A constant beep kept ringing in my ears, annoyingly increasing the pangs I felt in my head. At first, I ignored it but now it was getting too annoying, and all I wanted to do was find the source of the beep and destroy it. I fluttered my eyes open, and I was immediately welcomed by a ray of a sun, that nearly had me crying out in pain from its intensity in my eyes.

The brightness of the room was too much for my eyes to adjust to, so I had to close and open my eyes repeatedly till I could keep them open for longer. Once my eyes had completely adjusted, I began looking around for the source of the annoying beep.

"What..." I mumbled when my eyes landed on what I presume was a heart monitor on my left, and for the first time since I opened my eyes, my brain finally acknowledged where I was.  As if on cue, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach and a loud groan escaped my lips.

"What the heck-" My hands immediately flew to my stomach as the pain increased and I wrapped a protective arm around it. My groan seemed to have attracted those outside because the door burst open the next second and the last person I expected to be here rushed in.

Balls of sweat rolled down his forehead as he rushed to me, he grabbed my hand and began scanning my body with his eyes while I stared at him, bewildered. "Son, what's wrong? Are you feeling any pain? Thank sweet Jesus you're awake"

"Sir, please you need to move so we can conduct a checkup on him" A nurse walked over to him and tried to get him to move but he didn't budge, he stood firmly by my side and didn't say a word to the nurse, who was starting to get very worked up.

"Let him be, please. I can conduct the check-up from the other side" the person I assumed was the doctor, said as he walked into the room calmly. The nurse glared at my dad before she nodded at the doctor, and left, leaving him with the other nurse he walked in with.

"Mr Abner, how do you feel?" He asked with a fond smile on his face and I glanced between him and my dad, trying to decipher who he was talking to and once I realized it was me, I forced a smile on my face.

"I feel horrible. I have a splitting headache and a blood-curling pain in my stomach but I can't seem to remember anything" he bobbed his head in understanding, while the nurse scribbled away.
.
"I'm sorry about that, the anaesthesia's effect has waned off which is why you feel the pain. We'd get a painkiller to help you with the pain, okay?" I bobbed my head and he smiled at me again, "In the meantime, let me check a few things" he removed his stethoscope from his neck and once it was in order, he carried out the tests and asked me more questions before he nodded in approval. "Everything is okay, Mr Abner. You'd undoubtedly be out here in a few days if everything continues like this"

"Thank you, doc"

"What about his memory, he just said he can't remember anything. What are you going to do about that?" Mr Abner added as the doctor was still addressing the nurse.

"Oh that's nothing to worry about sir, most patients that undergo something like this rarely remember what happened the first 24 hours they wake up. Plus, he's been unconscious for 2 days now and he seems to remember everything else except what led him here, right?" I bobbed my head immediately and he smiled. "No cause for alarm yet" Mr Abner let out a deep breath and shook the doctor's hand.

"Thank you so much, doc. I'm grateful for everything"

"You're welcome. I'll be on my way out now, the nurse will bring the painkiller up" They both exchanged handshakes again before the doctor walked out with the nurse, leaving me, my dad and a deafening silence behind.

He hovered over me for a little while longer before he released a deep breath, drew out a seat and sat beside me without saying a word. A few minutes passed and the silence was broken by the nurse, who walked in. She mumbled an apology and handed a tablet to me alongside a glass of water. Once I took it, she scampered out of the room and the silence returned.

The painkiller worked like magic, the pain began diminishing a few minutes after I took it and after a while, the pain completely diminished and I relaxed.  "You don't have to stay Mr Abner, I'm okay. If I need anything I'll call for the nurses"

"I'm not going away till you remember everything and we talk" I breathed out a laugh at his words and immediately placed my hand on my stomach because of the pain my laugh elicited.

"Guess you can leave now, after all,  I remember everything. It came pouring back to me when the doctor was conversing with you, and on that note, I'm sorry for ruining your mansion. I'll make sure to get it cleaned up and pay for the damages once I'm out of here" Tears welled up in his eyes and he looked like he was about to cry when I was done talking and that made me frown.

"Is that really why you think I'm here?" I shrugged and looked away from him

"You can't blame me, your money is all you've really cared about. Isn't that why you were never beside Mum's sick bed till she died and even after that you were never found? You weren't at your wife's funeral, Mr Abner"

I turned to him and stared straight into his eyes, daring him to deny it but to my greatest surprise; a teardrop rolled down his cheek and he immediately lowered his gaze, "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry" he dropped to his knees and enclosed my hand with two of his, "I'm very sorry"

"What are you..."

"Please, let me talk first. Please. Just... Just hear me out" he pleaded. Tears trickled down his cheeks in a very haphazard manner, but I couldn't bring myself to care that much. I dragged my eyes away from his tear-stricken face and stared into his eyes, and they were filled with remorse.

