4

*FLASHBACK*

When Mara’s phone rang it was a call from Angela’s dad that her mother left the iron on a cloth while she went out and met her accident and before they could all realize it, the cloth had burned and the flames slowly it engulfed the whole house and… and the house burned down before people could douse out the fire.

Mara sat down crying heartedly, their house is the first and the only property the mother and the daughter had acquired over the years.

Mara asked her friends what the issue was but they were hesitant to tell her anything tangible because of the news they just heard..

"Why did my mum go out to the street and who's the Bastard that jammed her? She asked angrily

"Mara calm down we should just hope for the best" Charles said

"Then why are you all crying? What happened? I want to see my mum! Where is she? What's the situation? She asked getting up but Lisa held her back

" No Mara, you can't see her now, the doctor is attending to her, he told is that her spinal cord is impaired and she might not... She might not make it" She blurted

"Arrgh! Mara groaned.... She then asked who knocked her down then they pointed to Xavier and his family....

Mara's eye flew in rage.... She stood up...

Meanwhile...

"Aunt what happened? Why are you here? Xavier asked

"Xavier.... I... I... Mistakenly hit someone with my car and... And ... She.." The the woman broke into sobs.

Xavier was surprised, Celine was also crying because she was in the car with her mum when the accident Happened and she was the cause of the accident.

"Big brother.... What.. what if the patient die? I'll go to prison isn't it? She asked sobbing

"Stop it, Celine Nothing Will Happen to you while I am around but Celine persisted "But if I didn't force you to snap picture with me this won't have Happened" She whined then Xavier pet her but Mara interrupted them

"I have swore that I'll find you till the last drop of my blood and kill you! Because you hit me... But now you and your silly family tried to kill my only mother? She asked angrily

Xavier kept quiet, Mara continued "you kept quiet there in the afternoon now you're keeping quiet too? Just you wait of anything happens to my mum I'll make you smell your own anus! She swore.

This time Celine moved forward and held Mara by the hand through her rage....

"Sister I am sorry, don't shout on my brother he's not at fault.... It's mine" She said but Mara through her anger pushed her away making Celine fall to the ground in a scattered mess.

Not relenting, Mara walked towards her and made to beat her more but her friends came and held her back then Xavier spoke up

"I'll take responsibility if anything happens dont lay your dirty hands on my sister! He ordered...

Mara retreated and faced him "I can see you are really something, you will take responsibility for Killing my mum? You'll take responsibility for Killing the only family I ever got you neat bastard? She asked

Just then the operating room door opened and the doctor came out while the other two Doctor pushed the carrier that was carrying Mara's mum. Mara rushed to the doctor

"What happened doctor?

"Am so sorry, we tried out best, but we lost her" He said and left leaving the corpse with them.

Mara stood still for some moments, unsure of what she just heard she walked closed to her mum, her life, her world, her soul mate but she laid lifeless, she looked as if she was sleeping gentle, pretty and calm.

She shook her gently expecting her to wake up but she was not staring, tears were streaming down her face....

"Mum pls wake up its time let's go home I made alot sales today lets go" she asked expecting her to wake up and ask her about the day and tell her that her meal is Ready like she always does.

But her beautiful mom did not stirr she just laid there lifeless.

Her friends cried more but Celine's cries were the loudest. Mara's flipped open in rage and charged towards Mrs Astrid and made to punch her but Xavier went in the way... And recieved the blow in her stead.

"Because if you an your bastard family I lost my mum and my house I'll make sure I kill you" She said still trying to punch Mrs Astrid but her friends held her down.

She broke down into crying. Mrs Astrid walked towards her and held her hand but Mara slapped her hand away.

The woman didn't relent,"I am so sorry for this injustice that was melted to you, My family and I will forever be indebted to you" She said

"Pls.... I mean Pls and pls..... Leave me for now, any word from you will made me loose all" Mara swore and left the hospital with her friends.

She had signed the contract with the hospital, for her mother to be cremated in the hospital cemetery.

She headed back to Flaky town downgraded,Sad,broken and distraught.

"Mara it's okay.... You can come and stay with my family" Angela said

"How? I don't have anything, nor even a cloth, all .y drawings, all my mother's treasures, her precious sewing machine, the only soveniour my father left for us, everything is gone In a whim ........ "Mara said

"It's our fault, we shouldn't all have rushed after her like that.... We're in rush to get her to the hospital that's why we didn't get to know about the burning house" Dawn said

"No Dawn, it's not your fault, in fact you guys are friends indeed, Thank you buddies from everything" She said with a sad smile.

Lisa hugged her, "No need for courtesy, you don't have to be polite with us, we're families not only friends, Aunt is also our mother...." she said and the crying section then resumed.

They cried together before departing.Mara took her bike and drove to some remote part of the town and and settled in a pub and begain drinking.

Back at Xavier's home....

"Arrgh, that woman died, what if her daughter Sue's us? Then the company will be in a huge Problem then Big brother will be busy again! Celine whinnned.

"Shut up! Your whinnings and your whims are distracting me! I can't think you brat! Mrs Astrid Quipped at her

"Aunt? Calm down, I'll look for the daughter and compensate her and prevent her from taking this legally" Xavier said

"No Xavier, she didn't look like someone that can be calmed down and you can see that she's definitely angry with you but I heard that you guys met before? She asked

Xavier cleared his throat "Actually, we met in the afternoon, after lunch, I was coming back from Celine's arranged blind date, and we met in the traffic rampage" He said.

"But bro how will you compensate her? Celine asked

"Dont worry I'll ask whatever she might want!

★

She drank and drank to her heart content, sadly and with pained heart broken heart. She drank angrily, sadly, then bought alot of beer and drove toward OUR STYLES that night.

She parked opposite Our STYLES GROUP and sat down at the artificial water fall and opened the beer can one after the other.

"Can't you see? My dream was to join Our STYLES so that I can make people see my Designs and styles.....and also earn money bury greatest enemy is the president.... Isn't my life complicated? She asked no one in particular as she drank the wine in huge gulps.

Then picking another can.... She continued, "My mum, My world, that Woman is the only person that I ever got, after God she's the next , we both hustled well to get money to buy that house... I didn't even go to school trips because of short of money, I leech on Lisa and others for food in school and some tips now the woman is dead.... Killed" She said again and drank another wine and a tear slipped her face.

................

"President, I went to Flaky town but the lady is no where to be found, her friends said she left after they returned from the hospital" Secretary Tan said

"That's good you can go home now I'll handle the resr I still have some files to handle at the office" He said as Secretary Tan stopped the car in front of the hospital and left.

Xavier came out of the car himself and made to leave but stopped when she heard the sound of empty can loitering you on the road across.

He walked across and saw her there Drunk and wasted. She was dozing when he got there, her body was reeking of alcohol. Xavier covered his nose and sprayed his sanitizer then called out to her after staying away from her "Hey! Hey!!, Mara stared up and saw him...

"Ohh it's you? The best freak? Having fun with your neat attitudes? She asked

"Why are you making a fuss here? I have something to discuss with you! He said

"You.... Because of you.....My mum died, because of you..... Our house got burnt, because of you!!!! Again I am left homeless.... Motherless, Orphaned, and Jobless" She said and laughed then drank another beer and stood up and walked towards him while he walked backwards.

"Hey... Hey... Stop... stop there. Lady... Lady... Back off" He called as she was walking toward him

Mara didn't stop, her face was sunken and hazy... She kept walking toward him not until his back hit the pole and he stopped.

"Hey... Stop! Xavier called but Mara didn't stop and walked even nearer.

As she came before him...... She vomited on his body and fainted.