*Jeremy* *Chapter 7* Jeremy's mother ran to call one of the nurses to check on her son. She told them he had regained consciousness and his eyes were open. She returned shortly after with the nurse who checked his pulse and heartbeat. I was just watching. The nurse told her to allow Jeremy to rest a while first and then she will return to check him again. I noticed Jeremy's mother wasn't hostile towards me anymore. She just sat beside Jeremy and held his legs. While lying down Jeremy muttered weakly. "Daddy, I want to walk." "Walk to where?" "I want to walk with you." "You will. You just need strength first. I am here with you." He smiled and closed his eyes slowly. I watched. Fear gripped me. Because the way he gently shut his eyes felt like he had died. But then he was sleeping. "I am sorry for everything. I am deeply sorry about Jeremy and..." "There is no need to be sorry. What has happened has happened." I kept quiet. Then she looked up and asked. "What do you want? Are you trying to use Jeremy to get to me? Because that is what you men do. You see a single mother and the next thing you become nice to the child so you can get to the mother. I prefer you come through me, not through my son. Let me know and see you for who you are, not using my weakness to get to me. And that is why I was against your relationship with Jeremy. Men will show you fake love, and when they've gotten what they want, they'll walk away like they never knew you." 'No... No... I have never thought of that. Never. Not for once have you crossed my mind. I don't even know you that much. It is Jeremy I know. He has been the one I have been close to because I give him a lift to school daily and we talk while we drive. I grew this bond for your son. It came naturally. All of a sudden I stopped seeing him close to me and I became concerned. I did not come with any deceitful intention." She lowered her head. "I have protected Jeremy all my life from men like his father. I have tried my best. I hear Jeremy talk about you, but he talks about you differently. He doesn't even talk about the men who have been in my life like you. I felt you were just like others who try to use my son to win my love." "No... I am not. I assure you." She went on to tell me about Jeremy and how he was born with sickle cell anemia. She said it was just one wrong encounter with his father that led to his birth. And when the father realized that Jeremy had sickle cell, he left her and the boy to suffer alone. They were never married. Jeremy never met him. Not even for once. Then she said to me. "For the first time in 10 years. I called him on the phone and cried. I told him his son whom he abandoned me with may be no more. Jeremy scared me. It was the biggest scare of my life. His father threatened me that if anything happened to his son, he would deal with me. A man who was never there for Jeremy suddenly throwing insults and threats at me. Men." I will drop the concluding part of what happened yesterday later in the day. You all deserve to know. It is Saturday. I am on my way to the hospital this morning to see Jeremy. I bought a water flask and took some fruits along for Jeremy. His mother has been by his side since yesterday. She is a nice woman. *My name is Praises Chidera Obiora and I am the best at what I do.*