Shattered Dreams Episode 16 – 17 By Nissi Adeola

Shattered Dreams Episode 16 By Nissi Adeola

Everything seemed to just slow down unbearably as Belina rushed off in her car with Alexa at the back. She picked up her phone and called Richard again. “My God, Richard where are you?” She yelled over the phone.

“I am on a bike now, I got stuck in traffic earlier. Dear please take it easy, how is she now?”

Belina sniffed, holding back a sob. “Oh Richy, I am so scared. If anything happens to my daughter…”

“Don’t even think of that honey, OK, hangup now so you can drive well. Please be careful baby, please. I would meet you at BRH.”

Belina dropped the phone and controlled the wheels with her two hands, doing her best to stop herself from looking back at her daughter, yet not succeeding. “Please be alright baby. Alexa, can you hear me?”

A horn blasted, forcing her to turn her head to the front in time to see the vehicle approaching. She quickly swerved speedily. Curses flew in her direction but her glass was up and her mind was too clouded that she could hardly hear any of them. How could she have gotten out of her lane? She took a deep breath and increased her speed.

Belina sighted BRH afar off and intensified her speed and within seconds, she was easing into the parking lot with too much speed, she nearly hit the pavement ahead. Immediately she got there, nurses flew out and the back door was open. Belina’s panic was great as she ran with the nurses. “Alexa honey?” She called, not bothering to wipe her tears as they flowed. “Be OK for mummy OK?” She gasped out. All her advances were not allowed as the approached a wide sliding door, despite the fact that she was the owner’s wife.

“Bell”

Belina rotated as she cried. She ran into the waiting arms of Richard but pulled away instantly. “Would she be fine”

He started walking to the sliding door. “I am going to see her now”

She stopped him. “I am scared Richy, I… I found her in her bathtub but she had passed out” she choked. “What if she is-”

“Shut up now” he ordered. “Don’t say or even think that. I would be back” he said firmly, rotating like a robot and matching into the other room.

Belina cried more, feeling her tension increase. Some of the nurses came to pacify her but their words only scared her the more.

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Patricia laid on her bed face up. This was the last thing she expects when she decided to come back to Nigeria. She never thought there would be a history repeat in her life. Why couldn’t her life go the way normal people went? Pat always found herself at a tight corner every time and she always would prove to be the stronger person by sacrificing for others. When would that change? It was probably her nature.

Pat swallowed again as she picked up her camera to gaze at the picture of Marcel. His extra confidence was always obvious even in danger. Even though it was dark already when they had been taken captive by Felicia and her escorts, Patricia had seen vividly that his pride had been brutally bruised as he struggled to break free from the men’s hands. The few hours that just passed made Patricia realise that she was already having extra feelings for Marcel, that went way beyond her assignment or the fact that he was Alexa’s man.

She had no idea as to why she should always be caught in the middle. She had given up on men but here she was, harboring feelings for an overconfident but loveable guy. Of course what she had to do was avoid nurturing that feeling. On another note, she would not be practically doing anything wrong if she got involved with Marcel because the person Alexa had actually accepted was Michael and not Marcel but Pat couldn’t do that. It went against her ethics. Whether it was Michael or Marcel, the fact was that they both got involved with her cousin and Pat would not do anything that would look like betrayal to Alexander. Pat was the older of the two of them so she expected more sensibility from herself. Besides, nothing good could come from desiring men, especially not one who just broke her cousin’s heart. If only she met a man like her father, Tony!

The door to her room flew open and pat jerked to a sitting position, dumping the camera on the bed instantly. “Mum, what is it?”

“Lina called me now. Alexa is in the hospital” Prisca said.

“What?” Pat jumped to her feet. “What happened to her?” She was grabbing her car keys already and putting on a pair of shoes.

“She passed out in her bathroom. You don’t have to go, you need rest after all you have been through today. I would go there, just came to tell you”

“Are you kidding mum? Of course I am going. I would drive us there. Actually, you are the one who needs rest, but since I know you won’t stay back, I would drive.” She marched out of the room and Prisca followed with a resigned sigh.

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“Lina” Belina turned immediately she heard Prisca’s voice and ran to her. “How is she Lina, have you heard anything?” Prisca questioned instantly.

“Nothing. I don’t understand what Richard is doing in there. He should be out now” Belina lamented.

“Don’t worry, I am sure she is fine, you know doctors and their unnecessary yet necessary rituals” Prisca said with a soft smile.

“I hope you are right” Belina murmured.

“Mummy B” Patricia called as she rushed towards Belina. She had been parking her car while her mum, Prisca came in.

