Gradually, days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Five months more and Yvonne's school days are over.
One fine day afternoon while the sun was scorching hot, Daniel came home only to see the maids panicking with worry.
Immediately the head maid saw Daniel, she quickly approached him. " Welcome Master" she said and lightly bowed her head.
" Why's everybody looking so worried?" he roamed his eyes around the living room and seeing no signs of Aunt Phillis asked " Where's nanny? "
The sudden mention of Aunt Phillis made the head maid panic. Out of her panicking state, she kneeled down before him. "Master please forgive me. It's because of my irresponsibility. I didn't take care proper care of Ma'am as you asked me." she begged
The sudden act and words of the head maid surprised Daniel. He slightly frowned with knitted brows and looked at the head maid who seemed to be crying with confusion clearly written all over his face.
He looked ahead at the other maids and suddenly felt unease. " Why are you apologizing? And where's nanny?" he asked sounding a bit impatient.
He was unease because he knew of the condition in which Aunt Phillis was in. So when he saw the head maid hesitating, his gaze turned cold.
"Ma'am...ma'am, she..she.." she pointed at the direction of the kitchen " she fainted a while back in the kitchen when she was cooking" the head maid struggled with fear as the words left her mouth.
" What did you say?"
Before Daniel could say anything, a very cold voice sounded. Emil had just entered the room when he heard the maid's words.
' His mummy fainted? But why?'
Daniel turned his head sideways to look at his brother. He felt guilty when he saw his pained look.
He should have told the truth long time. There's no hiding it now !
The head maid shock in fear when he saw the cold gaze of Emil. She hurriedly looked down and spoke the same words she had earlier said.
But before she could finish speaking, Emil left in large quick steps towards Aunt Phillis room. Daniel took two steps and as if remembering something, paused his steps.
He turned to head maid "Have you called the doctor?" he asked, his voice sounding less cold this time round.
"Yes, he's inside ma'am's room checking on her." the head maid hurriedly replied.
Daniel turned and head to Aunt Phillis room. When he reached the room, he stood undecided by the door and stared as the doctor did his work on the unconscious woman lying on the bed.
" Why's she still unconscious? Didn't you just say nothing is wrong with her? Then tell me, how come she fainted ?" Emil asked question after question to their family Doctor.
He was becoming more impatient as the clock ticked with no change happening. He couldn't comprehend as to why his mummy was still unconscious when the Doctor had said it wasn't anything serious.
The doctor turned to face Emil, with his mouth slightly opened. He was about to speak when he saw Daniel standing at the door with his arms folded across his chest. He silently heaved a sigh of relieve.
Now he has someone to save him.
Daniel upon seeing the doctor's pleading look, nodded slightly to assure him.
"Why aren't you saying anything?!" Emil frowned irritated. He coldly gazed at the doctor.
As the doctor made to speak, a voice beat him to it. " Brother stop scaring the old man. Do you want us to have another person faint ?" Daniel said trying to ease the tension in the room.
Emil didn't say or ask anything else to the doctor. He just tightly held the unconscious woman's hand in his as he stared at her.
As if Aunt Phillis could hear and feel Emil's anxious heart, she opened her eyes minutes after he held her hand. She first looked at the hand that held tightly onto hers before looking up to the owner of the hand.
Meanwhile, Daniel had made a call to the old mansion telling their parents and grandfather to come to their mansion right away.
He didn't divulge any information except that Aunt Phillis had fainted and was unconscious.
The doctor once again heaved a relieve sigh when Aunt Phillis opened her eyes. Though, deep within him, he felt guilty for keeping quite all these years.
" Mummy, what ha..."
" Am fine. There's no need to worry" Aunt Phillis quickly answered trying to drive Emil's attention away from what made her faint.
But unfortunately for her, Daniel had his own plans.
Minutes later, hurried footsteps was heard approaching the room. Daniel who still stood at the door, opened the door widely for the people who had just arrive to enter.
Kathryn was the first to enter. She quickened her steps to bed. " What happened? " she looked at the doctor as she asked and turned to look at the patient." How are faring " she asked.
Phillis forced a smile, " Am not dying anytime soon. So don't celebrate yet" She said funnily.
" Oh, I see. You still have the strength to joke" Elder Anderson (changed from Tang) chuckled teasingly
"Nanny, I think its high time they know" Daniel's sudden words confused everybody with the exception of the doctor and Phillis.
Aunt Phillis stared shortly at him and shook her head. She didn't want to cause them pain. Especially her son, Emil.
" Am sorry nanny, but I can't keep it from them any longer. Please forgive me for breaking my promise."Daniel said helplessly.
He also wish to spare his brother the pain and anguish. But from what happened earlier that afternoon, he was scared of keeping it to himself. He feared something worse might happen someday.
Emil looked between his brother and his mummy Phillis. His sharp eyes didn't miss the brief stare and shook of aunt Phillis head. He knew something was amis when his brother didn't relent to his mummy's pleading eyes.
"Spill it. What's it about?"
Daniel looked to the doctor and blinked, giving him the go ahead. The doctor understood his gesture.
" Am sorry but Phillis is suffering from leukemia. She was diagnosed for almost four year now oversees..."
" What?!" They all with the exception of Daniel exclaimed loudly.
Emil sharply looked at Daniel, and as if remembering something asked, " was that it?"
Daniel frowned perplexed, not understanding what Emil was hinting at. He gazed questionably at Emil.
"So you knew about this all along. You didn't even cherish our bond of no secrets ?" Emil gazed disappointedly and painfully at his brother.
Daniel kept mum as he gazed back at his brother. His gaze full of guilt.
"Aren't you our family's doctor? Why did you have to keep such an important news from us?!" Kathryn screamed glaringly at the doctor.
"That..that.." the doctor stammered not knowing what to say
" That was my decision. I begged them not to tell any of you. Don't be hard on the doctor. And.." She looked at Daniel who still stood at the door with guilt written all over his face and said, "And son, you need not be guilty. Am sorry for everything. I shouldn't have asked you to keep it as a secret." Aunt Phillis regrettably apologized.
"So, is there any improvement ?" Emil retracted his gaze to the doctor as he asked.
"Am sorry, there's none. I've done everything possible but nothing seems to happen. It's quiet unfortunate that the signs of the leukemia came too late. It had already reached an irreversible stage at the time of diagnose." the doctor patiently explained.
"So you're saying there's no hope. And we should just wait hopelessly for her to die. Is that so?" Emil asked as he tightened his hold on her hand.
Aunt Phillis felt slight pain when his hand tightened, but she didn't say or do anything. Because the most piercing pain was right in her heart.
She felt for him.
...