Chapter 45
I woke up to what I could hear around me. My eyes remained closed but my spirit was awake.
My head is aching.
"Pershey," a girl calls softly to me and I know it's Leighden.
I forced myself to open my eyes to look at him.
The surroundings are bright and dazzling. Leighden's face was already nested when I woke up.
I looked around. 'Where am I?'
As far back as I can remember, before I lost consciousness, I even saw them; Leighden and Draek — I heard the last thing Draek said, he shouted Neil's name.
That’s all I remember. I was about to be raped. I thought, that was the last day and the end of my life. I thought, that’s my death and that’s where it will all end with me.
This is my second life, second chance.
I looked back at Leighden. Heartmealting concern was traced in her face.
"W-where am I?" I asked her. She stroked my forehead first before she spoke.
"You're in the hospital, Pershey," she replied as she rested her hand on my forehead.
"Hospital?" I confusedly asked. "B-but w-why am I in h-hospital?"
"You lost consciousness and you had blood on your forehead. You were weak so we took you to the hospital," she explained. Sadness suddenly drew on her face. “You’re almost going to be raped,” she added.
I can't speak. What happened to me came back to me.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I stared at the ceiling. One by one, everything that happened came back to my mind.
"S-sorry, Pershey," she said languidly and sadly. I noticed her tears dripping down my palm so I wiped them off as well as her face. I forced a smile. "It's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, Pershey," she cried.
"N-no, Leigh, shhhh," I said. I got up for a moment and hugged her. "Shhhh," I scolded her to settle down.
"I'm sorry," she repeated as she cried.
I caressed her back while saying, "It's not your fault, Leighden. Shhh. Don't blame yourself. It's not your fault."
I tightened my grip on her. A few more seconds passed before I turned my attention away from her and focused on the woman standing at the door of the room where I was.
I looked at her. Her eyes full of sorrow.
She came over to me and I slipped out of Leighden's hug.
I wiped her teary eyes before I looked back at Nanny Yuna. She was followed by Driver Gong.
Leighden forced a smile that was still a bit sobbing and said goodbye to me, "I'll go out first."
Nanny Yuna approached me. I can feel her sorrow. I can feel her through her eyes.
There were traces of concern, sadness, and pity in her eyes as she approached me.
She sat down next to me. She touched both my cheeks as she watched me; my face, my body.
"S-sorry, N-nanny," I said weakly. A forced smile drew on her face while looking into my eyes.
I felt like she wanted to talk but she just hugged me tightly.
I suddenly closed my eyes.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
I did not utter a word. I opened my eyes to look at Driver Gong standing in the doorway.
Even his eyes ... showing sorrow.
"I-I didn't watch you properly," she said languidly. I still haven't spoken. I noticed she was crying.
She left hugging me then rubbed her face.
"N-nanny," I called softly as I looked at her.
"I've been careless with you," she said. She nodded as her tears continues show . I also noticed that her tears dripped on the bedsheet.
I touched her cheek using my right hand. I caressed her soft cheek with my thumb.
I wiped her wet cheek with my left hand.
"I am okay now, Nanny," I said while rubbing her wet face.
I removed my hands from her face and held her hands.
I headed. I looked at the bedsheet. My eyes just blinked.
"I thought, that's the end of everything in my life," I said initially. I avoided looking into her eyes. I knew I would only see sadness when I looked at her. “I thought, no one is coming to help me,” I continued. I felt my tears dripping so I removed my right hand to rub my cheek. "... I said, is this the end of my life?" I looked at her barely. Our eyes met. Both full of grief. I'm not used to seeing Nanny Yuna react like that. I’m not used to seeing her sad while looking at me. "... I thought, the man who almost raped me would kill me," I added before my tears helped again. My head was bowed and still staring at the bedsheet. I felt her warm palm as she wiped my cheek. "... I thought, that's where it all ends, Nanny," I said last. My tears flowed again. "I am so sorry," I said tearfully. I closed my eyes to let my tears flow. "I am so sorry, Nanny, sorry, sorry."
