"Beep! Beep!" I heard my phone notification sound and I casually picked it up from the bed while sipping from my cup of coffee. It was a message request from a strange account on instagram so I opened it and it read thus:
"Hello Julia.... Since the day I set my eyes on you at the concert, I can't just get my mind off you. Julia please, I know you hate me right now, but I beg you to give me a chance to speak to you. Even if just once....."
I could feel my heart beating fast as I read through this message. This was the fourth message was receiving from this particular account in two days I could already tell who it was but I had to be sure that it was the same person, so I decided to check the profile.
And there he was, he hadn't changed a single bit. The tall, dark handsome man who had stolen my heart in my early twenties with that smile that could make a woman's knees go weak beneath her. I felt like my heart was about to explode with emotions; I wasn't sure what I felt at that moment but I could feel the anger rising within me, but somehow there was love and there was pain and hurt and I felt sick almost immediately as I remembered the dark days I experienced with this man who almost cost me my life and that of my child.
"Julia! Are you home?" I could hear my manager's voice in the hallway, so I dropped my cup and carefully wrapped my bathrobe around my body. I picked up my coffee and strode out of my room into the corridor, he was already on his way so we met each other by the stairs
"Good morning John" I said wryly. John smiled and responded cheerfully "Good morning Julia. I hope you had a good night rest because today is going to be a busy day for us. First you have an interview at the City Broadcasting Service and then by noon, you have a lunch meeting with the State Awards Organizers in respect of the 2023 State Recognition Award Night and by seven in the evening you have a dinner date with the Sir Ricards. I have contacted your makeup artist, dress and hair stylists and they should be here in twenty minutes time." I listened carefully to John as he listed my activities for the day and I wondered when I would actually have some time for myself.
"Wow John, I see you already have the day all planned out without my consent. That was very kind of you. And when did I agree to go on a date with errrmmm.... What was his name again?"
'Sir Richards? the hot, handsome son of the Duke family that you were drooling over two nights ago? The one who made you blush like a high school girl in love? The one held on to your hand and didn't let go until you promised to see him at seven today? That Sir Richards" I covered my face in shame and John giggled.
I could remember now, Sir Richards had approached me after my Solo performance at the City Orchestra Concert two nights ago and requested for a date night with me. I was beyond elated to have received such request from such a handsome and powerful young man who was every woman's dream in the State. But of course, the nature of my career had made me forget that I made such promise but thanks to my proactive manager who reminded me. It's been four years since I got divorced and thanks to John who had kept telling me that I could find love again if I gave it a try, I felt like I was ready to start over.
"Okay, so I have an interview this morning, a lunch meeting and a dinner tonight. Where does Mimi fit into all of this?" I asked John as I stood up to take the empty cup into the kitchen.
"Well, in case you have forgotten, Miracle was enrolled into the Summer holiday camp and she leaves today." John said as he collected the cup from me and walk past me into the kitchen. I slapped my forehead with my right palm when I heard this.
"Oh my goodness, I totally forgot. Thank you John, what would I do without you?" I asked smiling.
"Absolutely nothing darling, you would do nothing without me." He said teasingly and we both laughed.
"Alright, I think it's time for you to get ready so that we won't keep your stylists waiting. Now off you go." John gently dragged me up from where I was sitted and pushed me towards to the stairs so I could go up to my room and get ready so I reluctantly moved.
"Mummy.." We both looked up to find Miracle standing at the other end of the stairs looking down as she rubbed her sleepy eyes. My heart swelled with love for this child every time she called me mummy.
"Hey baby, stay right there, mama is coming up right away".
I turned to John, "Ask Nora to get Mimi's breakfast ready, and after that she has to get her luggage out so that we don't miss anything." John nodded and went off to carry out his errand.
Mimi stood still waiting for me as I climbed the stairs to get to her and as soon as I was close she stretched out her hands to be carried. I lifted her up the ground and hugged her, she wasn't just my baby, she was the love of my life, the reason why I got up each morning with the decision to live four years ago.
It felt like yesterday when her father had pushed me away from himself making me to land face down on the ground. I thought I had lost her and passed out from the shock. He couldn't leave me there to die so he had rushed to me to the hospital but by the time I regained consciousness as I was rolled into the theatre for emergency surgery, I demanded that he be sent away immediately.
My father was contacted by the hospital and he didn't waste time to make sure that Marvin was removed from the premises. To my greatest surprise, my baby lived and I couldn't contain my joy when my little bundle of joy was handed to me. I cried and laughed at the same time with joy because only a miracle could have saved her so the name Miracle was given to her by me. I requested that her birth be kept a secret from her father and the doctors and nurses were more than happy to oblige me given the circumstances surrounding how I came in the first place.
I was told he was heartbroken when he received news that I had lost the child and that he wept bitterly but I didn't care. I didn't mind if he had to spend the rest of his life in regret for what he had done even if the child had survived.
"Mummy, are you okay?" Miracle asked as she raised her head from my shoulder and looked into my teary face. "Why are you crying mummy? Are you hurt?" she asked with concern as she brushed the tears from my face with her little hands. I smiled and wiped my face with the sleeve of my robe. "No mimi, mummy is fine. Mummy is crying because she loves you so much, and she's going to miss you when you go to camp."
"Awww... I love you too mummy. You don't have to cry, I can stay back if that would make you happy" the little girl said cupping my face in her palms. I laughed at this, sometimes I wondered if she was an actual four year old because if I hadn't birthed her myself, I would doubt it.
"No baby, you have to go so that you can have fun with your friends and see beautiful places okay? Don't worry about mummy, I'll be fine." I assured her but she didn't look convinced. "Are you sure mummy?" she asked.
"Yes ma'am, now lets get you ready so that you don't miss your flight" I said as I tickled her to make her laugh and of course the house echoed with the sound of her laughter.