CHAPTER ELEVEN

JASON

First day of school. I was quite excited as I woke up early today. I have three classes for today and four classes tomorrow. I won't be able to visit Leila since my third class ends at four-thirty in the afternoon. I took a shower and put on a crisp white polo shirt with black jeans and leather boots.

I took my bag and went to the breakfast nook. Chef Carl prepared some omelette, fresh croissant, sausages and ham, fruits with creăm, fresh orange juice and coffee. I really like his food! He makes simple food so delicious!

Dad and Mom were already there. They were drinking coffee and Dad was discussing the articles in the newspaper.

"Another crazy guy threw a bomb at a nursery school."

Mom looked at me, ignoring her husband's comment.

"Ready for your first day of school?"

I kissed her cheek.."Yes. First day of college."

"How about Leila?" she asked.

"She still can't go to school. She's still sick. Maybe next school term." I sat down and placed some sausages and ham on my plate. I added two pieces of croissants, filled my glass with juice and made myself some coffee. Just making sure I was ready for my first day of college.

I wondered if I will meet a lot of gorgeous teeners in Thomas Mallory University.

After breakfast, I picked up my bag and headed to school in my red ferrari. I got a lot of attention when I got out of my car. Heheh. But I acted cool and solemn as I got out of my car and went to my first class.

I looked around. Girls were staring openly at me. I avoided their gaze and continued walking casually.

I entered the room for my first class.

And there she was. Leila. I was shocked. She was on a wheelchair, her head, chest and left leg still bandaged. She was wearing a loose, light blouse with long sleeves. She was busy typing on a laptop.

I quickly went to the vacant chair beside her and put down my bag. I bent towards her and whispered harshly, "What are you doing here?"

"Attendung class," she whispered in her tiny voice.

"You are still sick, you can hardly move. You were in a coma just a week ago. Are you out of your mind?"

She didn't reply. She just looked at me and tears started to form in her eyes. I noticed she was breathing as if in difficulty. She was in intense pain. She turned away and looked down at her laptop and continued typing. I silently stared at the top of her head.

I wanted to ask her how she managed to get out of the hospital. But I was affected by her tears. So I just sat down beside her. She avoided looking at me during the whole class session.

The class was on basic programming. The professor, Mr George Brown, just gave us an outline of our activities and our exams and requirements for the entire semester. After the class, Leila went to him and I followed behind.

He looked at her, seeing her condition.

"Șir, I just want to ask if you can send me my assignments to my email for the next four weeks. I still need to stay in the hospital." Leila explained.

Mr Brown sat down, to make it easier for Leila to talk to him. She was still wearing a neck brace.

He looked at the list of his students' names. "Leila, I'm not sure you will be able to keep up. We will have assignments and activities everyday.

I spoke up, "I can help her with the requirements."

Mr Brown looked at the list of names again, as if trying to remember my name.

He was just pretending he didn't know. Everyone knew who I was. People were whispering around me as soon as I stepped out of my ferrari. So obvious.

"I'm not sure if that would be possible, Mr Ziegler." Then he made the motion of leaving us.

After he left, I wanted to speak to the Dean. Leila told me she still had another class. So I took her to her class and left her there to talk to the professors handling our classes and also the professors handling her classes which I was not a part of. They all agreed to send most of the requirements to her email or to me. After talking to them, I talked with the Dean, Mr Nikolai Harris regarding Leila's condition.

"I didn't want her to enroll this semester but she enrolled on her own." I explained. "So I want to ask if the faculty can be considerate of her condition until she is able to move more easily at least, and her brain injury haș completely healed.

"Mr Ziegler, of course, I can try to be considerate as much as possible but if she haș this disabilities, she shouldn't have enrolled in so many subjects. As you yourself said, she should not have enrolled at all. I suggest she drops some of them and just get the minimum load."

"Mr Harris, I feel that we should encourage the youth to be more aggressive in pursuing their dreams. Leila already had a traumatic experience that would have discouraged any normal person from having a positive attitude in life. But she kept on, despite of her disabilities. She was accelerated four times in her primary and secondary school. So I feel she would also excel in any university she becomes part of."

