The Clock Is Ticking – Episode 64
Sequence 64
*****
Two Weeks later
“Sometimes the bad things that happen in our lives put us directly on the path to the best things that will ever happen to us.”
****
Mattie pulled into the driveway and got out of her car. It had been months since she had been here last. With slight hesitation she walked up the front steps. She knocked twice on the front door and waited.
She was about to raise her fist to knock again when the door opened and Chard appeared. Her heart pleasantly flipped when she saw him. He was wearing khaki cargo shorts and a blue short sleeved shirt.
He looked surprised to see her because she had not told him she was coming over. ‘Hey,’ she smiled at him
‘Hey, what a pleasant surprise, I didn’t know you were coming.’ She shrugged, ‘Well I wanted to surprise you.’ ‘I see.’
‘Can I come in?’
‘Of course,’ he stepped aside so she could enter. He pulled the door shut behind him and stood there staring at her for a moment.
She walked towards him and slid her arms around his waist, ‘I missed you,’ she said
He tilted her face up with a finger to her chin, ‘I missed you even more.’ Then he bent his head and kissed her so hard she went limp against him.
His phone chose that exact moment to ring, he broke the kiss he removed his phone from his pocket and looked at the screen- it was his mother calling. ‘Make yourself comfortable while I talk to mum,’ he motioned with his hand toward the living room.
‘Okay.’
She walked into the living room and sat down on a chair against the wall.
A few minutes later, Chard joined her. He sat next to her, took her hand in his caressed her palm with his finger. They sat for ten minutes before Mattie cleared her throat and spoke.
‘We need to talk,’ she said
‘Yes.’
She stared at him intently, ‘I am pregnant,’ she said suddenly. She studied his face which instantly brightened up at her words.
‘You don’t know how long I have waited to hear those words from you. I just wanted you to officially break the news to me,’ he said excitedly. ‘You are happy?’
‘Yes.’
‘I love you I don’t want to lose you again.’ ‘I don’t want to lose you either.’
He hugged her tightly, ‘Please forgive me for what I did, I am really sorry. I don’t wanna hurt you again.’
‘I know you are sorry, I am sorry too for jumping into conclusions.’
He looked down at her and gently brushed a kiss across her lips, ‘You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.’
A sudden wave of joy suddenly swept through Mattie.
‘There’s something I need to ask you,’ he said after a few minutes ‘Ask me,’ she said
‘Wait,’ he stood up and ran up the stairs to his bedroom much to Mattie’s surprise.
He came back running and stood before her.
Then he took a deep breath and got down on one knee, pulled a little black box out of his pocket, ‘Will you let me love you forever?’ he asked as he opened the box. It was the most beautiful blue diamond ever made.
‘Yes,’ she screamed throwing her hands around him.
‘Will you be mine to hold forever?’ he asked as she kissed him.
‘Yes,’ she breathed the word against his lips.
‘Will you marry me Matilda Moonga?’ he barely got the words out before she screamed again.
‘Yes. Yes. Yes. I will marry you,’ she said with tears in her eyes.
He slid the ring onto her finger and slid his hands up her body as he stood up. He
kissed her tenderly, ‘I love you,’ he said
‘I love you too,’ she said
******
Her eyes shot open to the steady beating of the machine. The brightness of the room hit her pupils and she instinctively shut slammed them shut. She opened her eyes again slowly and this time the light didn’t seem as bright as her eyes began to focus. She was sore and stiff, everything hurt- her legs, arms and stomach.
‘You are awake,’ she felt a hard calloused hand touching her arm she slowly turned to see a doctor.
She attempted to find the use of her voice but her throat was so dry that she could only produce a weak grunt.
‘You don’t have to strain yourself,’ the doctor said She touched her tummy and began to panic.
‘The baby is okay, your sister took her home I will call her shortly.
After calling Mattie, the doctor immediately took her to run various scans on her
brain.
******
‘Who was that?’ Chard asked after Mattie ended the call.
‘It was the doctor,’ she replied. ‘He wants me to go to the hospital immediately. She stood up and grabbed her coat before she quickly ran towards the front door. ‘Wait!’ he called after her, ‘I am coming with you.’ ‘Okay.’
‘I will drive,’ he said once they got outside.
They jumped into the car instantly and he drove as fast as he could to the hospital.
Parking in an empty spot, Mattie shot out, running for the reception.
‘Hello.’
‘Hey Auntie Mattie,’ the receptionist who she had come to know as Gloria replied politely.
‘The doctor called me,’ she said anxiously, fearing the worst.
‘Yes.’
She directed her towards the doctor’s office. She walked to the office as Chard followed her closely.
‘Come in,’ the doctor said after she knocked
She pushed the door open and they both walked in. The doctor was typing something on his phone.
‘Good afternoon doctor.’
‘Good afternoon,’ he looked up at Mattie.
‘I came as soon as you called, is my sister okay?’ ‘Your sister is find please take a sit.’ ‘Thank you.’
They both sat down across from him.
‘Your sister has woken up from her coma,’ he said with a comforting smile on his face.
‘That’s good news,’ Mattie and Chard said in unison.
‘How is she?’ Mattie asked
‘She is stable and her brain is functioning just okay.’
‘That is good news.’
‘Yes it is.’
‘So are you discharging her?’
‘Not yet, she has been moved from the ICU though, we will need to observe her
for another week or so.’
‘Can we see her?’
‘Yes but you shouldn’t tell her anything that could stress her.’ ‘Okay.’
They stood up, ‘Thank you very much doctor.’ ‘You are welcome.’
******
Over the next few weeks, Aggie had become a regular at the hospital and over time they began to tell them that Jericho was getting better. Eventually he was discharged from the hospital and by that time, he had recovered well enough.
‘It’s so good to be home again,’ he said
His sisters smiled at him, relieved that Jericho had survived the attack on him. ‘I hope you find a decent girl next time,’ Aggie said ‘I am off relationships now.’
His sisters laugh.
‘I am just happy that Christina and her gang were arrested, this will serve as a warning to anyone who tries to hurt you,’ Aggie said.
****
TBC
The Clock is Ticking
Ella
