CHAPTER THREE
'I beg your pardon?" I ask completely stunned.
'I am serious. I will give you the money you need for your daughter's treatment and more, but in return you become my wife for a year." He said with a facial expression that proved his seriousness.
I just stand there, mouth agape with incredulity completely stunned by this completely insane stranger.
'How can you want to marry me? You don't know anything about me, not even my name, and I obviously don't know yours." I say incredulously.
'Oh well, we can always fix that. I'm Nathan. He says with his arm
outstretched like he actually expects me to accept the handshake.
'Here's my business card, call me when you've made your decision." He says,
handing me his business card as he gets into his car and zooms off.
* *
After meeting with Mr. Crazy, I head back to the hospital where my daughter is.
'Oh, are you done praying? That was fast". Ava asks surprised to see me back
so soon.
'I didn't even make it to the church. It's a long story."
Her eyebrows arch. 'What happened?" She asks curious.
'Let's just I met with a lunatic." I say sitting down next to Mia's bed, fatigue
finally catching up with me.
'Okay….? Are you really going to make me beg for the details? You know I'm going to want to know everything" She asks impatiently.
I smile, of course she'd want to know everything she's Ava after-all, she lives for gossip that's one of the reasons why she's my favorite cousin. She always knows the juicy ‘tea' about every aunt and neighbor.
'Just as you left me, lost in thoughts, I unknowingly walked into the road and
almost got run down by a car."
She gasps, her hands covering her mouth. 'Oh my gosh, are you alright? I shouldn't have left you by yourself."
'I'm totally fine, don't blame yourself dear. Anyways, long story short, the
driver got out and yelled at me.
'He yelled at you? How dare he! Was he blind? Didn't he see you on the road?"
She says getting angry.
'I was literally in the middle of the road Ava."I point out gently.
'And so? He should be more careful next time." She says still defending me
stoically.
I laugh lightly as my heart swells with love for her. Even if the police caught me standing over a dead man's body with the weapon of murder in my hands, Ava would still vouch for me and defend me with the whole of her heart. That's how loyal she is and another reason why I love her.
'Anyways, can I continue my story without any more interruptions? I ask giving her ‘the eye'.
'Sure." She says, making a motion of zipping her mouth and throwing away the key."
'So, he yelled at me and I got emotional. I didn't realize when I started rambling on about how Mia is sick with kidney failure and I need money for her surgery." I say covering my face with shame and frustration.
'Oh, poor you." She stretches out her a and takes mine. Squeezing it.
'And then he offered to give me the money." I say peeping at Ava through my
fingers still covering my face.
'He offered to give you what money." She asks her eyes bulging out.
'The money for Mia's treatment." I could already see the excitement and elation
in her eyes, too bad it isn't going to last. 'But there's a condition."
'Of course there's a condition." She said sarcastically, excitement vanishing immediately. 'So what's the condition?"
'That I marry him."
'What!?" She yells, as her jaw drops almost to the ground. If I wasn't so upset I
would have found her expression comical.