GRAVE

"Let's cancel the appointment we have today." Jesse whispers adjusting her hair and staring into the dressing mirror in her room.

"Why? Did something happen?" Cecelia asks worried and standing behind her.

Jessie stops adjusting her hair and faces her daughter in such a rush. "Someone just sent me death threatening flowers and you don't see any big deal in it?"

"I am sorry ma'am." She apologizes immediately with her head down.

"You asked me this morning when you can start calling me mom." She takes a step closer. "And what was my reply?"

"You said there is time for everything, and now is time for business."

"I will like to change my reply."

Cecelia gently raises her head. "Change your reply? Why?"

"The moment you start treating me how a daughter should do to her mother, I will show you to the world." She frowns. "You just claim to want to call me mom but you do not care one bit about me."

"Maybe it's not my fault." Cecilia whispers. "Do you think it is easy?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think it's easy for you to just walk into my life now and expect me to accept you that easily as my mom?!"Cecelia asks again a bit loud and holding back tears in her eyes.

"Don't tell me you are throwing tantrums now."

"Call it wherever you wish." She retorts and wipes the tear that had just dropped on her cheek with the back of her palm.

Jessie inhales sharply. "Children will always be children, always nagging, not appreciating, not understanding and so naive."

"What do you mean?"

"Get your bag, we are going somewhere."

"What?" Cecilia asks confused. "I thought you just said to cancel the appointment."

"Yes, but I change my mind. Now it's the appropriate time for you to see what will motivate you for the rest of your life."

"Motivate me for the rest of my life?" The young naive lady asks.

*************

"He died ten years ago?" Cecelia asks kneeling in front of a grave.

"Yes." Jessie nods gently and adjusts her dark shades.

"Who killed him?" She asks again with a lot of pain in her voice.

"Up till today, no one in this world knows who did that."

"I asked who killed him?!" Cecelia asks yelling at the top of her voice.

"Cecelia?" Jessie calms calmly a bit shocked with her yell.

"I never got to see my father, thanks to some people who killed him." She nods. "Just pray you are dead before I find you, if not, I will make sure you face the most painful type of death on earth."

"Being like this won't help you, instead, I advice you to work hard and take over his hospital, since you are a medical doctor now."

Cecelia stands and faces her mom. "You said my father was married right?"

"Yes, but he died with his wife on spot." She replies bluntly.

She takes off her mother's shades and stares deep into her eyes, with hers burning red. "Then, how did you manage to take over his company?"

Jessie stands motionless and speechless for a moment, then she smiles, collects her shades then put them on again. "Before he died, I already everted the hospital as a partner. You can make your extra researches yourself."

"Father allowed his ex lover partner with him?" She asks again.

"Yes." She nods and avoids eye contact. "That's enough for today, let's head back home."

Cecelia rides back home in the car with just one thought in her mind. 'How is this woman I call my mom, related to the man she introduced to me as my father?' She doesn't just want to appear being suspicious of her mom earlier but the replies and actions Jessie gave her weren't satisfying. "Is she even my mother at all? She doesn't act like one." She whispers in her mind.

"What are you thinking of?" Jessie asks staring at the mirror at the driver's seat.

"I see you enjoy staring at yourself in the mirror." She comments ignoring the question.

"I fell relaxed looking at myself." She exhales sharply. "So, we're you motivated?"

"No." She retorts and shakes her head.

"That's a bit disappointing, I thought being you to your father's grave would motivate you."

Cecelia sneers, then frowns before looking at herself In the mirror too.