Chapter Thirteen

Hey Jules...are you free on Saturday ?"Jake called the next day.

"I planned to go shopping on Saturday...what's up"

"I'm going home...that day"

"Is it that time of the year ?"

"No...he has some charity stuff to do...and Kiki's dad will be there"

"Oh...it will be awkward"

"Yeah...can you come with me"

"Sure"

*****

"Babe...let's take a trip during the weekend" Owen called in the evening.

"I have plans"

"Ok ...where are we going ?"

"No...I'm the one going "

"Oh...where are you going ?"

"I'm going home for something."

"Should I come over ?"

"It's fine babe...I'll call you when I'm back ...I promise"

"Okay...are you sure you're fine"

"Yes...I'll hang up now"

"Babe are you drunk ?"

"Good night Owen"

Jake hated going home, it invoked his mother's dying phase in him. He drank that night and thought about his mother.

Jake had come home for an internship he was given at Silicon Valley. When he saw his mother she had shrunk from her normal size and always looked tired. He questioned her about it but and she said "I'm fine Jake... I just had a little flu'. He later heard from the maid Martha that she kept on getting sick and would send her to get her drugs for malaria and the flu as well as pain reliefs.

One night, he'd come back from work and she was watching late night movies so he joined her and they began discussing and laughing. He noticed she fell asleep amidst their talks and beads of sweats had formed on her head despite the cool of the room. He scooped her in his arms and took her to her room. That night he was restless, he felt something was wrong with her. He stood up from his bed and went back to her room, she was fast asleep but he carried her and she woke up lazily startled on the way and he informed her he was taking her to the hospital.

The hospital was able to draw her blood for tests and the doctor suggested she stayed the night as she looked malnourished. She was hooked to a drip and Jake stayed with her on a couch in the hospital room. The next morning she looked a bit stronger and they went back home.

A week later, Jake was at work when he got a call from the hospital.

"Good day Mr Hudson...I'd like you to come over for a confidential discussion that cannot be relayed over the phone" The doctor said.

Jake rushed out of work at that moment over to the hospital. There the doctor gave him the most heartbreaking news ever.

"Your mother is in stage five of leukemia which is the final stage...the cancer cells have spread around her body...she needs to start treatment right now" The doctor broke .

This news sliced his heart but he managed to be strong and go back home. At home he caught his mother slicing fruits for his father who sat on his executive chair reading news from his IPad.

He hurried over to her and hugged her for a really long time. He really loved her disregarding her disapproval for his sexuality, he was able to understand that she did what she did cause she loved him in her own twisted way. As he hugged her a tear escaped his eye as he'd been shedding tears internally.

"I love you"he said and his voice was getting croaky as he was about to spill out his cries.

"I love you too baby...what's up ?"

"Why didn't you know earlier mom ?... how couldn't you tell that something wasn't right when you kept getting sick ?...you should have gone to the hospital for checkup !"

"Why would she have gone there?"Father questioned looking at them.

"How come you didn't notice what she was going through?..." Jake croaked at him.

"What's going on Jake...tell me please" his mother worriedly asked.

"You're very sick mom...you have leukemia...how could you not have known you weren't alright...how did you deal with the pain"

"What!...Prince get my car ready" His father said yelling for Prince his driver.

"Oh...no"

"Diane get ready you're getting admitted today" father said and stood up from his seat in haste.

Jake saw his mother's breathing started increasing as she was about to faint but he held her and took her to the car wherein they drove to the hospital.

At the hospital they were assigned to an oncologist who ran a CT and PET scan on her. The tests results proved she was far gone and they just had to treat her to live a bit longer and have hope that she'd live out the 2 years she was prescribed. His father insisted that she undergo chemo therapy and the hospital had to oblige against their prescription.

Jake was with her throughout her treatment and Jules occasionally came by to visit with home made soup from her mother. When Kiki heard about it she flew over from the Uk to see her too and left a week later. Rome never did as he was studying in Uk with the excuse of having exams. He called her once in a while.

After a while, the oncologist called Jake's father and told him the chemo was having no effect on her and that it would be best if she went home and just relied on immunotherapy. She was moved home and started taking drugs that would prolong her life and relief the pain. Jake watched her wither away in pain and it tore his heart that he was helpless. He couldn't help her, couldn't share the pain that she went through. His father was solely focused at this period on his campaign and hardly had time for her so Jake took a break from his internship. He'd read books to her and would give her his phone to play games at times.

At that period Jake was dating Henry. Henry had called once when his mom was with his phone but she said nothing about it. He worried that would hurt her..."the fact that he was still gay despite all she did...but she never changed nor did her attitude rather she increased the rate at which she smiled at him.

*****

Jake could remember the promise he made to her in her dying breath and how her last tear on earth had dropped on his head. When he had thoughts of her he went down...couldn't be himself and most times succumbed to alcohol to ease the pain and feel numb.

On the Friday morning, Jules came over to console Jake, she knew how thoughts of home took a toll on him. She just hugged him and patted him though he didn't cry.

Their flight was in the evening so they got ready to leave, a knock was heard at the door and Jules went over the cam to see who was over and it was Owen. She opened the door and let him in.

"Hi"

"Hello Jules...is Jake home ?"

"He's in the shower now...we're flying out this evening "

"You're going with him?"

"Yeah"

"Okay...that's good to know...I guess I'll just leave"

"Won't you see him first?"

