Chapter Fourty Nine

Chapter 49

“Hurry up Vanessa!” Jemima called out to Vanessa, her voice resonating through the air. Jemima paced the floor of the living room as she glanced at her watch. She was supposed to see Jon at the hospital but Vanessa insisted she accompanied her.

“Any minute now!” Jemima yelled, staring at the stairs and hoping that Vanessa would pop out. Jemima’s impatience was growing by the minute and she did not appreciate Vanessa delaying her further.

“Where are you going Jem?” Alan questioned as he walked down the stairs. He was clad in a pair of shorts and a singlet. His hair was tousled and his eyes were puffy from exhaustion. It was an obvious sign that he had just woken up.

“Good morning Al. Did you sleep well?” Jemima inquired, genuine concern etched on the corners of her brows as she gazed into his eyes. Her smile was warm and inviting. A small yawn erupted from Alan as he nodded his head in response to Jemima’s question.

“Where are you going?” Alan reiterated his question as he took in her appearance and wondered why she was dressed up so early and carrying a basket of food.

“I’m going to the hospital to see Jon,” Jemima replied with a shrug, flashing him a toothy grin. Alan raised his brow in confusion, causing Jemima to sigh heavily.

“I’m going to give him some food,” Jemima explained further but it didn’t expel the confusion that had grown within Alan.

“You haven’t cooked since you were born Jem!” Alan mused with a hint of a smile splayed across his face which caused Jemima to roll her eyes and chuckle lightly.

“I didn’t say I cooked Al. I only said I’m going to give him some food,” Jemima stared Simply, balancing the weight of the food with both of her hands.

“Jem, are you still trying to avoid your brother?” Alan asked with a raised eyebrow, eliciting a shrug from Jemima. Things between her and Marcus were awkward and she didn’t want to encounter him, yet.

“I am so sorry Jem! My hair got stuck in my zipper and…”

“Great let’s go! See you later Al,” Jemima said in a hurry, not only interrupting Vanessa but also evading the question that Alan had posed as well.

Once inside the car, Jemima leaned her head against the steering and heaved a sigh of relief. Vanessa stared at her solemnly, pity gracing her features.

“Don’t give me that look!” Jemima muttered without even sparing Vanessa a glance.

“What look?” Vanessa inquired, feigning ignorance as she shrugged her shoulders in confusion.

Jemima rolled her eyes and started the engine of the car.
The car ride to the hospital was silent, each of them engrossed in their thought as the car zoomed by.

“Marcus loves you, you know,” Vanessa blurted out, eliciting a snort of disbelief from Jemima as she took a sharp turn.

“And you know that how?” Jemima queried, casting a glance towards Vanessa.

“Even when you didn’t know he was the godfather, he always looked out for you and made sure you were fine,” Vanessa pointed out but Jemima gave no response to that.

Seeing that Jemima wasn’t going to respond, Vanessa continued, “He went back for you Jem. No matter the narrative you try to spin in your head, Marcus went back for you.”

Jemima blinked back the tears that had threatened to spill. She wondered why her life was filled with so much drama. Couldn’t she just be normal for once? Numerous thoughts raced through Jemima’s head as they approached the hospital.

Jemima parked in one corner and observed the enormous building that loomed over her. A building that held the deaths of births of many. A building filled with so many sad and happy memories.

“I’d leave you to collect your thoughts,” Vanessa announced as she grabbed the food basket in the backseat and exited the car, leaving Jemima to ponder in solitude.

“Fuck!” Jemima screamed out in frustration while vehemently banging her head against the steering wheel, causing the car horn to blare noisily.

Passers-by witnessed the entire scene unfold and wondered if she needed to be checked into the psych ward.
Jemima had unhealed wounds and it was obvious she needed therapy but she already vouched that the only therapy she needed was to pay back Mr and Mrs Valerian for putting her through so much.

Feeling drained, Jemima stepped out of the car and walked into the hospital with an aura of confidence surrounding her.
The scent of disinfectant and medications hit her nostrils, instantly making her nauseous.

A feeling of despair suddenly engulfed Jemima as she walked towards Jon’s ward. She shook her head vigorously in an attempt to dispel the feeling that gnawed within her.

