Overwhelmed. I never expected a hospital to be this crowded but apparently there are a lot more sick people in the world than we care to know. For five days we all left for the hospital which was really close to the hotel we were lodged at so I could have a drip administered to me while mom went on with her treatment.

The drip never lasted over five minutes, Kunle said it was supposed to help grow my white blood cells. Each day I tried to put up a brave front for my mother, I didn't know how far gone her illness was, nobody was telling me anything and I didn't let myself assume.

I was alone at the room most of the time, during which I watched TV and thought of my friends. I missed them, I missed how we used to be before all the drama. I missed Vivian's cold retorts, Abike's bear hugs and Henrietta's incessant talking. I missed Rasheed's intelligent jokes, even Marcel's cocky smirk and general annoyance.

I wondered if things would ever return to normal but we never really established normalcy so I was just left wondering what the next chapter of our story would hold, if there'd be room for all of us and thinking about it made me anxious but I couldn't stop because all I had was time and while it might seem patient, time isn't always on your side.

       I was shaking as the nurses prepped me for the operation. They were doing their best to assure me that everything would be fine. They said I wouldn't feel a thing, it wasn't going to exceed three hours and the side effects weren't severe, just weakness in my bones for a maximum of twenty-four hours.

I didn't believe them, I felt like they were going to scoop out my heart and sell it to some rich guy suffering from a heart disease. Then I thought of my mom with her rough palms and tired lines scattered on her forehead.

She deserved a chance to live better, to have the life she always wanted and I was going to give it to her because she spent thirteen years of her life building one for me.

         I was laid out on the operating table with my mom less than a meter to my left. She reached out and squeezed my hand as the nurse injected me with the anaesthetic.
"Count from ten down". I was instructed.

"Ten".

"Nine".

"Eight".

I don't know how long she held my hand but I know that as I slipped into my dreamland, I could feel her, anchoring me.

                                                    *

I was in the living room but it looked different, rearranged, brighter.
"Purebliss". Abike's voice dragged my eyes to the sofa. She was seated at the edge with her short legs stretched, barely reaching the middle.

"Digestive". Marcel insisted from the other end of the sofa.
"Oh come on, it's ancient".
"It's evolutionary".
I watched them argue like they were at the parliament.

"It's stayed the same from the beginning of time". Abike countered.
"It has maintained its core but the other condiments have gotten richer". Marcel stood his ground.

"I think it's unwise to be arguing over biscuits, they are all beautiful in their own way". Henrietta said, walking in from the direction of the kitchen with a big bowl in her hand.
"What's that?" Abike abandoned her argument to ask.
"It's the bomb". Hen replied with a huge grin, taking a seat on the armrest beside me.

"It's a waste of coconuts". Vivian strolled in and took a seat on the floor beside Marcel's feet.
I watched on with confusion, I couldn't recall a reason why they would all be at my house.

"It's my new toning lotion". Hen said with a frown.
"It's hardly a lotion to begin with". Vivian grabbed the remote from the center table and began surfing through channels.
"More like a concoction". She added.
"Well, this concoction is going to be the next best thing". Hen defended.

"Yeah, down Amanda's kitchen drain".
They all laughed, except Henrietta. She didn't joke around with her beauty projects.
"Amanda". Marcel suddenly called my attention.
"Yeah?"
"Are you okay?" Vivian asked.

"Yes. Why?"
"You've been sitting there like a scarecrow for sometime now". Abike explained.
"Bike! We only call her that when she's not around". Hen scolded.
"You guys call me scarecrow?"

"Not very often". Abike said, looking at me through her lashes.
"Why?"
"Well, you could be a little rigid". Hen provided.
"What? Vivian is more of a scarecrow than I am".
Vivian scowled at me.

"But you are not denying the fact that you are one too, albeit a little lower in rank". I turned to see Rasheed walk in from the direction of the bedrooms.
What is going on?

"I am very flexible, thank you". I stated.
"Do a split for us then". Vivian said with a smirk.
"You try".

"Man, you make your own comics". Rasheed said as he dropped himself in the space between Abike and Marcel, causing her to huff and put her legs down.
He turned to Marcel, flipping through the pages of a slim book.
"I used to do that in Js3, I was pretty obsessed".

"Web comics?" Vivian looked up at them.
"No. Just some amateur stuff on sheet". Usually, Marcel was very confident, cocky even but when it came to his art, he always tried to downplay it with modesty that just didn't suit him.

"Some really good amateur stuff". Rasheed insisted, passing the book over to Vivian.
"Wow. This is at least two steps above amateur".
Vivian was into comics but since none of our rookies were, she hardly talked about them.

Henrietta was busy coating her face with her new mix while Abike tried to watch the show running on TV but kept getting distracted by Vivian and the boys' comic talk.
"You people should shut up na, it has gotten to the interesting part". She edged forward just as my mom walked in with a tray filled with peanuts.

"Peanuts, since somebody stole the coconuts I wanted to use in making coconut candy".
Everyone turned to glare at Hen, except me, my eyes were glued to my mom. She was different too, brighter and I couldn't keep away the smile as I watched her scold Marcel for stuffing extra peanuts in his pockets.

        The front door opened and Kunle walked in with an aura very similar to his son's. I watched the smile on my mom's face grow as he moved right up to her and kissed her smack on the lips.

Vivian rolled her eyes in sync with Hen's cooing. Marcel kept obnoxiously stuffing his face with peanuts while Abike kept her eyes on the TV and Rasheed respectfully looked away.

"What's going on here?" Kunle asked with a sense of warmth in his voice.
Greetings were thrown out in various forms.
"They are just having fun stressing me". Mom complained.
"Really? How would you like to have your own fun? De-stress?"

Vivian scrunched her face in disgust.
"And we are done here". She announced as she got off the floor and headed for my room.
"Yeah, it's girl time". Hen concurred and in no time I was being dragged along to my room.
Girls time was a simple term that meant them ransacking my wardrobe and every other property I ever owned.

Vivian was currently stretched out on the bed beside me while Henrietta donned in my jean cutouts and sneakers, applied her new product to Abike's face who was sat on my reading chair.

Peaceful, comfortable, familiar and safe. Moments like this was what I prayed for every night. The love of family and company of friends.

"I love you guys".
Vivian raised a brow at me for my sudden declaration.
"Aww". Hen clutched her heart while Abike pouted, enlarging her already ridiculous looking face.
"Seriously. I'm really glad that I came to calabar, I'm glad that my mom sent me to Apex and I got to room with you all. You guys are the absolute best".

"Okay stop". Vivian said, cringing and I laughed, more so when I saw Hen wiping off an imaginary tear.
"Group hug!" Hen speared me into Vivian and we all gasped when Abike fell on the heap of us.

"I can't breathe". I croaked.
"Don't rub that slimy concoction on me!" Vivian yelled and Abike rubbed her cheek against hers, causing us all to laugh as we got off each other, getting comfortable on the bed.

        I wanted this, everyday but somewhere in my consciousness I knew it wasn't real. It was just an illusion fabricated by my mind to get me through a situation that was out of my control.

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Isn't it nice?  The entire squad together and at peace after so long even if it's just in Mandy's drug induced fantasy. I'm gonna miss them😪
Sorry for the lack of updates, according to my therapist(which is me, thank you very much😎) I've been having separation anxiety. These characters were my first original creations and I guess I'm a little hesitant to say goodbye.

Anyway, the FINAL chapter will be out tomorrow, if I get the chance or Monday.. So, don't miss the farewell parte, RSVP(the naija version😋)