. She didn’t have a reason to do that.
“Thank you, mom”, I stood up to give her a hug.
I checked the clock and it was 11:30 am. This was another lazy day since I hadn’t gotten my memory back. I still wasn't able to function well
“You know I would do anything for you”
“You can leave the tray on the desk and go, Olivia”, I instructed Olivia who did as told, immediately.
“So, did you sleep well?”, my mom asked, in a ploy to carry on the conversation.
“Yes, I did”, I answered, I wasn’t sure of what else to say. I didn’t want her to feel like I was doubting her.
“That’s good to know”
There was a moment of silence as I chewed through my breakfast and allowed my mouth to be filled with the burst of flavors and deliciousness of the food.
“Is there anything you want to know?” She asked, and I couldn’t help but wonder how she knew. Motherly instincts, maybe.
“I know you do”, she added just before I could shake my head.
“Okay, fine. I give up”, I said, placing the cutleries back on the tray and dabbing the corners of my mouth with the handkerchief.
“Okay?”, her green eyes stared at me, with keen interest.
“I have been having my doubts about the whole situation with Natalie, I don’t know why I…”, a call intercepted from her phone.
She glanced at the phone and was about to put it away but it kept ringing.
“You can take the call, mom”, I said, the ringtone was not helping matters as it only added to the migraine I was already feeling.
“Okay, I will go ahead and take it then”, she said, and placed the phone on her ears.
“The news?”, her eyes widened. “What’s wrong!”, she looked worried.
Even though I didn’t hear the other person on the call, I knew it was no good news.
I saw my mom hurriedly reach for the remote control and the television came on.
That was when I realized why she was troubled, the news headline which read ; “THE LATE PHILANTHROPIST HAROLD JOHNSON’S DAUGHTER, NATALIE JOHNSON, HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED”.
There were reporters who stood at the front of the chapel building asking the residents some questions.
Different thoughts and questions evaded my mind but there were no words to express them. I stared at the television and then at my mom in confusion.
I felt my heart crush in an unexplainable way, I shouldn’t be feeling this way towards her abduction but I was. This was beyond empathy and I knew it.
“Okay, find out what hospital she was admitted in”, My Mom’s voice interrupted my thoughts again, I realized that she had not dropped the call yet.
She placed the phone on the table “Richard, Natalie got kidnapped yesterday after we left her at the chapel”, her voice lowered, her breath rising and falling at every second.
I only nodded in agreement, I had seen it already.
“Maybe we should not have left her all by herself”, her cracking voice said.
“It was not your fault, mom”, I braced up and finally said. I knew if I didn’t say anything, she would only feel more guilt about it.
“What do we do?”, she asked, her eyes closed.
“Was there anyone with her at the scene or anyone who saw it?”, I asked.
“Amaya was there, but she’s currently admitted in the hospital as she got severely injured”, my mom said.
“No CCTV footage?”
“It has been tampered with before they got there”
“That’s crazy. The only person who can give the best information is Amaya, did you find out what hospital she is in?”, I tried to get a solution as soon as I could.
“No, I asked her to confirm it to me and send it to me”
“Okay, let’s wait then, patiently”
My mom paced the room with her hands folded, I stood to embrace and pat her “She would be fine, since she’s from a wealthy family”
“You don’t understand, Richard”, she looked up at me.
“Is there something I should know?”, I asked.
A knock on the door interrupted our conversation.
“Come in, it’s open”, I said, my voice more audible.
The door opens and Grey enters the room “Sir, Ma’am, Miss Jenna is downstairs”, he said.
“Now?”, my eyes widened, she had not mentioned that she would come visiting.
“Yes, sir”
“Okay, I will be there shortly”
“Yes, sir”, he said and left the room, shutting the door behind him.
“Mom, you can sit here on my bed. I will be back very soon”, I said, leading my mom to my bed.
“Don’t take too long”, she held onto my hand before she reluctantly let go of it.
I could tell that there was more that I needed to know.
Jenna was downstairs biting into her nails when I got there, pacing the room as well. She wasn’t properly dressed.
“Is there anything?”, I asked.
“Richard!” Jenna cried on seeing me, she rushed to me and I had to embrace her.
I led her to sit down and allowed her the silence that was needed, she bawled her eyes out.
“Natalie has gotten kidnapped”, her eyes still filled with tears.
“I saw the news” i said, while holding her
“I’m scared, Richard. I know she tried to ruin our wedding but she is my half sister and I love her so much. I fear that everyone would think I had her kidnapped”, she cried.
“Why would anyone think that?”, I said, I wasn’t expecting an answer. That thought was suspicious but i brushed it off
“Do you think I did so?”, she asked, wiping her tears as she stared at me.
I looked at her teary eyes and troubled demeanor but I couldn’t read it.
“No, I think you’re not capable of hurting a fly”, I shook my head as I let out a chuckle.
I saw her face curl into a smile and back into tears in a twinkle of an eye, I almost thought I was tweaking.
“I’m so sorry about her, we will assist your family in looking for her”, I patted her back.
“I miss her so much that my heart hurts really bad”, she broke down again.
“She would be found, Jenna. Come here”, I pulled her closer to my chest in an embrace and she finally quieted down.
“Thank you”, she mumbled under her breath but it was loud enough for me to hear.
*****
AMAYA’S POV
I woke up sweating profusely, I had just had a nightmare where Natalie got kidnapped.
My head banged heavily, my eyes got clearer and I realized that I was in a hospital. “What was I doing here?”, I thought to myself and I looked around.
“You’re awake, Amaya?”, a person who I presumed to be the doctor said, he was wearing a white coat.
“Who are you?”, I asked, my voice was low.
“Dr. Pete”, he said.
“What am I doing here?”, I asked, again trying to sit up.
“You were found lying lifeless on the floor after an unfortunate kidnap attempt”
The word kidnap rang a bell in my head and all I could think of was Natalie, there was no way any harm happened to her. It was just a dream.
“Where’s my friend? Natalie, we’re always together”, I mustered up courage to ask.
He clears his throat and looks me in the eye “There was an alleged kidnap incident of which she’s a victim”, he said.
“No way!”, I yelled in pain. There was no way that nightmare was a reality!
“I’m sorry but do you really not remember anything about what happened?”, he said again.
It then dawned on me what happened that night, we were attacked by some masked men and Natalie was forcefully taken away.
As the tape of what happened replayed in my head, tears streamed down my cheeks.
- Writer
