Chapter 21

The drive to Norwich was not a total bore, because of the radio that on, but it was silent and the three people seem to be okay with it. They'd gotten to Brenda's house in the afternoon. While Elijah and Reina stayed back out and waited for Malcolm who has now pressed the doorbell waiting for someone to open the door.

He pressed the doorbell again and a boy opened the door.

"Who are you" he queried creasing his brows.

Malcolm's heart skipped a beat, he was looking at a boy that so much looks like Adrianna, the same resemblance they got from Brenda. He smiled in his heart.

"I'm Malcolm, and that's Elijah and Reina" he replied to the little boy.

"Oh!! You're my mom's ex-husband, I've heard them speak of you few times" he smiled.

"Don't let my mom knows" he grinned widely.

"Your secret is safe with me" Malcolm smiled back. He remembered why he was here so he asked if Brenda was home but the boy said he just got back from school. He ran back inside to call Eva. She hurriedly went to answer them.

"I heard you're looking for Brenda," she said politely.

"Yeah I am, we were supposed to see today and I've been calling for like forever" he lied about the first statement, but he didn't care anyway.

Eva's face changed, she became sad. She checked back whether Asher was out of earshot.

"Madam called 911 after her son had gone to school, she's sick again" she almost cried.

Malcolm's heart broke, this was his ex-wife, someone he had love, whom they had a string attached and that's Adrianna, he remembered how he blocked her number soon after she left. His heart was sad.

"What hospital, let me go check on her"

She scribbles the address of the hospital and told him to refrain from mentioning it to Asher. Malcolm nodded.

"Asher," he called out, the little boy ran to meet him.

"Yeah" he answered grinning sheepishly.

"I'm leaving, I'll see you some other time"

"Yeah, I'll see you too, my regards to my step Sister Adrianna," he said and quickly whispered "my mommy doesn't know I know about this,"

"I promise I won't tell" Malcolm whispered back. He feared that the boy must know about his mother too but he dismissed the thought that he doesn't know because he looks so happy.

"Do me favor" Asher held his hand when he was about to leave.

"I know Adrianna looks like me, but I don't know if she will like me if anything happens to my mum, will she take care of me?" Malcolm lost it, his heart couldn't take in what the boy had said. If he was white, his face would have turned a shade of red, he held back tears and hugged the boy tightly.

"She loves you and you both look alike, she would take you in, you're her younger brother. She would take care of you."

Asher smiled, his heartfelt relieved, he smiled.

"My mom doesn't know that I know she's sick, she and my dad tried to hide it well from me, but I'm a smart kid, I didn't tell her so she won't feel overly worried than she is" he blinks back tears.

Malcolm pat his head and kissed his forehead. "We'll all be fine Asher" he nodded and Asher smiled widely. He said his bye and ran back inside the house and Eva closing the door behind her.

She thought "what a strong child he is"

As soon as he got to the car, he rested his arms on the car and took in a long breathes. Elijah and Reina that heard the conversations that ensue between him and Asher. Elijah places his hand on the back of Malcolm.

"Let's go see Brenda"

Brenda laid unmoving on the hospital bed, with different wires connected to her body. The hospital bedspread covering her body and stopping at her chest, her hands were placed by her sides.

She was breathing shallow, the oxygen mask was beside her bed, she had worn it earlier when she was feeling constriction in her chest which made her breathing hitched.

Malcolm was shocked to see her looking so frail, she was looking better than he had seen her days ago. His heart ached.

Reina stood at the entrance of the room. Elijah was standing beside the wall while Malcolm took a seat in front of her. His head hung low, he held her hand and prayed silently, rubbing her hand slightly.

Brenda opened her eyes, squinting her eyes, and blinking profusely. She smiled seeing Malcolm. She moved her hand lightly to get his attention.

"You're awake, how are you feeling, are you okay?" He bombarded her with a series of questions.

"Relax Malcolm, take it slow" Elijah cautioned him.

His voice caught her attention, she turned to look at him "you're here too" she said. She pointed to Reina and motioned for her to come over to sit at the side of her bed.

"How is Adrianna?" her voice sounding hoarse.

"She's fine" Reina replied to her.

"And my grandchild," she asked too

"The baby is alive and kicking" Elijah answered her. He looked at her and felt pity towards her.

"I'm sorry if I must have given you an attitude and acted stupidly the other day" Elijah apologized, his hands in his pocket, standing at the foot of her bed.

"My parents sent their greetings," he told her.

"Oh" she exclaimed "how nice of them

"Thank you"

None of them said anything again, they welcomed the silence that envelopes them, they were at loss for words. They all knew that the days were getting close by. Even Brenda herself knew. She kept sighing every minute.

Nobody said anything, they were all looking at one thing or another making sure their eyes don't meet. It was awkward.

The doctor came inside, disrupting the silence. He went over to Brenda, checking her pulse and doing the necessary, the nurse taking notes on the clipboard. The doctor sighed. He turned to three of them and they introduced themselves.

"She has just a few days to live, I'm sorry," he said as a matter of fact "she has been battling with it for a long while, she's just so strong and well strong, he shrugs his shoulder. I'm sorry, there's not much we can do for her but we can't let you take her out, who knows a miracle might happen" he said with his hands on his waist, the stethoscope around his neck. He urged them to be strong for the worse and he left, the nurse trailing behind him.

A tear escaped from Reina's eyes. Malcolm rubbed his eyes, he couldn't contain his emotions, so he moved away from her bed to the end of the room.

Elijah folded his arms and shakes his head lightly. Brenda was void of emotions, she couldn't tell how she was feeling. It was now or never, she had to let Malcolm know about the Will that Tyson left behind. She called for Malcolm to come forward.

"There's something I have to tell you Mal" she started

"Go to my house when you leave here, tell Eva to take you to my room, check the top drawer of my closet. That's where the will is, Tyson's will, he has written it a year before his death." She sniffed silently

Malcolm thought about Asher, the conversation they had before coming to the hospital.

"Asher knows about me, Adrianna and your sickness"

"What!?" Brenda exclaimed "how did he know, did you tell him" she questioned.

"No, I didn't, he figured it out all those times you and Tyson talked about it" he finally told her. Brenda rolled her eyes. She wouldn't think much about it now, even though she was feeling devastated that her son knew. She has other things to handle now, she would worry about it later.

"My lawyer will be here tomorrow, I already called for him too, I have quite some properties too," she said. A pause. Only their heavy breathing filled the room. Brenda told them to go, that she wants to be alone, while they were filing out of the room, she called Reina back.

"How many children did you give Malcolm?"

"Two girls" she replied

"I'd give them something too, it has been written since the time I found out he married you."

"Only one of my child is Malcolm" Reina said and smiled.

She was dumbfounded, she was at loss for a word. Brenda understands her facial expression and so she said "you're welcome" and nodded her head.

"You know," Reina started talking "Adrianna should be the one to take care of Asher, they would love each other, your son wants her to take care of him, after all, they're siblings by the same mother" Reina said "you should think about it Brenda" she patted her hand and left the room.