PROLOGUE[ The Strong Bond of Friendship]
Before she was born, Camille's dad, Joshua Dickinson made a vow to his wife, Laila Dickinson that he would forever and always be there for her and their unborn little princess, and that he wouldn't let anything ugly come their way.
Hearing Joshua speak in a manner that Laila thought of as sincere and beautiful gave her a whole lot of hope that her husband would eventually shun away from his drinking and smoking habits, and pull all of his attention to their unborn child and her.
On that day, August 11, 2008, at St.Jonas' hospital, where Laila had been admitted and monitored until her time of delivery was due, they romantically held hands and kept on smiling broadly at each other which led to a long and impeccable kiss.
"I love you so much, Laila, and our daughter, Camille," he touched her protruded belly and felt his daughter kick. He smiled astoundingly. " and all of the bad things that I do, I will do them no more for your sake. I vow." Josh said convincingly.
There was a long pause after Josh's strong words. Laila contemplated and then felt all of it was supremely true. She reached for his hands and they ceased not to smile.
"I love you too." She eventually said." I didn't know you gave her a name already, " she added." I thought you'd wait until she was born."
"Camille. Oh, such a wonderful name, isn't it?" Josh asked and Laila nodded to it. He kissed her tenderly on the forehead.
At this point, it all seemed to Laila Dickinson that her husband had already started to trek on the right path—one that would give him total freedom from smoking and drinking.
"You know what it means?" Laila said softly.
"No, I don't! It came to mind and I felt it was the right name." Josh explained lovingly.
"I like it, sincerely." Laila smiled widely.
A few minutes later, Doctor Welkins, the head physician at the hospital, walked right in. It was noon and it was time for Laila to get checked on. He was accompanied by her favorite nurse, Keisha White. Keisha and Laila became very close after spending some days in the hospital. She was gentle and very kind and very motivating, and that's what she needed.
"Am I interrupting something?" Welkins said and strolled towards them. Josh rose from Laila's bed and stretched his hand for a handshake.
"Josh," he said."Laila's husband." He added looking in Laila's direction and then smiled faintly. Welkins shook hands with him and asked him to step out for a while. Welkins then pulled Laila's long dress up and examined her female reproductive organ and placed a machine on her belly to see if the baby was okay. He smiled—a sign that everything was fine.
Joshua was still inside. Welkins turned and was heading out and upon seeing Joshua in the doorway, he jumped.
"I remember asking you to step outside for a while?" Dr.Welkins said roughly, almost revealing his wild temperament.
"Yes, you did! Just wanted to be her company. But, fine! Will step outside, and until you are done, I am not walking in." He walked out.
The hospital had a protocol that had been followed for ages. Josh isn't going to break that. When such things are to be done, the Doctor in charge asks for a little privacy and Josh failed to give Welkins that. He may be thinking ill of Welkins since he stared where Josh may feel he shouldn't.
After Joshua Dickinson exited the room, Welkins sighed a heavy sigh and now checked if Laila was breathing well.
"Are you okay?" Laila asked very concernedly, but Welkins ignored her.
"you are in perfect condition. Now, have a rest." Dr.Welkins dodged her question.
He was done. But before he left the room, he handed over a note having medicines that should be administered to Laila Dickinson. And while he walked away, he talked with Joshua.
After a few days of quitting, Joshua still returned to his old habits. He still smoked and he always got himself drenched in a pool of liquor, smelling like hell. Laila got to know about his condition because Keisha had spilled it all out to her. She wanted to speak to her husband, to tell him how much she loves him, and to plead with him to become a normal man again. But, knowing what he had transformed into, he never showed up. His condition aggravated and he was getting out of control.
All that Laila could do was lament greatly and blame herself for tying the knot with someone she thought she knew. She failed as a woman in that. He is a smoker, a drunkard, and a good-for-nothing piece of thrash. She couldn't even realize it. She had to cry and cry so much that her beautiful eyes had turned ruby red. Joshua died at age thirty-five, leaving behind a wife and a child.
So Laila spent the remaining seven months out of the nine, grieving and thinking deeply about her husband and how to raise Camille all by herself. Though she disliked Josh, for his atrocious habits to their very peak, she really missed him and still couldn't flash his visage out of her clouded memory.
And whenever the moon appeared out of the dark clouds, she would turn her phone on and listen to all of the sweet voicemails from the very beginning until now, until she fell asleep.
She was weak and it isn't helping as far as the condition she was in was concerned. The feeling was just disturbing and agonizing. Keisha should have been silent. Realizing the situation Laila was in, she should be mute. But why must she be? What would Laila make of her if she found out that she knew what was wrong with her husband and had never told her? She would get berserk, call her a traitor, and all the bad names one could ever think of.
As wise she could be, she didn't want to put herself in a tight corner, be a bad comrade. She loves Laila and would never keep such a thing from her so her castle of friendship would collapse, turn into detritus. She was in a dilemma and a dilemma, there is always a decision to be made.
Many may have seen Keisha White as a loudmouth, and her actions as interfering. After all, it was between two close people—a husband and a wife for crying out loud and no third party or whatsoever was needed. But her conscience never allowed her to be silent.
"I'm glad you told me, even though I couldn't talk to him. I could not save him. The worst part was trusting in him and believing all the lies he said as vows." Laila spoke softly but furiously. She had begun to sob. And as the tears walked out of her eyes, Keisha had to do the motherly job of consoling her.
"Don't eat yourself up, darling. He understood what condition you were in, and yet he didn't care. If he cared, he wouldn't have done all that he did. That should ring a bell, dear. He chose his path, Laila. He chose to die even though God presented life to him. Life will treat you fairly."
"I think I am gonna die. So there's nothing like life treating me fairly. I am dead-living." Laila said and cried, while she looked into Keisha's eyes. She cried a little too.
"Don't say that. Even if you wished for that, what about Camille? You must live to take care of your daughter and teach her all the good things you have deep inside of you." Said Keisha explicitly and encouragingly.
It was nice listening to Keisha speak. All the words that rolled out of her mouth were very warm like the ember, wrapping gently around her heart so she would feel not cold and scared and lonely.
Night came and the moon was as huge as the ocean blue. Laila had taken her drugs already. Keisha said goodbye and when she was about to head out, Laila grabbed her right hand firmly.
"Don't go." She whispered. " I can't sleep in here alone. I don't want to think ugly things and I don't wanna hear voices in my pillow."
So Keisha White, very weary after the day's work, still stayed. She needed a friend and Keisha was the only one she had. That's the definition of friendship. Keisha dropped the tray of medicines, and lay beside her, rubbing her hands through her long golden hair.
"I am going nowhere. I promise you." She said truly and kissed her on the forehead.
It was 10 pm. After telling her a few stories, Laila was asleep. Her head was on Keisha's shoulder. It was so pretty staring at her while she slept. Her eyes looked childish and her posture too.
The bond between these two grew stronger day after day and night after night. They had begun to tell each other their stories—stories they had never told anyone.
Lying in Keisha's tender arms felt like paradise. She could hear angels singing and could see God smiling at her. She felt protected and overly happy. Her agony died down and all the joy that she had lost returned to her. She was no more perturbed about Josh. She wasn't, not anymore.