Chapter 30:FREE AT LAST
The rain poured with rage on the afternoon sky. The howling wind rattled the window frames. From the gap on the partially open window which I reminded myself to close and still forgotten to do the task, I could see thick mist forming, it depressingly shrouded the view to Amelie's garden which I hoped and prayed was spared from the gloomy weather's wrath—particularly her newly planted babies would still be alive when the frenzy was over.
A gust of wind trespassed on the crevice of the window and it whooshed past me, leaving me shivering from the cold. The burgeoning thoughts keeping me busy faded as I lifted the blanket closer to my chin absorbing the available warmth it could provide. I curled deeper into the bed, hoping my shivering would stop.
The cold wind was lulling me to sleep, and I fought hard not to succumb to the urge. Not now, I mumbled as I forced my heavy-eyelids open. All I have been doing this past few weeks was sleep, and it had not helped me one bit, my unwell state worsened instead. Not that I could help it, I can't just carry on my task with a pounding head and bile rising from my stomach each time I made an effort to get up.
I've been sick for over a week now. I was trying to keep myself at ease by blaming my sickness from the extreme stress I was currently under while shooing the fearful negativity that I am suffering a chronic illness that runs through our family. No! I just couldn't die after I've just got my freedom from five-year imprisonment.
The reason behind my extreme stress was undoubtedly due to my divorce. Even if months passed already since the last time I saw Ace, I still haven't recovered which only proved that I did love him. But despite the conflicting emotions weakening my resolve, I am slowly drifting to moving on. One day, I will never feel the pain anymore, only peace and happiness.
I pulled the thermometer out my mouth, praying that my fever could be no more than 38°C but it seems the heavens refused to listen to my prayer, and the thermometer screamed an alarming 39.4 °C upon I looked at it. I weakly returned it to its container and turned the cold towel that draped my temples upside down.
The rain pouring outside the window intensified as if it was showing its sympathy to my forbidding mood as I lay beneath the blanket, cold and shivering from fever. I might be hallucinating now, the ceiling was doing circular motions... And Ace was there... Looking down on me, worry darkened his expression, and his eyebrows were scrunched into a frown.
His large fingers landed on my neck, checking my temperature. His movement became frantic as he snatched the towel from the temples, soaked it on the basin filled with cold water, and draped it back to my temples after.
Impossible. I told myself looking at the ghostly apparition in front of me. My ex-husband would not be here, he was busy preparing for his grand wedding, and it would be tomorrow. Yeah, Angela and Ace were about to get married. Last week my ticket to freedom arrived, clad in a brown envelope. The paper states that we are legally divorced.
I'm dying, I tried to convince myself I'm not, but the apparition who suddenly appeared on my line of vision failed to disappear despite my best efforts to return to reality. There's only one reason I could come up with which explains my hallucinations,? I'm on the brink of death.
My eyelids grew heavier, my sight turned blurry. My eyelashes fluttered close and open like a butterfly's wings drifting to its destination.? I can no longer lift my eyelids open and after a tug of war with sleep, I stop struggling and allow the currents to carry me away to unknown lands I was yet to discover.
Tender fingers brushed the hair that strayed my face. I sighed as the total darkness swallowed me up.
I woke up the next day from the rays of sunshine streaming in from the crevice of the parted window. I was alone inside my room, and there's no sign that my ex-husband had been there last night. I sighed with relief, eased myself up, and leaned on the headboard. The sign of fever fled my body, and my strength hasn't recovered yet but I feel much much better than yesterday.
My gaze drifted outside the window. The rain had stopped, the radiant sun ruled the morning sky. I was grateful to the lord for extending my life.
Suddenly bile rose on my throat and dizziness descended on me. Cold sweat formed on my temples and I ran to the bathroom and emptied my stomach with the food I ate yesterday. My strength was drained from my body as I clung tighter to the sink for support.
What if I'm dying?
Vomiting, dizziness, and hair loss. Those were the first signs mom felt before she was diagnosed with cancer. And now, that's the obvious symptoms I was suffering for a couple of weeks now.
I vanished the horrifying idea off my head but it was too late, the terrifying possibility was quickly spreading throughout my body like poison eating my sanity. My fingers wrapped around the sink trembled with fear, color escaped my body. It took all the courage I could muster to return to bed, my thoughts swirling in chaotic disorder as I sat on the edge with beads of sweat trickling my forehead.
Finally, when the battle within me stopped, color returned to my face. Somehow, the uncontrollable urge to vomit had stopped and I slightly felt better. I stood up, though a little bit dizzy and my walking unstable, I successfully reached the wooden cabinet and retrieved some clothes for my doctor's appointment to pick my medical results today.
I snatched the towel from the rack and made a beeline straight to the bathroom. A few minutes later, I emerged wearing a black chiffon blouse and tight-fitted jeans I remember buying from my first salary.
After drying my hair and taming it into a ponytail, I walk towards the door, a clutch bag tightly held around my fingers. The door closed behind me.
Once outside, I quickly hailed a cab and climbed inside. After telling the driver my destination, I leaned on the backseat and stared at the passing view on the window.
The thought of dying at the young age of twenty-three sacred the hell out of me. I still have so many things to achieve, slapping Ace with success was one of them.