SIXTY-THREE

ANISHA'S POV

I walked slowly into the ward where Liam was. He was standing on the bed, playing with a ball. When he heard the sound of footsteps, he turned to look at me and started jumping and stretching his little hands for me to take him. The nurse had to hold him for him not to fall.

"Nisha!" he cried out with great excitement.

"What!! What did he say? He called me!! He just called my name!!" I cried out in disbelief.

"What did you say, Liam! Call me again!" I hugged and looked at him, but he did not say anything more. He just continued to smile at me.

The nurse quietly excused herself.

The moment she left the room, I hugged Liam and burst into tears. Somehow I found comfort in talking to the little baby, as I poured my heart out to the confused child, "he dumped us, Liam! He doesn't want to see us anymore! He said we are from different worlds, and we are not fit to be his friends! If we see him, we must not greet him, we must just walk away as if we never knew each other".

With my teary eyes, I looked at Liam and he looked worried. He stared at me and said in a low voice, "Nisha"

"Oh my word you called me again!" I said in excitement.

Quickly, I wiped off the tears and said, "we're fine, Liam! We'll do just fine! He thinks he can hurt us, but he won't!! We will be just fine!!"

Seeing me smiling, Liam started to smile again and to jump up and down in hysterical excitement.

"Liam," I started to talk again, "I thought he was different. I thought Dylan was different. I understand I can never be his girlfriend, but I thought we would be just friends…" when I realised that I was about to break into tears again, I quickly changed the subject and decided to sing for Liam instead.

The ants go marching one by one hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching one by one hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching one by one

The little one stops to suck his thumb

And they all go marching down to the ground

To get out of the rain,

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! (Dennis Scott First Digital Music 615 Trax)

Liam loved the song, especially the last part, and he started to jump up and down with a lot of energy.

I burst out laughing at how energetic he was as he jumped and danced away. We were startled by the sound of the door opening, and in came a lady, followed by a young couple.

"Oh, hello," I smiled at them.

"You are Anisha, right? I am the hospital matron. Here with me is Mr and Mrs Woodruff. Mr and Mrs Woodruff, this is Anisha Meyerton. Anisha has done a great job babysitting Liam, I must say".

"Thank you", I smiled.

The couple extended their hands to greet me and they both smiled at me, "nice to meet you"

"Anisha", the matron continued, "Since Mr Lucas and Mrs Larissa la Martina are now late; Mr and Mrs Woodruff have been approved by the authorities to temporarily take care of Liam, as his foster parents. So they have already done the paperwork and…"

"No! No you cannot take Liam away from me, please!!" I immediately burst into tears and instinctively hid Liam behind me. While he stood on the bed, I stood in front of him and made him to clutch on to my back. Everyone was silent for a long while.

"Anisha, listen. This is for the best. We're doing this for Liam, and…"

"No! Liam has me! I will be his foster parent!"

"But Anisha, you cannot. As of now it has been decided already, that…."

"By who? Who decided on it? Liam knows me, and no one else knows him better that I do! No! I will not allow it" I sounded so fierce that even I shocked myself. At that moment I had stopped crying.

The couple exchanged glances, and the woman came closer to me, with the intention of comforting me, I guess, but I shot her a glance and told her to stay away from me.

"Stay away! Stay away please! Please don't take Liam away from me! He is all I have. Please I beg you"

"They're not taking him away forever. And besides; they will allow you to visit him…"

"I don't want to visit him!! I want to stay with him every single day, just like how it has always been!"

"Anisha, that was before the la Martinas passed on. Right now, the child has no one to take care...."

"He has me!! He has me to take care of him!!"

"Anisha, Anisha please listen."

"No! You should listen to me! This child has been through a lot of trauma! He was kidnapped and held at gun point! This child took his first step in some old stinking warehouse! He survived on cold food for days! He had to be dressed as a girl and had scrunches all over his hair! He endured it all! He has been through it all!! He suffered much more than many adults have, or shall ever suffer in their entire lives!"

I whirled in great anger and faced the man, Mr Woodruff. Sneering at him, I could not control myself any more. I went on, "foster parents? Where were you when he was locked up in that old building which looked like it would collapse any minute? Where were you when he had to hide in a toilet, with needles in his arms and a drip hanging from his tiny limbs!! Where were you when he almost died!!"

There was silence.

"She might need some professional help. A therapist…" the woman began to speak but I furiously interrupted her.

"I do not need a therapist! I need Liam! This child almost died!! He almost died in my hands! Do you hear me? In my hands!! I was holding him, and I took care of him! If anyone deserves to be with him, it's me! Do you hear me! I have known him since he was a four months old embryo! You hear me? He was in his mother's uterus. She was four months pregnant when I walked in to the la Martinas' house, and I spoke to Liam for the first time!! He knows me! Do you hear me? He knows me!!"

"Nisha. Nisha" Liam burst out crying.

"You heard that? He is calling me! He knows me ….. Shh, Liam. We're ok. No one will take you away", I comforted him and wiped off his tears.

"Please give us a moment." the hospital matron said as she led the couple out.

She closed the door, turned to me and in a very soft voice said, "Anisha, I understand that you love Liam a lot. He is everything…."

"He is my world!" I screamed out.

"Yes, yes I understand that. Now listen, for his own good, for the love that you have for him, please allow him to have a decent home. The Woodruffs will not take him forever. Once you settle down and you are financially stable, you can always do the process of adopting the boy. But for now please, Anisha, let the Woodruffs take care of him. You will be allowed to visit him."

Although I fully understood what the matron was saying, I still did not want Liam to leave me.

"Everyone that I ever love just leaves me," I broke down.

"Calm down, Anisha."

"No please don't take Liam away from me! Mrs la Martina left me. And the person that I thought was my friend also left me. And now Liam! You want to take him away as well? Please I beg you, don't take him away!" I cried.

"Anisha, I think you may need to talk to a professional…"

"No I don't need to talk to anyone. I just want to be with Liam. He is all I have. He is all I have, I beg you to please not take him."

"Listen to yourself, Anisha. Right now you are not employed. How will you take care of the child? Allow him to go with the Woodruffs, and then you can be visiting him."

"I don't want him to go…I don't want him to go…" I cried my lungs out.

"Nisha," Liam's big bright eyes swam in tears, and I kissed him on the forehead.

"I won't let you go, Liam," I whispered.

"Nisha," the little boy said again.

"It's ok little man," I said.

The moment I referred to Liam as "little man", the face of the one who always used to call him that flashed in my mind.

Dylan. He too left me. The words of his note came to my mind, cutting deeper and deeper into the wound that they had created…

…Now that we are all out of danger, it's best that we return to who we are; our real lives. You and I are from different worlds….

"Nisha!" when Liam called me, I realised that I was crying again. I quickly wiped off the tears and spoke to Liam,

"He left me, Liam. Everyone who means something to me always leaves. You're leaving me too, Liam. You too are leaving me."

"Nisha," the little boy looked into my eyes and rested his head on my chest.