I run to a church

Immediately I arrive the church, I fall knees first in front of the altar. I began weeping, not sure of how to pray or how to begin. I haven't even prayed seriously in so long.

Is there a God up there? Am I not selfish to come to him at my time of need? Won't he be angry that I never paid him any attention? Will he be willing to spare the life of Jon and Marcus and take mine?

With all these thoughts and many more uncertainties racing through my head, the tears begins flowing.

"Just this once Lord Jesus, please spare Marcus and and Jon. I will worship you forever. Please", I mouth fervently as tears pool down my eyes.

"SK?", a voice calls.
I look around and find a young woman with her baby girl in her arms. She beckons for me to come sit with her.

I stand up and move to sit with her, not bothering to wipe my tears, not caring that a mere human is going to see me vulnerable.

"I see you're troubled?", she says looking into space like she's recalling a sad event.
I only nod my head.

"I'm also sure you're wondering if God will forgive you after all the killings you've done?"

"Are you not scared I might loose my temper and kill you and there's nothing anybody can do about it?", I ask, admiring her courage.

"Oh I am! The moment you ran in here and I recognized you, i wanted to take my daughter and run but I noticed you didn't even notice us. I can literally see the worry written all over you"
She says and I begin sobbing again. She uses her free hand to pat my back.

"I just found my long, lost twin brother and now he's in the hospital with lung cancer. My dad too is suffering from a heart failure and...", I break down again. Curse you tears.

"Shh! All is well!"

I look at this woman like she just said something stupid. Of course she did. How can she tell me all will be well when I'm about to loose two people to diseases I've never offended?

"When I was eight, I was raped by my uncle. In order to keep his secret, he adopted me from my parents. Now my parents were poorer than a church mouse so they accepted the offer. I couldn't tell them. When I was ten, I lost my dad to leukemia. My uncle still had his way with me. When I was thirteen, I lost my mum to breast cancer. My uncle still forced himself on me. And each time I bled. I found out I was pregnant and my uncle was so pissed. He ordered the doctors to remove the pregnancy and my womb"

She pauses for a minute and looks at me smiling. I give her a trying smile and she continues;

"When I was eighteen, I went to college and never went back. At 23, I had dated three men but they all left after telling them about me. They looked at me as some kind of whore. At twenty eight, I met a man, he was different. Even after telling him about my predicament, he still proposed to me. A year later we got married. At thirty, I hadn't still given birth. At thirty one, I lost my husband to an accident. Two weeks later, I discovered I was pregnant and now two years later, here I am. Though I have a brother, I have no idea where he is. I've been searching, I am searching and I'll keep searching for him."

I look at her in awe. This woman is tough. She has gone through a lot.

"So by my calculation, you are 33 and your daughter is just two years old?", I ask.

"That is correct"

"And your Uncle? Don't you want to kill him?"

"What difference would it make? Would it bring back all those years of pain? No! I forgave him and left him to his fate. What he did wasn't right but the deed has been done. No amount of punishment would erase that memory from my mind", she says and looks at me.

"SK! Those we love don't always go away. They walk beside us, everyday! Unseen, unheard, still loved, still missed, but still very dear"

She gives a small pause...

"... And even if your dad and your brother are going to die, they would rather prefer you there by their bed side than away"

I stand up abruptly at the realization that I've been a coward all along. I turn to run but rush back.

"What's your name?"

"Jennifer! Jennifer McCoy!"

"Thank you so much Jennifer! I'll look for you after all this is over. I promise", I say, finally running away from the church and back to the hospital.

Reaching the hospital, I run to Marcus's room and he's there. I move towards him and hold his hands. He opens his eyes and smiles. I smile at him too and he closes his eyes. Calm!

Everywhere becomes calm! His hand suddenly grows cold in mine. He's gone! I place my head on his chest but his heart is still beating. I place my fingers beneath his nostrils but he's not breathing.

"DOCTOR!", I yell as the tears begins rushing down. Two nurses and a doctor comes rushing in immediately.

"His heart is still beating but he's dead", I say crying.

"I'm sorry SK. We..."

"Doctor, my dad... He's...dying. Please help him", Alan comes rushing in. Our eyes lock and with the look on my face, he figures it out. Marcus is gone. He comes to me and hugs me. We follow the doctor to Jon's ward.

"He needs a heart as quick as possible. If not we'll loose him", the doctor says.

"Give him Marcus's heart!", I say wiping away my tears and determining my self not to cry anymore.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"He needs a heart, Marcus is dead and his heart is still beating. So do a heart transplant", I say with a nonchalant attitude.

After some consultancy, another doctor emerges and introduces himself as a heart surgeon otherwise known as a cardiologist. The nurses ushers Alan and I outside.

"Jem! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much! I'm forever in your debt..."

"Alan it's okay. I am your sis...", I stop abruptly. Am I his sister? Am I his girlfriend? What am I to him?

"... We are family and families help each other", I say, squeezing his arm. He reaches out to hug me and we stay in that position for what felt like hours.

The surgeon comes out and we rush to meet him.

"The surgery was successful but he needs to stay in the hospital for three days so we will be able to monitor him", the surgeon says without preamble. Alan releases a sigh of relief and I just look dead. Showing no sign of emotion. The doctor looks at me skeptically and motions for Alan to follow him.

I wait for Alan outside Jon's room and soon he comes back.