Eyes that once stared at me with indifference, now looked at me like I was their last hope for survival. I stared at him for a while before I released a deep breath "I'm listening"

A relieved sigh escaped him and he held my hands even more tightly than he held onto them earlier, "thank you for giving me a chance, son"

"I'm only hearing you out, nothing more" he looked like his chest was pierced with a dagger the moment I spoke, but he forced a smile on his face and nodded, nonetheless.

"Thank you" he breathed out and sat back on his chair. "There's a lot to say, a whole lot for me to apologise for but I have no idea how or where to begin" he took a deep breath and rubbed my hands lightly with his thumb. "I care about you and your mother, a lot more than you'd ever figure out"

I arched a brow and he nodded mindlessly
"I don't expect you to believe me, not after all I did but it's the truth. You think I was never at your mother's sick bed but I was. Every night after you two had slept off holding each other's hand, I was always there because that was the only time I could look at you people despite the guilt eating me up. I wanted to be there for you guys, Zadkiel. I wanted to be there but someone had to pay the bills, there had to be steady means of paying the bills or they would have sent your mother out without treatment" tears welled up in my eyes and I immediately blinked them away. I can't cry for him. "When I heard Elizabeth had passed away, I was devastated. I felt like it was all for nothing. The sleepless nights, the hard mornings, not being with my family... Everything came crashing down on me and I resorted to drinking"

A tear trickled down my cheek while I stared at him helplessly, his facade had finally come off and I could see the person he'd kept away for years. "I... I drank so much it landed me in a hospital and when I finally regained my consciousness, she had been buried." His voice cracked at the last sentence and he inhaled sharply, "The only woman I'd ever loved wAs buried and I never got to see her remains. I was devasted, Zad but I comforted myself with the thought of you when I looked into your eyes that day... I knew I'd lost you as well"

This time, I was the one that tightened my grip on his hands. I didn't know all this, I never knew all this. My lips quivered and I bit down hard on them as I struggled to keep the tears away. "That was when I swore that even though I'd lost you, I'd make enough money to make sure you live a comfortable life and I gave up on ever having a father and son relationship with you. Worst mistake ever and nearly losing you for good made me realize how stupid I'd been" he paused and with shaky hands, he patted my hair softly and that was when the dam broke in my eyes and I whimpered as tears trickled down my face. "I'm sorry... So so sorry for... For giving up on us without even trying"

"I'm sorry too. I'm so sorry..." I paused and took a shaky breath, "Dad" His hands immediately froze and he stared at me like he had just seen a ghost. I breathed out a laugh and smiled at him, "It oddly feels normal calling you Dad after not calling you that for so long"

He sobbed and threw his arms around me, carefully avoiding my injury. "thank you! Thank you so much! Thank you for seeing me as a father again"

"Thank you for all you did for me even though I was too blind to acknowledge them" he laughed and hugged me even tighter while I held onto him with my only free hand. Too scared to move the other one. "Alright Dad, you're crushing me"

He immediately broke away from the hug, "Sorry. I got too carried away, been long I held you" he scratched the back of his head and I smiled at him. "I don't know how to act now" he exhaled deeply and looked around the room, "do you need anything? Food? Your phone? Anything?"

"I don't have a phone Dad, no reason for one... Yet" he nodded and raised his hands in surrender. I glanced at the door after a while of just smiling at each other, then turned back to him, ready to ask the questions lingering in my mind. What happened after I got stabbed? What of Gabriel and his family, but before I could ask that question he cut me off.

"If left to me, I'd stay here all day with you. But..." My heart immediately dropped to my stomach and the smile disappeared from my face. It was all too good to be true. There's no way he would choose me over all he had to do, "your friend is out there waiting to see you and I think it's best I give you two some privacy, right?" Oh. A guilty smile displayed on my face, he gave me an understanding nod and patted my shoulders. "I'll be right outside the door"

I watched him closely as he walked out of the door and I took a deep breath. "Abba, thank you so much for everything. Thank you for my life and thank you for my dad. Thank you so much for handling everything just like you said you would. Thank you also for Jophiel" A sad smile lingered on my lips as I mentioned her name. I wonder how she's doing. I let out a deep breath and shook my head. "I know you've heard and answered my prayers for her. I know she is safe because you are with her. Please keep her safe" A sense of relief washed over me immediately after and I smiled. Abba was in control, I had nothing to worry about.

The door creaked open and I readied myself to see a crying Josephine or a lousy Gabriel, Dad had said friend and they were the only ones I have. So it would undoubtedly be them. But my entire body froze and my eyes nearly bulged out of my eyes, when the door opened to reveal a crying Jophiel.

"Jo... Jophiel?" I called out when I snapped out of my initial shock and she softly bobbed her head as she rushed over to me and engulfed me in a hug.

🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼
Jophiel, huh?👀
This book is slowly coming to an end.

Less than 5 Chapters to go.
Thank you all so much for your support

Keep voting
Commenting, and
Sharing this book

Thank you all once more