Belina’s predicaments seemed to instantly fade as she saw Pat. She quickly went to her, checking her body. “Pat, you know you did a stupid thing right? How can you go after armed men? Being in Canada has definitely made you too bold; are you OK?”

Pat sighed impatiently. “I am fine mum, don’t worry about me. The person who is not fine now is Alexa, she has been through too much recently, especially today. How is she?”

“I still don’t know” Belina glanced expectantly at the door ahead again, contemplating bursting into the room. Prisca and Patricia helped her to a sit but Pat hadn’t sat down when her phone rang. She excused herself, walking away from then two older women. “Hello Marcel”

“I can see that it did not take you a long time to change my name in your mind.” Marcel’s voice echoed out and Pat held the phone tighter. “I need to see you Pat” he said seriously.

“I can see that you now call me by my name” she also seconded. “If it is tonight, I can’t. I am at the hospital now”

“Doing what” he sounded worried. “Are you alright?”

Patricia actually felt flattered and secretly wondered how he would feel if she was actually the one on the hospital bed. “It is not me. Alexa”

“What?” Now he sounded alarmed. “What happened to her?”

“She passed out and-”

“I am coming there now” he cut in.

“No Marc, I don’t think it is a good idea, her mum-” she was saying but he suddenly hung up. She swallowed.

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Marcel intensified his speed as he drove. He hadn’t asked of the hospital but any dumb person would known that she would be at Best Results. He hadn’t planned for things to get this far, neither did he want anyone to get hurt. If he had known from the beginning that he would have to also pretend to be Michael by being a boyfriend to his girl, he would not have accepted at all. It always affected him a lot whenever a woman was hurting. He did not even want to think of the feelings he was developing. This would be disastrous, he could feel it.

Marcel got to hospital and jumped out of his car. He marched towards the main entrance of the hospital and opened the door unceremoniously. He sighted Alexa’s mum and aunt some steps away but saw Patricia nowhere in sight. He walked carefully towards them but before he got to them, Belina saw him and bolted up like she had just been ejected from the chair. Anger filled her face, forcing Marcel to pause his movement. She got to him and her slim palm connected with his cheeks within the twinkling of an eye. Prisca gasped. “Lina”

“What do you think you are doing here? After everything you have the nerve to show your face here? You have brought nothing but sadness to my daughter right from the onset but she was too dumb and blindly in love, she could not leave you”

“I am sorry ma” he muttered quietly.

“Be sorry for yourself because if anything happens to my daughter, I would not spare you. Get out of here; now” she yelled.

Two security men arrived and stood by Marcel, waiting for him to comply. He swallowed. “I am sorry ma” he said and turned back, walking to the open door.

“Calm down Lina” Prisca said.

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Patricia had gone to recharge her line and was coming back to BRH when she sighted Marcel as he was coming out. “Hey Marc” she called as she approached him.

“I see you have discovered my nickname” he said dryly.

“I didn’t find out anything, I just shortened the name. Besides, Marc sounds romantic” she said and he grunted. “What happened in there?” She asked.

“Was thrown out. I obviously deserve it”

“I was trying to tell you that it was a bad idea”

He opened the door of his car but did not enter. “Could you please keep me updated, I might die of anxiety”

“OK”

He leaned forward and planted a kiss on her cheeks, completely surprising her. “Thanks” he smiled, entered his car and drove off. Pat swallowed.

Episode 17

Richard eventually came out of the emergency room and Belina ran to him, followed by Prisca and Patricia. “How is my daughter?” She asked instantly.

He sighed softly. “She is fine now, she has been sedated. The stress just got to her too much. I think she needs a vacation” he said, looking at his wife.

Belina’s shoulders visibly relaxed. “Thank God. I want to see her.”

Prisca and Pat also murmured their relief as they waited to see if they could also see Alexa.

Richard nodded. Everyone followed and when they saw Alexa, Belina practically ran to the bed. “Please be careful not to wake her up, She needs the rest.”

Belina sat beside Alexander. “Oh dear, you gave me quite a scare” she muttered, running her slim fingers through her hair. Pat sat on the bed and held Alexa’s hand softly.

“She truly needs the vacation” she said out loud. “She experienced too many things all at once”.

Belina and Prisca nodded. Richard just stared at the women quietly. Prisca noticed the strange tension in the room and looked at Patricia. Pat got the message and instantly stood up. “We would leave you alone with Alexa now”Prisca murmured.

After some seconds, Belina and Richard were alone with a sleeping Alexa. “Are you mad at me Bell?”

Belina did not look at him. Her gaze never left Alexa’s face. “Why should I be?”

