...Voiceless
"Is Azyma really awake?" Austin asked surprised.
"Yes she is, we are going to the hospital to see her now, both myself and Dinela."
"Who is taking you?"
"My dad."
"Okay, can I tag along?"
"Yes of course let's go."
We went to the parking lot and I scanned the lot for my dad's car, I saw it and we all rushed to it, after what happened four months ago, my dad has been a little distant, he does not trust me anymore and that really hurt me, and its all because of Dinela, but I have forgiven her for it, its not really her fault, We entered the car and I told him to take us to the hospital.
"Dad please take us to national hospital, we heard Azyma is out of coma we want to go visit her."
"Don't you have an exam tomorrow, you'll see her after you are done with all your papers."
"But dad, it's not like we are going to sleep there, we just want to say hi."
"Well you can't, you will after you are done with all your papers." He said and he drove Dinela and Austin home then we headed home.
My dad holds Azyma responsible for the rift between myself and him, he does not want me to have anything to do with her, the mere mention of her name irritates him. We got home soon after and I just went straight to my room, I'm still mad at my mom, that woman can be so annoying, I don't know how someone's can be both sweet and annoying at the same time.
I just wish I could see Azyma, I have lots of jist for her, from me and Mrs Amira going into her house to get clues to Mrs Amira been held hostage, she would freak out about the last part, she has nothing to be scared of again, both of her enemies are behind bars, I wonder what Mr Dario would do when he finds out about Azyma is out of coma.
There is no way he will find out, who will tell him?... My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on my door.
"Come in." I yelled, its probably my mom, I wonder what she wants now.
"You might be mad at me but food didn't do anything wrong, I made rice and vegetable soup, come eat." My mom said.
"I'll come eat when I am hungry."
"Please come eat, I know you are hungry."
She is right, I am famished, but my stubbornness won't allow me to go eat.
"I am not hungry."
"Hmm hmm, suit yourself." She replied.
I am so hungry, my stomach is empty, what do I do now?..., I should study for tomorrow's exam but on an empty stomach, I'll push through it. I am having fishery and literature tomorrow, I hope its not too hard.
I took my literature notebook from my backpack and I started reading.
Axymah's POV
I am drowning, drowning in an abyss of darkness, I can't see or feel anything, I keep struggling to breathe, I don't know why when I should just give into the darkness, maybe then I'll be free from Mr Dario, I am scared, I can't move any part of my body, I feel as heavy as a car, I will only be free when I die, Mr Dario will never find me in heaven because he will never make heaven, he will be busy rotting in hell, sadness is what I feel, it hugged me like a blanket, I feel sad and lonely.
I don't know where I am, I am surrounded in darkness, there is no up only down, I just keep floating, I have been drowning since forever, the darkness I am in seems to be bottomless, I have no hope, I can't feel myself, no hope, nothing to hold onto, no oxygen.
I saw a light, I tried to float towards it for there is no solid ground where I am, I tried to float but I didn't succeed, I tried and tried again but still to no avail, I am frail and weak, hopeless, the light that was shining bright now has started to loose its brightness, the light is disappearing.
Oh light, don't go, take me with you, wait for me, I am coming, please. I tried t beg but I have no voice, no sound, no whine, no more, I am voiceless, speechless, I began to panic, I tried to float, I tried and tried then finally I was able to float, I started floating towards the light, I was almost to it.
I heard voices, it was mumbled at first then it became clear, I tried to make out who the voice belongs to.
"My dear Axymah, please wake up, open your eyes, I am here with you there is nothing to be scared of, you are alright, you are brave, you are strong, you survived the torture and torments that seemed to be endless, your heart is broken, your hope dead, your fear is still there, you are alright my child, open your eye, come back to us, everyone misses you, Alero, Dinela, Austin, the neighborhood, your schoolmates even I miss you, open your eyes."
I recognize that voice, that's Mrs Amira's voice, I am sure it is, but what is she talking about, my eyes are open but I can't see anything, everything is dark, am I blind? I can't be safe as long as Mr Dario is around, he will always find me and break me, I kept on floating to the light, I was about to reach it when something caught my ears.
"Mr Dario is behind bars, he is locked up in prison, he can't get to you, he was arrested thanks to Alero and myself, we provided concrete evidence against him, now he is behind bars, he was sentenced with over 60years imprisonment, he will rot there, he will never be able to get to you, no matter what, we are all behind you,no one will hurt you anymore, you have suffered enough, years to torment, abuse, assault and torture has ended, open your eyes nd come back to us."
Immediately I heard that, Mr Dario is behind bars, he can't hurt me anymore, I felt cool air rush into my lungs, the light that I was floating towards was now gone, I took a deep breathe and tried to move my body, I felt hope after all I have faced, I finally found hope, I tried to move, but only fingers moved.
"She moved her fingers, she is coming around." Voice that I do not recognize said.
"Axymah can your hear me? if you can please move your fingers again,move your legs too, try please, I am here with you." Mrs Amira encouraged. I tried to do as she said but instead of my legs moving my eyes moved, I tried to lift my eye lids but they were too heavy, I fought hard and this time I was able to, I opened my eyes but instantly shut them back because of the intense light that hit them, I was in the darkness for way too long.
