Chapter 10: Planning the next move!

Next day, When Natalie woke she saw it was already 10 a.m. in the morning. "Oh, no! I should have helped Mrs. Wade" she thought to herself and her eyes fell on a note kept by her bedside. It was from Mrs. Wade.

She opened it quickly and read " 

Good morning, Fuoco! Hope you had a good sleep last night. You were sleeping, so i didn't woke you up. As, you know I had to rush to hospital for work, but  have prepared breakfast and kept your medicines on the table along with the instructions. Have your breakfast and take medicines like a good girl. I have locked the main door from outside. I will be back by 2.p.m, so we are  having lunch together. 

Bye

love you 

Mom :)

When Natalie who was now Fuoco read the last word....her mother's face came alive in front of her.....Oh! if there was any way for her to meet her parents one last time!..... She even didn't had any photograph of them!...How unlucky she was! 

Tears flew down her cheeks and dropped down on the piece of paper she was holding....making the ink to scatter wherever they fell! 

Fuoco quickly wiped her tears, she didn't had the time to cry....it was time for revenge.....She will definitely cry her heart out one day...but only after taking down her enemies. She crushed the paper in her hand and tossed it in the Trash bin.

Then, she got up and went to the bathroom. After finishing her  basic morning business,she came out to begin her excercises. 

She tried some muscle strengthening exercises and yoga that she used to do in her childhood. She had to recover quickly and it was really important for that. After an hour of careful but rigorous training, she went to the bathroom to take a shower and draped a towel to come back in her room. 

She opened her wardrobe and found three dresses as told by Mrs. Wade. Out of them she picked one and changed into it.

Then, she went to have her breakfast, took her medicines , cleaned her dishes and came back to her room. It was 12 p.m. and there were still two hours with her until Mrs. Wade's return. 

That will be enough for her to carryout her plan............!

Fuoco quickly went  near one of the large windows of her room and moved the curtains aside before opening it......that windows was big enough for Fuoco to pass through it and that was the plan!

No, she was not trying to run away....she just quickly climbed on the window and slowly got down to the other side. The height wasn't much, so, it wasn't a tough task!

Fuoco was now, standing at the backside of the house near the window, in the small garden. 

 She could feel the sunlight on her body.....It felt so soothing....She could feel the air on her body and stood there with her open arms....just to embrace the gift of nature. 

She then went around the house to check the small garden and see if she could find something of her use there.

She had a family of genius and they had a hold on almost every field. The field of medicine was one among them. Fuoco remembered her father had taught her the use of many herbs...so she was here looking for that particular herb...if she could find it. 

That herb which could help in her recovery!

It was easily available as it grew naturally by itself in abundance, but not many were aware about its medicinal properties and use, that's why people use to treat it just as a wild grass.

 After looking for half and hour her eyes finally fell on a small red coloured plants....and a shine appeared in her eyes.

She found it! She searched for others and found two three more herbs that could be used as well. 

She quickly collected some leaves and  came back to her room through the window. 

Then , she closed the window, pulled the curtains back to their position  and quickly went to the kitchen. 

Fuoco knew if she had to recover from this weakness quickly the modern medicines weren't enough. The traditional way that her family practiced was much faster than them.

She had seen it, experienced it herself. That's why when her friend Zie got ill, she wanted him to be treated by those herbs only. But, then his father told him, that he would have to undergo a  surgery....so, the herbs were of no use at that point of time.

He had to first get operated but then after it, the herbs can be used for his quick recovery.

Fuoco quickly brought herself back to reality..... She had to finish the task at her hand before Mrs. Wade's return. It was not that she was doing something wrong that required to be hided from Mrs. Wade. It was just that she didn't want her to be suspicious of her in any possible way.

Fuoco quickly made her soup out of the herbs and drank it. It's bitter taste made it difficult for her to swallow it down, but it was important for her recovery, so she forced it down her throat avoiding the strong feeling of pucking it out. Then she quickly cleaned the kitchen, to make everything look as it was before.

At 2.p.m., Mrs. Wade came and they had lunch, after which Mrs. Wade went to the hospital again. The hospital wasn't far from her home, it was hardly 15 minutes. The hospital administration has planned Mrs. Wade's schedule such that she could go home and take care of Fuoco.

Mrs. Wade couldn't leave the job because that was how she was able to run the house.

