Chapter 2

Lila's POV 

The whole apartment was filled with so much smoke that I could barely see. 

“Mother? Elena?” I called out in a trembling tone, but no response was heard.

I don't want to believe what is running through my mind with the sight before me

“Where are you mother?” I cried as I struggled to fight my way through the room.

The house only responded back in a heartbreaking silence.

I haven't seen mum or Elena as the smoke continued to threaten my vision. But I desperately manoeuvred through the smoke-filled room, down to the kitchen which happened to be the source of the whole smoke. 

The food in the pot was completely burned down, and the pot damaged.

I managed to turn off the cooker that had caused the mayhem, thankful that the house wasn't on fire just yet. I dashed back to the living room when I heard my mum break into a fit of cough. 

“Li...la.,” she drawled weakly.

“I'm here mum,” I responded, tracing her sound and rushing toward her, only to see that she had fallen off her wheelchair. I met her sprawled on the floor instead. 

With this, I was sure that Elena wasn't in the house. She's supposed to wait for me to get back before she leaves and then resume before I leave for work in the morning. 

Despite how difficult things have been for me, I've always been faithful with her payment. Is this how she can pay me back?

How could she leave my mum all by herself? 

I'm making so much effort to calm the storm brewing inside me. Now is not the time to ask questions so with all the strength I could muster, I helped her to her wheelchair before I prod her to the backyard for fresh air. 

After going back inside to open the doors and adjust the windows for better ventilation, I came back to her with a cup of water which she gulped down her throat before I sat quietly beside her. 

“Lila,” mum began, and I turned to look at her. She's looking better now compared to some minutes ago. 

I had seen her gazing at me from my peripheral view, but I didn't want to disturb her with questions until she was ready to speak up on her own. 

“Are you…” she trailed off and confusion skated my expression. 

She cleared her throat to try again and she finally found her voice. “Are you still mad at me, Lila?”

Oh no!, she must have observed my angry expression and must have thought that I'm mad at her. 

I slid my left hand over her right hand gently till I had a soft hold . “I'm not mad at you at all mum,” I assured her. “But you have to tell me what happened.”

“Alright,” she began. Elena had gone and I knew it wouldn't be long before you got back so I tried to surprise you by heating up the food myself since you prefer your food hot.” 

I shook my head in dismay. “You know I can always manage. You shouldn't have bothered to….”

“No Lila,” she interrupted me. “You needed to have seen how happy I was that I could wheel myself to the kitchen and back to the room. I only slipped off the wheel chair when trying to go back to the kitchen to turn off the cooker. And I must have passed out with the smoke.

“I'm so sorry, mum,” I said, still holding her hand.

“It's okay Lila,” she replied. “But I know you still have something to say. Let it out, will you?“

Fine, I said, as I withdrew my hands from hers, folded my arms around my bosom, and raised my chin up in a stubbornness that mother and I shared anytime we argued. 

If it weren't for her weakness and her mood at the moment, she would have raised her chin up in the same stubborn way and we would repeat that until one of us got tired and cave.

A warm smile found its way to her face as she looked at me as though I wasn't the one that looked deeply into her eyes just a moment ago, in a way that showed that I care so much about her. 

“Where is Elena?” I finally asked.

She cleared her throat to speak up. “Well, it's not Elena's fault. She only had a little emergency” 

My look demanded that she continued, so she went on. 

“Elena had an emergency. Her junior brother phoned me to tell her that he lost the spare key to their apartment and since it was getting dark, I permitted her to retire early for the day so she could go home to give him her key.”

I was still angry but my mind suddenly revisited how I received an earful from my boss too because I let my family problems interfere a little with my work. 

I imagine myself in Elena's shoes as well. She and her little brother are both orphans and it is from what I pay her that she uses to take care of herself and her brother. 

Given she had not done this before as well, I gradually let go of my anger towards her. 

“Lila,” mother called again, jolting me out of my reverie. 

“Yes mother,” I replied.

“Are you okay? And why are your clothes wet? Did something happen?” she threw a barrage of questions at me.

I opened my mouth to say something but I don't even know where to start answering her questions. I don't know what to tell her. I can't tell her what happened today, it will break her. 

“I'm okay mum, i just couldn't find shelter on time so the rain beat me a little, just a little,” I lied.

While I settled my mother back into the apartment after confirming the safety, It didn't take long for her to fall asleep beside me on the bed. 

It's midnight already, and sleep eluded me till now as I stared at the oscillating fan as though it had the solution to our misery. 

My mind was in a tangled mess of thoughts as I couldn't help but replay all I've gone through today in my head. 

I can't afford to lose my job at this point. Not now that I'm using the money I get from the job to take care of my mother especially.

I made an inward resolution to do better at work, and for a start, I planned to resume work earlier than I used to. With such resolution, I tried to catch some sleep so I could be up early enough for work, only to see mum stirring continuously on the bed with her eyes shut. 

“Could she be having a nightmare?” 

I concluded it's a nightmare, judging from what happened to her tonight. But when I touched her in a bid to wake her, panic seized me and my eyes dilated in shock. 

Oh no! Mum is burning up so bad. She's having a terrible fever.

Not again! Not at this deadly hour of the night. Where do I run to for help?