~
“Bola was the one who informed my uncle? She was the reason I got kidnapped? Bola was the reason?!" Aramide roared! “She's going to pay for this! I swear on my daughter that I am going to make Bola Hampson pay for this! just you wait and see!”
“You are moving too fast Aramide, I haven't even begun to tell you all her secrets yet. You'll be completely shaken to find out the real Bola.”
~
“When you came back into our lives so many years ago. A lot of things had already changed— It was all messed up. Bola was friends with Tania— she constantly neglected Angel and since he wasn't my son — I didn't have much of a say as she could constantly threaten to take him away from me.
When you came back though, standing at our doorstep, drenched in rain and saying you had a daughter for me...I'm not sure Bola could handle that...&rdq
~“I don't think you should be worrying about Bola right now. if she sent you here then she must have a trick up her sleeve.” Cole explained. Aramide's ears perked up at that.“What do you think she is planning?" Aramide asked.“We should probably go find out," Cole said as he shared a meaningful look with Aramide.~“It's locked." Aramide sighed as she tugged on the door hand. Panic tore into her skin as she stared back at Cole and then the door and continued to tug on the handle. “They locked us in here!”“Try to call someone— anyone, I'll work on getting the door open,” Cole said as he tried to bust the door open. He looked around for any implement that could help him out but there wasn't much in that small hospital room. Cole ran his hands through his hair as he watched Aramide fumble with her ph
~“We need to get out of here fast Cole!” Aramide screeched.“I am working on it!” Cole yelled out.“I have a very bad feeling Cole! I have a very bad feeling” Aramide repeated as she paced around the room continuously.“I have already lost so much. I am not going to lose again” Aramide said as she pulled out her gun and shot the doorknob. Enough of all the madness. If Bola wants war—Then she'll get a blood bath.~“You—You had that all along? Aramide what are you doing with a gun?!” Cole yelled exasperatedly.“I'm not who I used to be Cole...” Aramide announced softly as she walked outside the doors and looked around to ensure the place was clean. “When I said I changed I meant it.” Aramide said and their eyes locked for a moment before she to
~“Efrain, what's up? Did you get Tania?” Aramide asked“Yeah, we did and she's in a warehouse waiting for you. Something came up though..”“What's that?" Aramide.“Aracely is doing too well, She went for an operation and well it's kind of backfired”“What?!”~“what do you mean she's fighting for her life?" Aramide snapped.“You need to get into the car first Aramide! We'll talk about it on the way" Efrain said looking ahead.Aramide nodded absentmindedly and got into the car with Cole. Her mind raced as panic gripped her heart, the mere thought of losing her daughter once again, completely paralyzed her.FLASHBACK“Aracely?” Aramide cried out, “Ara! Aracely!"
The moment they got to the hospital Aramide rushed in. Cole had decided that it would be best if he stayed outside with Efrain since it would be risky if anyone sawthem.Aramide barged in and flung herself at the reception table “I'll looking for my daughter—She — she's in surgery” Aramide blurted out with tear-filled eyes.“You need to calm down ma'am what's her name?" the nurse asked.“Aracely! her name is Aracely!" Aramide said quicklyThe nurse took a few minutes to look through their system before she replied. “I'm sorry ma'am but we don't have anyone by that name in the hospital—”“what do you mean by that?! My daughter's in there, this is the hospital please let me in! " Aramide yelled frantically“You need to calm down ma'am there's no one—"&ldq
~“The doctors...The doctors say she's in a critical state. And they don't know if she's gonna survive.” Daniel said and Aramide froze in place. It was almost like the events of ten years ago were replaying like a broken record and this time Aramide wouldn't be able to hear if history repeated itself.“Mercedes! Aren't you a doctor? go inside and help them! you saved my daughter once! I know that you can do it again!" Aramide begged when she ran back Mercedes. The woman looked her in the eye and said:“This time, I can't save her"Aramide felt her heart shatter.~“There has to be something we can do." Aramide said as she slid down the hospital wall. “Anything." She whispered painfully“The doctors say we should wait.” Mercedes said as she slid down beside Aramide but the woman i
~“DANIEL! DANIEL!” Aramide yelled as she has rushed to Mercedes's side and sat on the ground with her head in her lap. “hang o Mercedes, Everything is going to be fine. someone help!" Aramide yelled desperately.Soon two nurses and a doctor came out with a stretcher they helped Mercedes onto the stretcher and wheeled her inside. Aramide was soaked in blood. She held herself as she fell to the ground. She felt like there was an empty pit in her stomach.“What in the world is going on? what is going on?!”~“mide... Arami ... Aramide!” Aramide's eyes snapped open and she locked eyes with Daniel. Her eyes immediately filled with tears and her bottom lip wobbled. “Mercedes she— she—" Aramide tried to explain but Daniel shushed her.“I already know... The doctors are trying to save her life. what happened”
