Chapter Forty-Five
The next morning Angela was feeling too sick to wake up. She threw up all morning till she didn't have anything left within her to throw up. Aunt Sandra gave her warm water and ginger cookies and she felt a little better. Clara prescribed her some folic acid supplements, vitamin tonics and a pill for her morning sickness.
Damian went out to the neighbourhood to buy the medicines, already feeling like a proud father. He brought the medicines and went to the kitchen to check out what was cooking.
"Did you need help, aunt Sandra?" He asked, hopefully.
"No dear," said aunt Sandra.
"I can help cook Angel's soup," He asked hopefully. Aunt Sandra looked at him indulgently. His eager face melted her heart and she chuckled.
"Alright, come and chop these vegetables for her soup," she said. Clara smiled and moved away to make room for Damian. He walked towards the counter and stood chopping the veggies for Angela's soup since that was what she always wanted after throwing up.
He made the soup, humming a tune as he always did at his cabin on the farm and aunt Sandra pinched his cheek before going out. Damian coloured slightly feeling conscious and Clara chuckled.
"You really love Angela from deep within your soul, don't you?" She asked, impressed by his sweetness.
"Yes, she's all I have," he said, carrying the soup into two bowls to their room where Angela was resting.
"Time to feed mommy and baby, " he said in a sing-song voice and Angela opened her tired eyes and smiled at him. He fed her from her bowl and she fed him from his bowl as they always did every morning at the farm.
He gave her the medicines he brought and tucked her in and left, humming a tune. Angela smiled indulgently at his retreating back. She felt like she was the luckiest woman in the whole world.
Arnold came in five minutes later. He sat down beside her. "I've got a call from the hospital Angie, have to leave now," he said, Angela hugged him.
"Don't worry you'll sail through with Damian by your side. He really a gem of a person. I'll come and see you again next month. Now give me a smile?" Said Arnold.
Angela smiled at her big brother. "You take care too Arnie, " she said and he kissed her forehead and left. Even Clara came to see her before leaving. Angela's head was spinning so Damian helped her to the main door to see them off.
She sat down in the living room with aunt Sandra while Damian went grocery shopping.
"I love having both of you here, Angela. I had always wanted a family with children and grandchildren all living under one roof as a happy family, " said aunt Sandra with a sigh.
"Then why didn't you marry, aunt Sandra?" Asked Angela, curiously.
"I loved a man very much. We were engaged and planning our wedding when he had a fatal motorcycle accident. After his death, I couldn't love anyone else enough to marry him," said aunt Sandra with a sigh.
Angela held her hand in hers,"I'm sorry, I didn't know, " she said, feeling her aunt's pain.
"It's ok dear. It's almost forty years ago. Actually, your mom and I were both unlucky. We never found happiness in life. She married a man who didn't love her but married her to make his friend jealous. Ronald loved her but couldn't marry her. He died with a longing in his heart," said aunt Sandra with a sigh.
"Yes, I read mom's diary. It's very painful," she admitted.
Angela had switched on her mobile last night. She was suddenly aware of an incoming call. She checked the number. It was her dad. Panicking she fidgeted with her hands, not knowing how to handle her father's call.
"Take the call Angela and be strong," said aunt Sandra.
Angela picked up the phone and accepted the call. Before she could speak anything, her father's growling and an angry voice boomed over the phone,"How dare you disobey me and elope with your brother?"
Angela took a deep breath to calm herself. "Damian's not my brother, dad," She said calmly.
"Yes, he is. You've started believing that whore it seems," taunted her dad
"She was my mom. Please don't call her names in front of me. Yes, I believe mom. I read her diary and saw all the proof. You give me proof that she was lying and I will believe you," she said calmly while aunt Sandra held her cold hand.
"So your aunt's been teaching you to answer me back, I see," he said sarcastically.
"No one needs to teach me anything. I'm old enough to decide what I want to do with my life," she said with conviction.
"You come home just now. I can see how much you love your dad. You left me to be with that boy," he said with sadness.
