I’ll Be Waiting – Part 8
Amos decided to tell Jaycee the truth of his financial situation as he needed her to loan him the five hundred dollars that he needed to repay his pal. He knew she had that kind of money as he had been sharing his winnings with her and she had promised to put the money aside for their future. After the initial shock, Jaycee agreed to withdraw the cash to settle his debt. She reasoned that they could always save up again when they had the spare cash. She even offered to help him to settle his remaining debts. Amos was glad that Jaycee was such an understanding girlfriend and promised not to place another bet again.
As Amos handed the cash to his friend, he heaved a sigh of relief. He had even made arrangement to repay the rest of his creditors by instalments. Life was back to what it was before the lavish lifestyle and he wasn’t the spendthrift he used to be. He started giving tuition to earn more cash while Jaycee got a part time job working as banquet waitress. As each of them busied themselves with earning more money, they spent less time together. But they understood that it was the price they had to pay for the squander that they had indulged in previously. They were determined to settle the outstanding debts asap so that they could start afresh and plan for their future.
Soon after Amos graduated from poly, he was enlisted for National Service and they saw even less of each other. While he was charging up the hill, Jaycee continued to struggle between two jobs to help to settle his dwindling debts. When the last instalment was finally paid, Jaycee felt so elated and relieved that she decided to celebrate the liberation with her friends – something that she had not done for a long while. Her friends suggested going for Ladies’ Night at the latest club along Boat Quay.
It was the first time that Jaycee had been to a nightclub. Everything was new to her and it was indeed an eye-opening experience. After much persuasion and hesitation, Jaycee took her first sip of alcoholic drink – whiskey with green tea. Then as the night progressed, she experimented with the various concoctions that her friends had prepared for her. Though a virgin drinker, Jaycee was able to hold her liquor pretty well. Just as her friends were cheering her on to down more drinks, Jaycee received a call from Amos. Sensing that Amos was upset when she told him where she was, Jaycee decided to call it a night. As her friends weren’t ready to leave, she left the club on her own. As soon as she stepped out of the premises, she was overwhelmed by a spinning sensation. Staggering along an unfamiliar lane under the dim light, she was seen treading along the river bank. Suddenly there was a loud splash, followed by shouts of someone falling into the water.
Amos was all ready to book out for the weekend and he decided to call Jaycee to make plans for the day. He was surprised to hear Jaycee’s mum on the other end and he almost dropped his cell when he heard that Jaycee had been hospitalised. He rushed down to the hospital and couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw his dear Jaycee lying in a state of coma.
Jaycee, who had fallen into the river on that fateful night, had been rescued by a passer-by. But she had hit her head against the concrete step and hadn’t regained her unconsciousness since.
Amos couldn’t help blaming himself for being so petty that night when he called her. He should have allowed her to continue to party with her friends rather than hinting her to head home.
“You must be exhausted from working two jobs. Have a good sleep but please wake up when you’ve rested enough. I’ll be waiting.”
23:35
Comments:
Post a Comment