Chapter Six

Chapter 6: Grandma went missing again

David's POV

"Who are you?" My grandmother agitatedly stood up from her chair. Hitting the table as she did so

"Grandma?" I looked at her puzzled. She doesn't remember me now? This is bad! I stood up and as I was about to touch her shoulder a cold pale-skinned hand stopped me. I looked sideways, it was Selena. She releases the grip as I sent a death frown her way.

"Excuse me," My voice was cold and deeper than usual.

"She doesn't seem to recognize you and I brought her here. Even if she's your grandma let's wait for the police to come and confirm that" She stood in front of my grandma spreading her free hand sideways

"Police?" I asked confused. It hadn't gotten that complicated.

"I met an old woman in the street, yelled at by a taxi driver. Who did you think I'd call? If she's really your grandma, where the hell were you?" She tugged strand of her hair behind her ear and out of nowhere chuckled "I almost forgot, probably in much more classier restaurant giggling with Cinderella." She snapped at my face.

"You called me!"

"What?" She folded her arms

"My number is at the back of her book. Thank you for helping my grandma" I clapped my hand together and gave a curt bow.  She just stared at me; eyes wide open but, eye balls moving like a bee scanning my face.  Was that really shocking?

She coughed out, "prove it"

I sighed and dug out my cell phone. "This is your number. Isn't it?" Placing it few inches away from the tip of her nose. I wished I could glue it on her face instead.

"She's really your grandmother?" She blinked away looking defeated as if finally accepting reality.

Why did she find it hard to believe?  Did she want to take her as her own?

"I have two grandson and they should both be at school. I don't know him. But he reminds me of the person I'm meeting." Grandma said softly, pulling Selena's shirt to grab her attention. Her voice was filled with expectations a bit like Cindy earlier.

"Who's she waiting for?" She asked helping her sit down back.

"It's none of your business. Hand over my grandmother." I demanded.

"Selena." She turned back on hearing her name.

"It's obviously his grandmother." A man in apron said

"The phone call doesn't make her his grandmother. A person can't be this irresponsible with family. What if she met some weirdo? Is it because I'm not asking for money?" She looked from me to my grandmother and scoffed. "DON'T LOSE HER AGAIN." She sighed.

Something is really wrong with this waitress. She whispered something into grandma's ears and curiosity almost had me for brunch because whatever she was saying caused grandma's eyes to gape open and her face brightened, her lips formed a smile. She opened her hand asking her for a hug which Selena accepted with a gleeful laugh.

Her gaze fell on me once again "Make sure she meets the man. She really wants to,"

I sighed and stretched my hands towards my grandma. She took it wholeheartedly and we walked side by side with me as we exited the café.

I wonder what Selena said to her… will I ever know?

I glanced back at Selena a second before I left, she looked like she was sending off her little child to school for his first time.

Why does she keep behaving familiar? But, I don't think I've met a person like her.

At the roadside grandma looked around. "Where's he?" She turned her body slowly at three hundred and sixty degrees

"He's been waiting for you at home grandma,"

She held her head and closed he eyes, shaking it slowly. Is she feeling dizzy?  Blinking multiple times she grabbed my arm. "David?"

I smiled and nodded.

"When did you come back from school? Why are you wearing this? Your mom would scold you!" She said caressing my cheeks. I took the hand and gave it a little peck. I held it tight and hailed for a taxi

***

A white building filled with nurses and old men and women strolling in the grass carpeted floor that covered a particular spot entire entrance of the facility  came into view as the taxi driver pulled over in its front.

The Miller's health center for the old was the best in Washington. Even though it was a center for old people with illnesses and difficulties, it still had the luxury and environment one would call paradise once they retire. Amidst all these advantages and comfort, Grandma didn't seem to like this place when we first got here.

"Is this the right destination sir?" The driver asked snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Code please." I scanned the code and looked at my grandma. She was fast asleep. She must have had a really hectic day walking around looking for my father.

I stepped out of the taxi and hurried to the other side carrying my grandma in my hands as gently as I could.