"Dad, I do love you but Damian and I are in love. We have chosen one another since childhood. We want to get married and be with each other forever," she said, trying to convince her dad.
"Why can't you chose someone else?" He asked and Angela rolled her eyes.
"Love doesn't happen that way. If you love someone, it's for life. You can't switch off and suddenly start loving someone else. Maybe you never loved anyone dad, so you don't know, " she said bitterly.
Her dad scoffed at her words. "Shut up Angela and come home," he ordered.
"No, dad. I will come home the day you accept our relationship," she said, stubbornly.
"That can never happen and you know it," he said, with a laugh.
"Why not? It's obvious our relationship is legal. Then why can't you accept it?" She asked.
"You can't marry Ronald's son," he said with malice.
"Then you should have stopped me from going to their house when I was a baby. Now when we have fallen for each other, you've realised that I can't marry him? Uncle Ronald's no more dad. You don't have anyone around whom you would want to make jealous, dad," she said bitterly.
"It's no use talking to you," said her dad and disconnected the call. Angela heaved a sigh of relief and closed her eyes.
"I need to lie down aunt Sandra. I'm feeling drained and my head's spinning," she said, trying to get up.
Aunt Sandra got up and helped her to her bedroom. "You rest. I'll get you something to eat," she said before disappearing into the kitchen.
Angela felt tears prick her eyes after that round of arguments with her dad. It had taken all her energy to answer him that way, something that she'd never done in her entire life. She loved him and she was hurting at his behaviour. If he loved her why couldn't he just drop his prejudiced thoughts and accept her relationship with Damian? Her happiness should have come first way above other things for him. Angela sighed and sobbed brokenly.
Damian came back with the groceries and heard what happened. He rushed into their bedroom and his heart broke after seeing Angela sobbing into her pillow.
He sat down beside her and pulled her into his arms. Angela hid her face into his chest. "Damian, dad ..," she sobbed brokenly.
"Hush, baby, I know. Don't take it to heart. Uncle Gerry is just in denial. He'll come around. Give him time," he comforted and wiped her eyes. "If you cry now, our baby will turn out to be a howlster, you know? The one who howls all day and night?" He said and Angela gaped at him.
"Howlster? Seriously? That's not even a word," she corrected him.
"Never mind. Now it's a word, invented by me, the great, " he said, getting up and bowing to her. Angela giggled. "That's better. Let's go and eat. Aunt Sandra's cooking something yummy and my tummy's growling for food," he said, helping her to her feet.
"I can walk Damian. My head was spinning. Now I'm feeling much better," she said with a grin.
"Oh really? We'll put some sleeping pills in aunt Sandra's food and then go for two rounds while she slept. What do you say, huh?" He whispered.
"Don't even think about it," she glared and Damian chuckled.
Aunt Sandra looked at them awestruck by their cuteness. After the disastrous phone call, she didn't have any clue how to cheer Angela up but this boy's simple presence already did the trick.
"Come children, lunch is ready. You both sit, I'll serve the food, " she said with an indulgent smile.
"I'll help you," offered Damian going into the kitchen. Angela sat at the table with a smile on her face as her stomach grumbled and grumbled. Her baby wanted food. The thought of her baby brought a wide smile on her face. Would she give birth to a Howlster? She laughed.
"Are you laughing all by yourself? Aunt Sandra, has my Angel gone mad?" Damian asked cheekily eyeing her. Angela smacked his arm.
"Shut up. I was just thinking whether I'll give birth to a Howlster or not," she said and Damian quirked his eyebrows at her.
"You've added my word to your dictionary already?" He asked and Angela laughed.
They ate lunch and Angela was feeling better the rest of the day. She and aunt Sandra went for a walk with Damian in the neighbourhood park. He took them shopping at the nearby mall and came home happily.
After returning home, aunt Sandra kissed Damian's forehead. "You're the best son a mother could ever have dear," she said and he grinned.
"You're the best mom a son can ever have," he said.
"Then consider me as your mom?" She said, hopefully.
"Sure mom, " Damian saluted her and went off to his room to get freshened up.