3 views
On The Edge Of Life; Chapter Two
Chapter Two
LANCE
I wake up, blink my eyes twice to remember where I am. I glance around, looking for the clock. It reads 6:30.
"Lance honey? You're finally awake!" I look around to see mum sitting next to my bed. I smile at her. She smiles back.
"Jade called. She wanted to know how I am feeling. She thought that you were dead. It's funny that she thought that."
I run through every bit of memory I still have, trying to understand what mum means. Then I ask her, "Mum? Who is Jade?"
**********
JADE
After the call with Lance's mother, I've been in shock since. Lance is still alive! But everyone at school thinks he is dead. The people at the party said that he couldn't breathe anymore. Then he slumped. They said that they overhead one of the doctors that came with the ambulance saying that they are pretty sure that by the time they arrive at the hospital, Lance will be dead. After several days, no news about Lance was heard. So everyone assumed that he is dead, that is, until now.
I slowly walk down the stairs and head for the kitchen. Mum sees me and immediately notices that something is wrong.
"Honey? What's wrong? Are you okay?" I stiffly nod my head and I couldn't help it when a tear escapes from my eyes. Mum is pretty alarmed.
"Honey? What happened?" She asks.
"Lance's alive mum! He's alive!"
**********
LANCE
"You seriously can't remember her? You have no memories of Jade?" Mum asks, clearly shocked that I cannot remember this "Jade" girl, despite having shown me numerous photos I took with her. I shake my head in response to mum's question. Mum's eyes widen. Then she tries to say something but nothing comes out. Seeing how she is reacting to this, I said "We sure did take a lot of photos, huh? It seems like we were close." Mum starts panicking, although she tries very hard to hide it. She murmurs very softly, "how did this happen to him?" Obviously talking to herself but was loud enough for me to hear.
"Mum?" I call her. She quickly looks up, then comes closer to me, peering inquisitively into my eyes. Then she asks me, "Do you remember what happened that made you to end up in the hospital?" I begin to talk, but I realise that I actually don't remember that night. Seeing the confused look on my face, mum clearly understands that her son has lost his memory.
Some fragments of my memories where scattered in places all over my brain. She quickly goes out of the room. Probably in search for the doctor. What's wrong with me, I can't remember how I ended up here, I can't remember my supposed best friend, I can't remember anything apart from..... Apart from what?
**********
JADE
After telling mum the news, with sincere tears of joy, mum was so happy, she too cried. I did not bother to eat the lasagna anymore. I quickly run out of the house after telling mum the hospital where Lance is in. I arrive there, take a look around and go straight to the nurse receptionist.
" Hello. I'm looking for a patient....um, Lance Lee."
"And you are?"
"I'm his friend, his best friend."
The nurse is a beautiful lady, probably in her mid or late twenties. She has a very short hair, reaching her chin, with hair fringes all the way to her eyebrows, evenly cut. She wears a blue shrub, and has a stethoscope around her neck. After looking through a particular file, her eyes brighten when she finds his name.
"Go straight left. Look for ward eleven."
"Thank you." I say and walk and run towards the hallway. I find his room and quickly open it. There is lance, reading a comic book. I start crying and I blurt out loudly, "Lance!!."
**********
LANCE
After mum had left, I bury myself into some comic books she had brought earlier. It has been almost thirty minutes since mum left the room. Immediately, the door opens. I see a girl, a very pretty girl, about the same age as me. She has waist long hair, very red in colour. Her eyes are bright sea blue, her complexion as that of ivory. Simply put, she is breathtakingly beautiful. But all of a sudden, she starts crying, then she calls my name, "Lance!!"
I still study her, wondering where I have seen her before, she looks so familiar. She quickly runs to my side of the bed and hugs me tightly, her tears touching the side of my neck. Then she says, "I knew you shouldn't have gone to that party." She says this between sobs. "I thought I lost you." She draws away from me and looks straight into my eyes. God! She is pretty. Then I remember where I had seen her before, then I blurt her name, "Jade?"
She looks at me questioningly.
"You are Jade, right?"
**********
JADE
I'm looking at Lance, wondering if he is serious or just joking with me.
"What do you mean by that? Of course I'm Jade!" He looks at me without a glint of recognition in his eyes.
"Y-You do remember me, right?"
His eyes immediately become apologetic. I slowly stand away from him, to study him well. I know Lance, and this is the kind of look he gives when he is serious.
"My mum showed me a pic of you today. She says that you are my best friend. I'm sorry that I can't remember you. I can't remember anything apart from......." He stops to think, looking upwards.
"...well, apart from my mum."