"Jem the doctor says you need to cry or at least show any sign of emotion to retain your sanity", Alan says.

"My sanity Alan not yours"

"I need to tell you something Jem"

No not about that night. How long will I run away from it? Right, as long as possible!

"Your dad just went through a surgery Alan, let's see how he's doing", I say entering Jon's ward, not willing for Alan to go on.

"How are you feeling Dad?", I asked as I take my seat beside his bed.

"Fit as a fiddle, though a little weak. I want to go home"

"Why the hurry dad? Just three more days", Alan chips in and I nod.

"Alright time to get some rest. We'll be back tomorrow and the next until you're discharged okay?", I say covering him up. Jon smiles and closes his eye. He looks so peaceful with oblivion.

Alan takes my hand and we silently walk to the car. I look into the night sky and even the moon seems to feel my loss. I only just got him back!

"Jem! I know you're hurting but please laugh or cry or shout or scream. Just show any sign of emotion. I can't afford to loose you please"

"The moon is depressed, how can I cry or do any of those things? The moon isn't crying. Don't worry about me, I'm a Mafia. Mafias are strong and next week, we bury Marcus. Jay is so lucky! He finally gets to become a Godfather".

"But..."

"Drive", I command. Without another word, Alan drives.

We reach home and I slowly peel off my dress. I wear my night dress and lie beside Alan. He hugs me, trying to comfort me but it's of no use. Alan soon falls asleep but I don't.

I get up and call Jay.

"Hey Jay! Marcus is dead"
"What the fuck?"
"Yeah! Turns out he had lung cancer"
"Holy shit! I am so s..."
"Don't! Tell a few other Mafias, Anita and Dimitri. The burial holds next week"

I say, abruptly ending the call. I don't need anyone's pity. I'll be fine. The storm will pass and one day, I'll look back to this day and smile. I'm a survivor.

Soon enough, the sun begins to rise and I prepare a light breakfast of bacon and scrambled eggs for Alan. I take out a bowl of ice cream for it to start defrosting and I take my shower.

After showering and while eating, Alan comes out with ruffled hair and sleepy face.

"Good morning!"

"Morning! How was your night?"

"You didn't sleep a wink right?"

"You got it", i say, scooping another cream in my mouth.

"Jem..."

"Don't! I made breakfast for you!", i say pointing to the microwave.

"Now hurry up, we're going to see the Valerians", I say scooping more ice creams into my mouth.

"Why is the sky black Alan?", i ask puzzled.

"It's blue Jem! Clearest blue I've ever seen"

I look again and the black sky soon fades away making me see the blue sky. How did that happen?

Few hours later, we're heading for the cell. There are clean clothes and deodorants in the sack I'm carrying but Alan doesn't know this. He thinks I'm finally going to kill them.

Once there, Ava, mother and father begins crying.

"Shut the fuck up", I gently say and they immediately stop. I drop the sack on the ground and walk towards their cell. I unhook it and step back.

"Come out!",I command and they slowly come out.

"We're sorry Jem!", they chorus and I shut them up with a wave of my hand.

I remove the shackles from their legs and hands. They look at me, surprise written all over their faces and from my peripheral vision, I can see Alan staring at me.

"Alan get me a bowl of water and three clean towels", I say and Alan immediately obliges.

Ten minutes later, he comes in with the required items and I begin wiping off the blood from them. I start with Dad and continue with mum before stopping at Ava.

I take all my willpower to not kill them. What they did to me will never be forgotten. I might never forgive them but nothing I do to them will erase the pain from my memory. I don't even want to know why they did it.

"Take these and dress up!", I say handing them each their respective clothing.

I step back and watch them murmur against themselves. Their backs to me, I see the inscription on their back. At least they too will never forget me and Marcus.

Alan comes to me and hugs me from the side, placing his hand across my shoulders. I see mother struggle with just one wrist and i see Ava struggle to hear what they're saying. Damn she looks horrible.

I walk up to mother and help her with her dressing. After they're all dressed up, I instruct for them to follow me and they do so silently. I walk them up to the exit gate and open it for them.

"All those years you wanted to kill me and my brother for reasons known only to you. I had you at my mercy but I didn't take your lives. For all I know your lives are meaningless. Today, my brother lies in the hospital, dead. I guess I can say your wish came true. Today I free you but the next time I come across your filthy faces, I won't hesitate to kill you".

I say with so much venom laced in my tone. I usher them out of my house, out of my face and out of my life for good. I gave them an indelible mark. They'll live with it till they die.

"Why did you do that Jem?", Alan asks

"If you fight with a pig, you will both get dirty. Meanwhile, the pig likes dirt. Think about it"
I say with so much confidence and walk away, leaving him to wallow in his thoughts.

Entering the house, I soon begin to feel nauseous. Alan walks in and a whiff of his perfume passes my nostril. I rush to the kitchen and throw up. I've never felt this way before. I soon begin to feel dizzy.

I begin to feel faint and almost pass out but Alan Catches me and rushes me to the hospital. I think I blacked out because at the time I woke up I was in the hospital.

"Thank goodness Jem!"

"What happened?", i ask still feeling dizzy.
The doctor suddenly barges in.

"Oh you're awake SK. That's good. There's nothing to worry about. You're Pregnant"

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Marcus is dead! Jem allowed her parents to go! Jem is pregnant! How many more plot twists are there?

Well.... Keep reading!
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Sparkles loves you😘❤😍