THE BET

It all started as a bet.

Danielle and Janet are best friends for life. One was very rich and the latter is from a low income family.

How did they meet and become friends?

Eight years ago.

There was a terrible storm in the area called The Main. The main is neither a slum nor a highbrow area, but the area is not particularly well developed, the land and rent was affordable and most low income earners settled there. Danielle was driving, drunk! Very drunk.

She was returning from her high school (Secondary School) secret graduation party organized by the rich spoilt son of Senator Dinomel on a beach at a secluded private resort owned by his dad. Even though her friends warned her that it was too late and she was too drunk, she should consider staying the night or waiting for the bus organized for some of the other students to drop her off at home, she wouldn’t listen to anyone, she insist on driving home herself. 

It was around 11pm and the road was in a terrible state, coupled with the fact that it was raining heavily. The windscreen was blurry but Dee was too drunk to notice. VI(Victoria Island) where she lives with her parents and siblings was still very far and she was going the wrong way. 

She was driving too fast when one of her tyres entered a deep pothole and veered dangerously close to the fence of a house close to the road, she was so scared but she somehow managed to steer clear of the fence and resumed speeding. She saw a stray dog run across the road and she stepped on the brake, it was so sudden she narrowly missed ending up in the gutter on the side of the road. 

While she was able to stop her car on time, her tyres left burn marks on the road, but not without hitting her head hard on the steering wheel. She pulled the handbrake, put the car in park, turned off the ignition and tried to get out, but all she could feel was a piercing pain in the head. She was holding her head and sobbing when she passed out.

Janet who witnessed the whole scene from the other side of the road was coming back home from thanksgiving for a successful graduation at the evening church service with her parents, but when they were almost home, her mom remembered they needed some vegetables and sent her to mummy Evan’s house to get some.

She clutched the nylon bag filled with fresh vegetables close to her heart, wondering if she should cross over and see if the driver is alright or keep it moving. She looked around and everywhere was quiet, the rain has reduced to a drizzle. She held on tightly to her umbrella and was about to cross the road when she saw a bike approaching, it turned out to be Uncle Jude her former evening lesson teacher. 

She dropped her bag filled with vegetables and started flailing her hand. She flagged him down, screaming “Uncle Jude! Uncle Jude!” When he stopped and turned around, she said – “See that car over there, I think there is a problem…” she quickly narrated what she saw to him. 

L

Uncle Jude parked his rickety bike and they both quickly scurried over to the car, the car wasn’t locked, Uncle Jude removed the hood of his raincoat and looked inside.

Janet’s house...

Mr. and Mrs. Desmond were worried about the police. Mr Desmond exasperated  – “Jude, Janet is young and a little bit foolish to bring a stranger home but you are matured and sensible, you know we can't afford to take her to the hospital, why have you brought her here, if something bad happens to her God forbid, and the police come here and start asking questions, what are we going to tell them?”. 

Mrs. Desmond looked very worried and ran outside. Uncle Jude a little bit scared that the help they just rendered may turn into a nightmare if things go bad looks flustered – "I hope nothing bad happens to her, when I looked in and saw she is very young and around Janet's age, I was worried that something might happen before the police get here, that's if they come at all, the car and the AC is turned off, she may run out of oxygen if we left her there, so Janet suggested we bring her home, so I just went with it".

Mr Desmond was about to retort when Janet's mom rushed in with the midwife that lives in the neighborhood. The Nurse nods in greeting and quickly bend down to examine her. She checked for pulse and said – "thank God she is alive, I think she passed out, out of fear, pain or shock. I can see she has a big bump on her head, it must have been as a result of hitting her head when she stopped the car. Get ice packs quickly". She turned to Janet – "wrap the ice in a towel, you will have to hold the ice pack to her head for a while, when she regains consciousness give her this painkillers and ask her how to contact her parents, they need to take her to the hospital to check for any signs of concussion”.

Uncle Jude feeling a bit relieved said - “we locked the car doors and put some leaves behind and in front of the car to warn other cars coming in the same direction as we couldn’t find that red triangle warning sign thingy in her car, let me know what happens tomorrow please”. He dropped the car key and the little purse they found in the car and left with the midwife.