Chapter 17

Elijah stood beside his car, tapping his car keys lightly, he rested his back against the car and folded his arms.

Reina standing few inches away from him with her husband. Brenda was with them too. Her head hung low in shame. She didn't know why she came, she could have just stayed back where she was and continued her life, but she couldn't, seeing she has lost almost all she has and thought about her life she needed her daughter's forgiveness most especially the man she took vows with years ago. She was full of regrets. Heaving a sigh, she broke the silence that hung heavily around them.

"Maybe I should leave instead," she said.

Elijah literally eyed her.

"No you don't have to, its now or never, she will see you when she wakes up" Her ex-husband Malcolm tolfamily

Elijah thought in his mind "please leave, your presence is insignificant," he hissed. He couldn't say anything, it was none of his business, he barely had a say in the matter since he's not yet part of the family, even though he was regarded as part of the family.

He still couldn't say anything yet... He kept hoping Adrianna would wake up and see and whatever its the case, if she's going to let her mother go or not. It should be over soon.

His phone rang breaking his thought he excused himself and walked to the end of the other side of the car park. He came back some minutes later and told them he has to sort some things at work.

"Tell Adrianna I'd be back soon," he said and left.

Brenda didn't know who he was, she only nodded at him and watched him leave. Wondering who he was.

"If you're wondering who he is," Reina said folding her arms "He's Adrianna's husband to be" she flatly told her as a matter of fact.

Brenda heaved a sigh and walked to the end of the park looking at the road as cars are passing by, ignoring the stares of people on her. It's not like she's looking bad or whatever, she couldn't understand why they were looking at her either maybe it was obvious that something was actually wrong with her.

She hasn't even told Her ex-husband Malcolm that's she's suffering from pancreatic cancer. She breathed hard and scratch her upper arm.

Malcolm went to stand beside her, his mind was feeling a bit heavy, seeing that his ex-wife whom they didn't break up legally by signing papers was back, he was surprised that she had found him having gone to the house they'd live since the birth of Adrianna, she must have asked his neighbor, Mr. Alan, that man must have given her his number and she called him, he was overly surprised to hear from her and how she had begged to see him and Adrianna. She had told him she was happy he moved on with another woman and she doesn't deserve his love but his forgiveness and that of Adrianna.

"You know if you have anything to say to me, the cafeteria is just over there" he pointed his right direction. She nodded her head and started walking towards the cafeteria area. Malcolm told Reina to go wait in front of Adrianna's room and he would be back.

"Call me when she's awake" he had told her before trailing behind his ex-wife, his mind wandering about what she wants to tell him, he hoped that whatever she wants to say would be something good about her life, after all the lifestyle she had lived must have done some good to her. He really hoped.

They both sat down, facing one another, each of them looking past themselves, not wanting their gazes to meet.

The breezes that blow carries a sweet melodious sound, blowing gently. The rest of the people in the cafeteria were held in a little or no conversation.

Some of them were looking downcast and while some try to put on a happy face, everyone with their own problems and how they deal with it.

Brenda's face was part of the down casted ones, she felt like in a way ruined her marriage with her Malcolm, she had always seen herself as a high-class woman who was too much to be with Malcolm which made her flee from him every time

All those times no one knew where she was or who she was always with. Abandoning her only child to be looked after by Malcolm and not caring whether he would do the parental job well or not. She would go for months and once she had spent enough time with the other man she would come back to Malcolm and Adrianna which always caused arguments between her and her husband.

Brenda sat across him, folding and unfolding her arms. She took in a deep breath, sipping water from her bottle, she made her gaze meet his.

"Malcolm I'm sorry, for all those years I've caused you pains and for abandoning you and Adrianna, I'm truly sorry," she said with absolute voraciousness.

"Now is the time to tell me everything that has happened in the past years," Malcolm said.

She sighed, it was truly the time though, the words seem to be heavy and her mouth refused to open to let words flow out.

Brenda refrained from holding her other hands out and placing it on his own. Tears welled up in her eyes, knowing she only has few months or probably a year to live, she needed to make things right, and the child she has now could only be taken care of by Adrianna. She breathed through her mouth.

"Malcolm, the last time I left the house, and I didn't bother to come back, I went away, to where I've always been and a year went by, I had a son."

"You what" Malcolm wasn't all that shocked since he moved on with his life too.

"I have a son, Asher, He's 11," she told him, a drop of tears rolls down her cheeks.

Malcolm reached over and wiped it with his thumb.

"Adrianna never told you she knew, that was the last time I heard from her"

"I have cancer also, and my hairs are gone, I'm wearing a wig" she chuckled lightly and looked away from him, "I don't have much time left to live, I guessed I fell in love with someone else while I was with you and I was torn between who I want but the other man has the more upper hand, he was richer than you were, much more and till now I don't have a reasonable reason to justify what I did after you told me not to come back I took it to heart a part of me was happy, I tried to contact Adrianna but she cut me off completely." She finally said it felt like a burden was lifted off her body. She paused.

"So if I'm going to leave this world soon, I think I have to make things right, even though it'll never be the same, forgiveness is what I need right now from you and our daughter so God would have mercy on me."

"I've forgiven you a long time ago," Malcolm told her, holding her hands in his, he smiled genuinely at her.

"What about Asher's father, your husband?

"Hmm" she drew in a long breath "he died last year, he had an accident," she said shakily. "At the same time, I was diagnosed with Cancer"

He held her hand and gave it a light squeeze. "I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that"

"Thank you, Mal"

His heart did a flip, no one calls him Mal, not even Reina, he couldn't believe the woman he had once loved was going to die soon, his heart broke, he wanted to ask her about Asher but thought he didn't need it, she's Brenda she would have figured him out but curiosity was tugging at him.

"What about Asher" he bluntly asked.

"He's home in Norwich not really far from Albany, that's why it was quick for me to get here"

"That's not what I mean, who will you leave him with to cater for him"

I don't know, that I haven't figured out yet, I definitely can't take him to his father's family, they never approved of me" she hurriedly answered him. He was about to say something when Reina interrupted them.

"I hate to interrupt, but she's awake".