A SECOND CHANCE TO YOUR HEART - CHAPTER 13&14
[ Moving to California ]
Joelle’s face provided a smile as she stared at her. She’s really wonderful.
**
NEXT DAY.
“Attention everyone!”Veronica shouted, holding a bottle of soju raised up.
“What’s it Vero! It’s too early for your jokes!”one of the customers said.
“No jokes no jokes, did you hear a child’s cry?”she asked with smiles.
“I think I did when I came in”one said.
“Off course, we now have a baby!”she screamed, jumping around and though the people don’t get that much but her excited movement made them also scream.
“Nica!”Granny shouted as she walked out, raised her walking stick up as she chased her round the restaurant.
“Granny! I’m just too excited!”she shouted.
“Would you stop so I can hit you at least! You’re making your Granny run!”Granny said and the customers laughed.
“You don’t expect me to stop Granny, it’s a race!”she said and the laughter increased. Granny stopped chasing but threw one of her slippers to her which met her head.
“Ouch!”she groaned.
“Get back to work!”Granny said.
“There’s a free bottle of soju today!”she shouted.
“Yah!!”
“One bottle for a table though!”she shouted and ran to the kitchen as they began murmuring. Five people occupies a table so what will a bottle do.
“Really! A bottle for a table?”Granny laughed as she walked into the kitchen but met emptiness. She immediately understood.
Veronica has been staring at the baby since last night and if possible, he did be having her face cause of her stare.
“No one would believe he’s mine”Joelle said as she watched her stare at him.
“I’m his mother also”she giggled, touching his hand.
“Do you now have a name for him?”she asked, not taking her eyes off him.
“Why don’t you give him one”Joelle said.
“Really! I can?”she gushed.
“That will forever make you happy so yes”Joelle said.
“You’re the best!”she screamed and stood up, pacing around.
“I have three names in mind”she said.
“All in your hands”Joelle said.
“Okay, FRED, JESSE AND DEREK”she said and continued. “I’ll spell all of it, pointing at each name and the last letter on any name is what I’ll pick!”she said and picked a pen and paper where she wrote down the names and started.
“F R E D J E S S E D E R E K”she spelt, a letter on a name, F on Fred, R on Jesse, E on Derek, D on Fred, J on Jesse, E on Derek and like that till the last letter K stops on JESSE.
“Jesse!”she screamed.
“Nice”Joelle smiled.
“But wait, you’re his mother, don’t you at least have a name?”she asked.
“He wouldn’t be Jesse then”Joelle said.
“Even if I wanna know the name you have for him but I want him to bear the one I picked”she smiled and faced the baby.
“Jesse”she called and he blinked his eyes which made her jump in excitement.
“Did you see that!”she shouted.
“Yes…”Joelle laughed, calling the name and he blinked again.
“He loves it”Joelle smiled.
“Off course he does, he blinked twice, I love him so much!”she screamed. If excitement could ki||, she’d be dead by now.
“You better don’t love a child!”Granny said from the entrance.
“You always ki|| my fun, Granny!”she groaned.
“Fun? How would you scream you love a new born child like that and how would you even give him a name?”she asked, coming in.
“He loves it, you should call him that, he’s gonna blink”she said.
“Let’s see about that”Granny said and sat next to him, carrying him.
“Jesse”she called but nothing happened, he did nothing.
“Say it again”she said.
“Jesse”
“But he blinked even when Elle called him”she said, by now Joelle was laughing.
“Isaac”Granny said and he blinked, not only ones.
“See, he loves the name”Granny bragged.
“What’s even Isaac, come on Granny!”she groaned.
“Laughter, he bought laughter to us”
“Fine but we’re calling him Jesse”she said.
“Are you the mother of the child?”Granny scoffed.
“She accepted, okay?”
“Go look over the restaurant”Granny said.
“I will, lemme just call him Jesse again”she moved closer.
“Jesse”she called, smiling and this time, he smiled lightly.
“See that!”she beeped in excitement.
“Isaac”Granny smiled and he smiled widely.
“Cheating Jesse, cheating!”she shouted, leaving. All Joelle could do was laugh. She just loves everything about her and sadly, she wished she had such an happy life.
“You seem very happy”Granny said.
