Translations will be in the inline comment section.

Unedited chapter so please pardon any grammatical errors.

•••

Joseph's Pov

"Why can't I remember my name?" I listen to my sister cry out over and over again.

"Your name is Kenechukwu and I am your mother." My mum yells as if yelling would make her remember.

"You're not my mother. I don't know you or any of you. Let me out of here immediately." Kene screams back as she struggles to leave the hospital bed.

"Please I have to ask the three of you to leave so I can run some tests on her." The doctor tells us, trying his best to hold Kene down.

"I am not going anywhere doctor." My mum snaps. "Kene nwam please don't say such things to me. I am your mother. I gave birth to you." She says softly to Kene.

"You are not my mother and my name isn't Kene. Stop calling me Kene." She struggles once again with the doctor.

"Please young man, I would appreciate if you took them out of here." The doctor says to me, as he gestures at my mum that was holding on to Kene's shirt and my grandma that was silently sobbing at a corner in the room.

I open my mouth to call out to my mother when I taste salty tears on my lips. I didn't realize I was crying. I quickly wipe my face and pry my mother's hands from Kene.

"Mummy please let's wait outside." I tell her and she follows me. My grandma does too.

"Don't worry mummy. Stop crying, she'll be fine. Just stop crying." I hold on to her shoulder as a form of consolation.

"Nne ozuole. Come let's pray the rosary." Grandma says as her frail hands open her worn out leather clutch, revealing her rosary.

My mum nods and they go to the nearest chairs to pray.

I stay back, not in the mood to pray. I can't help feeling guilty. Everything that is happening is my fault. I shouldn't have gone to the lesson. I shouldn't have let Bolaji kiss me. I shouldn't have slapped her!!

Fresh tears blur my vision once more, making me feel stupid. Men don't cry. I close my eyes to prevent them from falling.

"Excuse me." The voice of the doctor says bringing my attention back to my surroundings.

"Where are the rest?" He asks and I go to call mum and grandma.

My mum looked more composed now as she only stared blankly at the doctor, my grandma at her side.

"We had to give her a light sedative to calm her down." We nod. "What is wrong with my daughter?"

"Well, she has been diagnosed with a condition of partial memory loss. The impact of the car caused some minor damages to her brain but she will be fine." I squeeze my mother's hand to calm her down. Or to calm myself down. Whichever of the two.

"This is temporary and we assure you that in a matter of days, as long as she is surrounded with a very familiar environment, she would regain her memory." He says again and we sigh in relief.

"Ekene diri chineke. She will be okay. Inuna?" Grandma says to my mum and she nods.

"When can she be discharged?" I ask.

"She had a surprisingly speedy recovery, a very strong young lady indeed and so she can be discharged tomorrow. She can even leave this evening only that we would like to observe her a little bit more." The doctor says with a smile.

I nod and he excuses himself to go do other things.

•••

Kene's Pov

Rebecca and Akin pull me carefully up the stairs and push me into a room.

Click

I hear the sound of the door lock from outside.

As if realizing that I had just been locked here, I run to the door and pound hard on it.

"Open the door. I want to go home. Release me please, I'm begging." I yell, banging the door.

After close to ten minutes of non-stop banging, I slide down the door in resignation.

Only when I do this, do I take my time to look at the room I was being held in. This room like the rest of the house was really nice and well spent on.

It was spacious and had a queen sized bed in the middle. Atop the bed, purple bedspreads and uncountable pillows were laid. Really tempting.

There was air conditioning at a corner in the room, curtains that were the same colour as the bedspreads prevented light from entering through the window.

I let my fingers trail on the walls as I made my way around the room. It obviously belonged to someone since I could perceive a little perfume lingering in the air.

There were two doors apart from the exit door and so I opened them one by one. The first led to the bathroom. It had a lovely scent hanging everywhere and that somehow made smile. I go into the bathroom and play around with the soap and body spray. I smelt all flowery once I was done. Shrieking at how nice I smelt, I left the bathroom.

I open the other door and find out it's a walk-in closet. Heii. Jesus.

I stare excited at the clothes that surrounded me. From casual clothes to formal to dinner gowns. Everything. I wish I had these much clothes.

Peeping to make sure no one else had entered the room, I try out the clothes one by one. Surprisingly, most of them fit.

Still feeling excited and in the mood to explore, I bring down a dazzling blue dress I had seen hanging. I take it out of the closet and contemplate trying it on.

"Try it on. Let's see if it'll fit." I imagine Anita and the other girls squeal as they admire the dress with me. I smile at the thought.

"Kenechukwu, put that dress down. What is wrong with this my daughter? Come on will you keep that dress!" I then imagine my mum scold, causing me to drop the dress like it was hot coal.

The door clicks from outside and the pot-bellied man comes in. I quickly try to hide the dress behind me. Thankfully, he doesn't seem to notice.

"Good aftern- good evening sir." I hear myself stutter.

The confused expression from before returns to him, making me wonder what was strange about my simple greeting.

A knock interrupts my thoughts as a young man joins us in the room.

"Good evening Senator Peters." He greets. My mouth is left hanging at the new information. Senator?

"Doctor. Thank you for coming." Senator Peters says as he stretches his hand out for a shake.

"Don't mention sir." The doctor smiles and turns in my direction. At this point, I'm confused as to why a doctor is here.

"What did you say is wrong with your daughter sir?" The doctor asks and my eyes widen. Daughter?

"E-excuse me sir. Good evening sir. I'm not his daughter. Or do you mean someone else?" I ask puzzled.

The doctor exchanges a look with the Senator and comes over to me.

"Sit." He says to me and I sit on the bed that makes me feel like I'm sinking. So soft...wow. The doctor sits beside me and brings up a bag I didn't notice before. From the bag, he brings out a thermometer.

"Open your mouth. Say ahh." He says and I roll my eyes.

"Say ahh." He says again.

"Ahh." I say and he sticks the thermometer in my mouth.

After some seconds he brings it out and examines it.

"Her temperature is normal." He tells the Senator. Why won't my temperature be normal?

"Can we talk outside sir?" The doctor says as the Senator hesitantly follows him out.

When they go out, I stand up and head to the door too.

"...an accident?" The voice of the doctor stops me. I place my ear on the door to hear clearly.

"No she hasn't been in any accidents." The Senator's voice replies.

"Any history of mental illness in your family perhaps?" I hear the muffled voice of the doctor. There is a long silence before the reply comes.

"No-none. None doctor."

"Hmm. Alright. Let's go back in." The doctor says and I quickly go back to the bed.

"Well," the doctor says once he comes in. "I wasn't able to get much from today but I would be returning tomorrow. Get some rest." He says to me. He packs his bag and leaves me alone with the Senator who takes the doctor's place beside me.

"Is this an act?" He asks after a while of uncomfortable silence.

"What...what do-" He cuts me off.

"Adanma." I was going to correct him but I changed my mind. "Is all this an act? Are you doing this because of how I've been treating you lately? Wait let me finish." He says when I try to interrupt.

"Look I'm sorry. You're my daughter and I love you." He says, surprising me.

His daughter?

Something in me suddenly goes back to what happened prior to my kidnap. Of course! She must be connected to all this. She is his daughter, not me.

I mentally scold myself for not putting things together earlier than now.

I wonder if she's alright. After all, I had left her lying unconscious in the middle of the road.

"Adanma, Ada nmarama. My lovely girl. Please forgive me." The Senator's voice says snapping me back to reality. He comes in for a hug and I hesitantly hug him back.

I have to find out what exactly is going on.

•••
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                               -lisa ❤️