104

BRANDON

“... How do you feel?”

Pauline takes a sip of water after swallowing a capsule the doctor prescribed for her. It isn’t advisable for her to travel by plane with her wounds, so we have to wait a few more days.

“I feel like I’m dying, Brandon,” she complains, then wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. “But I want to go. I want to leave this place and go home.”

“You can’t leave yet.” I sit on the edge of the bed.

“Are you coming with me?” she says hoarsely.

“Did you call your parents?” I ask instead.

“They said the same thing. But they are more concerned with my engagement to Silvanus than my wellbeing. Dad’s always like that. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t born in that kind of family. Screw all these rules.”

I smile. “I understand. I don’t agree with the rules either.”

“So I told him,” she goes on. “That I wasn’t really pregnant and that I was only lying so that Silvanus would let me go. I’m happy because Dad’s so furious. I like making him angry.” She shakes her head and exhale