I Am Serious

***Esther***

Victoria stormed into the ward like someone that was being chased by a wild animal, her face

covered in sweat as she brushed past me and Nate and bolted to her mom's bed.

‘’Oh! Mother, there you are'’

She quickly hugged her mom.

‘’You scared everyone of us, we thought you were not going to make it. You have to promise not

to scare us like that anymore.’’

‘’Victoria, I never meant to scare you.’’ She said with a tone slightly above a whisper.

‘’I love you Mum'’ She said as she sobbed softly.

‘’Hey! You scared me with your text message. I had to race here, I thought something terrible

had happened.’’ She turned towards my direction as she spoke.

‘That was not the intention, it's just the Doctor that said he needed to speak with you and that

it's Urgent.’’ I replied.

‘’Oh okay, Nate is everything alright at work? You don't close before me, why are you now here

before me, I hope you have not been fired?’’ She asked curiously.

‘’I have not been fired, but I have been given a two weeks suspension without getting paid.’’ He

responded in a low tone.

‘’Two weeks? Is that not too harsh a punishment for missing a day's work, didn't you explain

what happened at home to them?’’

‘’Let's just thank God I get to keep my Job.’’

‘’Alright then, but what's up with Mum? Why did the Doctor ask us to see him urgently?’’ She

whispered.

‘’Oh we should better hurry to meet him, I guess we will know when we get there.’’

Nate said as he stood and headed for the door with Victoria.

He then turned back and gestured for me to come along which I gladly did.

‘’You can have your seat.’’ The Doctor pointed to the seats before him.’

Victoria and I sat down while Nate remained standing.

‘’Further test results have revealed that there is a tumor in her brain and we will need to operate

it as soon as possible to avoid further complications.’’ The Doctor said while maintaining his

composure.

‘’What!’’ The three of us said surprisingly.

‘’I know this is too much for you and your siblings to take in but I assure you we are going to do

everything we can to help you get through this.’’ He said calmly.

‘’Then get to it, Go ahead with the operation or what is delaying you.’’ Victoria said hurriedly.

‘’About that, you need to make some payments before we can carry out the surgery.’’ He said

as he handed over the invoice to Victoria.

‘’Amazing!’’ Victoria said as she passed the invoice to Nate.

His eyes widened as he read the invoice but maintained his composure.

‘’Thank you very much Doctor. We will get back to you as soon as we can.’’ Nate said with a

frown on his face as we all stood up to leave.

‘’Why have you both kept me in the dark? How much is the hospital bill?’’ I asked as we walked

back to the ward.

Nate handed over the invoice to me to see for myself, I saw a figure that looked like $300,000

but I kept blinking to know if I was seeing well.

‘’Is this three hundred thousand dollars or I am just dreaming?’’

‘’You are not dreaming my friend, unless we rob a bank there's absolutely no way we can ever

get that money.’’ Victoria responded sarcastically.

‘’What did the Doctor say?’’ Andrew asked.

‘’It's fine, He just said Mummy needs a lot of rest.’’ Nate said in pretense.

‘’Are you sure? Sarah asked.

‘’Of course Mum.’’ He said, avoiding her gaze.

‘’I am your mother and I know when you are lying—Tell me what the Doctor said.’’

‘’We need three hundred thousand dollars for your surgery.’’ Victoria said as she bursted into

tears.

‘’That's outrageous, where are we going to get that amount of money without health insurance?’’

Andrew asked.

‘’You should all calm down and listen to me If it's time for me to die then let it be, There's no

point worrying over anything.’’ Sarah said, smiling and hugging them one after the other as if it

would be the last time she will do that.

I kept thinking deeply of how I could be of help, I only have two hundred dollars and fifty cents,

what can that do in this situation.

Matthew's words came back and struck me like thunder, ‘’You are a liability and no one wants a

liability, You are nothing without me.’’

The thought of calling him for help kept coming to me but I kept fighting it and then I suddenly

remembered the man that proposed marriage to me at the bar—he said I won't be doing it for

free.

‘’I will sort the bill, I will pay for everything.’’ I said, interrupting their family bonding.

‘’Are you out of your mind?’’ Victoria asked in anger.

‘’I am in my right frame of mind, I am perfectly okay’’ I responded.

‘’How do you intend to pay the money?’’

Nate sounded curious.

‘’I will pay the money because I will be getting married soon, and once I get married My

husband will give it to me and I will pay.’’

I explained.

‘’Getting married? When? To whom? You just broke up with the only person that you are dating,

who are you now getting married to?’’ Nate asked.

‘’I can't believe you're actually listening to her, I'm sure she's only trying to distract us and cheer

us up.’’ Andrew said calmly.

‘’I am serious, just wait till I bring the money and you'll see.’’