It was midnight when I heard someone banging on the door,I was startled at first since I was deeply asleep but then I rushed downstairs as I put on my robe. I didn't bother asking who was at the door cause this happened every night. I opened the door and immediately gave way for my staggering uncle to fall into the sitting room and not on me, I stood for some minutes before asking if he was okay all I got was a loud grunt for a reply I sighed and shut the door. I didn't pay further attention to him as my only aim at that moment was to go up stairs to my room as fast as possible.
I ran up the stairs but by the time I got to the sixth stair I notice someone behind me it was my uncle James he had climbed up the stairs behind me he gripped my wrist my heart sank my mouth went dry and my stomach began to hurt I knew what was about to happen this feeling wasn't new but I still hadn't gotten used to it. his eyes glowed with mischief he grinned like a madman, before I knew it he pulled me by my wrist and sent me rolling down the stairs.
" that's what you get for trying to stop your aunty from marrying me!", uncle James spat
he hadn't forgotten when aunty rose talked to me about getting married to him because was pregnant for him I tried to talk her out of it we both knew uncle James was an irresponsible, jobless, wretched,drunk but aunty rose had to marry him because she didn't want to be a single mother,I still didn't agree so one day I found a little bag of cocaine on the kitchen table I knew it belonged to uncle James so I took it to show aunty rose. That night they had a big fight and this made aunty rose lose her pregnancy because uncle James hit her hard on her stomach.
He knew he was at fault but he refused to blame himself and instead decided to blame me.
Back to where I laid on the floor wincing in pain uncle James kept talking.
" you killed my baby",he said sounding like he's lost his mind
I wasn't even paying attention to him I was busy struggling to live I wasn't feeling myself at all it felt like my ribs were broken my head was hurting and I had a cut on my lips soon I gave up everything went blank.
**** **** ****
I was woken by my aunty roses raging voice aunty rose never raised her voice but she was really mad at uncle James,I realized I was still in my room and not in a hospital,I tried to sit up but my head hurt so much I winced and fell back to my bed I stared at the alarm clock on my nightstand it was 2:30 am ,aunty rose came to check on me and when she realized I was awake she walked to my bed she held my hand though she was smiling she looked worried, her smile was obviously a front.
"I should have never left you alone with James",she sniffled and played with my fingers.
" you had no choice",I said
" I should have taken you along with me to the hospital"
"aunty rose you know I don't like hospitals they remind me of the time my parents died,and that's the main reason I'm not complaining right now"
"complaining about what",she asked.
"complaining about the fact that u should have taken me to the hospital".
"speaking of hospitals...",she started saying but I interrupted her.
"don't don't you dare I'm not going I'll be fine,aunty rose you're a nurse for god's sake, you can take care of me",I said trying so hard to avoid going to the hospital I even did the puppy eyes trick.
"no no audi I was going to say the main reason why I didn't take you to the hospital was because I didn't want to get into trouble with social services if they find out my husband did this to you they'd take you away from me", she said looking downcast".
"I understand you I also don't want to be taken away from you, I'll heal speedily I'm athletic you know",I said playfully trying to make her smile and it worked.
"Audi we both know you've never exercised all your life and you always skip p.e at school",she teased and we both laughed."I'll go see what James is up to be right back",she squeezed my hand and left the room.
**** **** ****
Deep down I knew I needed medical attention,my aunty wasn't enough,I couldn't tell her I was trying not to make her panic,my side was turning purple cause my ribs were broken.i laid on my bed day to night losing strength as the time passed.i had to tell aunty rose I had to go to the hospital.
Aunty rose came back home from the hospital early today she came to see me in my room but turned back to leave when she saw my eyes closed, she must have thought I was asleep but I wasn't my eyes were shut closed but I knew this wasn't sleep, this was deeper than sleep. I stretched out my hand towards her like I was going to be able to reach out to her I tried to say her name but it came out like a gasp for breath. fortunately she heard that and turned around immediately and ran to my bed where I laid struggling for breath.
"my_ my ribs",I said in a whisper before I weakly pulled my blanket down to reveal my sides I was wearing nothing but a cropped camisole and pyjamas trousers,my aunty gasped at the sight of my side.
