Isabella's POV
Telling the cabman to wait for me, I climb down from the cab in a hurry and dash into the house.
I am overwhelmed by what has happened to me today but I don't want to give it much thought until after the surgery is done.
Grandma and I could barely sleep last night because of the severe pain she was feeling. The medications she usually takes to deduce the pain were finished and I was waiting for my next salary to buy her another.
I was already thinking of giving my boss's offer a chance because of how much she was in pain. But something kept holding me back and now I don't know how it happened.
Suddenly, I have become $50,000 richer in just a matter of seconds.
When I enter the small living room, grandma isn't there sitting on her cane chair, watching old movies on our TV, I hear whimpers instead coming from her room.
Without hesitation, I hurry into the room to see her writhing in pain on the bed. Before I left for work this morning, she was still sleeping and I made breakfast for her, dropping it beside her bed, thinking the pain will be gone by the time she is awake.
But from the look of things, grandma hasn't been up since I left home. It's been two hours already since I left for work and I wonder if she is just waking up.
"Bella?" She calls, making an effort to get up and suck in the pain. She knows how much and how desperate I have been looking for ways to get the money for her surgery and she keeps telling me to be patient and that God is faithful.
God will perform wonders, she used to say and I know she usually tells me this so I won't end up doing the wrong thing just for her to survive and leave the pain behind.
Now that I think of it and I think of what I have done which has provided me with twice the money we would be needing for the surgery, I ask myself if this is the blessing that grandma has been prophesying or a mistake from my end.
I rush to her. She smiles sadly.
"Why are you here?" Her voice is breaking as she tries so hard to talk normally.
I am chiding myself not to cry at the sight before me. She looks miserable and in pain.
What I have done might be the greatest mistake of my life but I am willing to go through with it now that there is hope that Grandma can get healed from this pain.
I can feel the pain. I am also in pain for not being able to do anything to help.
"I am here to take you to the hospital", I inform her, thinking of what to tell her after the surgery is done and I am left to get married to my boss. I didn't even ask my boss when he wanted the wedding to be.
I was too excited to ask that. I was bent on coming home to take grandma to the hospital.
"Hospital?" She winces in pain as I cup her cheeks, pecking her forehead. "Have you gotten the money?" Her voice is extremely low now.
We should get going, my subconscious says.
"Yes, Grandma. Let's go, please. There is a cab waiting outside for us", I tell her.
Just then, I hear a horn coming from outside and I haul her up with her body resting on me and her arms around me.
Apparently, she has many questions to ask me about where I got the money from and from who but it will be a later discussion because she can barely find her voice as we make our way out of her room and the house slowly.
She seems heavier today and helping her out was tiresome. Her whole weight rests on me, making me feel exhausted by the time we get to the cab and the cabman comes down to help me take her into the cab.
I slump beside her as the cabman goes over to the driver's seat and ignites the car engine into action.
I give him the hospital address and rest my head on the seat, turning to stare at Grandma's closed eyes.
Is she sleeping?
Her face is a grimace but when she opens her eyes to see me watching, she flashes me a smile. I reciprocate and turn away from her.
Her hands find mine and I know what will come next.
"Bella, where did you get the money from?"
I squeeze my eyes shut, wishing we can just leave this topic till later. All I am after right now is her health, once the surgery is successful, I will tell her everything.
"Child, don't lie to me", she warns with a stern voice, despite her condition and I almost smile.
"I don't lie, Grandma", I roll my eyes at her and she nods in agreement.
"So talk to me. What have you done?"
I knew it!
She must think I have given in to my desperation and gone ahead to sacrifice my dignity and pride as a woman for her survival.
No, that is not it.
At least, what I have done is better than being someone's slut. What I want to do is dignified.
"Grandma, I did nothing", I tell her, squeezing her two hands softly as if to convince her to believe me.
She puckers a brow at me. "Nothing?"
I nod. I know she isn't buying my lie but I want to try. Maybe she will let go eventually.
She blows out a sigh and falls silent, as though she has given up. I am almost on the verge of thinking that she has given up truly until she speaks up again. "A magic happened then?"
I chuckle lightly. "Yes, you have always told me to believe that God will perform miracles, haven't you?"
She isn't looking convinced or happy, she has a serious look on her face with a frown teasing her lips.
She is thinking the worst of me and it is better I tell her now before she refuses to go ahead with the surgery just because she thinks the money is coming from the wrong place.
I let out a sigh too, then let go of her hands as I look out of the window, thinking of what we have been through ever since her accident.
Grandma knows I can do anything for her. Honestly, I didn't want to do this because I didn't want it but the offer was too sweet and tempting to let go of.
I am beginning to see no big deal in the contract. It is just for a year and after a year, we will go our separate ways and I will continue to live my life as normal.
But will Grandma understand?
"I see you don't want to tell me", she murmurs with half-closed eyes.
"No", I reply sharply. She turns to gaze at me. "I just feel this isn't the right time to tell you about this."
"Is it that bad that you can't tell me now?"
"No, mother. I didn't do anything wrong", I retort snappily, watching her intently. Her expression is devoid of emotions. "Believe me, I didn't do anything wrong."
"I can't believe you until you tell me what it is", she declares and I let out a frustrated long sigh before leaning backward as the hospital comes into view.
"I asked my boss for help", I pronounce, trying to keep a straight face so she won't suspect anything or find out there is more to this.
She nods to urge me to go on.
"It is more like an advance salary and I will pay up with my monthly pay…" I trail off, not knowing what exactly I am talking about. I sound confused.
Grandma doesn't look confused like I thought she would. She nods in understanding instead and relief washes through me thinking this is the end already.
"What then are you going to do for him in return for this help?" She questions me with confidence, as though she knows what is going on and my jaw drops in shock.
We sit staring at each other. I am short of words with my mouth agape and she isn't even blinking her eyes until the cab stops making us conscious of where we are and jerking us out of our reverie.
"We are here", the cab man says and comes out to open the door for us.
I finally close my mouth and Grandma whispers into my ears. "We will talk about this later if I survive it."