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2024-10-29 19:42:56
The good book inspired by the architect and creator of the universe, but scribbled down for us by the flesh and blood which He deemed a little righteous in his sight, holds somewhere in its pages that, "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavens." Out of the seasons and purposes stated in that chapter's page, is found "a time to weep, and a time to laugh."
If rewriting the fundamentals governing the universe were a right that were surrendered in the hands of the majority, the procurement of a survey to find out how many would change the things written on this passage would have been mouthwatering in every generation. Everyone would request its amendment."Who would want to weep? Who would want to lose a loved one? Who would hate happiness enough to choose sorrow?" Nobody.As the first semester was slowly drawing down its curtains, the unexpected was carefully but indirectly weaving its way into Helen's life.
Back in Burnington, Joshua, her father, had been experiencing strange changes in his body that he thought was not alarming at first, so he kept to himself to prevent his wife from overreacting. At first, he began to experience odd pains between his shoulder blades whenever he was behind the wheels. That was barely a month before Helen moved to Gimmerton. He thought it to be something that was bound to happen after driving himself for twenty years and over, but it was no reason for him to behave like "those overfed and arrogant rich folks who hire drivers to drive them around when it's not a difficult task to undertake yourself." As time went on, he noticed a discomfort in his neck, it felt tight but "probably I slept on the wrong side of the bed, that's all" was the answer he'd give to his wife whenever he was found performing neck exercise but finding them an agony. The symptoms progressed to cold sweat in his palm, fatigue, insomnia, sharp pains in his chest, but he still was a cat about it until one evening when he drove by the salon his wife worked at to pick her up just like he did every evening. When he stepped inside the salon, he noticed it was a busy night for Chelsea, so he prepared himself to wait. Chelsea delivered a quick kiss to his lips, and after a brief conversation to find out how he was, she patted his shoulder, and whispered, "Have a seat, it'll be your turn in thirty." He smiled and sat in one of the seats provided. Chelsea's workers giggled at her husband's expression of humour, as he grabbed a hair dryer and a comb, then he commenced imitating his wife, performing his own hairstyling on a dummy. After a while, work in the salon was done, and they could go home in peace. As Joshua tried to open the side door for his wife, Chelsea noticed his hand sliding by the pull-out handle right in front of him almost three times. She chuckled and said, "Come on Sir, I'm starving.""Since when did this car begun to have two or more pull out handles on one door?" Joshua asked with a tone of seriousness, but upon an attentive listen by his wife, she noticed a struggle in his attempt to speak every word.
"Josh, is everything okay?" She asked in her fright.
"Yeah-no" he stuttered "there are two-three of you too" At this point Chelsea noticed his hands shivering and his eyes roaming around dreamily. She quickly wrapped an arm around his waist and caused him to relax his head on her shoulder, then gently, she helped him into the car and drove him to the hospital.
At the hospital that night, while pacing back and forth behind the door that separated her from her husband, the doctor in charge of his examination, sneaked up on her quietly with a look of concern on his face. Her nervousness kept her from noticing his presence until he waved at her.
"Mrs McDonagh," He called to her, interpolating her busy brain pondering on what could be the cause of her husband's current predicament.
"Doctor, what's wrong with my husband?" She queried much rapidly, but not to the surprise of the doctor who had seen wives and husbands show off similar reactions when their loved ones are admitted to the hospital.
"For now he is okay-"
"What is wrong with my husband doctor?" She pressed, rage beginning to build up inside her.
"I'm afraid your husband has been suffering from a heart attack for quite a while now, and his inability to seek medical attention has unfortunately narrowed his life span, and he is in danger." Chelsea shivered at his words as fear gripped every fibre of her being. "Right now he is out of danger, but I cannot tell for how long he can hold on to life, I'm really sorry to break this to you madam."
Tears suddenly drowned her eyes, but she quickly rubbed them off to show how tough she was. However, her toughness did not hold on longer like she had hoped, for unwittingly, she grabbed the doctors cloak and begun to unleash all the emotions that would not submit to her suppression, and yelled, punching his chest profusely and eventually burying her face in his chest to wail."I'm really sorry madam, we did all we could. However, I will entreat you to say goodbye to him while he still breathes, he has not more than a few minutes to let go of life, he could use a good send off."
