Seconds *COMPLETED*

Chapter 1

Daniel

On the way back home from my office that evening, one of my car's front tyres had become punctured. I had to stop at the roadside and await my sister to pick me up from there. It was already almost 10 minutes since I'd called her, yet there was still no sign of her car.

"Ouch!" I cried as something hit the back of my right shoulder all of a sudden. I turned around, really annoyed, as I grimly asked, "Are you blind? Can't you see where you're going?"

A beautiful lady stood before me, carrying a baby, who was sleeping. For a few seconds, I just gazed at her. She was just a perfect picture. That beautiful, that striking! Her eyes were absolutely gorgeous. Those twinkling hazel eyes were sparkling with the sun's rays reflected upon it. She was just too beautiful; a beauty I had never ever seen in my life.

Being a rich successful businessman's son, I had received plenty of proposals, before and even now too. But none of those girls had been an equivalent or even more mesmerizing than the lady standing before me now. She stood staring ahead, fretfully.

"I'm sorry, sir. I'm really sorry. Please forgive me. I'm... I'm blind, sir. I'm really sorry, sir," she cried, frantically.

What in the world? I was stunned. She was blind? I gazed at her, shocked for a few seconds, while she continued staring straight ahead. She had a stitch on the left corner of her forehead.

"Oh. Sorry, ma'am. I didn't know that you're... that you're blind. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry," I said.

"No, no, it's okay. I'm the one who actually walked into you, sir. I'm sorry, sir. Umm, sir... do you know any pharmacy nearby?" she inquired.

"Yeah, I do. Why? Would you like to go to a pharmacy?" I asked.

"Yes please, sir. My daughter's not feeling well," she replied.

"Oh, okay. Come, I'll take you to a pharmacy nearby," I offered.

"Thank you very much, sir," she said.

We walked to a pharmacy nearby, which I had seen a few times before on the way from home to office or back. I strolled outside the small pharmacy for a few minutes while waiting for her to buy the medicine. Its price was $32.50. Wow, that's expensive. The pharmacist was now having a serious conversation with her. I went over to see what had gone wrong.

"Sir, please take my watch. I won't need this anymore, now that I'm blind. Please take my watch as the payment for this medicine. Please, sir. This watch is expensive, sir. Around 40 to 50 dollars. Very well-known brand too, look, sir.... Sir, I don't have money. Please try to understand, sir. I really need this medicine for my daughter, my Mila. She is all I have, sir. Please take this watch as the payment for the medicine, sir," the girl pleaded.

"Are you crazy? You can't do this, ma'am. This is a pharmacy; it's not like other shops. If you have money, pay for the medicine. If not, just go! Don't waste my time!" snapped the pharmacist.

The lady continued to try to persuade that obstinate pharmacist, but to no avail. I shook my head, confused with the lady's attitude.

"Eh, what're you doing? Trying to sell your watch? Here, of all places? This is a pharmacy, not a watch shop or a jewellery shop or anything. This is just a pharmacy, get it? If you have money, pay for the medicine and go! You can't sell your watch here, okay?" I asked her.

She looked really worried. Really frantic and really miserable. Deep inside my heart, I felt pity for her. For no obvious reason.

"Do you have money?" I asked, after a few seconds. She slowly shook her head as her eyes filled with tears. Pity her.

"It's okay then. I'll pay for it," I said. She just remained silent. As we exited the pharmacy, I turned to head back to the bus stop where I'd been waiting earlier. I wondered about the lady. Where did she want to go? I remained silent for a few seconds, unsure of what to do.

"Sir... sir, are you still there?" asked the lady.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Sir, please take this. My watch. You helped me to pay for the medicine for Mila, my daughter. Thank you so much, sir. Thank you very much. Please take this as my payment. I'm sure you'll be able to get some money from this," she stuttered, stretching out her watch towards me.

"No, it's okay," I said.

"Please, sir," she begged.

"No. No, it's okay," I paused for a few seconds, and then continued, "what's your name, ma'am?"

"Tiara Qaleesya," she introduced.

"Are you married?" I inquired.

"Yes, sir. Sir, what's your name?" she asked.

"Daniel Sorrens. This child; it's your child, right?" I asked, puzzled.

"Yes, sir, she's my daughter, Mila Amylia," she replied.

"Oh, okay. Where's your husband, Tiara?" I inquired, curiously.

"I don't know," she replied calmly.

Huh?! What in the world?! Is she crazy? Doesn't even know where her own husband is? What kind of a wife is she?

"You mean, you don't know where your husband is?" I asked, puzzled.

"I don't know," she said again.

What's that supposed to mean? She doesn't even know what she means. She was confusing me even more.

"How can that be? You... you really don't know where your husband is, Tiara?" I inquired.

"I don't know," she answered again.

What's with this lady? Honestly what's wrong with her? She was answering just an 'I don't know' to all my questions!

To be continued...