There in front of me sprawled on the marble floor unconscious is my mom. There are splinters of glass a few inches from her hand and a pool of water on the floor. 
I look around the kitchen and nothing else seems to be out of place.

She must have had a......

No-no, it can't be.

Heat floods my eyes and I clasp my hand over my quivering lips.
Suddenly my knees begin to tremble and I can't bring myself to move.

For some time, I can't really tell, I just stand there transfixed to the spot, tears streaming down my face.

"Mom!!!" I scream finally and then charge forward sliding down unto my knees.
I wrap my trembling hands round her form and hoist her unto my lap with all the strength I can muster.

"M..m..mom...... m..mom..... mom please." I shake her vigorously not knowing what else to do.

I shut my eyes and try to think of a solution-but no, I just can't.
Pictures of her being forever confined to a bed begin to flod my mind robbing me of every idea I could have derived.

Oh dear, where is all your medical knowledge when you need it!
My mind is basically as blurry as my vision, I can't think of a thing.
Calm down Maya, calm down, it'll be alright, I try to assure myself.

I feel her pulse.....thank goodness, she is still alive.
I need to take her to a doctor- but my car is out of gas, how do I...

Yes, that's it - an ambulance! Yes I'll call an ambulance!!
Now where is my phone?

Right, in my pocket. I reach into my dressing gown's pocket and fish out my phone.
With one hand still wrapped around her, I put on my phone and dial the nearest hospital putting it on speaker phone.

"Good morning, how may I help you?" The cherry voice wafts through the phone. Unfortunately, I'm in no mood for cherriness.
I clear my throat in order to conceal my shaky voice and bite my lip that has begun to quiver again, my eyes blurring again.

Oh, how am I supposed to do this? Doing my best to swallow the lump in my throat, I take a deep breath and speak up.

"Good morning-my m....mother just collapsed on the floor..., s...she needs to be taken to the hospital." So much for sounding cool, I sniff.

"Yes Miss... "

"Solana.. Miss Solana."

"Miss Solana-m...miss, I mean doctor Solana of Kinder hospital?"

"Y... yes." My voice quivering badly as I cradle my mom even tighter against my chest.

"Oh, right away Ma'am, we'll be there right away. Your address please?"

" 27, s....saint P...petersons block, Brown Stones area." I blurt and bite back a sob.

"Thank you Miss Solana, we'll be there in a few minutes." Sighing heavily, I let the phone slide unto the ground.

I look at my mom and the tears begin to flow again, this time my shoulders are vibrating and I bury my face into her neck and sob.

"Oh mom, you can't go … you're all I have left in the world. Everybody's gone. I only have you. You just can't go, y...y....you just can't. I can't lose you too."

                        ※※

The houses whizz past in a blurr as we speed to the hospital a few miles away.
Once and again, I keep looking at my mom's unconscious body and wish
the ride would take less time.

A million thoughts swirl around my mind and I find my eyes tearing up again.
Raising a hand to cup my mouth, I give yet another sob and squeeze my mother's limp hand with my free one.

The elderly nurse sitting opposite me reaches out and gently covers my shaking hand in hers and I jerk at her touch raising my eyes to meet hers.
I was too lost in my own world of conflicting emotions to notice her presence in the bus.

Despite her age and the nature of her job, I can see the strength in her eyes.

They don't look weak or tired.

Her brown orbs hold my gaze with love.

Genuine love.

Instantly, it's like a certain weight is lifted off my shoulders and I begin to feel.... Oh, I didn't know how I feel but I know I feel good.

"She'll be alright my dear, God is in control."

I know that ordinarily, I would have flown off the handle for her bringing God into this but the way her eyes hold my gaze, it just makes me want to believe her, trust her.

But I can't, I just can't.

I pull my hand away from her grasp in the most polite way I can and shake my head.

"No, I won't let him take control of anything in my life again." My voice breaks. "He took everything away from me."

Her eyes never leave mine.

"Don't talk like that my dear. I do not know what caused you to feel this way but I do know one thing, 'his plans for us are of good and not of evil but to bring you to an expected end.' It's not the other way around."

I look at her again and think about the words she just said.
Even though I had heard it a number of times in Sunday school it sounds so new to me.

Now this is what speechless feels like, I think to myself.
Only after a few seconds of staring at her do I realize my mouth has been hanging open all the while.
Embarrassed, I shut it quickly and tear my gaze away.

Argh.

I must have looked so stupid, staring like that.

"Sorry, but I.. I..", my mouth opens and shut, not being able to form any words.
What is happening to me? What is she saying that nobody has said before.
Why am I reacting this way.

"I'm sorry but I..I don't want to talk about God right now. He's kind of like a very delicate and sensitive spot." I finally manage to say after I have found my tongue.

"Do you mind telling me about it my dear?"

Instantly, at her words, it's like a dark cloud envelopes me, washing away the lovely feeling I had just experienced. 

I recognize that cloud, it's the cloud I have around me very often, making me see reason.

It reminds me of what I stand and have always stood for since the death of my father.

"No!" The words tumble out before I know it and she flinches looking taken a back.
And just as quickly as the cloud came, it leaves as if to say 'my work here is done, for now'.
Immediately, a wave of guilt washes over me when I see the sad look that flashes across her face.

Apologize.

Stubbornly, instead of obeying the voice in my head, I shamelessly look away.

Throughout the ride to the hospital, which by the way felt like ages, even though I knew it was just a few miles, I could feel her brown eyes boring silently into me and I remembered when I had looked into them. They were full of compassion and love and I felt I could look at them forever. 

My mind wanders back to that day in Mrs. Blake's ward after the baby had just been wheeled to the intensive care unit.

What I saw in Mr. Blake's eyes.

It seemed that there was a slight resemblance........not in the color…no, but something of which I find very hard to explain.

Just then, the ambulance slows to a stop and I remember where I am.

I steal a glance at the woman and find out she is still looking at me with that same intensity, her eyes drawing me to drown in them.

Shifting uneasily in my seat, I tear my gaze away again and try not to make eye contact with her again, afraid that I would not be able to stop looking.

Boy, was I relieved when I heard the click of the door from the other side before it was pulled open. A ray of light peeked in slowly morphing into a glow that cast shadows behind us.

I hastily climb out, eager to get away from her, but inside, I still feel like staying if it means I can look some more at those eyes of hers.

No, you can't get distracted, what she's offering you is a waste of time, remember?

I listen to the voice in my head and ignore her while assisting the men as they pull my mother out on the stretcher.

Once they are out, the nurse turns to look at me again sadly and I swallow hard, shame building up in my chest.

That was the last I saw of those fiery yet kind brown eyes before my mother was wheelled into the theater.

What do you think of Maya's stubborn attitude?

Remember to vote and tell me what you think about the chapter in the comment section.
Bye, until the next chapte, my lovely readers.

Chinwe_epistle ❤