I ignored the nurses that called out to me from the front desk and stepped into the elevator.

"Mr. Alokwe" I heard my name from a familiar voice and turned back. It was the doctor that called me earlier when my grandma went missing. A frown formed on my face, I was holding a lot back right now. I didn't want to cause a scene and most importantly wake my grandma.

I gave the doctor a quick nod simply because he was a doctor.

My grandma's room was the last on the floor. It was the most expensive of them all because we had to make it look like home and paid a lot to do so.

I placed her on her king sized bed and removed her shoes. Her toes were a bit bruised. At the sight of this my heart ached.

I grew up with my grandma and learnt most of the things I knew from her. She helped my dad with ALK so that he would have a good relationship with us and most especially my 'always demanding' mother.

His death hit everyone in a different way but my grandma couldn't handle it and we had no way to lie to her because she was the first to find out.

That's when she started loosing her memory but the doctor says she still has them but he subconscious locked it up. She doesn't want to live a life without her son so she forced herself to believe her son's still alive and only kept memories of the time my dad was alive after the accident.

I tugged her in and walked silently out of her room.

As I stepped out of the room my phone vibrated in my pocket.

"Mr. Alokwe, I am currently in front of the center." Norman's voice fell into my ears and I sighed loudly.

"I'll be down right now." I was already fed up with the taxis all day. This is the first time in years that I took a taxi and I took it three times today.

As I got close to the car Norman rushed down to open the door for me.

"The main office as fast as possible." I said as I entered the car.

I allowed exhaustion take over me as my body lazily rested on the chair. My hand fell on my right pocket and it hit something. I fished out the object, it was my grandma's tracker.

" Damn it!" I cursed out loud.

"Is anything wrong sir?" Norman sounded anxious.

"Nothing. Was Cindy much trouble today?"

"She was surprisingly quiet the entire ride and asked to the unescorted to her airline."

"Remind me to call her. It should be her 7 am. Don't make a mistake."

"Yes sir."

**

"It better be a good reason you called me Dave. I should be on a flight to the Bahamas now." Richard said as he closed the door to my office and resting on the door. In his usual sweatpants and matching colour t-shirt with a headphone over his neck he looked like he hadn't slept for days.

"My grandma went missing today again." I danced in my swivel chair but my eyes didn't leave his figure one second.

His eyes widened, he seemed like he froze because his fingers stopped its job of roughening his hair.  I threw the bracelet to him with a frown and he slowly took a seat directly in front of me.

He examined it for a very long time, a mix of sadness and confusion obvious on his face.

"I want something she won't take off. Or something that can be kept in every clothe she has if possible. Even if it's to send her clothes daily for the rest of her life. It's actually cheaper compared to the cost of losing her," I am so upset and frustrated right now.

"I understand. I'll think of something else. Give me a week. No! Three days tops." He raised three fingers in the air.

"I don't want it rushed at the same time it must be available as soon as possible. I'm giving you one month. Moe funds would be sent to you tonight"

"She doesn't have anything on her now?" With the question in my mind it reminded me of the words I said to the doctor just before leaving the center.

*flashback starts*

"If I get a call from you again… you'd wish you never took a job at this hospital. You and the hospital would both disappear. I am not bluffing here. I will tear down this entire building." My eyes were filled with anger, pain and sadness looking down at the white coated trembling body.

*flashback ends*

The thought of my grandma disappearing forever resurfaced in my mind again and I looked at Richard with fear in my eyes.

"She'll be okay for a while. I'll visit her frequently now."

"How about that Selena girl?"

The waitress! Her petite figure popped up in my mind. I recalled her clear and smooth porcelain skin toned heart shaped face. Why am I describing her that way.  I frowned.

"What? She made you angry after rescuing your grandma?" He chuckled

I recalled her wanting to call the police on me.

"She did save your grandmother."

"She's a nobody. Not a word to anyone. " I scoffed.

"Who's a nobody?" a soft but familiar and demanding voice comes in as the door clicked open