Several hours after Tasha arrived at Sandville, she was in her mother's kitchen cleaning up. The aroma of spices still lingering in the air. She, her parents and Tyson just finished dinner. The clatter of forks against plates echoed through the kitchen, a symphony of post-dinner cleanup as she continued to stack the used plates into the dishwasher. The last of the plates was her late grandmother's chipped plate. She held it in her hands for a long time with a nostalgic smile as fond memories about Ma Gloria Harrison rushed back at her. She put the plate in the dishwasher and closed the door of the machine with a soft click. Tasha paused, her gaze lingering on a carrot stick lying on the oak worktop in the middle of the kitchen. She hummed the lyrics of a popular song to herself as she removed the carrot stick and dropped it in the garbage bag under the sink. Then she wiped down the countertops and worktop with vinegar. “Yeah…yeah, yeah,” she mumbled to herself. “That is okay f
"Ladies and gentlemen,” Blake, started his address to the board members Friday midday in the Carter Industries boardroom. “I am so glad to inform you that our new project, Dreamkey Realty, has finally birthed its first baby, blue diamond luxury homes, and is in its final stage of completion as I speak to you.”The board members clapped their hands.“Thank you,” Blake looked into their faces with pride, while they looked at him with admiration. His hard work over the last few months had finally paid off. A few of them had been skeptical about the feasibility of building an estate of such architectural magnitude and luxurious masterpieces, which Blake had envisioned within eight months. “I can tell you without a doubt that Dreamkey is here to stay and it will revolutionize the reality market in this country.”They gave him another round of applause, with his father taking the lead. “I am going to show you some slides today,” he clicked to the first slide on the projector and the gener
Trevor woke up on Saturday morning with his wife tangled up around him, which was not unusual; her arm on his chest with her legs intertwined with his own. He looked at the digital clock on his Laura's nightstand and it read thirteen minutes before six. He smiled to himself as he tried to move gently, hoping not to wake her up. But before he could get out of the bed, she opened her eyes, she smiled at him, and mumbled, "it's Saturday, where are you going?" “I want to make breakfast,” he said, but she had already turned her face to the other side and slept off. Trevor went to the toilet to do his morning usuals and left for the kitchen before he proceeded downstairs to the kitchen. Knowing Laura craved anything spicy for now, he decided to make spicy bread toast for breakfast. He decided to check his email first. He was expecting a letter from one of his colleagues. Trevor saw the message from Teddy and quickly read it over. He was about to close up his laptop when his mind traile
“Please sit down, Professor Harrison,” the doctor said to Tasha, pointing to the chair across from his desk. “Thank you,” she said and sat down, fear kicking at her heart. “I am doctor Fabian,” the middle-aged doctor said with a professional smile.“Please, what is wrong with my son?” She asked in a panic-stricken voice, “What is wrong with Tyson?”It was three weeks after she returned from Los Angeles. She was lecturing her students when a call came through that she needed to come over to the state that Tyson collapsed in class. “Not yet, Prof.,” the doctor’s face softened. "We're not sure yet, but we'll do everything we can to find out."Tasha looked around the sterile white room. Dr. Fabian's calm voice was a stark contrast to the turmoil going on in her mind. “How long is that going to take?” She clasped her hands on her legs. “Doctor, please?”“Let’s say two days,” he closed up Tyson's case file in front of him. “He's going to wait for two days?” She pushed forward in her se
Blake looked around the faces of the board members who sat around the large, polished mahogany table and groaned inwardly. A knife could cut through the tension in the air. He had gone to to the meeting a mixture of curiosity and skepticism. Knowing how traditional most of the board members could be. His father wanted them to ratify Blake as the new president and chairman today, but Blake knew it wouldn't be that easy. A heated debate was going on as five out of the other seven board members expressed doubts about Blake's readiness to assume the position because of his single marital status.Blake folded his hands on the desk and watched as the old men argued back and forth. Gerald, his father, had little to say too. “Tell me,” Natalie, one of the two female members of the board, said. “Why it is compulsory that he had to be married to function as the President and chairman? We all know the young man just lost his wife.” “Listen,” Rufus, the ringleader of those against Blake, said.
The following morning, Saturday, Tasha stretched in her comfortable bed as her eyes fluttered open. She relished the lack of her alarm clock today as she reached out for her cellphone to check for the time. It was fourteen minutes after nine. She stayed in bed for a few moments, just enjoying the quiet calm of her bedroom before she stood up and stood at the window to open the curtains. The sun's golden eye peeled into the room, painting stripes across the walls. She stood there enjoying the warmth of the sun on her face until the door flew open and Tyson burst in. “Good morning, mommy,” he walked up to her. “Good morning, sleepyhead," Tasha whispered, ruffling his hair gently. Tyson yawned and rubbed his eyes, his face breaking into a wide grin for his mother. “Did you sleep well?”“Yes, I did,” he plopped down on the bed. “What about you?”“I slept well.” She moved away from the window. “Let’s make breakfast. What do you want to have?”“Hmmm,” he slid out of the bed. “Oatmeal pa
Tasha sat across from Dr. Fabian again five months later. Tyson had been complaining of a headache for days but two days ago, he became so weak and was gasping for breath when they were both getting ready to go out for the day. Tasha had quickly called 911, and the ambulance arrived in no time to take them to the hospital. Thankfully, Dr. Fabian was on duty. He quickly arranged for a blood transfusion for Tyson and he was feeling better in no time. “Prof., Tyson's condition is getting serious,” Dr. Fabian's voice was grave as he met Tasha's eyes. “We need to go a step further than just blood transfusion. “The only cure is a bone marrow transplant." The doctor's words were like a harmer against Tasha's heart. “A transplant?” She took a deep breath. “Please, can you explain further?”“We need to find someone whose bone marrow cell is matching with Tyson's for the transplant.’’ Dr. Fabian explained, his gaze full of empathy. “Can I take a test to see if I am a match?” Tasha asked. “
Tasha stood up from behind her desk in her study. She had wanted to grade some papers, but she just couldn't get to it. It had already been six weeks since she had tested negative for Tyson's bone marrow match. Her parents and siblings had done the test, too. They all came back negative and there was no hope in sight with the donation registry. “God, what is going on?” She dropped her pen and slumped against the back of her seat. “This is so frustrating…I don't want to lose my only child!” She muttered to herself. Tears rolled down her cheeks as a deep sense of exasperation and vulnerability engulfed her. She was just about to lose it. “What am I going to do?” “You know…” her conscience pricked her. “That seems to be the only way out.”She checked the time on the wall clock. It was six in the evening already. She decided to go make dinner and not order in as she had been doing all week. She needed to calm her nerves. The clatter of pots and pans always served therapeutic for her w