Although, the medicines were free from the hospital, but  food , clothes and other basic necessities required money. Infact, Fuoco felt embarassed that being young, it was her responsibility to earn whereas Mrs. Wade was doing that for them.

But, for getting a job she needed a degree! There were other methods of earning as well but opting them right now was a bad idea. Fuoco thought she would use them in future but for now, she had to get a degree somehow.

As days went by, Fuoco's recovery rate increased. Within a week's time she was being able to do her kickboxing moves without pain. 

But, She didn't reveal it to the doctor's and Mrs. Wade. 

She pretended to do normal activities in front of Mrs. Wade but as soon as she used to leave the house for work, Fuoco's room would turn into a fighting club.

As Days went by, Fuoco planned her next move.  

She requested Mrs. Wade to inform Mr. Victor that she has decided the field she wanted to get a degree in. 

Fuoco knew she had to catchup with what she has lost in the past 7 years and there was only one way to do that ........... taking Education!

She remembered Mr. victor had  assured to help her. So, she decided to have a word with him and took Mrs. Wade's help regarding the same .

That evening, when Mrs. Wade came home....She dialled a number and handed over the phone to Fuoco. It was Mr. Victor's number, he Didn't want the girl to trouble herself by coming to his office and decided to have a word with her over phone call.

After exchanging pleasantries, she told Mr. Victor about her wish to persue her education. 

Initially, Mr. Victor was worried about her, listening to this request of her's. He assumed for a girl who just came out of her vegetative state few days ago, it was not possible to realise the humiliation she would face going to high school at this age. Studying with students seven years younger than her may end-up getting her bullied and having a negative impact that might jeopardize her mental health.

So, he tried to reason with her, that she can rest for now and from next year, she can begun with her high school education.

To this, Fuoco clarified herself....she was not asking to go to a high school,but a college instead!

She wanted to get a degree in business education.

Mr. Victor was even more suprised, now!

When there was no response from Mr. Victor's side for, She was quick to guess what he was thinking!

She was out from a coma after 7 years, which clearly ment she had missed out her High School. So, going to college directly without the basic knowledge would end-up in nothing!

Oh! how much she wanted to tell Mr. Victor that she had already completed it all back, then. She was doing college level education at home when she took admission in a high School. 

Ofcourse! telling him this would mean exposing herself...and she was not so stupid to dig her own grave! So, she quickly came up with something!

She told Mr. Victor that she was going through books on buisness while in hospital. She had even gone through other books and found everything quite easy! She had no clue was it was so, but it seems she was prepared for a degree education.

Mr. Victor fell in a deep thought, may be the girl was a genius before the incident.... or it might be that injury could have cast a positive impact instead of negative on her brain. She might have forgotten her memory but her brain was working more effectively than before?

After not being able to find a suitable reason, he Decided to help the girl instead.

So, he appreciated Fuoco for her choice and assured  that he will take care of it.

By the end of the week, Mr. Victor had already arranged for her admission to a renowned University in Toranto!

When he informed her, fuoco couldn't hold back her excitement.... after all her mission was accomplished. 

But... Toronto! .....wasn't it quite far? She wanted to be there in Thunder bay (atleast it was still near her former hometown -Dryden) ....but she didn't said anything to him....She was intelligent enough to understand that Mr. victor must have been looking for the best option. 

However, Mr. Victor told her that there was still one problem!

As,there was  no certification or proof  of her primary and High school education, so the University was reluctant in giving her admission. 

They agreed for her admission after knowing her case only on one condition...she have to clear an entrance exam.

The University wanted to test her basic knowledge. Mr.Victor had hide her case partially.He didn't inform the university that she was in coma from past 7 years.... instead he said she was in her coma from 3-4 years and may be was about to complete her high School before she met with the accident. Rest of the facts were true it was just the timings, that he had forged a little. Or else, the University would not have agreed despite donation!

It was a renowned University and giving admission to a student, during mid-session like this was quite risky.

So, it was fair on their part to ask her to clear an exam,  to join the course.

Natalie has already calculated the possibility of such a situation to prevail.So, she was already planning on it long back. She had asked for relievent  books from Mrs. Wade and Dr. Andrews, to check if there was any upgradation  during these seven years. But, there wasn't much changes. 

Things were same that she had already covered. 

So, she assured Mr. Victor that she was preparing for it beforehand and was ready for the entrance exam!!!!

Fuoco knew it was an easy task for her to crack the examination, so it was time to plan her next move!