Duke felt bad after listening to that but he hoped and prayed in his heart for his friend to come out safely as his mother needs him now, with her present health situation.
Mrs. Brighton had been waiting for her soon so that, she could have dinner together with him, but Henry was not home yet and his phone was ringing with no response.
“I hope he is fine wherever he is”, his mother toughed her chest as she felt an uneasy feeling taking over her whole being.
” You have to eat now, so as to be able to take your drugs on time Mrs. Brighton”, Caloy her nurse told her as she noticed that she had not yet worn down her food.
Mrs. Brighton, having a sad and restless countenance, dialed her son’s contact one more time but the fall went through and ended without any response.
Taking the glass of water that was on the table and placing it on her lips, she drank some of it as it will help her calm down a little.
” Please do all you can to save my friend’s sir”, Bethany pleaded with one of the firefighters who had asked ok what floor Evas flat was found in the building.
Dukes’ mother was alone after Sylvia’s departure to her house. While she was alone, she could not stop thinking about what Sylvia had narrated to her in Duke’s office and that made her somehow disturbed.
“Could that be the reason for his constant fleeing from the house?”, Mrs. Smith raised a question that she could not find the answer to.
Unable to tolerate the feeling of uncertainty that she was feeling in her, she rose to her feet, walking from one corner of her bedroom to the other thinking of a way to find out whether Duke has something with that low-life girl or not.
” I know my son very well, he will never settle for someone that is not of the same social status as him”, she let outputting up with the sweet and melodious musical pair that was playing in her room, as she sipped from her glass of wine.
Reaching at the end of that corridor and noticing that there was no one there, Henry, began walking out of there still whining Eva’s name.
Eva was now certain about the voice she was being attentive to as she yelled out on the floor,
“Henry, is that you?”.
She could not hear him anymore, so she screamed louder,
” Henry I am back, please come back this way I am trapped here, Henry please do not leave me in here”, she mustered the strength to breathe some more on the floor, as she had watched in a movie that, when caught up in a burning house, you should lay down on the floor as the smoke will lag on the surface.
Bethany was applying that verbiage and it was somehow working for her as she could breathe a little down.
All hopes were lost for her as she thought that Henry had not given attention to her calling out his name, but to her greatest awe, she could hear him shouting her name from outside.
Eva was so filled with joy that she tried out saying she was inside the house with no way to get out.
“Are you okay Eva, do not worry I am going to get you out of there”, Henry spoke out thinking of a way to break the door open as it was already surrounded by heavy flames that could injure him.
While Bethany and Eva’s sisters were outside hoping for Both their safety, the building had burned so much that, its particles began to fall.
Everyone cried out in fear for those who were still trapped inside and Rachel ran out to the collapsing building screaming out her sister’s name.
” Please Eva does not leave us alone as our parents did, come out for Glenn and I need you in our lives please”, Rachel whimpered and the police stopped her from approaching the place while Bethany held her strong preventing her from going near the fire.
“Our sister will die, Bethany, she will not make it out”, Rachel wailing painfully held onto Bethany’s hands looking at the edifice.
” No she will not die as Henry is with her, and he is going to have her as well as the firefighters”, she told Rachel massaging her posterior with her palms to make her feel serene.
With a sad mood, Dukes’ gaze met Bethany’s as they both felt the pain Rachel was going through, being able to reason and feel what was coming to pass, unlike Glenn who was still small and could not understand whatever that was going on there.
Mrs. Marvin, getting worried about Bethany’s lateness, asked Bryan whether she had called him up to say that she was going to take this long.
Bryan who had no idea told his mom not to worry, as she will be back soon.
“Mom you know how ladies love to gossip about everything that does not make sense right? I am sure she and Eva are busy talking about their future husbands and what they will look like”, he made a joke out of the situation.
Mrs. Marvin who was keeping up a journal in her hands used it to whack Bryan’s head raising a question as to what was giving rise to him cracking up like a baby.
Bryan holding his head, grumbled like a baby while his mother took up the newspaper to hit his head again when a knock was heard on their door.