© Naomi Obasi
LANCE
I wake up, blink my eyes twice to remember where I am. I glance around, looking for the clock. It reads 6:30.
"Lance honey? You're finally awake!" I look around to see mum sitting next to my bed. I smile at her. She smiles back.
"Jade called. She wanted to know how I am feeling. She thought that you were dead. It's funny that she thought that."
I run through every bit of memory I still have, trying to understand what mum means. Then I ask her, "Mum? Who is Jade?"
**********
JADE
After the call with Lance's mother, I've been in shock since. Lance is still alive! But everyone at school thinks he is dead. The people at the party said that he couldn't breathe anymore. Then he slumped. They said that they overhead one of the doctors that came with the ambulance saying that they are pretty sure that by the time they arrive at the hospital, Lance will be dead. After several days, no news about Lance was heard. So everyone assumed that he is dead, that is, until now.
I slowly walk down the stairs and head for the kitchen. Mum sees me and immediately notices that something is wrong.
"Honey? What's wrong? Are you okay?" I stiffly nod my head and I couldn't help it when a tear escapes from my eyes. Mum is pretty alarmed.
"Honey? What happened?" She asks.
"Lance's alive mum! He's alive!"
**********
LANCE
"You seriously can't remember her? You have no memories of Jade?" Mum asks, clearly shocked that I cannot remember this "Jade" girl, despite having shown me numerous photos I took with her. I shake my head in response to mum's question. Mum's eyes widen. Then she tries to say something but nothing comes out. Seeing how she is reacting to this, I said "We sure did take a lot of photos, huh? It seems like we were close." Mum starts panicking, although she tries very hard to hide it. She murmurs very softly, "how did this happen to him?" Obviously talking to herself but was loud enough for me to hear.
"Mum?" I call her. She quickly looks up, then comes closer to me, peering inquisitively into my eyes. Then she asks me, "Do you remember what happened that made you to end up in the hospital?" I begin to talk, but I realise that I actually don't remember that night. Seeing the confused look on my face, mum clearly understands that her son has lost his memory.
Some fragments of my memories where scattered in places all over my brain. She quickly goes out of the room. Probably in search for the doctor. What's wrong with me, I can't remember how I ended up here, I can't remember my supposed best friend, I can't remember anything apart from..... Apart from what?
**********
JADE
After telling mum the news, with sincere tears of joy, mum was so happy, she too cried. I did not bother to eat the lasagna anymore. I quickly run out of the house after telling mum the hospital where Lance is in. I arrive there, take a look around and go straight to the nurse receptionist.
" Hello. I'm looking for a patient....um, Lance Lee."
"And you are?"
"I'm his friend, his best friend."
The nurse is a beautiful lady, probably in her mid or late twenties. She has a very short hair, reaching her chin, with hair fringes all the way to her eyebrows, evenly cut. She wears a blue shrub, and has a stethoscope around her neck. After looking through a particular file, her eyes brighten when she finds his name.
"Go straight left. Look for ward eleven."
"Thank you." I say and walk and run towards the hallway. I find his room and quickly open it. There is lance, reading a comic book. I start crying and I blurt out loudly, "Lance!!."
**********
LANCE
After mum had left, I bury myself into some comic books she had brought earlier. It has been almost thirty minutes since mum left the room. Immediately, the door opens. I see a girl, a very pretty girl, about the same age as me. She has waist long hair, very red in colour. Her eyes are bright sea blue, her complexion as that of ivory. Simply put, she is breathtakingly beautiful. But all of a sudden, she starts crying, then she calls my name, "Lance!!"
I still study her, wondering where I have seen her before, she looks so familiar. She quickly runs to my side of the bed and hugs me tightly, her tears touching the side of my neck. Then she says, "I knew you shouldn't have gone to that party." She says this between sobs. "I thought I lost you." She draws away from me and looks straight into my eyes. God! She is pretty. Then I remember where I had seen her before, then I blurt her name, "Jade?"
She looks at me questioningly.
"You are Jade, right?"
**********
JADE
I'm looking at Lance, wondering if he is serious or just joking with me.
"What do you mean by that? Of course I'm Jade!" He looks at me without a glint of recognition in his eyes.
"Y-You do remember me, right?"
His eyes immediately become apologetic. I slowly stand away from him, to study him well. I know Lance, and this is the kind of look he gives when he is serious.
"My mum showed me a pic of you today. She says that you are my best friend. I'm sorry that I can't remember you. I can't remember anything apart from......." He stops to think, looking upwards.
"...well, apart from my mum."
© Naomi Obasi