"oh my god",she exclaimed as she covered her mouths with her palm."lay still",I obeyed.
she immediately picked up her phone and dialled 911
In few minutes I was in an ambulance and the medics were doing their thing. I didn't want to jump into conclusion and assume that I had internal bleeding I knew nothing about medical conditions or terminologies but an internal bleeding sounds bad
I woke up at the hospital the nextxt day I looked at my beddings and patients garment and I immediately knew it was morning it was a pattern at saint John's memorial blue beddings and garment represents morning pink represents noon while green represents night it was a way to help patient in nearly critical conditions know what time it was.
aunty rose walked into my hospital room behind another nurse she look downcast. the other nurse did her thing on me I keep saying thing cause I know nothing about medical terminologies, I had always avoided hospitals and I never went with aunty rose on bring your kid to work day, I hated hospitals.
The nurse left I and aunty rose alone in my hospital room I opened my mouth to speak but aunty rose interrupted.
"social services has been involved"
"but_ I_"I tried to speak but she interrupted again
"they're going to take you away from me,and take you to a decent family"
"you are a decent person uncle James is the only problem we both have",I said
"he's the one problem I don't know how to deal with"
"well if you hadn't gotten married to him you wouldn't have had to deal with anything!",I spat.
"Sweetheart don't shout your ribs aren't healed yet",she still sounded calm
I sighed"what happens next, what are you going to do?"
"audi I have no other choice than to let them have you,I can't keep letting you get hurt by James".
I said nothing I just rolled my eyes and stared at the ceiling, everywhere became silent for a while.
"you're not going to say anything",aunty rose said breaking the silence I still kept quiet."Audi you're just going to roll your eyes?",she asked almost raising her voice.
I finally spoke"well I don't want to leave you I don't care about social services I'm not leaving you".
"This isn't your decision audi I can't let James hurt you even once again",she said and looked at me I wasn't looking happy she sighed"for god's sake audi don't get to emotionally attached to me you're not my child!"
those words hit me I looked at her but she looked away she realized her mistake.
"I'm sorry",she apologized
"no no it's the truth"
"audi_"
"I'll go with social services,after all they'd be handing me over to a 'decent' family,"I said placing emphasis on decent.
I took the remote and turned on the TV ignoring her completely she sighed and left the room.It hurt me that I hurt her emotions but she was right I wasn't her child.
**** **** ****
Weeks passed and I was finally going to be discharged I was informed that some of the stuffs I had at aunty roses house has been moved to my new home and my new parents would be the one to pick me up from the hospital.
I left my room to go see aunty rose for the last time on my way I met nurse Lydia who informed me that aunty rose was at the staffs cafeteria I thanked her and headed to the cafeteria. getting there I sighted aunty rose from a distance she was looking moody and picked at her food I walked to her and sat.
" you feel better now right?",she asked without looking at me.
"like you don't know",I said
she sighed, rested her head on her palm as the stared at me.
"are you seriously going to let them take me? you let them move my things!"
"Audi I'm not having this conversation",she said I just stared at her.
"Audi this is 2022 not 1709 for god's sake there's iMessage and Instagram and other ways we can use to communicate with each other, you can also visit from me from time to time.we won't lose contact"
"maybe you're right",I said suddenly realizing that I might have been overreacting all this time."we'll be in touch",I said and smiled she smiled back."I'll be in my room",I said and left.
I walked into my room and found people there it was a young nurse and an elderly man and woman they were my new parents Mr and Mrs hampson.
"hi",I greeted
"audri?",the woman said looking shocked.
"no I'm Audi short for Audrey",i said.
"stop this show audrienne where have you been since two years now. get your stuffs you have a lot of explaining to do", Mr hampson said.
the nurse helped me carry my bag Mr hampson held me by my hands as Mrs hampson followed behind looking flabbergasted.
"wait can I talk to someone first this is a mistake!",I said as I struggled to free my hand from his grip. aunty rose and some other nurses came out and stopped him.
"he keeps calling me audri I don't know who the heck audri is he's probably made a mistake",I said
"sir who is audri",aunty rose asked
Mr hampson sighed"audri is my daughter she went missing two years ago on her birthday we still don't know if she was kidnapped or if she ran away".he said looking at me."I have a lot of questions to ask you",he said to me
"do you have a picture of her sir",nurse Agnes asked
"yes",Mr hampson said and brought a small photograph from his breast pocket he gave it to nurse Agnes when she looked at it she gasped.
"let me see that", aunty rose said as she collected the photograph aunty Agnes looked dumbfounded."oh my God",aunty rose exclaimed
I looked at the picture I knew that wasn't me but who ever this audrienne was she looked just like me.
"the day she went missing...her birthday when was that?",aunty rose asked.
this time Mrs hampson answered"12th of may"
I and aunty rose stared at ourselves with our mouths wide open that was my birthday day too