###Chapter 23

Chapter 23



"That doesn't suppose to make me feel better." Vanessa rolled her eyes.

"You have to smile at me." Ronaldo said.

"No, I won't smile." Vanessa replied.

"Well you have." Ronaldo replied and started tickling her.

"No, oh my God, stop if Ronaldo, it's not even funny, hahaha." Vanessa said laughing.

"Are you sure it's not funny? Coz I'm not gonna stop till you fully smile." Ronaldo replied.

"Fine, fine, I'm smiling, I'm even laughing, just stop this." Vanessa pleaded.

He stops and she hugged him.

He held her onto him so tight.

"I actually feel better now." She said.

"So tell me something, how did you managed to return home and even locked the door outside?" Ronaldo asked as they sat down.

"Remember the change you gave me at the grocery store?" Vanessa asked.

"Yeah, you used that?" Ronaldo asked.

She closed her face and nod.

"Thank God you already knew you were wrong to leave work without me, I just cared about your safety, and yes, next time I'm not gonna give you an extra change, who knows if you will be heading out of this country the next time." Ronaldo said.

"Whatever, I will go cook." Vanessa said.

"Since I made to angry, I will be the one to cook." Ronaldo protest.

"No, I will." Vanessa replied.

"No, I will." Ronaldo replied.

Vanessa faced the other side and frowned her face twisting her lips.

That's what she always does whenever Ronaldo doesn't want her to do something.

"Fine, let's cook together, you will cut, I will cook, deal or no deal?" Ronaldo asked.

"Deal!" Vanessa replied.

"Okay, contract signed." He said and they both smiled.

Vanessa yawned.

"I want to sleep." She said.

"Remember the contract, you can only sleep after you are done with the cutting, so now, get your ass off here and let's go." Ronaldo replied pulling her up and pushed her like a car to the kitchen.

They started cooking, Ronaldo gave her to vegetables to cut and she started cutting it, unfortunately the knife cut her finger and she screamed jumping.

"My hand! My hand!" She started crying.

Ronaldo turned off the gas quickly and dips her finger into his mouth for some time.

"Do you feel better?" He asked.

She nodded pouting like a baby.

"That's why I told you to stop but you were so stubborn, let's get your finger treated." Ronaldo said a bit angry at her and her continuing crying.

"Vanessa, what is wrong with you, you are not a baby, and if you keep on crying, your head will hurt you." Ronaldo said.

"Because you are angry with me." She replied.

"Vanessa, c'mon I never said I'm angry with you, I just cared about you and was sad that you hurt your finger, because of your stubbiness." Ronaldo said.

"I'm sorry." She said pouting her lips.

She is just too cute for Ronaldo to stay angry with her for long, especially her; acting like a baby makes him go crazy.

"Fine, I'm not angry anymore, I will go get the first aid box and treat your finger before it gets infected." Ronaldo replied.

He went to the seating room with her and brought out the first aid box, he brushed the wound with Cotton wool then gently applied iodine to it and she winched.

"It's painful." She said.

"I'm sorry." He replied and blows it lightly.

He wrapped it with a bandage.

"Done, look at how I made your hands look pretty, just wait here, I will get dinner ready as soon as possible." Ronaldo said, she nodded.

"You didn't smile." Ronaldo added.

"Fine, I did." She replied with a cute smile.

He smiled at her and returned to the kitchen.



*20 minutes later**

Ronaldo returned to the dining table with two plates of food, he cooked rice and chicken soup, and a natural banana juice.

We went to the seating room to call Vanessa.

He saw her already sleeping.

"Gosh, she missed lunch, I can't let her miss dinner, she most he really hungry, I should have just ordered the food instead of cooking." He thought watching her beauty sleep.

He tried to wake her up but she held his hand instead, she placed her head on his hand.

"No, no, no, mom, open your eyes, I'm here, please don't leave me, I'm here now!" Vanessa said while sleeping and turning her body shaking.

"Vanessa, open your eyes, what is wrong with you?" Ronaldo asked.

"Mama!" She screamed and woke up crying, Ronaldo placed her head on his chest, tabbing her short hair gently.

"You will be fine, I'm with you." He said gently in her ears and wipes her tears.

She raised her head.

"I want to see my mom, I saw her, she is so sick because of me, I have to talk to her, please don't say no, I will lose my life if something happens to my Mama because of me." Vanessa pleaded crying.

"Shiii, stop crying okay, you will eat dinner and tomorrow I will find a way to get you talk to your mom, we can't use our phones because they can easily track us." Ronaldo said calming her down.

"You promise?" Vanessa asked.

"Yes, I promise, let's go and eat dinner, so we can watch the sky together, remember it was so fun yesterday." Ronaldo answered.

He hated the dull face on Vanessa and no matter how he tried to cheer her up, she just wouldn't.

After eating, they walked together to his gym and they laid down watching the sky, they counted the stars, and Ronaldo insert his hands in hers, she stared at him and smiled, then they continue staring at the sky, she eventually slept off on Ronaldo's shoulder and he gently placed a soft peak on her forehead.

"Good night Vanessa." He whispered and close his eyes too, they both slept off.



**The next day**

The sun shines so bright, as the singing birds sings, Ronaldo opened his eyes and saw Vanessa and him hugging each other, that means they slept like that.