Chelsea finally released the doctor after giving his words a thought. She dried up her eyes, and with hands shivering, scooped out her phone from her shoulder bag, to break the news to Helen. The latter had just finished up with her evening studies, and was about to shut her phone down to reduce its radiation, which she heard, posed a threat on a person's health from a health talk she watched on the TV at the diner.
A smiled rounded up her face as she noticed the name 'Queen', display on her screen when the phone begun to ring.
"Look who missed me so soon, it's not even Christmas Ma." Was the tease that proceeded from her mouth when she answered the call."Helen," her mother's voice sunk as she pronounced her name, without her saying anything Helen noticed something wasn't okay.
Before Helen could say anything, her mother exploded into tears, sobbing bitterly, making her words difficult for her to make out."Mum, what's wrong? What's happening? What's going? Please tell me something." Helen rapped in fear.
"Your f-father" she stuttered.
The fear of the worst news possible being thrown at her in any second, caused her to tremble.
"He has a heart attack, Helen." Her mother informed.
Helen felt the world around her crumbling down all of a sudden, and when she heard her say the doctor predicts his passing away in less than an hour, she screamed out loud and commenced an uncontrollable cry, ripping apart everything she set eyes on, asking why he had to leave.
Her mother said all she could to console her, but could anything stop her father from suffering a fate which meant she would never see him again? She hanged up the phone on her mother, and quickly dialled the number that came to mind, Alex's. He was there with her a while ago and probably had not gotten home yet."Can you take me to Burnington, please? I have to see him before he leaves." She begged him.
"See who, Helen, it's ten-"
"My father is dying, will you help me or not?" She yelled at him.
"Okay-okay, I'm sorry. Get your things, I'm on my way."
"Please hurry up, I'm begging you, please Alex."
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WHERE IS HELEN? Chapter 1
On the cold Christmas Eve of 1996, in the third room on the second floor of the Saint John's hospital at Burnington Hills, approximately two minutes before the clock struck at midnight, a woman in labour, supposed to have had her child three minutes earlier, was tiring the surrounding midwives screaming "Push!", All for the reason that she wanted to have a child on Christmas Day. You see, her husband was born on the twenty-third, and she was born on the twenty-fourth, so she wanted her first child, or perhaps her only child to be born on Christmas Day. Her husband was not supportive of the idea, but he stood beside her anyway, holding her hand throughout the five minutes of her stubbornness. Finally, when the bells of the church right opposite the hospital began to chime, she gave in to cooperate with the midwives and had her baby girl, an infant clothed with beauty. But just as stubbornness always come with a price, her baby made no sound of a cry like a baby should when it's brought
WHERE IS HELEN? Chapter 2
Later that night, the McDonagh couple were gripped in fear as Helen's condition continued to worsen. She was as cold as ice, shivering profusely with a pale-looking face. Joshua, her father, tried calling the numbers of doctors he knew, but the ones that went through would not answer his calls. Chelsea, Helen's mother, on her part, had warmed up a towel in warm water she prepared immediately they got home, and pressed it on Helen's forehead, with the hope of seeing some improvement. The two sat beside Helen for almost three hours, observing for positive changes until the clock struck at eleven later that night. Helen sat up on the bed with her back resting on the pillow that separated her back from the wall, and rubbing their shoulders gently to wake them from their quick doze, "You're supposed to be taking of me" she said breathing out heavily. Their joy was quickly restored, as they wrapped their arms around her and with tears of joy, slithering gently down their cheeks. "Easy," Hele
WHERE IS HELEN? Chapter 3
Thursday strolled in gently with smiling faces all-over the schools campus. The gossip on every lip was the early morning announcement that there will be a picnic in two days. Even though the date for the picnic gave less time for preparation, it was warmly embraced by the students who wanted some refreshing time to interact with nature. Initially, the picnic was meant for the fifth and sixth graders, since they were thought of as a little more responsible than the ones below them and would not be a burden. However, that year's was reshuffled a little bit. The fifth and sixth graders were informed at a much earlier date to help them prepare, and the third and fourth were delayed in order to prevent them from joining in multitudes. During recess, students spread out on the playground, engaging in all manner of activities they could think of, making sure they stayed "seven meters away from the old well at the edge of the playground", like the principal had asked them to. Just as rules we