"It's fine...tell him to call me when he's back"

Owen's heart was hurt as he wanted to be there for Jake but Jake had someone else that wasn't him.He went home longing for Jake to open up to him. He knew that Jake wasn't comfortable going home and from the tone of his voice previously he was worried.

"Who was there ?" Jake asked drying his hair with a towel as he got out of the bathroom.

" Your boyfriend "

"Where is he ?"

"He left...he wants you to call when you're back"

"Did he seem mad?"

"No...he looked so sad" Jules recalled.

Jake picked up his phone to ring Owen. Owen picked at the first ring.

" Hey...why'd you leave"

"My sister called" Owen lied.

"I'm sorry about last night...I got drunk...did I perhaps snap at you ?"

"No...you didn't"

"Okay...I'll call you when I'm back"

"....I wish you'd share your pain with me too"

"Uhm..."

"I love you and want to be there for you in good and bad times"

"I'm not good at sharing stuff"

"I'll have to teach you then"

"Ok... I'll miss you"

"Same here... my semester just ended so I'll have lots of free time "

"I'll look towards that...get home safe okay"

"Goodnight"

*****

Owen was meant to be home in wait for Kevin. He'd called him over to talk to him in regards to Gilbert.

Kevin got to Owens house and rang the doorbell.

"Hey Kevin" she greeted as she saw him.

"Amelia...how are you"

"Jal jinaeyo. I'm fine"

"You always blast me with your Korean language" he laughed.

"Cause you're my best buddy "

"Me too...where's your brother ? "

"He must be with that boyfriend of his"

"Okay...I'll wait"

"I'm hurt Kevin...so you didn't come to see me"

"Actually I came earlier than the meeting time with Owen to spend some time with you" He lied.

"Okay"

"How are your Korean crushes ?"

"Awwwwn... they're all great"

" okay...what do you have in the fridge ?"

"You can have anything you want...then come tell me about your secret love" she said and he strolled over to the fridge. When he got there, he shuffled for something he would like.

"What secret love ?...why does your brother still keep this much cosmetics in the fridge"

"Come on Kevin...you told me about him a while back and how your relationship was getting stronger..."

"I've forgotten" he came back with a cup of ice cream.

"Why would you?...oh you never even gave me his name"

"That means he's history...what flavor of ice cream is this"

"Ok...it's mint choco "

"Okay...it's a bit nice"

"Yeah...do you know Mrs Gresham is finally moving out..."

"The cat lady ?"

"Yeah...she offered me a kitten but I refused"

"Why...don't you like cats ?"

"I like them but they're not my ideal pet and I don't want such responsibility"

"Okay...now they'll stop sneaking into your room and meowing all night long"

"Yeah..." Amelia usually kept her bedroom window open most times and forget to shut it before going to bed and so cats invaded her room. The first night she'd been so scared when one nuzzled her head, she woke up startled to see two green pools staring at her and she screamed. Her scream scared the cat off and Owen ran in.

"What...why did you scream ?" He questioned bustling in in his pajamas and a facial mask on.

"There was a cat !"

"Oh...sorry...I'll talk to the cat lady"

"Okay"

"Shut your window" He said and left. That night he went over to Mrs Gresham but she was asleep. The next day he told her about what happened but she said they should close their windows as she couldn't control her cats. Occasionally when it slipped their minds, cats snuck in till they got used to it.

The door swung open and Owen came in looking sad.

"Did I keep you waiting for long ?" He asked Kevin.

"Not really...I hung out with Amelia" Kevin replied.

"Okay Amelia...excuse us" Owen said to Amelia as he strode to the sofa where Kevin was seated and sat down next to him.

"Geez man...he's my friend too" Amelia exclaimed.

"Amelia !" Owen warned.

"Okay fine...I'm in my room Kev...don't leave without seeing me" She said to Kevin.

"Sure" Kevin replied.

"How are you Kev ?"Owen asked.

"I'm good man"

"Are you really dating Julian ?"

"Yeah...I am"

"But the way I see it...you still like Gilbert and haven't been able to get over him...and it seems like you're using Julian to hurt him"

"I'm moving on Owen...I'm learning to love Julian...he really loves and cares for me"

"Yeah I know that...he's a nice guy...but about Gilbert...you never gave him a chance Kev...he said you dropped a bomb and just left like that"

"I had to Owen...You gotta have seen the look on his face when I told him...an expression I've never seen before... he can never be gay. All these years I've known him it has always been tales of girls he laid and how they clung to him after. "

"People change...he could do that just for you"

"Owen have you forgotten who Gilbert is ?...a prankster !...I can't go back to how things once were or give him a chance...he was a first love I am proud to have had but it's time to move on"

"Okay...seems your mind is made up"

"Yeah it is !"Kevin affirmed.

"So how's your relationship with Julian ?"

"It's healthy and hot" Kevin shared.

"Hmmmm...."

"Yeah... whatever you're thinking times two"

"Whoa...you look so innocent"

"Well I'm not...I hang out in his house a lot and tell my Aunty when she calls that I'm at Gilbert's"

"What if she calls Gilbert's mom"

"She doesn't have their number...the first time she talked to her it was with my phone"

"Okay...do you still visit his mom"

"It'll feel awkward man...ever since her party I haven't been there but I'm in contact with his sisters though"

"That's cool Kev...I wish you the best"

"Thanks...what about Jake ?"

"He's on a trip"

"He travels a lot"

"Yeah he does"