"God, that was so close, how did we end up this way?" Ronaldo said silently.

Vanessa also opened her eyes and yawned.

"Good morning Ric." She greeted.

"Morning Vanessa, we slept here again yesterday." Ronaldo said.

"It wasn't bad; my back doesn't hurt like yesterday, what of you?" Vanessa asked.

"Not at all, I'm good." He replied.

"Your finger, does it still hurt?" Ronaldo asked.

"No, I'm much better, I don't want us to be late for work today again, and I will go have my bath, go have yours too." Vanessa replied.

"Alright your highness." Ronaldo said.

"Am I a queen?" Vanessa asked.

"Yeah, my queen." Ronaldo replied, she laughed.

"You are not a king, you are a Manager."

Vanessa corrected.

"Oh, thanks for the correction." Ronaldo replied and rolled his eyes.

"Hey, no hard feelings, you are my king of course, and my savior too, and my knight." Vanessa said, he blushed.

"Your face is so red, you are blushing." Vanessa teased and he quickly made a straight face.

"I wasn't blushing." Ronaldo replied.

"Fine, whatever, I will go have a bath, do same too." Vanessa warned.

"Yes ma." Ronaldo replied.

She grins and headed to her room.

After both of them had their bath, they ate breakfast and zoom off in Ronaldo's car.

After a while of driving, Ronaldo stopped by in a car center.

"Where are we?" Vanessa asked.

"This is a call center, by putting some few coins, you can call your mom, hope you have her phone number?" Ronaldo asked.

"Yes, yes I do...I." she paused as she remembered.

Flash back.

"I'm going to get the groceries today mom." Vanessa said.

"Okay, for your safety, keeps this phone with you, if something happened you can call the neighbor, she will let me know about it." Mama replied.

End of flash back.

Vanessa felt her head.

"Mama doesn't have phone with her, she gave it to me and after the last attacked in Nairobi, I lost the phone again." Vanessa said almost crying.

"Hey don't cry, we can fix this, don't you know anyone close to your mother? Think." Ronaldo asked.

"Celine, yes, she is my cousin, even if she is not closer to my mom, at least she will let her know I'm safe." Vanessa answered.

"That's my girl, but make sure not to inform her of your location, okay." Ronaldo said.

"Okay." Vanessa replied they get down the car and headed to the call center, Ronaldo paid off some coins and Vanessa was allowed to make a call.



**Mozambique**

While at Vanessa's cousin house in Mozambique, Mama healthy started improving, she decided that she will be stronger so that when her daughter returns, she will find her healthy and fine.

Mama and Celine were outside when Celine phone rings.

"I will go get that mama." Celine said and rushed in to get her phone, she returned to Mama.

"Hello, who am I speaking with?" Celine asked.

"Hey Celine, is that you?" The caller asked.

"Yes, I'm Celine, who are you?" Celine asked recognizing the voice but she doesn't want to give herself false hope and to Mama.

"It's me, Vanessa, your sister." Vanessa replied.

"Oh God, Vanessa, is that really you? Where are you? Are you Okay? We have been so worried." Celine asked at once.

Mama immediately rushed and grabbed the phone crying.

"Vanessa, my child, where have you been? Why did you disappear from me, I cried all day, you left me all alone, my child has you eaten? Are you safe?" Mama asked at once, it made Vanessa cried.



**London**

"I'm fine Mama, I'm sorry I left without saying goodbye to you, it came so urgently and I don't want to put your life in danger, I wanted to call you also but no opportunity, but I'm fine, I met an Angel who has been taking care of me, you are okay right?" Vanessa asked.

"Yes my child, now that I have heard from you, I'm sure will be fine, when will you come back home, I can't wait to hug you so tight in my arms, I will sing and dance, I promise you." Her mom replied.

"I don't know mom, but I'm sure one day I will return, but promise me that I will come and meet you alive and healthy." Vanessa said.

"I promise you my child, I won't worry anymore, but where are you? Are you still in South Africa?" She asked.

"No mom, I left there but right now is not safe for me to disclose my location to you, I will tell you everything when I return home." Vanessa answered.

"Alright Vanessa, I can't wait for that day, I can't wait for you to return, Celine wants to speak with you." Mama said.

"Hey Celine, his was everything?" Vanessa asked.

"Everything wasn't good since you left, Mama will refused to eat for days and she will fainted, she will cried all day and refused to take her medication, we were scared that we will lose her just like we lose you, but now that you called, I'm sure she will be fine." Celine replied.

"Thank you so much for taking care of my mother; you are the best sister ever." Vanessa said.

"Don't thank me Vanessa, I'm sure you will do more if it's my mom, Mama is also my mom that's why I'm calling her Mama, just be safe and please if you get another chance, call us again, I had missed you so much." Celine said.

"I sure will, take care of yourself, I have to hang off now, and I love you guys." Vanessa said.

"We love you too." Celine replied.

She placed the phone back and wipes her tears.

"I'm so relieved right now, thank you Ric."

Vanessa said.

"Anything to bring a smile in your face, bit unfortunately you are crying Vanessa, I don't want your tears, I want you to smile, always." Ronaldo replied.

"They are tears of joy Ric." Vanessa said and smiled at him.