WHERE IS HELEN? Chapter 4
The third-grade class arrived at their picnic site, a lush green forest with tall trees and a bubbling brook. The students were excited to spend the day outdoors, and they quickly set up their picnic tables and began to explore the area. Helen and Stephanie stuck close to Mrs. Wilson, their favourite teacher. They loved spending time with her and felt safe when they were near her. As the other students started to explore the woods, some began setting up their tents and starting campfires to cook their food. Others played games or went for hikes. Helen and Stephanie watched as the other kids ran around, laughing and having fun. They felt a bit left out but were glad to be spending the day with their friends. Mrs. Wilson noticed the girls looking a bit lost and took them by the hand. "Come on, let's go explore the woods," she said. "We can look for some wildflowers or maybe even some animals." The girls perked up at the idea of exploring and eagerly followed Mrs. Wilson into t
WHERE IS HELEN? Chapter 5
Sunday morning had come, and the breakfast table was set with an array of delicious food that Mrs. Wilson had prepared while Helen slept. Her parents had agreed to her sleeping over at Mrs. Wilson's the night before, and she was expected to be home before Monday morning. The aroma was all-over the place, and even succeeded in slithering down Helen's nostrils and into the dream she was having about a unicorn. She sprang up with much adrenaline, and with calculated soundless steps, hid behind the door to observe Mrs. Wilson, humming her favourite song as she set the table for breakfast."Why do I get the feeling that somebody is watching me from a different helenverse?" Mrs. Wilson joked when she heard Helen mistakenly make a sound.Helen walked up gently towards her, and as she gave her a hug and greeted "Good morning", Mrs. Wilson noticed how much her focus was on the meal set on the table, "Ah, ah, ah," she said "Not until you try out the new brush I bought for you."The little girl s
WHERE IS HELEN? Chapter 6
It was six in the evening when a red car pulled up in front of the McDonagh's house. There was no sound of a horn, perhaps it would have interrupted the sleep of a little princess, for in the backseat, Helen was soundly asleep. Mrs. Wilson stepped out of the car and gently shut the door behind her. Mr. and Mrs. McDonagh had been waiting for them in the front after Mrs. Wilson gave them a call fifteen minutes earlier, so they came out to meet her, and exchanged greetings."Thank you so much Mrs. Wilson." Helen's mother said to her as they broke out of a hug. "Oh Ma'am, it's no big deal." Mrs. Wilson replied and smiled "You know, Helen is like a daughter to me, I'll do anything for her. Thanks for letting me spend time with her.""We should be thanking you," Mr. McDonagh interrupted, bringing in his own share of gratitude, "if there's anyone here worthy of thanks, it really should be you. She talks about you all the time, you're like a fairy godmother, and we know she's always safe arou
WHERE IS HELEN? CHAPTER 7
Helen woke up to the sound of her alarm buzzing on her phone. She rubbed her eyes and reached for her glasses, putting them on to check the time. It was 6:00 AM, and she had to be at the university by 8:00 AM for her first class. It was hard to believe that time had flown by so fast. It felt like just yesterday that she was in high school, studying for exams and dreaming of going to university. But now, at the age of 20, she was finally here. She had saved up all her money from part-time jobs during high school and invested some in stocks. With a little help from her parents, she had enough money to buy her own house near Megaminds University, the dream school she was finally a student of. It was a small and cosy house, but it was hers, and she was proud of it. Just a week ago when she announced to her parents that she was going to move into her new home and experience life on her own, the tears of joy that flooded their eyes were like the sea on a rainy day. Her mother's unbeara
WHERE IS HELEN? CHAPTER 8
Their friendship had lasted only for three days, when Alex invited Helen to a birthday party at a friend's house. It was going to be a fun-filled day with new people to meet, delicious food to eat, and exciting games to play, and she couldn't wait for the day to come. It was a new neighbourhood for her, and the last thing on her mind was to be alone in her room doing nothing but eating pop corns and watching TV solo. She spent a good chunk of her afternoon getting ready for the party with the intention of wanting to look her best for Alex and the other guests. She could not tell for what reason her heart wanted her to impress Alex, but ever since they met, one side of her had been the happiest whilst the other side kept telling her not to.trust him. The most annoying thing to be is confused when someone like Alex was around her, trying every second to make her smile. There were a couple of times when she felt so much like she knew him, or that whatever they did together had happened b
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- WHERE IS HELEN?
