Broken Pieces

Fourteen

With the help of the doctors and nurses, i was put under observation for the next few days and was given steady treatment. So i had a speedy recovery.

Joanna visited me everyday and brought me food. Even some co-workers of mine came along with flower bouquets and "get well soon" cards. One colleague even baked me a small, nice cake which i appreciated.

I hadnt heard from Ella since. She hadnt come to see me, i'm sure she hadnt even heard of my accident. I tried her cell a few times with mine and Joanna's cell but it went straight to voicemail.

I got Joanna to go to their house and let her know that i wanted to speak to her. But no one answered the doorbell, Joanna told me. Ella just went AWOL. I hoped she hadnt done any harm to herself. It must have been hard for her plus the fact that she hated me now. I'm very sure of that.

One week and two days later, exactly on the day of Daniel's funeral service, i got discharged from the hospital. I still had my leg plaster on and couldnt walk without crutches. My head wounds were healing but i retained the bandages.

Joanna came to pick me up and together we headed for the church where the service was holding. When we arrived, the undertakers were just lifting the casket out of the van and into the church.

I couldnt stand to look at it. I didnt want to imagine or see a coffin with Daniel in it.

In the church, sympathizers and friends were milling around, dressed in black. I caught a glimpse of Zed, Dan's friend and Joanna's ex-boyfriend in college then. It was through him Dan and i met.

There was a huge framed picture of Dan near the alter, close to his open casket. I looked intently at it. It was my favourite picture of him because he looked so happy and carefree in the picture. I couldnt believe i'd lost him just like that.

Someone butted me from behind and snapped me out of my reverie. I found a chair to sit down and seconds later, Joanna joined me.

"You havent been standing at my side since?"

"You've been staring at that picture for minutes so i felt like giving you privacy", Joanna replied, "i've been speaking to some of the other people. No one knows what happened to him or why he died"

"Lets not even talk about it, Joan. I dont even want to know", i pleaded raising a dismissive hand.

Someone walked through the door. I turned. It was Ella. She had this long black dress, a scarf over her head and sunglasses on. She looked so tired and drained, like she hadnt been eating in days. She wiped her nose with a white handkerchief she had in her hand, greeted and hugged some people then went to sit at the front with her head bowed.

I wanted to run over there and hug her tightly. To tell her i know how she felt and i was sorry for how stupidly and blindly i acted. She would probably just push me off her and blurt in my face that she hated me.

Hot tears fell from my eyes unknowingly.

The priest walked up to the altar with a Bible in hand.

"The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh...", he started.