"I want to see her positive attitude in the youth who had similar setbacks in life. I was planning to donate two million worth of scholarship for these kind of exemplary students."

"But it seems, this university has different views on these students who have experienced setbacks in their lives. Perhaps Leila and I should consider the other universities who have kindly accepted our applications. Perhaps our donations would be more appreciated."

Mr Harris turned red and stammered, "Mr Ziegler, you completely misunderstood me!" He smiled widely and said, "We were very impressed with Leila's accomplishments in her previous school! Thomas Mallory University offers the best training in IT and aeronautics science. So I'm sure Leila would love being part of this university. It would bring out her very best talents. You don't need to worry, Mr Ziegler, I will be holding a meeting tomorrow just to make sure we will do our best to make Leila feels welcomed at home in this school. Of course, Mr Ziegler, any donations from you will be greatly appreciated and it would help in our scholarship programs. We try as much as possible to assist bright and talented students. They are the future of our country."

So I gave him a warm smile."I'm so relieved that you have been so kind and understanding. I will be telling my secretary to send you my check for five million dollars." I shook his hand and left.

I went back to Leila's class. Leila and I talked with the professor again. He was easy to talk with. He agreed to let her do most of her class work at the hospital or at home.

When he left us, Leila told me softly. "I want to go back to the hospital. I'm so tired and my whole body hurts." I felt relieved that she wanted to go back. So I brought her to my ferrari and carefully helped her get in the passenger seat.

On our way to the hospital, I didn't reprimand her anymore for enrolling. I guess I understood her need to study again despite her of being physically handicapped.

As I was driving, I looked at her small frame. She looked like a small girl. It evoked feelings in me. Like I am now fully responsible for a human being. I'm now the father of a fourteen-year-old. I like it. Yes, I like it a lot.

She looked at me suspiciously. "Why are you smiling?"

"I'm now a Dad at eighteen. And my daughter is fourteen years old."

"I'm not your daughter, I'm your girlfriend." She vehemently informed me.

"Says who?"

"Says me."

"I haven't said I love you." I smiled at her, patting her head affectionately.

She rolled her eyes. "Action speaks louder than words. You gave me a pendant worth hundreds of thousands."

"It was my way of welcoming you into the family."

"Humph!" She snorted. "I want an engagement ring."

I laughed. "Ambitious rascal."

"How are you feeling?" I asked her gently when she remained silent, glancing at her as I tried to drive slowly. I know her whole body is still painful by her intake of breath every time I change gears or when I step on the brakes.

"I'm alright, Jason," she said in her soft voice. "Don"t worry about me."

"That's what you said before you fell into a coma."

"Worrying about me won't improve my situation," she told me wisely.

"How come you have additional subjects?" I asked. We were nearing the hospital. I slowed down and stopped the car at the entrance. I called the hospital attendants to help her get out of the car and place her on her wheelchair.

"I better order a smaller wheelchair for you."

"It's alright." She wasn't strong enough to maneuver her wheelchair so a hospital attendant took over to push her wheelchair for her.

"Aside from my IT course, I also want to take up Bachelor of Aeronautical Science. Dual degree."

What for?"

"To build aircrafts."

We got into her room. Her caregiver assisted her on climbing back to her bed.

"So where will you get the money to build a plane?"

"From you, obviously," she retorted.

"Why would I give you the money?"

"You adopted me."

"I don't have plans to expand the business to aerospace manufacturing."

She glared at me. I glared back.

I shifted my gaze and noticed her laptop. "Are you going to tell me how you bought a laptop?"

"You gave it to me." She turned away. "I'm tired." She closed her eyes and in a minute, she was asleep.

Inspite of my frustration that she just cut off our conversation and went to sleep, and that she enrolled while she was still sick, I wondered how she was able to enroll herself, how she could have gotten a laptop using my money. Even though I felt she needs discipline, a smile formed on my lips. I stared at her back.

I was proud of her for being brave enough to go after her dreams. She was a tough little nut. She didn't let her physical disabilities pull her back. She wasn't scared of me.

I pondered over her new endeavor. Aerospace manufacturing. I know she won't let me refuse her project. I continued smiling. She has to earn her billions to start her project. So let her earn it.