10

Dawn came fast.

It didn't take hours into the morning for me to hear a car pull up in the driveway, announcing the arrival of Mr and Mrs Williams.

They sure had returned earlier than I expected.

Without wasting much time, I hurried into one of the bathrooms, running myself a bath. I proceeded downstairs afterwards, and found Mrs Williams sat on the couch going through random stuff.

"Good morning ma'am" I greeted warmly.

Her gaze was still away from me, while she searched through the stack of things in front of her.

"Is it okay for me to go see my mom?" I questioned.

"Of course." She responded, voice sounding distressed.

She turned around to me, a blank expression on her face.

The lady looked a bit disturbed which only got me wondering whatever was wrong.

Could the affairs of business be taking its toll on her. It was just as expected from people so influential as the 'Williams'

"Thank you for staying with the kids." she added in a soft voice.

She soon left the living room, going upstairs, leaving me alone.

It didn't take a while, and I was soon out of the mansion, making my way to the city hospital.

I ran into the hospital, past the waiting room, past halls, storming into the ward where my mom was kept.

At that minute, I could hear the nurses calling out to me, yelling for me to halt, but I never stopped to even spare any of them a glance. Seeing my mom and knowing that she was okay was all that mattered now.

I barged into the room panting, my eyes fixed on the figure laid in the hospital bed.

"Mom!" I cried out.

She looked up at me with a large smile on her face, her eyes bulging.

Hurrying over to her side, I crashed her into a hug, warmth filling me instantly.

"I'm fine now, Nia. The doctors said everything will be alright now."

I leaned in to listen to her heart beat, and For the first time, it felt like I was brought into the world again. Everything felt new, different.

"I'll leave now" A voice spoke.

Only then did I take notice of the doctor who had been in the room the whole time.

The man flashed a smile at me, which I returned with tears stinging my cheeks, my eyes housing all of the gratitude in the world towards him.

Just before he took a step outside the door, I ran over, holding him in a hug, sniffing and staining his coat with my tears.

His hands remained at his side as he hesitated to hug me, or probably shocked at this sudden move of mine. Finally, I felt his arms wrapping around me warmly, a sigh escaping the man's lips as he peered at my figure.

"Thank you so much for everything" I muttered in a soft voice, eyes shutting while all joy surged through me.

***

9:00 p.m

The figure of Cameron moved in the hallway, approaching his room, when he saw David stood right in front of his door.

"What are you doing here?" He scrunched up his face, looking confused.

"It's late already. You should go to bed." He added.

"I can't sleep" The boy responded. His eyes peered up at the figure old Cameron, gaze watching his.

"Can I please stay in your room, just for the night?" He asked just as he squeezed Cameron's arms.

"That's weird." Followed the response.

"Go to your room"

"I'm exhausted and I need to sleep." Cameron muttered in between yawns, walking past the figure of the boy.

Without giving him a glance, he stepped into his room, shutting the door behind.

David remained right there, frightened.

He turned his head to every little sound heard, arms wrapping around his body while looking around in fear.

Suddenly, the door to Cameron's room tore open.

"Ugh!" Cameron let out a low groan, eyes resting on the figure if David.

"Why are you still here?" He grunted.

He soon pulled the boy into his room, shut the door at once.

"Thank you." David whispered in the silence.

He went over to Cameron's bed, laying one on side, while Cameron laid on the other end of the bed.

"Are you ever scared of anything?" David began.

"I need to sleep." Cameron uttered immediately, grabbing a pillow to shield his ears from the rambles of the boy.

"If you were asked to wish for anything, what would it be?"

Cameron paused suddenly, taking a listen to whatever David was saying.

He pondered. He actually had no answer to that question. If he was asked to wish for anything in the world, he had no idea what he would wish for. He had everything. Or so he thought.

"I don't know." He responded in a low voice, mind lost in thoughts of anything that could make him yearn.

"Well I would wish for happiness." He heard David say to him.

"I didn't ask what you would wish for. Now stop talking." Cameron spoke to him, turning over to face the other side of the bed.

"I would wish for happiness, cause there remain a lot of people out there who aren't happy"

"They're in pains, and it's killing them"

"Just like Nia."

At the mention of this, Cameron's head snapped up, ears perking up, seemingly gaining interest in what the boy had to say.

"Who?" He asked

"Nia" David responded.

"You know, the new maid." He added after seeing the blank stare on the face of Cameron.

"Why do you think she is unhappy?" Questioned Cameron immediately.

"Cause her mom is in the hospital dying." David let out at once.

"Huh?" The eyes of Cameron stared on blankly at him, his ears grasping to each of the words

"How do you know this?" He asked, eyes peering intently at the figure of David.

"She told me herself"

"She said she's working here cause she needs money for the bills. She also made mention that her mom suffers from a heart disease and if isn't treated immediately, she'd die" David divulged.

At his utterance, Cameron's gaze shifted away from him, staring on at the walls, while the words left David's mouth.

There was a slight feeling of pity lingering in him now that he knew the reason why she took the money.

So that was the reason she stole the money from him. She stole it cause of her mom's illness. He thought to himself, mind already lost.

He felt bad now that he knew the reason for her act, yet he remained pissed that she took his money.

"Was that all she told you?" He asked, but there was no response.

He turned around to look at David, just to realize that the boy was already fast asleep.

Giving a weak sigh, he relaxed back in the bed, staring up at the ceilings and soon falling asleep too in a short while.