CHAPTER 13
The good book inspired by the architect and creator of the universe, but scribbled down for us by the flesh and blood which He deemed a little righteous in his sight, holds somewhere in its pages that, "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavens." Out of the seasons and purposes stated in that chapter's page, is found "a time to weep, and a time to laugh." If rewriting the fundamentals governing the universe were a right that were surrendered in the hands of the majority, the procurement of a survey to find out how many would change the things written on this passage would have been mouthwatering in every generation. Everyone would request its amendment."Who would want to weep? Who would want to lose a loved one? Who would hate happiness enough to choose sorrow?" Nobody. As the first semester was slowly drawing down its curtains, the unexpected was carefully but indirectly weaving its way into Helen's life.Back in Burnington, Joshua, he
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Chapter 12
It's never easy being the good guy, especially when it meant, not fighting to have the person you're deeply in love with. Sometimes you know that deep down, you will move heaven and earth to make him or her yours, and keep him or her happy for as long as the almighty will give you breathe. But that's where being the good guy comes in. There are sacrifices, like in Chris' case, being a man in front of Helen, and telling her "I'll be a good friend," when deep down, what your heart is craving for is not just friendship. If only people had the autocratic power to choose whom to love without the interference of the stubborn heart, we would not have to worry about the aftermath when we have been left behind to plot how we can be 'good' friends. Despite him not knowing her that much, from the first time he shook her hand and looked into her eyes at his birthday party, when Alex would not let her out of his sight, she had been the only female on his mind. Should he be the judge at a beauty co
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Chapter 11
Chris and Helen walked side by side, followed by a group of their friends, towards the riverside. The sun was high in the sky, and the warm breeze played with their hair as they chatted and laughed. The riverside was a beautiful spot, surrounded by trees and rocks, and the clear water sparkled invitingly. As they approached, they could hear the sound of laughter and splashing. The group of friends they were meeting was already there, jumping in and out of the water and lounging on the rocks. They greeted each other warmly and started to unpack their bags.Helen was wearing a sexy two-piece swimsuit that left little to the imagination. The top was a bright pink, and the bottom was black and high-waisted, hugging her curves perfectly. She readied the small sized camera, hanging around her neck like a tourist, then she began taking photos of the people, the rocks and the water from different angles. Chris found it difficult to take his eyes off her as she walked towards the water, h
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CHAPTER 10
A couple of weeks into her part-time job and school, Helen was having a private 9PM study as her custom was, when suddenly her phone rang. At first, she refused to answer the call because she had just fifteen minutes left to wrap up, and she had spent almost twenty minutes of the one hour, struggling to focus. Her thoughts had been preoccupied with things related to Alex and work. Alex, the hero who used to rescue her from boredom and give her stomach aches from laughter, was now bugging her thoughts. It wasn't all bad things, just a couple of times like six or seven days in a row when he'd refuse to speak to her, by giving excuses like he had to pay her mother a visit claiming she was unwell, but whenever Helen asked to go see her together with him, the tone with which he rejected her kind gesture was one indicating unfriendliness. Sometimes during lectures he was nowhere to be found, his attitude towards everything and everyone changed all of a sudden, causing Helen to worry
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CHAPTER 9
It was a Wednesday afternoon, and Helen sat on the edge of her bed, phone pressed against her ear as she chatted with Stephanie and their second best friend, and once favourite teacher, Mrs Wilson, on a conference call. "He's just amazing," she gushed about her new friend Alex. "We've been hanging out a lot, and he's shown me around the city. He's even taken me to meet some of his friends." Mrs. Wilson's tone suddenly turned panicked. "Helen, you need to be careful. You barely know this boy. Have you done a background check on him? Has he introduced you to his family?" Helen rolled her eyes, dismissing her teacher's worries. "Relax, Mrs Wilson. He's a nice guy, and I can take care of myself. Plus, he promised to help me find a job." "Oh, that's great," Mrs Wilson said, sounding relieved. "Is he cute?" Stephanie, who was getting a manicure at the moment and was struggling to focus, finally spoke up. "I won't say he's charming, but he's one hell of a comedian. I can't even stop myse
- WHERE IS HELEN?
