"Mum!!!" Bianca called out as she opened the front door.
She entered the sitting room and noticed Mrs Beverley wasn't there. She hurriedly took off her shoes left them on the sitting room floor and ran to her mum's room.
"Mum!!!" Bianca called out as she opened the room door
"You're back my darling" Mrs Beverley said as Bianca hugged her tightly almost pushing her to floor
"Guess who's gonna be the latest bride in the city!!!" Bianca said stretching her hand forward to show her mum the ring
"My baby is getting married!!!" Mrs Beverley exclaimed in joy
"Yes Mama she sure is"
"I can't believe Eric really purposed B"
"He did mum and I glady said yes"
"I so happy for you my love" Mrs Beverley said with watery eyes hugging Bianca again
"You don't have to get emotional mum it's a good thing" Bianca said stopping the tears from rolling down her mum's cheek with her handkerchief.
"So when is the wedding ceremony B?" Mrs Beverley asked
"In about a months time mum. We just want a small and simple wedding with just few family and friends" Bianca replied smiling
"That's wonderful. At least I will get to watch my baby get married before I join my husband"
With the words from Mrs Beverley's mouth, Bianca's countenance fell.
"Mum what do you mean by that" Bianca asked her
"Sit down first B" Mrs Beverley said as she sat down on the bed and gestured to Bianca to come sit too.
"No mum. I'm not sitting down. What's going on mum talk to me please!" Bianca said with fear in her voice.
"My angel please come and sit first" Mrs Beverley said again gesturing to the bed.
Bianca reluctantly sat on the bed and looked at Mrs Beverley waiting for the next group of words that were going to come out of her mouth.
"First you have to calm down B" Mrs Beverley said as a tear dropped from her eyes
"Mum what's going on. Why are you crying? Talk to me!!!"
"Bianca my baby........I have cancer and I have three months to live"
"What!!!!!!!" Bianca exclaimed jumping to her feet and tears immediately rolled down her cheeks "How long have you had this mum? How long?"
"I have had it for about four years now B"
"Four years? Mum you've had cancer for four years years now and you never told me why mum? Why?"
"You were in school B in your final year when I found out. I didn't tell you so that you wouldn't feel sad or get distracted and fail and when you finally graduated you were so happy and I didn't want to take that happiness away from you that was why I hid it all these years"
"But why did you go to a hospital for treatment?"
"I went to the hospital for treatment but their methods were not working"
"If you had told me I would have taken you to AMG"
" I went to Miss Jordan at AMG"
"Wait a minute you went to her and she didn't tell me either?"
"I begged her not too B. You wonder why she pays you so little. When I approached her, the money for the treatment was high and I couldn't afford it. She then treated me and billed it to you future salary and has been gradually deducting it from your salary"
"Oh my God!" More tears flowed from Bianca's eyes. "And you still didn't tell me all this while"
"I did it to protect you B"
"If AMG really treated you why aren't you well now?"
"I have tried and I'm tired. You know not everyone gets to survive cancer I just happened to be among the few that couldn't"
"No mum I can let you die now! I will try other hospitals and labs and go to any country or give anything....even my life....."
"Quiet Bianca!!!" Mrs Beverley interrupted her
"Why would a young child like you make such utterance about death? You are only twenty four Bianca you have your whole life ahead of you."
"But mum..."
"No buts Bianca. I am seventy five. I have already lived. You have many more decades to live before you get to that my angel. Your marriage so gladens my heart because you will finally birth your own children something I never got to do. I know you will make a great mum B. Just focus on you new family "
"I can't just let you die mum....."
"The only thing I ask of you B is that you go on with the wedding as soon as possible. I want to see my beloved daughter walk down the aisle at least..."
"But... How... I...." Bianca stammered and then ran out of the room
She ran straight to hers, crashed on the bed and wept. Suddenly, it became as though her joy had turned to pain. Pain she had always known all her life. "When is it finally going to end?" She asked herself. She cried all night till she eventually slept off.
Early the next morning, she woke up prepared for work and hurriedly left the house. When she got to work she climbed the staircase so quickly she nearly pushed James down. She went straight to miss Jordan's office opened the door and banged it.
"Why didn't you tell me that my mother had cancer?" Bianca asked Miss Jordan with anger in her voice
"Calm down Bianca you are shouting" miss Jordan replied
"Don't tell me to calm down" Bianca shouted back
"Your mum pleaded with me not to tell you and that was why I didn't. Stop shouting like it was my fault it I was just trying to help afterall"
Tears rolled down Bianca's cheeks
"And you've cut my salary all these years for a treatment that I didn't even know about how helpful indeed"
"If it's any consolation, the payment is complete and from this month end, you will be getting you salary in full".
"And your damn treatment didn't work afterall"
"Hey I don't get to choose who recovers or not. I just did my bit
More tears roll down Bianca cheeks. She left the office, went to her desk and resumed her sobbing.
Mila noticed her head bowed and came closer
"what's wrong B?"
Bianca ignored her and kept crying
"Bianca what's wrong talk to me. The last time I saw you, you were happily going on a date with Eric what happened" Mila asked again
"He proposed" Bianca replied
"Awwwwn Here comes the bride!. I'll surely be your maid of honor" Mila said excitedly but her physiognomy changed when she saw that Bianca was still sobbing
"B a proposal is a good thing why are you then crying?"
"I went to tell mum about it only to find out that she has had cancer for four years now she and Miss Jordan knew and no one told me" Bianca said still in tears.
"Oh noo! I'm so sorry B" Mila said consoling her
Bianca went forward to tell Mila what her mum said. Mila calmed her down and told her to fulfill her mum's wish of making the wedding happen as soon as possible.
Bianca tried to concentrate at work but she couldn't so she decided to go home early. She didn't want to go home to her mum cause it would just bring back the memory of everything she was trying to come to terms with and forget so she decided to go to Eric's house instead.
"Babyyyyy!!!" Eric exclaimed opening the front door and lifting Bianca off her feet and into the air but Bianca kept an emotionless face and didn't kiss him back when he kissed her.
"What's wrong B?" Eric asked but Bianca ignored him and just walked right in.
Bianca told Eric everything with each sentence ending with a tear rolling down her cheek from her swollen eyes.
Eric was hurt both by the information and watching her cry.
For about thirty minutes after Bianca spoke he was speechless gently stroking Bianca's hair while carrying her like a child as she sobbed on his chest.
"You have to stop crying B" Eric said after the long silence
"we just have to grant mum's wish".