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Five

Chapter Five

She felt every cell, every tissue, every organ,everything that made her human, melt as she heard those words. Her  started beating fast and loud, that Francis could hear it . She had begun to delve into the world of darkness and the only thing she heard continuously,was the statement - He is gone.

She sank slowly in Francis arms and wished for the approaching darkness to come as soon as possible.

But there was the force that did not allow it. The darkness just wouldn't devour her.

She then decided to get up,summon courage and face her dad. A part of her kept singing encouragingly that he wasn't dead.

I have to wake him up, she thought, as she got herself together and left Francis arms resisting his hold that didn't want to leave her

She barged into the room and walked straight to her dad's body on the hospital bed where it was already cold waiting to be packed to its house.

She moved slowly towards him, ignoring the noise that sounded scratchy, coming from others in the room.

"Pa..." Her throat felt dry, the words didn't want to come, but she forced them anyways.

"Paapi..."

She sat at the little space she had sat earlier.

"Paapi, it is me.Jeni..."

She pushed the incoming tears away .

She put her hand on his cheeks, they felt really cold to the touch, she caressed it. A sad smile sat on her face and started a vacation.

She kept on caressing it like she did whenever she needed something .

She waited, waited for him to respond. All she needed him to do was  place his hand on hers and guide her to caress his cheeks.

But when nothing came, she burst out in tears.The tears felt very hot,burning her cheeks. She took her hand away reluctantly , but kept her eyes on his closed eyes that made him look like he was sleeping. That thought gave her mind  a boost and she decided not to just let him go.

"Daddy, it is me, your Muffins.Daddy, talk to me. Please do, I need you to talk to me.Daddy wake up please,I need you.I can't live this life alone.You can't leave this way.You have to wake up.You have..."

She fell on his chest, more tears coming out. She cried,her whole body started shaking furiously. She clutched his clothes tight, silently hoping that he would respond.

But he didn't .

As it kept hitting her that he was gone, she just could not agree.

He just couldn't go that way.He left her to deal with this world. He did not even...

She stopped her thoughts, more like diverted it.

Everything happens for a purpose.

God has his reasons for letting this happen.

She did not know if she heard someone say it or perhaps she thought it.

She stopped crying and raised her head from her Dad's chest.

She stared at the white painted ceiling. To others, she was just staring at it, or maybe thinking.

But she was querying Him.

The man who brought her to this world.

The man who gave her parent but took away one, at point of giving birth to her.

The man that she and her dad believed in, even during hard times.

The man who, according to the Book, sits on a throne ,overseeing everything.

She was querying God.

"Why?" She asked quietly.

"Why?" She repeated as though God had just appeared and had just happened to notice her.

"Why did you do this?" She took her eyes off the ceiling and looked at her dad.

"Why him? Why him? You know I need him, I always did" She whispered to herself and God.

But there was nothing, no response.

She made her lips into dome shape and shook her head.

She stared at her dad intently.

How is he dead?

She thought as she kept staring at him. She told herself once more that he wasn't dead.

A force ripped her heart,and made her grab her dad's shoulders.

"Dad!" She screamed,the whole of JK Architecture heard.

She kept on shaking him.

"Dad.... won't let... him... you...must... wake... up."

She said, shaking him, her tears pouring than ever.

Doctor Sarah, who had red eyes from tears, summoned the nurses in white standing behind her watching the whole thing, tears also in their eyes.

It was a party of tears.

They walked up to her and peeled her hands off him gently.

Jennifer looked at the people that had interrupted her.

"You know,don't you?"

The nurses looked at each other, one with a red hair answered her .

"Know what ma'am?" She asked softly.

"That he is not dead."

They looked at each other again .

"He is..."

"He..."

"He is not dead." They chorused, flashing fake smiles.

Jennifer nodded her head,with a faked bright looking smile plastered on her face.

But as she got up, with the aid of the nurses, the smile faded.

Even as she shrugged off the nurses hands and walked out,the sad smile persisted.


Life.

Today, someone is brought to it.

Tomorrow, someone leaves.

After living  briefly, they leave for a place still unknown to living humans.

But the painful part is the people they leave behind, the people that love them, the ones that care for them.

They leave them crashed, sad, broken.

But what to do, such is life.

The Chapel of the City of Bahama recorded a large number of congregation on this particular day.

Far and close, a lot of people came over to pay last respects to a great man who made his impact in the architectural world.

The church, painted purely white with a huge wood- made polished cross greeting incoming people.

It was highlighted by the ash -white tiles.

But on this particular day, it was characterised specially by the white casket and the large number of people.

As the priest preached on the pulpit, he testified to how  great a man he was.

He also allowed for others to come over and pay tributes when he was done.

But Jennifer was in another world.

A world full of void.

She wasn't thinking.

She wasn't seeing.

She wasn't listening.

She just sat there.

Oblivious to what was going on, to what people were saying about her father .

She was away.

Sad.

Broken.

So empty.

An important part of her life was gone.

She just sat there, staring at nothing.

After those who had something to say were done,the priest called her to say something before the white casket was taken away and  put into the ground, it's final destination.

Amanda touched her friend's arm, jolting her to life.

She asked her if she wanted to say anything.

She nodded her head and stood up, her black dress mopping the floor.

She walked to the pulpit, Amanda by her side to help her in case she fell. But she did not need it the help,so she jerked Amanda's hand as carefully as possible and she got on the pulpit and collected the microphone .

She faced the crowd, who were very quiet that all you could hear was the chorus of the standing fans. They all waited patiently for her to talk, taking pity on her especially with the pale and red face she wore.

She tightened her grip on the mic and the only words that came out was, "He is gone."

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