chapter thirteen

Whenever people said cliches like the darkest part of the night is just before Dawn,they were usually right,but could they also mean that the brightest days occurred before the darkest night? it was something Jimi Williams would think about for many years after wards.

Those days of being a schoolboy in forcados were bright: he won prizes,he was popular, and the only bad thing was that Michelle Charlotte didn't like him.

he didn't spend much time thinking about his family,then. mother was quiet and gentle and always made sure he had good food to eat and that his clothes were clean and ironed.

father grumbled incessantly and Jackson...was simply Jackson. he was now doing some sort of computer diploma course at an institute, brother charles, who was living in the United kingdom, Charles was just like Mr Williams: he wanted nothing to do with Jackson.

Throughout the holidays, Jimi went out to parties with all his friends and had a good time at the beach. once they went to a nightclub for the fun of it; nobody guessed they were under age.

One night, just after new year's day when his father was away for his job and Jackson was not home,Jimi heard pounding on his bedroom door. it's Charlotte,the househelp.

" Mummy has fainted,' she said with terror in her eyes.' she was just standing there, then moved back and fell.help us!.

He ran to the kitchen and saw his mother on the ground.one of her arms were flung wide and she had a little cut on her forehead where she had hit the cupboard he Suddenly realised how thin she was.

" Mum, mum can you hear me? there was no answer. Charlotte was staring at him, rolling her frightened eyes.for a second he didn't know what to do; he suddenly felt sick,as if he was going to faint as well . pulling himself together,he bent close and felt her slightly breath against his face .she was still alive. Thank God! Jimi took a wet cloth from the house help and rubbed his mother's forehead,his heart ache.

After about five minutes,Mrs Williams woke up and Jimi and the househelp helped her to the sitting room.

" mum, are you okay? what's the matter?'

Jimi asked.

I'm alright', she said weakly.

' no mum, you're not. have you been ill?.

there was something about the way she refused to meet his gaze that made him uncomfortable. Jimi pressed until she finally agreed to go to the hospital for a check up .there,the doctor spent a long time with her .

' we'll have to admit her,' he said when he finally came out of the examination room, Just for some tests.

after an agonizing night,Jimi went back to the hospital the next day to find his mother sitting up in bed.the ward she was in had two other bed in it,one of which was occupied by an elderly lady who lay still, occasionally punctuating was conscious or not. Jimi twisted his nostrils a little at the peculiar antiseptic smell that hospital always seemed to have.

Are you feeling better, mummy?'

' Jimi,' she said ' I want to tell you something'.

his heart stood still.yet, she said nothing

' mum, tell me. I'm not a child.'

' I have cancer. ovarian cancer'.

his throat went drya as he struggled to understand what she had just said.