CHAPTER 8
Their friendship had lasted only for three days, when Alex invited Helen to a birthday party at a friend's house. It was going to be a fun-filled day with new people to meet, delicious food to eat, and exciting games to play, and she couldn't wait for the day to come. It was a new neighbourhood for her, and the last thing on her mind was to be alone in her room doing nothing but eating pop corns and watching TV solo. She spent a good chunk of her afternoon getting ready for the party with the intention of wanting to look her best for Alex and the other guests. She could not tell for what reason her heart wanted her to impress Alex, but ever since they met, one side of her had been the happiest whilst the other side kept telling her not to.trust him. The most annoying thing to be is confused when someone like Alex was around her, trying every second to make her smile. There were a couple of times when she felt so much like she knew him, or that whatever they did together had happened b
- WHERE IS HELEN?
CHAPTER 7
Helen woke up to the sound of her alarm buzzing on her phone. She rubbed her eyes and reached for her glasses, putting them on to check the time. It was 6:00 AM, and she had to be at the university by 8:00 AM for her first class. It was hard to believe that time had flown by so fast. It felt like just yesterday that she was in high school, studying for exams and dreaming of going to university. But now, at the age of 20, she was finally here. She had saved up all her money from part-time jobs during high school and invested some in stocks. With a little help from her parents, she had enough money to buy her own house near Megaminds University, the dream school she was finally a student of. It was a small and cosy house, but it was hers, and she was proud of it. Just a week ago when she announced to her parents that she was going to move into her new home and experience life on her own, the tears of joy that flooded their eyes were like the sea on a rainy day. Her mother's unbeara
- WHERE IS HELEN?
Chapter 6
It was six in the evening when a red car pulled up in front of the McDonagh's house. There was no sound of a horn, perhaps it would have interrupted the sleep of a little princess, for in the backseat, Helen was soundly asleep. Mrs. Wilson stepped out of the car and gently shut the door behind her. Mr. and Mrs. McDonagh had been waiting for them in the front after Mrs. Wilson gave them a call fifteen minutes earlier, so they came out to meet her, and exchanged greetings."Thank you so much Mrs. Wilson." Helen's mother said to her as they broke out of a hug. "Oh Ma'am, it's no big deal." Mrs. Wilson replied and smiled "You know, Helen is like a daughter to me, I'll do anything for her. Thanks for letting me spend time with her.""We should be thanking you," Mr. McDonagh interrupted, bringing in his own share of gratitude, "if there's anyone here worthy of thanks, it really should be you. She talks about you all the time, you're like a fairy godmother, and we know she's always safe arou
- WHERE IS HELEN?
Chapter 5
Sunday morning had come, and the breakfast table was set with an array of delicious food that Mrs. Wilson had prepared while Helen slept. Her parents had agreed to her sleeping over at Mrs. Wilson's the night before, and she was expected to be home before Monday morning. The aroma was all-over the place, and even succeeded in slithering down Helen's nostrils and into the dream she was having about a unicorn. She sprang up with much adrenaline, and with calculated soundless steps, hid behind the door to observe Mrs. Wilson, humming her favourite song as she set the table for breakfast."Why do I get the feeling that somebody is watching me from a different helenverse?" Mrs. Wilson joked when she heard Helen mistakenly make a sound.Helen walked up gently towards her, and as she gave her a hug and greeted "Good morning", Mrs. Wilson noticed how much her focus was on the meal set on the table, "Ah, ah, ah," she said "Not until you try out the new brush I bought for you."The little girl s