“But that’s not even half of it,” Vanessa was saying to Jon who just stared at her. Jon and Vanessa were deeply engrossed in a conversation that they didn’t notice when Jemima entered the ward.

She stood by the door, noticing the glint in Jon’s eyes as Vanessa yapped on about an incident that happened to her. Jemima sighed heavily and cleared her throat, causing their attention to snap towards her.

“Hi!” Jemima greeted, walking up to him and planting a gentle kiss on his cheek. Jon flashed a weak grin towards Jemina and took her hands in his. Though he was weak, his grip on her was firm and sturdy. Jon was still immobile and could barely talk. He could manage to move parts of his body but that did not stop Jem from feeling responsible for his condition.

“We brought you breakfast,” Jemima announced which earned her a curious look from Jon. Jemima took her seat beside Jon which prompted Vanessa to stand up and open the curtains, allowing the morning sun to stream down the window panes, casting a soft glow over the room.

“I didn’t say I prepared it!” Jemima hurriedly added, causing Jon to chuckle. Everyone knew she was terrible in the kitchen and were surprised to see that she made breakfast.

They spent a few hours with Jon, keeping him company and engaging him in small talks about benign topics.

“We should get going Jem,” Vanessa announced once she noticed that the sun was beginning to set. They had stayed in the hospital for a long while and Jemima had not noticed the passage of time.

She was still trying to avoid Marcus and hoped that he wouldn’t be at the house by the time she got there.

“You’re right,” Jemima acquiesced simply, taking Vanessa by sheer surprise. Vanessa had expected Jemima to give her reason as to why she wanted to stay longer but that was not the case.

“See you later Jon and don’t worry, Alan is coming to the hospital this night so you don’t have to be alone,” Jemima stated, rubbing Jon’s head softly which earned her a smile from him.

Jemima and Vanessa exited the hospital and made their way to the car. Jemima threw the car keys to Vanessa and made herself comfortable in the passenger’s seat - a sign that she did not want to drive.

The rest of the drive home was silent, allowing Jemina to soak in the cool evening air and bask in the setting sun. Horns blared as they drove by, depicting the bustling nature of New York.

“Remember the cottage we usually hang out in when we were younger?” Vanessa’s voice pierced through the tranquility, jolting Jemima out of her reverie.

“Huh?” Jemima voiced out, the confusion in her tone evident as she focused her gaze on Jemina.

“Me, you and Marcus. Remember how we used to hide in the cottage by the hill whenever we felt like running away?” Vanessa reminisced, causing Jemina to furrow her brows in confusion. Jemima could remember everything all too well but what she didn’t understand was why Vanessa was bringing up the past all of a sudden.

“Do you think we’d have still been friends if things didn’t happen the way they did?” Vanessa queried, casting a glance and Jemima before refocusing her attention on the road.

“I don’t know,” Jemima answered sincerely with a shrug of her shoulders.

“Exactly! Just an advice or a suggestion or whatever you choose to call it and please don’t take this the wrong way, what if everything that happened to you, happened to you for a reason?” Vanessa inquired, prompting Jemima to open up her mouth in protest.

“Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that what happened to you was right. I’m only saying, see how far you’ve come and see the woman you’ve grown to become. Look at where Marcus is today and here we all are, thirteen years away from our past selves. I’d say we’re survivors Jem!” Vanessa mused, tears glistening in the corner of her eyes as her grip tightened around the steering wheel.

It was then that Jemina noticed the pain in Vanessa’s eyes. She hadn’t thought to ask what Vanessa must have gone through.

“We are fucking survivors!” Vanessa whispered wistfully as she maintained her gaze on the road. Jemima pursed her lips and took in her appearance.

Seconds later, they arrived at the house, neither of them engaging in any form of conversation.

“Vanessa?” Jemima called out as they entered the house, halting Vanessa in her tracks. As Vanessa turned to answer her, Jemina embraced her in a hug.

Vanessa was quite taken aback but reciprocated the hug regardless and they stayed in that position, not taking cognizance of the fleeting moment that passed between them.

“Hello, Jemmy!”