CHAPTER 47

Bethel opened her eyes the moment she felt a moist lip on her cheek. She knew who it was even before opening her eyes. The little hands, the soft warmth of it. It's no one else but Angel.

"Good morning, Amma" she chuckled exposing a perfect white set of teeth.

Bethel felt so tired to even sit up, she feels not so her. She feels so sick and doesn't want to go to the hospital.

"Angel... who got you dressed for school?" She asked.

"One of the help, when you didn't come to my room" Angel replied, and Bethel felt an abnormal movement in her bowel. The force of the vomit rushed through her throat.

She jumped out of bed to the washroom and luckily, she was able to hold it before she got to the washroom.

She vomited over and over again and she felt like she would vomit her intestines out. Angel didn't see her, she already had the door locked. The only thing the little girl heard was running water and she had thought her nanny was washing her face.

Still vomiting, Bethel felt a wave of dizziness hit her. Her sight was blurry for long minutes before she finally came back to herself.

When she stepped out, Angel was waiting patiently for her and she doesn't think she would be able to follow her in her car to school, she needs rest, she needs to recuperate. Perhaps her sudden illness is from stress.

"Nanny is sick and won't be able to accompany you today, she will come pick you up after school" Bethel squat to the girl's height.

Angel nodded once.

"One minute" Bethel mouthed. She had just remembered she didn't check her homework last night.

"Write what you remember each time you think of Mom" Bethel read the question on her mind.

"Isn't this too much" Bethel thought. Angel is just four and would be five next tomorrow.

"When I think of Mom, I remember her hand, teacher. It's the same hand that bathe me. Same hand that makes me bow to God. Same hand that feeds me. Same hand that guides me holding mine. It's also the same hand that caress my head and put me to sleep. I love my nanny".

Stunned was an understatement to what Bethel feels. Although there are little errors in the spellings. She wondered how a four year old could put such words together.

"Come here" Bethel smiled and kissed her cheek then she corrected the words she misspelt in her work.

Since she didn't wake up early, she couldn't pray with Angel she applied vermilion on the little girl's forehead before the help came to ask for her.

"My birthday is in two days time" Angel reminded.

Bethel smiled. "I know, come on. You don't want to be late for school"

After that, she returned to get room and checked her phone. She has been trying to contact her aunties. When she was growing up after her mother's death, her father had prevented her from seeing her aunties. He kept her away for his own selfish reason.

Which include selling her to rich men for money!.

Her mother was an Indian, she knows how difficult it would be to get in touch with her aunties. Chitra. Devi and Indu.

Most importantly, she needs to meet with Aunt Chitra to discuss about Harry's condition, she strongly believe there is a cure to his addiction.

She dropped her phone, hoping the mails she have been sending won't be left vain.

*

The boatman was waiting at the lake, standing near a beautiful old wooden classic sailboat.

He bowed in greetings to Hary and Bethel and they responded.

Bethel looked excited and couldn't wait to climb aboard. Harry had asked her out on a simple date which she agreed to.

The boatman took the tarps off and they all climbed aboard.

He showed them the cabin belowdecks if they got too cold.

"Woah!" Bethel shouted excitedly as they pulled away from the dock in the cold air.

They spent the next three hours sailing around the lake.

They were both ecstatic, they had fun and took pictures.

Bethel wouldn't stop shouting in excitement and Hary smiled whenever she did so.

They were both sorry to end the great sail after three hours.

They thanked the boatman and Harry handed him a generous tip before they walked back to the car..

"I had so much fun, thank you" Bethel grinned as Harry started driving back to the airport.

"Im glad you had fun" Harry smiled.

"Aren't we going back to the airport?" Bethel asked as Harry took a different turn.

"No, we're going shopping!!" Harry said, stunning Bethel once more, "for you... we've shopped for Angel right?"

"We don't have to" Bethel said.

"Well.. we have to" Harry smiled.

"Angel..." Bethel gasped, realizing it's the time her school closes and she has promised to pick her up.

"Irene is gonna take care of her" Harry winked .

"And you're gonna offend me by not picking anything" Harry added and Bethel sighed.

"They've got nice things here, trust me" He added.

Harry wore a nose mask in order to prevent any form of ardent questions from the press.

He opened the door for Bethel and she followed him after much hesitation. She didn't see a need of shopping for cloths when she can make stunning dresses.

Bethel picked a great jacket with three pairs of shoes, not wanting to offend Harry.

"How about that?" Harry asked, pointing to a particular dress that caught his attention. He kept pointing to more things that caught his attention for her to pick. All the dresses looked great on her.

"How do you know my exact size?" Bethel asked, they were in the dressing room. Harry zipped her dress up.

"I know it" he replied calmly.

"How?" She asked.

"Because I love you" Harry imagined replying her. In as much as he wanted to say that to her, he just can't. She only helped him by always ready to satisfy his addiction if it arises, he doesn't want to take advantage of that.

At some points he regretted meeting Steph before knowing Bethel.

"Because I know every part of you... your body is divine" he replied, jolting out of his thoughts.

He had just helped her fit into a white dress. The dress exposed little skin but she still looked great in it.

"Thank you" she replied.

After they were done shopping, they headed back to the airport.

Bethel smiled as she checked the pictures they took while sailing.

They were on flight to NY already and she and Harry was sitting side by side in his plane, sipping wine.

Harry looked like he's engrossed in the magazine he was holding, but he had been stealing glances at Bethel all along.

He enjoys watching her smile.

"Angel's birthday is next tomorrow" Bethel said, facing Harry. Her cheeks grew hot when she caught him staring at her.

"Yeah" Harry said.

"I won't be surprised if my mum appears next tomorrow with my younger sister" he added

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Ohh" Bethel smiled, hoping Angel will like the purple dress she designed specially for her. It's a dress she created on her own.

"I'm glad tomorrow is a Saturday, i want to take my princess to so many beautiful places, I'm gonna buy her lots of things and restock her wardrobe with new ballet dresses, I'll transform her ballet room into a more advanced one and I'll do everything she wants for her, tomorrow" Harry smiled.

Bethel was touched deeply by how much he loves his daughter.

The light in his eyes when he said those things was just so adorable.

The joy of being a parent...

It was dark when they returned to the house.

Bethel was all smiles, she really enjoyed her day.

"Thank you, i really enjoyed my day" She said to Harry.

"I'm glad you did" Harry said and she surprisingly gave him a tight hug.

He hugged her back, smiling.

She didn't mind the workers standing around as she stood on her toes and pecked him on both cheeks.

Harry was stunned, he would never have thought Bethel would kiss him in front of his workers, she was always careful not to even call him by his name in front of his workers and now she had kissed him!

It felt so good.

"Goodnight and thank you" She said shyly as she retreated to get room with her shopping bags.

****

"We are finally here... in NY City! Yaaah!" Evelyn squealed, jumping in excitment.

"I can't wait to see Brother!" Emma, a twenty three years old detective, also Harry's sister chuckled. She took pictures of the things that interest her.

"Good evening Mrs Crown!"

Harry's mother was specially welcomed in one of his hotel and suites.

Evelyn, Emma and Mrs Crown booked rooms, they wanted to surprise Angel's tomorrow which is next tomorrow.