"Shh"
I close my eyes as I rub my tear -soaked eyes. I felt Nanny Yuna hug me again. She rubbed my back while I am sobbing.
It's all my fault. No one else is to blame but me. My feet dragged me to that place to urinate. I should just go back to the Bar to pee. I didn't think that disaster was waiting for me in that place.
I looked at Driver Gong who was staring at us. There was also sadness in his eyes.
I whispered his name so Nanny Yuna slipped out of my embrace.
He approached us. He sat in the chair next to the bed I was lying on.
I met his gaze. I forced a smile when my tears helped again. He anointed it.
"I strongly entrust you to the - the Señorita, Gong," Nanny Yuna said with some vigor. “You shouldn’t have let her leave without you,” she added.
Driver Gong was about to speak when I spoke. "It's not his fault, Nanny," I smiled after I said those words. "Driver Gong never thought I would be harmed," I added. I first looked at driver Gong then smiled and looked back at Nanny. I held her soft hands again. "The important thing is, I'm safe, I'm still alive, and I'm not doomed."
"Umm, I'm still sorry, Señorita, I'm sorry if I left you. I should have accompanied you to make sure you're safe. You wouldn't have perished if-"
"Don't blame yourself," I cut to what he would say. I first removed one of my hands that was holding Nanny Yuna's hands and then held Driver Gong's hand. I smiled before saying, "I don't blame you for what happened to me, Driver Gong. I am okay now. Don't worry about me anymore."
I tightened the grip on their hands. They looked at each other and then smiled. I smiled as I looked at them both.
Wait, I just noticed that they are the same eye color. Nanny Yuna's eyes are a little green and a little brown. Nanny Yuna's eyes are colored with moss and so are Driver Gong's eyes. Only now did I notice that they had the same eyes.
The silence was broken when Nanny Yuna's cellphone rang.
She looked at me after looking at her cellphone.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Ma'am Bria is calling," she said. She was about to answer the call when I placed my hand over the phone.
"Do not."
Her forehead furrowed. I don't know her yet so she shouldn't know what happened to me. I didn't want my parents to know that I was about to be raped. They might be strict with me for my safety.
"Give me the phone," I ordered. She immediately handed the cellphone to me.
Bria is calling. I answered her call.
I just stared at Nanny Yuna while waiting for what Bria would say on the phone from the other line.
Is she not going to say a word?
"Bria," I softly called. She doesn't speak so I speak first.
"Nanny, where is Pershey?" she asked from the other line.
I didn't answer right away. I was just wondering. Once, she called me Señorita and then she called me Pershey.
"Nanny!" she was still shouting so I took the phone speaker away from my ear. Deafening!
I put the phone back to my ear to hear what she had to say.
"Nanny, don't you have plan to talk?"
"Good evening, Bria," I greeted. I didn't know what to answer to what she was saying so I just greeted her.
"P-pershey— S-señorita?"
"Nanny is with me," I said.
“Where are you? Our par— your parents are here, Señorita. ”
I put down the cellphone at what she said. My eyes widened.
I looked at Nanny and Driver Gong.
I ended the call.
I can not talk. I was just looking at them.
"I-is there a problem, Doña?" she asked.
"What did he say?" Driver Gong asked.
“Mommy and Daddy went home,” I said stunned.
I noticed their shock. I look beyond them.
"T-they shouldn't know what happened to me," I said while looking at the wall. I barely looked at Nanny. "Please, don't tell them," I pleaded and I also looked at Driver Gong.
"B-but, Seño—"
"Please, Driver Gong, don't tell them, please?"
"How are your wounds?" she asked.
"I'll make excuses just don't tell them. I know they'll be worried then ... maybe they'll be strict with me or maybe .... they'll even take me to the States."
"Don't worry, we won't tell," Nanny Yuna said and smiling.
"Really?"
She nodded and smiled. I tightly hold her hands while smiling back at her.
"Sorry," I said weakly while bowing.
"What for?" he asked.
"Because you still have to lie for me," I replied. I pouted my lips.
"That's okay, Señorita. We understand you. Rest first."
"Gong is right, take a break."