“I am, Nica is a great blessing to me”she muttered.
“I’m sure he’s handsome like his father”Granny said, changing the topic but she said nothing.
“You shouldn’t think much about it and off course, you made the right choice to keeping him”
“Thanks Granny, thanks for accepting me, thanks for…..”
“We’re family, it’s our duty”Granny cut in and she smiled. Placing back Jesse on the bed, she turned to her.
“Everything in this life happens for a reason and though it will take long but you’ll surely know the reason someday”Granny said and she nodded.
“Remember, Jesse brought laughter back to you and I’m sure he’ll be keeping it forever, so don’t give up”Granny said, giving her a short hug before walking out.
She smiled widely, staring at already sleeping Jesse.
“Thanks for being strong for mommy, mommy is gonna make you proud”she muttered, patting his hair.
**
CALIFORNIA, NIGHT.
Erica came off the cab as she stared at the building in front of her. They’re having a college party here, not only the students in her college but also others.
“You came?”a girl said immediately she walked in. “Come over!”she added and Erica walked to her. She’s with some other people.
“Hi”she smiled, trying to see everyone’s face.
“You look beautiful”a guy said and she smiled. Her eyes moved to the next person by the guy who compliment her.
“Jeffrey!”she said without knowing but he didn’t raise his head.
“Jeffrey? Who’s that?”the girl who spoke earlier said.
“Him!”she pointed at Jeffrey who’s looking at her.
“Don’t you know me? Erica”she said but he kept looking.
“Even if you don’t remember me, don’t you remember Elle, Joelle? You both dated”she said.
“I don’t know you, girl”he said bluntly.
“What? Are you trying to act innocent! Don’t you know…..”
“Can you stop it already! I don’t know you and that’s it and I’m not the guy named Jeffrey, you should look for him elsewhere”he said and stood up, leaving.
“Is he a twin or what?”she muttered.
“I think you’re mistaking him for someone else”the girl earlier said.
“Maybe”she muttered.
**
FOUR YEARS LATER.
Young Jesse could be seen as he roam round the restaurant with his toy car. The restaurant is closed today so he’s free.
“Mommy!”he screamed rushing to Joelle.
“Darling!”she carried him in excitement.
“I’m right here!”Veronica made jealous face and Joelle dropped him while he went to her.
“Daddyy”she stretched the word which made her smile, taking his hand as the roll.
“The both of you”Joelle groaned, dropping her hand bag
“Where’s Granny?”she asked.
“Sleeping!”he shouted as they finally stopped, the both of them falling with heavy breath.
“I love it”he smiled.
“You should smile like that in school, our neighbours your classmates says you always act cold to everyone”Veronica said as Joelle handed both of them water.
“Cause I don’t like them”he muttered.
“That sassy reply, were you like this Elle?”she stood up.
“Maybe Granny was”Joelle said.
“Right, she’s an hard but”she said.
“But I love granny more and when she calls me Isaac, I’m always happy”he said.
“Really! Granny or I?”she asked.
“Hmmm, Mommy!”she said.
“Granny, Mommy and I?”
“Hmmm, Isaac!”he said.
“Jesse!”she shouted chasing him as his laughter filled the restaurant.
“You both!”Joelle shouted, laughing.
“I love you all, that’s what it means, I can’t choose”he said as he stopped getting tired.
“So emotional”Veronica hugged him.
“But I’m gonna pick Isaac always”she said and he let go of her which he immediately ran off.
*
They all sat down for dinner.
“We’ll be leaving for California soon”Veronica said.
“Oh, soon?”Granny muttered.
“Yes and you have to get the restaurant closes, you’re too old for it”Joelle said.
“I’m in support”Jesse muttered.
“See, you should rest from now on”Veronica said.
“But they keep wanting my noodles”she said.
“And when you die? Come on Granny”Joelle said.
“I’ll think about it”she muttered and they smiled.
“I’m tagging along right? To California”Jesse asked.
“Not yet, if I and Nica gets a better job, we’ll come get you and Granny”Joelle said.
“Okay mommy!”he smiled.
Joelle and Veronica made her contact before smiling. At least they had to attend college even if it was the cheapest one and now, moving to California is their aim.
TBC