******
Paige sighs checking her wrist watch, she has been waiting for Carding in the public playground, but there wasn’t any sign of him.
“Why is he not coming? He promised to come” Paige muttered.
She brought out her phone from her bag and dials Carding’s number.
It rang so many times, but no one was picking up.
“Maybe I should just call Dylan” She said and dials Dylan’s number.
It was ringing but Dylan wasn’t picking, cuz he was still crying over the death of Desmond.
“Angelo is my only last hope, I hope he picks” Paige said.
She crimps her lips before calling Angelo’s line and it took several rings before Angelo picked up.
“Hello Angelo, Is Carding with you? I’ve been trying to call him, but he’s not answering the phone, I have something really important to tell him”
“He couldn’t answer the phone cuz he left his phone at home, he’s in the hospital”
And Paige quickly spranged up on hearing the word hospital.
“Hospital? Wh.. what happened to him Angelo?” Paige asked as tears began forming itself in her eyes.
“Not him exactly, but his mom. His Dad came home and beat her up, which landed her to be in the hospital, Carding is about to go insane as we speak” Angelo said and looks at Carding who was still sitting on the floor crying.
“Where’s the hospital located?”
******
THE REYES’S MANSION***
“Dad, Mom, you can’t withdraw your shares from the Cromwell’s hospital” Barney said crying.
“We have to Barney, Dylan isn’t doing well when it comes to medical lessons, I heard he failed woefully in the mid test, our shares is better off with someone else” Mrs Reyes said.
“No you can’t. If you do that, I won’t have anything to hold Dylan with. His parents always give in to my demands, because of the huge share you invested in their hospital, if you pull out your shares, I might not be able to be with Dylan”.
“But he doesn’t love you Barney. We agreed to your engagement with him, because you begged and cried for us to push through with it” Mr Reyes said.
“I love Dylan Dad, I love him so much and he’s the one I want to spend the rest of my life with”
“Is that the kind of life you want? To be in a toxic relationship. There’re better guys out there Barney”
“There’re many fishes in the river, but Dylan is the only one that caught my attention, I’m sure he’s going to love me if I continue trying” Barney said.
“Haven’t you been trying? Your efforts to make him love you is becoming fruitless. Maybe we should just pull out our shares and called off the engagement” Mrs Reyes said.
“No Mom, I’m going to ki|| myself if you both do that”
“Your jocking, right?”
“Then don’t pull out your shares or call off the engagement if you don’t want my words to become serious. I love him, so please, don’t push through with wh@ťěver you both are planning” Barney said.
“Fine, I won’t do anything if that’s going to make you happy” Mr Reyes said.
“Yes it will” Barney said squealing happily.
******
HOSPITAL***
Paige rushed Inside the hospital, and sees Carding sitting on the bare floor crying, Angelo was beside him.
Her heart sinks seeing the state Carding was. He looked half-dead and his head was still bleeding at every given seconds.
“Carding” She calls out his name.
Carding looks at her with wetty eyes.
“Paige” He muttered allowing his tears to floor down his cheeks.
Paige went to where he was sitting, she squats beside him and hugs him, patting him softly.
“Paige my Mom is unconscious, she’s not opening her eyes, she’s has blood over her Page. I.. I…I.. don’t want to loose my mom, she’s the only family I have, she’s all I have” Carding said crying in her shoulder.
Paige blinks back her tears trying not to cry, seeing Carding in a hurtful condition, is breaking her heart countlessly.
“Don’t think negatively Carding, Your Mom is going to be fine. She’s going to fight for her life, She loves you so much and can’t possibly leave you behind, just have faith that she’s going to be okay” Paige said patting him.
Carding hicups in tear, hugging her tightly.
Angelo looks at Carding and felt so pity for him.
He (Angelo) may not have good parents, but he could say they were better than Vince, Cuz his parents love each other, they’d have been the best parents if not that they were always pressuring him to do better in school, so as to keep their reputation.
Among them (CAD), Carding was the one suffering the most.
He wasn’t just born by wedlock, but has a dad who h@ťěs him so much, and a mom who doesn’t want to leave the man who keeps mistreating her, all because of her stupid love for him (Vince).
Thinking about this, Angelo felt so sorry for his best friend Carding. And he wondered if Dylan was doing okay too, cuz it was unlike him not to answer his phone.
***
SOME MINUTES LATER***
Carding’s head was on Paige’s shoulder, crying silently.
Angelo has left to get him something to eat, and perhaps check up on Dylan too.
“Stop crying Carding” Paige said cleaning his tears.
“I can’t help it Paige, my mom has been in the ER for hours now, and the doctor is not coming out to tell me the outcome of her health, What if something bad has happened to her Paige” Carding said crying.
“Shhhh don’t cry, she’s going to be fine” Paige said assuring him.
“Thank you Paige” Carding said wrapping his hands around her waist, with his head still on her head.
Paige smiles and caressed his hair like a baby.
The doctor approach them, and Carding quickly spranged up, rushing to him.
“How’s my mom’s health doctor?” Carding asked, while Paige looked at the doctor.
“She fell into coma”
“What” Carding muttered, almost losing balance, but Paige was quick to hold him.
“My mom fell into coma?” Carding asked as tears didn’t hesitate to conduct its festival in his eyes.
“Yes, but she’s going to fine. Is not a 50-50 grantee, so she’s going to wake up pretty soon” The doctor said and leaves.
Carding heaves out, crying again.
“Why’re you crying Carding? The doctor said she’s going to wake up soon” Paige said.
“The thought of not seeing her eyes for a while is breaking my heart Paige. My evil dad almost ki||ed my mom, and I can’t press charges against him because he’s the law himself, I h@ťě my life, I f-__-king h@ťě my life”.
“That’s enough Carding, Your crying too much and you might get sick”.
“I don’t want to live with that monster anymore, I don’t want to be his son, I don’t want to be in the same house with him” Carding said crying.
“You can live with us Carding”
Carding looks at her with wetty eyes.
“You can live in my house still your mom wakes up from coma, is not big like your house but it’s comfortable, Your free to stay at my house for the meantime” Paige said and Carding looks at her.
*****
THE WENDELL’S MANSION***
“I’ll just get my things, and we’ll leave” Carding said.
Paige nods and Carding went to his room.
Paige sighs looking around, the door opened and Vince enters the house with a woman and anger boiled inside Paige’s body on seeing him.
“What kind of a monster are you? You beat up Carding’s mom to stupor and you even had the nerves to bring in a wh-_-re, despite the fact that she’s is in a critical condition!!!” Paige yells at him.
“Who the heck are you and what’re doing in my house?” Vince asked.
“A stupid man like you isn’t worth my introduction” Paige said.
“How dare you call my man stupid…” The lady was cut short with a slap from Paige and she used her butt to hit the floor forcefully.
“I get it that Carding wasn’t what you planned to have, but he’s still your son!! Where are your brain? Did you by chance sell it in the hospital in exchange for wealth, how can you treat Carding like a trash, you incompetent fool!!!”.
“Did you just call me a fool?” Vince as anger range in his eyes.
“I’m sure your ears aren’t clogged, your the worst dad one could ever think of having, if you were my dad, I’d trade you out for one seed of rice, your not just a fool, but an @$$h0le!!!” Paige yells at him.
“How dare you call me names!!” Vince shouted and tries to slap Paige, but Paige quickly took the dinning table’s knife, since she was standing close to it, and points the knife at him.
“Go ahead, try to slap me, and I won’t hesitate to pluck out your eyes!!!” Paige yells pointing the knife directly at his eyes.
TBC