~“Thank you Ara and—I'm—I'm sorry about everything I did or said in the past. I was wrong to judge you or say those things about you getting to know you and Aramide has been one of the most amazing experiences in my life and I appreciate everything. I hope you have a very happy life.”END OF FLASHBACKWhy was it? why did good people have to suffer? why did they have to struggle? weren't they good enough?~Aramide slowly got out of the hospital bed. now was not the time to be sulking, rather it was the time to figure out who had tried to kill Mercedes, who would benefit from this and why? Mercedes didn't have enemies that's she knew of, yes, they hadn't been the best of friends, but Aramide had never perceived Mercedes as someone who would have enemies, Then again it wasn't written on someone's face.Aramide couldn't help but wonder how path
~“ I needed to think of a better way to hurt you, and what better way than getting rid of you?” Bola spoke again as she stood up. “but then...That Mercedes and to ruin everything as always!" Bola spat as she threw the board off the table. Her breathing was erratic. She was so furious.“But no Worries, You know what they say, Thrice is the charm,” Bola whispered as she plopped down on her couch.~“Are you feeling better?” Aramide heard Daniel ask.“Yeah,” Aramide whispered as she pulled away and wiped her tears.Daniel coughed awkwardly. “I'll go ask the doctor if things are better.” He said as he stood up and began to walk in the opposite direction“Daniel". Aramide called out softly. Daniel froze in his steps.“Yeah?” He said
“I never imagined things would end like this mom,” Aracely’s hands traced the table as she stared at the mirror. She was in her mother’s dressing room getting ready and the brown-haired girl was almost sure that she was going to fall into the nearest bed and doze off. Aracely had no one else to blame but herself though. The nineteen-year-old knew that it was a horrible idea to go out partying all night yesterday which was Christmas, knowing fully well her parents’ wedding was today. “You still took stunning” Aramide commented as she finished up on her makeup. Aracely bit her lip and smiled. The brown-haired girl pulled her mother’s chair back and knelt in front of the woman. “I’ve never told you this but…” she paused. Her breath hitched and her eyes watered with fresh tears. “Thank you” Aracely breathed. Aramide’s eyes glistened with emotion but before she could speak, Aracely took the woman’s hands into hers, “Thank you so much for being my mother for –“ “Aracely, what’s g
“I didn’t believe it when I heard it.” Aracely said when she caught the reflection of a brown haired boy with green eyes at the familiar lake. Her fingers tugged on her white gown as she struggled to breath through her tears and the warm feeling in her chest. She took a step forward and ignored the pain that shot up in her foot when she hit a small rock. She could remember the night she had found this place.Or better still that she had fallen off.She had just left her home for fresh air after her small argument with Latifa- Latifa. Aracely still struggled to accept that she was gone. They had spent their best years together, struggling through the twisted maze they called life. Aracely knew Latifa didn’t deserve to die, no one did. But she was dead. She got she got straight to the head no freaking questioned asked and why? Because she was related to Aracely. Aracely grew up understanding the meaning of l
“You did it,” Bola whispered as she stumbled back, a bit of blood escaped her lips as her hands went to her stomach which had blood rushing out of it. At this point, everyone had frozen and Aramide let the gun fall out of her hands as tears filled her eyes “ I knew you had it in you.” Bola said as she fell. Aramide’s hands covered her lips as her feet remained glued to the ground. She felt someone hold her from behind and it was then she realized from the strong scent of lavender that it was Cole. Tears filled Aramide’s eyes and she couldn’t tell if it was tears of relief or sorrow, she finally regained control of her limbs and walked over to Bola. She knelt in front of her and said “I’ll never understand how and why you did this? I’ll never be able to accept that you have always been like this…” “A monster?” Bola replied hoarsely as a tear rolled down her cheeks, she was laid on the ground her
