It's been almost a week since the tragedy that befall Ciara -on the flip side, Aunt Elsie felt she had enough already; of her pretence and being there for Ciara when she is basically nothing but a burden to her.
Looking after Herzl was a big blow to her guts, she wished she could just toss him aside like a piece of trash or better still, render him in such a useless state as void as his mother's -she just wants anything to take him out of herway.
But she knew she can't, no matter how much she wishes for it -because people will talk and rumors would go round, spreading fasterthan wildfire.
'Dwayne died, his sister struggling with her mental health and his cousin in a poor state?' Such drastic news as that will only ruin the reputation she globally wanted to build and jeopardize her plans.
Aunt Elsie was torn between comforting the little boy -without letting him have a knowledge of his mother's predicament and paying a visit to Ciara at the psychiatric center every day; it was too much for her.
It would have been much better if she has Ciara's existence wiped out entirely, but she can't -even though she got hurt by Ciara's harsh decision that led to her husband's death, she can't possibly ignore how she has been good to her.
Instead and repaying Ciara's kind heart, she will only have her live in torment for the rest of her life. That should be a better and more suitable decision to death.
*********
That morning, Aunt Elsie had left Herzl in the care of the new nanny she was forced to employ to look after him in her absence. She had decided to start exploring and going for all she had planned -Herzl couldn't serve as a hindrance to her decision.
Stepping feet into the center, she was sure to put on a downcast look, having applied makeover on herface forfalse black eyes like she's sleep-deprived. She walked into Ciara's ward, ignoring the nurses' greetings like she's too clouded in her wallowed thoughts, and sat next to Ciara, who was sleeping.
Forcing a smile, Aunt Elsie held Ciara's hand. "It will be okay." She said, hoping her voice sounded convincing enough, as the pair of eyes stared pitifully at them -they were of the nurses assigned to Ciara. "Everything will be just fine, I promise. You'll get through this and be stronger for it."
But on the inside, she was seething with rage. All the plans she had made for Ciara, all her hard work -it might fall apart soon! And now, she was stuck caring for this useless little brat who only served as a reminder of her broken dreams.
Aunt Elsie glanced at the nurses, her face tight with tension. They might probably be judging her inside themselves, thinking that she was a terrible person for feeling this way. They most likely thought she should be more sympathetic to Ciara, or more understanding of the little boy's situation.
But they didn't understand -they couldn't possibly understand what it was like to have your entire life turned upside down by the actions of others and stick to them like your life depends on it.
"How is Ciara doing?" Aunt Elsie asked the nurses, her voice carefully neutral. "Has there been any improvement?"
The nurses exchanged a glance before one of them spoke up. "I'm sorry, ma'am..." She began, her voice somber. "The doctor hasn't detected any changes in her mental health at all -it seems to be getting worse than imagined."
Aunt Elsie couldn't be happier, she felt her plan was working out more than she thought it will. She knew she had to take a step ahead of the doctors and nurses assigned to Ciara -and it was worth the risk.
Masking her happiness and feigning a depressed look, she stared at the nurses in trepidation. "Isn't there any faster remedy for her?" Aunt Elsie wailed, forcing out tears. "I can't bear to see my Cici sufferthis way -fate is being cruel to her, she did not deserve any ofthis ill-treatment."
The nurses looked at each other, unsure of how to respond. They could tell that Aunt Elsie was struggling to maintain her composure, and they would rather not make things worse by saying the wrong thing.
"We understand your concern, ma'am." One of the nurses said, her voice gentle. "We're doing everything we can to help Ms. Fellers, and we're optimistic that she will eventually recover. It may just take some time."
Aunt Elsie nodded, her eyes still downcast. "I just feel so helpless." She whispered, barely audible. "My heartache and clenched in pain seeing her like this -herthree year old son keeps yearning for a motherly love every day. I feel horrible lying to that little boy every day, you don't know how hard this is."
The nurses looked at Aunt Elsie with sympathy. They could tell she was truly distraught and how it was on her, it was clear that she was feeling overwhelmed by the situation.
"We know it's not easy, ma'am." One of the nurses said, her voice filled with compassion. "But you're doing a wonderful job caring for both Ms. Fellers and her son. You're being incredibly strong, and we admire your strength."
Aunt Elsie sniffed, wiping her eyes with a tissue. "I just want them to be okay." She said, her voice breaking. "They are the only family I have left, I can't bear to see Ciara in such a horrible state."
The oldest among the nurses placed a comforting hand on Aunt Elsie's shoulder. "We'll do everything we can to help Ms. Fellers and her son, ma'am" She enounced, her tone gentle and reassuring. "It may take some time, but we're confident that she'll recoverwith the right treatment and support. And you're a big part of that support."
Aunt Elsie nodded, letting out a long breath. "I'll do whatever it takes to make sure it happens soon." She replied, her voice firm. "I just hope it's enough."
The nurse gave her a reassuring smile. "It is, ma'am..."She enunciated in assurance, sounding certain. Aunt Elsie did not like her tone and the assurance laced in it -it's enough to grow her worry.
On a flip side, she decided it's only best on her part to break that assurance and hope laced in theirvoices, she won't stop at nothing unless she makes sure Ciara keeps living in nothing but distress and torment for as long as she desires -for eternity...