ANISHA'S POV
I shifted uncomfortably and opened my eyes to see a hazy figure staring down at me. Who was it? Where on earth was I?
"She's awake!!" Valentina's voice was unmistakable, and once I heard the joy in it, I knew that I was safe. I stopped caring where I was, for I began to understand that if Valentina was with me, and if she was calling out to someone, telling them that I was awake, then I was no longer under the cruel hold of Eden Salatto.
"Anisha!! Anisha!! I'm so happy to see you! Ms Meyerton will be happy too, let me call her now!" she quickly pulled out her bag from a drawer next to my bed. My vision was beginning to clear up as I saw Valentina fumbling in her bag and pulling out a phone.
There were two nurses in the room, and I was really feeling very sleepy, or rather dizzy. Everything started to play in my mind, and I began to remember what had happened.
I was attended to by a number of personnel, and they all agreed that they were happy with the progress that I was making.
"Did Dylan and Liam survive? And Pastor Noel Everdeen?" I asked.
"Doctor Dylan and Liam are well." One of the nurses answered me.
"Ms Meyerton wants to talk to you, Anisha!" Valentina interrupted us as she handed the phone over to me.
"Mum," I smiled as I spoke to her. I often addressed her as mum, but in some cases I also called her Ms Meyerton.
"My child. I cannot explain how worried I was when you went missing, and with all the things that they were saying on the news." She began to cry.
"Don't cry, mum. Please don't cry. I am well now." I felt that I too was about to start crying.
"My child, I knew that you were innocent," she cried out a lot.
"Please don't cry."
"I am happy that you are safe now. I'm very sorry that the la Martinas died just like that. You must come to Hallowcave, my child. Lakeworld is too dangerous and there are too many criminals there."
"I am fine now, mum," I wiped off my tears.
"I will let you rest, I will call again later. Please take a lot of rest, and as soon as they discharge you from the hospital, come home to me, my child."
"I will do so, mum,"
We spoke just a few more sentences before ending the call.
"Excuse me, you said Dylan and Liam are well? What about the pastor? Pastor Noel Everdeen?" I asked the nurse.
The two ladies were silent for a while, and I immediately knew it.
"He couldn't make it, could he?" I felt tears coming out of my eyes.
For a long time I wept silently, mourning the man who I had spent a month with; the man who I had seen as a father. Immediately I remembered his story, how he told us that he used to work at Greenrod Electrical, and how he met Amelia Reshell. I saw in my imagination the picture of him talking, his voice trailing off in great pain.
"Valentina, please write these names down for me. Greenrod Electrical, and Amelia Reshell".
"What are these names for?" she asked.
"I don't want to forget them, I'll tell you about it later." I said, and Valentina saved the names in her phone.
"May I see Dylan and Liam please?" I looked at the nurse.
"You may see Liam. As for Doctor Dylan, I am not sure if he wants to see you. He is the one who ordered that you be removed from the VIP ward and be placed here in this ward."
I remained silent as I digested the words.
"He did what? So I was initially in a VIP ward?"
"Yes. And he gave the instruction that you be removed." The nurse explained.
"Why would he do that?"
"I am not sure, ma'am. He left a note for you"
"He left a note? Where did he go?" I asked.
"I'm not sure, but he is not in this hospital now."
"May I see the note?" I stretched my shaky hand to receive the said note.
She handed a note over to me and they both walked out. When Valentina and myself were left alone, my hands were shaking as I opened the note. It was in a sealed white envelope, and the paper itself was neatly folded. I held it in my hands and failed to unfold it.
"Why did he order for me to be moved from the VIP ward?" I asked Valentina.
"Umm, I'm not sure. But just because he asked you to be moved won't mean that he doesn't want to see you again," she shrugged.
"Val, why did he have to leave a note? I thought when I woke up, his face was the first image I was going to see. I wanted him to wait for me, and hold my hand as I opened my eyes. Val, I thought there was something between us. I seriously thought…"
"Anisha! Why are you stressing yourself like that? Open the note and read it."
"No I cannot do that, Val! That nurse clearly showed that Dylan wants nothing to do with me."
"Why are you guessing, when the man has written a note for you to read? Open and read it, Anisha. That nurse knows nothing, she may even have a crush on Dylan, for all we know. Open it."
"Ok I am opening it now," my hands shook while I began to unfold it.
"Let me open it for you." Valentina offered.
"No, I want to read it on my own,"
"I will open and give you to read it, because it appears as if you cannot open it at all. Here, take some water and calm down," she handed me a bottle of water.
"Thank you," I took a tiny sip and handed over the bottle to her.
Then my eyes, and all my attention, moved back to the note. What was in it? Where was Dylan? Why did he have to leave a note? Why had he not stayed to see me and talk to me face to face?
"I can see you have a million questions running through your mind," Valentina smiled. "My dear, open that note and you will get answers to what you are asking yourself in your head."
"I cannot read it. Please read it for me, Val," I handed the note over, and Val opened it slowly.
Her relaxed face soon started to wrinkle, and where there was a smile, a frown appeared. I saw pain in her eyes as she looked at me, and I saw her sighing.
Failing to hold on any longer, I snatched the note from her and before me were neatly typed words written as follows:
Anisha
I hope by the time you read this note, you will be feeling much better. I understand that you and I spent a month together while we were both kidnapped. It might have appeared as if we were getting closer, but I'm sorry to say this: I was lonely and scared, not knowing what the future held for me. I might have said or done things that could have made you think that you and I can become friends; I am sorry for misleading you. I was confused and troubled by the kidnapping.
Now that we are all out of danger, it's best that we return to who we are; our real lives. You and I are from different worlds, and therefore I suggest that we forget about the one month that we spent together during the kidnapping. We are fine now, let's continue to live our lives separately, just like we did before the kidnapping. I don't expect to bump into you in the future; but even if we do, I think it's best that we give each other some space.
I wish you the best in your life, and I hope that you will take good care of yourself, and Liam too.
It was a great one month we spent there, but it has to end now.
D. de Milo