The first thing Aramide noticed as she walked down the aisle was Aracely’s wide smile, her daughter looked so pretty. She was wearing a short pink gown and had a white bow on her brown hair, it was tied in a ponytail, the wedding was to take place in the garden and Aramide had to admit that Mercedes had done a great job with the decorations, the aisle had been designed with roses, not too far ahead. Efrain stood by one of the two pillars that held up the small space where the couple was to stand under. The chairs that were set in the garden were white, the scent of thick lavender filled the air, it was Aracely’s favorite scent and Aramide could vaguely remember that the scent lingered on Cole too. Aramide mirrored the smile on her daughter’s face, she was holding hands with someone – Cole. Aramide wasn’t sure she remembered when they had gotten together, but over the past two months, they had gotten closer. Ar
Aramide sighed as she stared into the mirror, she was dressed in a white gown and had a beautiful tiara on her newly styled hair. Her hands traced the jewelry on her neck and rested on the space between the jewelry and her off-shoulder dress – where the amulet rested. The one that bound her to her daughter for so many years. It had been a few months since Daniel died. Since he was buried and since Aracely had broken down in pain. The first few months had been horrible, Aracely barely ate or moved around, she was confined to the four walls of her room. Mercedes was devastated. She refused to look or even speak to Aramide. She blamed the brown-skinned woman for her brother’s death and she wasn’t wrong, to be honest. She was right. Aramide could still visualize the compounded images or Mercedes’ eyes with dark circles and her lips pursed into a line. Cole’s deep stares and sighs. The way his hands slowly ran through his
Bola groaned as she slowly opened her eyes, well, one eye. The thick smell of smoke filled her nostrils and she scrunched it up. She bit her lip as she glanced around, she knew something was wrong, yet she hadn’t been able to pinpoint what it was. She could recall going over the hospital that Aramide had been in to get Cole back. That man knew too many of her secrets and now, Aramide knew then too, she could also recall that Aramide had refused to let her take Cole. An argument ensued and things got a bit bloody from there, but how did this happen though? Had she been caught? Was she in prison? She desperately needed answers now. The blonde woman looked around from her place on the bed, she was slowly becoming aware of everything around her, the small night lamp beside the bed, the fact that the w
Aramide let out a shuddered breath as she walked towards the coffin in front of her. The coffin that had Daniel inside. She traced her hands over it and her eyes filled with tears all over again. it had been a few days already. They had all stalled the burial because Aracely insisted that she wanted to be there and deep down everyone was scared and reluctant to say goodbye. Nevertheless, they were all here now. The loss had always been a pain in the neck. Death? death never knocked — It never warned you — It never gave notice and it didn't even barge in. It came like a thief and it stole. it stole someone's life— someone's peace of mind — someone's source of happiness, someone's brother, sister, mother, father, daughter, son. Today Aramide had to say goodbye to someone who always wanted her to stay. She bit her lip. You only really know what you had till you lose it. till a
Bola grunted in pain as she continued down the sidewalk, stumbling into things as she struggled to see with only one eye open. She dragged herself across the ground as she tried not to fall unconscious. One of her hands was over her eyes with a cloth — trying to control the bleeding. Bola was sure that if she survived this—she would make Aramide pay for all the pain she was going through and the fact that she may lose her eye. After everything Aramide had taken from her, now, she wanted to steal her eyesight too? the woman was despicable in Bola's opinion. Bola knew that the probability of her surviving this was very slim. Yes, she had managed to escape before the cops arrived, but that didn't mean that there wasn't this lingering fear of what would happen if she got caught. The last thing she needed was to end up in a maximum prison cell for Daniel. That man wasn't w
“What's going on? Why is no one speaking up?” Aracely asked with worry etched on her features. She had just woken up, her hands clawed on the sheets as she tried to stabilize herself. It was obvious she was still weak and probably disoriented as well with the way her eyes navigated around the room, curiously breaking through her face like wrinkles. “It's not—" Mercedes tried but Aramide cut her off. “You need to be strong Aracely.” Aramide said as she walked over to her and held her hand, a smile spread across the girl's face. ”You are here,” She sighed in relief as her eyes filled with tears, they weren't of sorrow — yet. Aracely reached out for her mother and squeezed the woman's hands tight “What about Daniel? Where is he?" Aracely asked she tried to find him in the occupied room but Aramide was blocking her view. “He didn't come with? Did he go get something? Is he talking to s