“You seem distant.” He responded.

“Maybe you are imagining it.” Belina threw back. He sighed slightly. “I am sorry I yelled earlier, I was just too tense and edgy”

Belina swallowed and looked at him. “You were tense? And what of me? I was the one who found my daughter’s unconscious form in her bathroom, struggled to tie a robe around her, even when I was shivering, thinking odd things in my mind. I drove like an insane woman all the way here. All I needed was reassurance and not you yelling ‘shut up’ at me.” Her tone turned angry and she managed to maintain the quietness in her voice for Alexa’s sake. Richard moved close to her. “I never knew you to be so insensitive.”

Richard swallowed. “I am sorry heart. I don’t know what happened. I was so tense and frightened that I had lost my daughter, it was not something that sat down well with me”

Belina breathed and swallowed slightly. “I understand”

“I am sorry princess”

Belina smiled. “Am I not too old to be a princess?”

Richard frowned and pulled her into his arms. “Royalty does not diminish with age, does it?”

She sighed. “Oh Richy, I am worried about Alexa.”

He kissed her head. “She would be fine”

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Prisca sat down in the waiting room, while Pat made a phone call some distance away. “Yes Marc, she is better. She is sleeping though, so I have not talked to her. I think the stress of these few days overwhelmed her.” She said to Marcel over the phone.

“I am responsible. I brought her nothing but sadness and pain.” He seemed disturbed. “I hope she can forgive me someday”

Patricia sighed. “I wonder what got into you to make you do this” she had really thought about it. “Where is Michael?”

“It is a long story but he is alive.” He said quietly. “Do you think I can see Alexa soon.? I need her to hear me out”

Alexa took a deep breath. “I don’t know. You know everyone is tense right? Give her some time” He exhaled audibly.

“OK, thanks for the update. I really appreciate it.” Patricia hung up and sighed. She stared at her mum who sat afar off. Pat wondered why she had been sensing something about her mum’s mood these past few days. Since she arrived, Pat had noticed that her mum was slightly distant. She had imagined that her mum must have changed a little, but now, Pat felt that uneasiness again. She noticed the distant look in her mum’s eyes and grew very worried. She walked up to Prisca and sat beside her before Prisca even noticed her presence. Prisca instantly snapped out of her thoughts and pasted a smile on her face.

“Are you alright mum?” Pat asked.

“Yes, absolutely” she said instantly.

“You are missing dad right? When would he be back?”

“Well erm…. He should be back in about a week or… Two. I am not too sure”

Pat frowned. “I think I would call him to confirm. He shouldn’t go on long trips without you”

Prisca smiled. “See this kid of yesterday, treating me like a kid”. Pat also smiled.

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Marcel took one look at his ringing phone and grabbed it. It was high time they stopped this ridiculous game. “Hello Michael” he muttered.

“Hey brother” Michael’s voice replied. “How is Nigeria doing now?”

Marcel noticed that Michael’s voice sounded way better than it had sounded the last time he called. “Nigeria is boiling. Listen Michael, I am not doing this anymore. I have done my best but I can’t keep on doing this. Alexa is hurting now. Everyone has found out the truth and I stand the risk of going to prison if I am accused of impersonation. Did you know that Felicia, the woman you told me of is not dead?”

“What?” Michael seemed surprised. “How is that possible?”

“How should I know? I am putting an end to this nonsense. You never even told me that you poured acid on her face. Felicia is in police’s custody now after she tried to kill Alexa and I. At least you are better now”

“OK Marcel, sorry I dragged you into my mess, I wont forget what you did for me”

Marcel nodded vaguely and after a few words, he hung up.

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Michael smiled vaguely as he dropped his phone. What he set out to do had been accomplished. Michael had known all along that Felicia was still alive. He had noticed her plot to kill him several times. Michael had made a lot of enemies due to his lifestyle but Felicia seemed to be the worst of all. After thinking deeply, he had decided to show himself to his brother. Ever since Michael was told by his father that he was a twin, he had made it a point of duty to search him out. Luckily, Michael had found out where Marcel was before his father died but he had kept it hidden because he did not want anything to affect his inheritance. Luckily, his dad had died without knowing a thing.

When Michael had felt so insecure and frightened by all the plots made against him, he had decided to seek his brother. He knew that Michael was compassionate. He was just lucky that he escaped death. Well, all the same, he had been able to put his enemy behind bars. Michael laughed. Time to go back to Nigeria.

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Prisca watched Pat as she talked with someone and swallowed. She did not want to keep her daughter in the dark but she wondered how she would tell her. Wondered how she would tell her that she and Tony were separating.

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