"Switch off the lights." A voice commanded.
I opened my eyes once again and I saw a pair of eyes gazing at me lovingly, Mrs Amira's eyes.
"Welcome back." She said with a breathtaking smile.
I tried to speak but my throat was dry, my next attempt to speak left my throat aching so I decided to stay quiet.
"Move aside let me take a look at her." The doctor said to Mrs Amira.
"Open wide." He instructed, I tried opening my mouth wide, but it hurts so I just opened it to a point that it does not hurt, he pointed a torchlight in my mouth.
"Can you speak?" He asked, then I tried but didn't succeed so shook my head to try say no.
"What is wrong with her doctor?" Mrs Amira asked concerned.
"When Mr Dario broke the vodka bottles on her head, it not only put her in a coma but also damaged her Broca's area and Wernicke's area,they are the areas considered the major components of the brain involved in speech, so with those two damaged she won't be able to speak."
"Will she ever speak again?"
"Yes she will but I can't predict when, for now we just have to let them heal on their own, she should not speak or stress her throat if not she will never speak again." Mrs Amira started shedding tears as he said that.
"You should get her an iPad, she will type what she wants to say and google voice will say out loud what she writes, she should not even make sounds or noises."
"For how many months will she do that before she will be able to speak?"
"Like I said earlier, I can't predict when, give her all the love you have, she needs support now, don't let her be alone for even a second, if she portrays signs of depression we will get her a therapist immediately."
"Okay doctor, thank you."
"You're welcome, make sure she takes her medicine properly, we will keep her on observation for 24 hours, you can take her home first thing tomorrow."
"Sure." With that the doctor left and I started to cry, I have become voiceless.
"Don't cry sweetheart, please everything will be fine, we are here with you, you will be able to speak again don't worry okay?!" Mrs Amira cooed, but I just felt the tears rolling down even more, I won't be able to speak again."
Unknown POV
"I have good news for you Dario, but you will have to pay me to hear it."
"What nonsense do you want to spew, get out of here, allow me to rot here in peace."
"Seems you are making yourself comfortable in this dump."
"Watch your tongue boy."
"With the news I have for you, you will not want to stay here for even a minute more, its about your step daughter."
"Axymah?!! What about her?"
"Tell me now before I remove your throat from your neck."
"I don't think you are in any position to make threats, give me two thousand dollars not naira and I'll give you the news."
"Bouncer give him two thousand dollars."
"Now that you have given me my cash will tell you the good news, Axymah is out of coma.
Axymah's POV
"Can you please sit upright, I have brought dinner for you?" Mrs Amira asked.
"I tried to sit, but my head started to bang and ring, she helped me sit up and I started feeling pains all over my body.
"Here, I'll feed you, open up." I opened my mouth and she put in a spoon of Rice and stew, I continued to eat like that and drank a bottle of water after wards, I was done with dinner and Mrs Amira stayed with me sitting next to me.
"I know what you are thinking, you can't speak, your friends will mock you, but you should not care what they think." I just stared at her blankly.
"Sometimes I wish some folktales are true, there was this tale my grandma used to tell me when I was little, its called the tale of doumba, do you want to hear it?" She asked and I nod my head telling her yes.
"So, once upon a time in the lands of Myth, there was a beautiful dakies named doumba, she had beautiful long legs and four tales with a horn and freakishly long golden hair, she is a magnificent creature, she lived in a small village called Silenthia, dakies are creatures known to say nothing but the truth, they say the truth no matter what, one day doumba went to the forest to get herbs when she met a witch, they talked about herbs and what herbs doumba wanted to get, then the witch casted a growing spell on a particular herb doumba needed but has yet to grow, the witch simply did doumba a favour but doumba said neigh, you should never tamper with nature, isn't a witch suppose to love nature more than any other creature, she insulted the witch.
The witch told her to be quiet before she gets furious and casts a spell on her, but doumba was ignorant and she said, what spell will you cast on me, a spell to never make me speak again, to silence me for eternity or better yet cast the spell on the whole dakies in the land of Myth, you can't do anything.
The witch started chanting, abse bariente lagiara farlo dakies marcadibe ansent Silenthia macslpa myths fasien wilko ascfa taenisa fadsa topga
Which translates to you have wished upon yourself an eternal curse, which cannot be reversed, all the dakies in Silenthia and in the land of Myth, may you go dumb for eternity, your only means of communication will be through taenisa.
After the witch placed the curse, doumba could not speak, she became dumb, it was like the more she tried to speak the more she looses her vocal cords became damaged, she finally accepted her faith then one day, she wanted to give a stranger directions and without words coming from her mouth, she communicated through taenisa, she learnt about how she was able to communicate and soon all the dakies started learning how to communicate through taenisa.
I wish you can communicate through taenisa." Mrs Amira said almost pleadingly.
"I would like that too, but I really do not understand how it works or who will teach me." I responded, I replied to her without moving my lips.