THE OFFER

Emma slowly opened her eyes, but the intense hospital lighting almost  made her blind. She struggled to recall how she got here as confusion overtook her.  “Where am I?” She murmured softly.

“Hi, I’m doctor Frank and you are in the hospital,” the doctor replied, gently shining a flashlight in her eyes. “How are you feeling?,Can you tell me your name?”

“I-I don’t know,” she replied, her voice filled with uncertainty.

“You have been in a coma for weeks and  it seems you have an amnesia erasing your memories.”the doctor explained gently.

“In a coma?”  She uttered softly with a mixture of fright and disbelief on her face. “How…how did I end up here?” She stuttered.

The doctor, maintaining a calm demeanor, responded, “you were involved in an accident. Your mother will be able to provide you with more details about what happened. It’s not uncommon to experience memory loss after such a terrible accident, but don’t fret, your mind will gradually recover and retrieve all those precious memories.”

“Thank you,” she replied gratefully.

Linda, her stepmother, approached with a strained smile as she opens the door. “Oh my goodness, you are awake!” Linda exclaimed, clearly relieved. “You had me so worried. You were involved in an accident.”

“Could you please step outside with me?” The doctor interrupted. “I need to have a conversation with you.”

The door creaked open as Emma lay in her hospital bed thinking about her fuzzy memories. A cab driver entered with a look of remorse and worry on his face. He had come to meet the person whose life he had unintentionally impacted forever to see how she was doing.

“Good Afternoon Emma.” He  greeted her with a cheerful smile , but she seemed bewildered and wondered if they had previously met. I’m…I’m Mike Williams, Mike said stuttering.  A loud noise startled them, and Linda stormed in, her expression filled with rage. She confronted Mike, accusing him of being to blame for the tragedy. “You did this!” She exclaimed.  Linda grabbed Mike’s arm and dragged him out of the room, continuing her accusations. 

Puzzled Mike asked “Did what?”

“The Doctor had just informed me  about Emma’s Amnesia as a result of the accident and she would need intense care.” Linda explained. “I can’t be stressed about this.”

“Take a deep breath,” Mike urged, trying to calm Linda down.

“You were the one who hit Emma with your car; you should be the one to look after her.” Linda insisted.She gave him a  thorough once-over, assessing him from head to toe, as if weighing him with her gaze. She chuckled and asked about his occupation.

With intrigue, he replied, “I’m just a cab driver.”

“Oh, a cab driver, huh?” She said, her face brightening with a cheeky grin. “Well, in that case you will be the one to take care of her. You will have to marry her. There’s no better way to care for her than as a husband would care for his wife.”

She knew it was an offer he would find difficult to say no to as he was responsible for what had happened. Just like that, As guilt washed over his face, he replied, “Marriage? You are joking right, I can't get married, I am not ready for such responsibility, please I know I was the one who hit her but it was an accident. She ran in front of my car" Mike said in a deflected tone.  “I have been paying heavily since the day of the accident, now you are suggesting marriage, count me out.”

Linda looking so irritated by his words responded angrily, “you will marry her or you will hear from my lawyer, I am not taking care of a problem you created. She was already a burden before, so don’t you dare.”

“Okay, I will do it. I’ll make her my top priority, l’ll take full responsibility for her. I really don’t want trouble.” Mike said in a deflected tone. Linda smiled cunningly knowing she has won the argument. They cautiously entered the room, the atmosphere dense with anticipation. Emma’s gaze was drawn to mike, her eyes looking for a flash of recognition. Mike struggled to find the correct words as he stammered, 

"H-Hi, I’m Mike Williams. I-I’m your Fiancé.”

Emma’s face creased in confusion, her mind grappling to recall their past. “My fiancé?” She echoed, her voice tinged with disbelief. “ I don’t think I know him. Was I engaged?”

Linda, feeling the weight of the moment, reached out and gently held her hands. “Honey, please don’t worry too much,” She soothed her. “You had introduced him to me as your fiancé before the accident.”

“Oh, I did,” she said while gazing down at her hands for a glint of a ring or possibly a mark from wearing one. But she found none. The doctor walked into the room with a reassuring smile, his white coat ironed and stethoscope drape around his neck. He gently closed the door behind him, creating a sense of privacy. “I can see your health is much better,” he said as he approached Emma’s bed side. “I’m pleased to disclose that all your other test results were good. You are healthy, but you just need to give your mind more time to heal and you need a lot of rest.”

“Thank you for your expertise and care.” She replied gratefully. He smiled and nodded, a bright twinkle in his eyes, assuring her that it was his pleasure to help. With a final check of her vitals he announced that she was ready to be discharged.

As they walked out of the medical facility, they entered the embrace of a refreshing evening breeze. With utmost care Mike took hold of her belongings and gently stowed them in the trunk. He gently opened the car door, ensuring her safe passage. “Mind your step,” he whispered, guiding her gracefully into the car.

As he drove them home, he couldn’t help but steal glances at her through the rearview mirror. His eyes were filled with admiration as he noticed the way her hair gently swayed with the wind and the sparkle in her eyes. Arriving at their house, he packed the car walked around to her side. Offering a supportive arm, he helped her out of the car. She whispers to herself “A small gesture that speaks volume of his kindness and attentiveness”.

“Linda, kindly  retrieve Emma’s belongings from the trunk”. he said, with a polite tone while he tenderly supported her towards the house.

“what can we offer you?” Linda asked.

“I’m fine,” he replied. “May I accompany her to her bedroom.” he said while holding Emma. “She needs to rest”. Sure, Linda responded. “Her room is the first door on your right.” 

He gently guided her towards the bed room, taking care to make her comfortable. He tenderly slipped off her sandals, then gently helped her lie down on the soft, inviting bed, tucking the blankets around her with utmost care.

“Thank you” she said “you may go now.” “No problem, I’m happy to help.” He replied but I’ll leave after you fall asleep.”

As she drifted off to sleep, he found himself unable to tear his eyes away from her peaceful countenance. His gaze remained fixated on her, He couldn’t help but marvel at her beauty a sight that left him speechless. In that moment he realized how fortunate he was to have crossed path with such a remarkable person.

The door swung opened and someone stumbled into the room. Mike stood up from the bed, his face filled with surprise.

“Linda, are you ok?” He asked, offering his help to assist her in getting up.

“Yes, I’m fine.” She replied.

He walked her out of the room, gently closing the door behind them.

“So do we have an agreement?”Linda asked, a smile playing on her lips.

“Yes we have an agreement” Mike replied. Like I said, I’ll make her my top priority, l’ll take full responsibility for her.” “I mean what’s the worse that can happen?”