Chapter 1: Greeting Nightmare

The sky was now dark.

As dark as the clothes she was wearing to her fiancé’s

funeral. The crying of the people was a cacophony to Minerva’s

ears; even her own crying.

Derrick’s sapphire engagement ring was still cherished by

her ring finger—the same color of her pristine and beautiful eyes.

Minerva wiped away the tears that had long made her

scarlet handkerchief wet. The handkerchief was the very first gift

given to her by Derrick—her first and probably last boyfriend.

“Condolence, Minerva…” The voice was familiar. It was

from Daphne, her brunette co-teacher who teaches at the same high

school as she had before.

“Thanks.” Minerva’s answer was definitely sincere—as

sincere as the love she bears to Derrick. It was very genuine to the

point that she chose to wait for Derrick’s approval of her marriage

request upon the first week of carrying his child.

It had been days already since she’d been carrying her now-

resting fiancé’s child.

Minerva could still vividly remember that Derrick was

always the person who wants to be prepared, who wants to have

perfection in such things.

But, it seems he wasn’t prepared the moment he was now

laid in the casket, in the coffin. So was Minerva. She wasn’t

prepared for any of this, to be honest.

It was just last week that she’d been preparing for the baby

and even planning to apply for work as soon as she gave birth

when the news of Derrick’s car accident reached her very ears

from her apartment’s telephone.

It was her best friend Mariella Chu, who also happens to be

working as a nurse in the local hospital, who phoned her about

Derrick’s passing.

He was dead on arrival. Perhaps God, or any supreme being

out there, didn’t give Derrick even a slight chance to live—not

even a chance to say his final goodbye to his baby. And most of

all, not even a word of goodbye to his soon-to-be-wife.

The attendees of the funeral are gradually decreasing.

Probably because midnight is nearing and most of them have their

homes hundreds of kilometres away from this venue.

The flickering lights from the candle reflect in the eyes of

Minerva as she was the sole person to be left in her former

boyfriend’s house.

Derrick lost her mother at a young age and his father

already had another family the time that he was born. So, this is the

last time she can step foot to this simple house as it was already

sold just a week ago. They’ve planned to use the money for their

settling down. Therefore, she had a bit of money left—Derrick had

a bit of money left for her and their baby.

Without further ado, she too went home to her apartment as

the caretaker of the house showed up, signalling her time to depart

into the four walls of her once beloved Derrick’s abode.

***

Morning came by the time she opened her eyes—so was her

morning sickness.

Indeed, it is not easy to bear a child as it is very

complicated. Especially to her as she was left by the only man she

dearly loved.

She grabbed the hems of the ebony curtains and swiftly

split it open, revealing the morning sun’s beaming light. She

looked to her left and the pink sticky note that she tacked on the

calendar that was just a freebie on the grocery store, reminds her

that she has a medical appointment today.

It was definitely upsetting. Upsetting due to the fact that the

cash she has on hand could probably not even buy bread and

butter. Without any choice, she phoned the only person who knew

of her current situation—her financial situation.

The phone rings on the other side and the voice of Mariella

Chu reverberates.

“Are you ready for your check up today, Minnie?”

Minnie. That was her Chinese-American best friend

nicknamed her after the famous “girlfriend” of Disney’s Mickey

Mouse.

She cleared her throat before responding to Mariella’s

query. “I am, Ella.”

“Good. Just let me know when I can fetch you. I’m still on

the home service of one of my patients as of now but I can drive to

your apartment perhaps in less than three hours.”

Minerva paused. She looked at the Hello Kitty watch that

she had since she was a grade-schooler. It’s seven in the morning.

Perfect for a nice warm bath for a pregnant single mother like her.

“Sure. I’ll just have my preparations.”

“Sure, Minnie! Bye for now.”

Then the receiver on the other end was now silent. As silent

as the morning, if not for her stomach’s rumbling that signals her

that it’s her breakfast time.

She treaded towards her bathroom that’s no less than a few

steps from her bed, and took a nice warm shower.

***

Minerva was wrong.

She was wrong that her bath would be a warm and

refreshing one.

Well, it’s kind of refreshing because her body was

definitely drenched in her own tears, sweat, and probably from her

saliva.

But still, the water from the shower seems to come from a

freezer. It was very cold as she bathed herself, bathe their selves.

Or is it just because she was pregnant? Well, the body of a

pregnant woman was always a bit “hot” on the inside, as they say.

And Minerva…she’ll forget everything for now and let the

water wash her worries away.