Mrs. Marvin, wondering who it could be at that hour because Bethany could have just opened the door and walked in if she was the person.
She went to the door, opening it and Carl was standing with some flowers in his hands.
” Carl, you came back like you said you would”, Mrs. Marvin spoke as she saw the bouquets he was carrying in his hands.
Carl filled with embarrassment as he thought that, Bethany will be the person to open the door for him at that time, smiled like a teenager that was caught in an illicit action.
Summoning his gratification as a man, he told Mrs. Marvin that he just wished to see Bethany, as he had made up his psyche that she will be the first soul he will set his eyes on as soon as he catches up with the locality.
Bethany’s mom felt bad for him as she was no longer a kid to pretend not to understand what was going on or how Carl was feeling inside, but all she could do was to be nice to him as this could bring complications to her daughter’s life.
Two able-bodied men scramble to have her love and attention. Though Duke was more financially stable, Carl had an added advantage if he decides to make advances towards Bethany, as they have been friends since childhood.
Now, the question Mrs. Marvin was asking herself, was what will be her daughter’s reaction after finding out that Carl has returned to the neighborhood.
Carl was so hurt to know that Bethany was not home yet, so he left the flowers to her mom, asking her to please give them to her when she shows up letting out that he was the person who left them for her.
“I will be back here tomorrow morning to check on her before leaving for the office”, Carl spoke out with a smile, but his expression demonstrated that he was not too glad about the circumstance.
Mrs. Marvin taking the pinnacles from his hands assured him that, she was going to give them to her.
Bryan who was strutting behind his mother, peeked at the situation in compassion as he watched Carl go back home in dissatisfaction.
” How will Bethany now manage this awful situation mother?”, his question was a very intelligent but yet a very disturbing one his mother asserted.
Walking to have a seat, Mrs. Marvin buried her face into her palms as she contemplates on what will be the outcome of such a situation.
Henry, who was still struggling to find his way in, continued talking to Eva just so that she does not fall asleep as it could be dangerous for her.
“Eva, stay with me, do not sleep off”, he yelled out turning to the other side where he saw the firefighters moving toward him.
” Are you okay sir? you need to leave the building now as it is becoming dangerous”, said them explained to Henry but he denied being an inch and asked them to quench down the fire faster as his form was still inside.
The men spewing water on the door did not know when Henry had broken it open and on seeing Eva lying on the floor, he rushed to her taking off her hair from her face.
“I am here now breath Eva nothing will happen to you”, Henry cried out as a child.
Eva was happy knowing that Henry was feeling something that strong for her so as to risk his own life just to save hers.
The first thing that she could ask was her sisters whether they had been saved or not and the moment Henry informed her that they were doing fine and we’re outside with Bethany, Eva gust out her last breath before going unconscious in Henry’s arms.
” Eva wakes up please I love you wake up don’t die on me”, Henry had said the word face with so much fear that he was going to lose Eva for good.
“Sir, we need to get out of here as this building will not hold on much longer, there is no one inside the house so keys go”, a fellow of firefighters spoke out and Henry rose to his feet and carried Eva in his arms as they rushed out.
“You will be fine Eva, I will make sure of that”, Henry had fallen so madly in love with Eva that he had just done something he could never have thought of going, jeopardizing his existence for a lady.
The firefighters could be seen coming out of the building and while Bethany was holding Rachel, she prayed in her heart that Henry and Eva were with them if not she could not find a way to console them.
Duke was the first to see Henry, carrying Eva as the public shouted out in joy catching a glimpse of the survivors.
” Bethany, look at Henry and Eva”, Duke spoke out and Bethany who was not tall enough, stretch her neck while taking her legs up but to no avail.
Duke who had noticed the struggle she was having, held Glenn with his left arm raising his brows and she too raised hers with a smile.
Duke told her to keep calm as he wanted to do something and little Glenn who had already bonded with Duke, collaborated immediately.
Trying so hard to see what was happening in front as the crowd had covered everywhere blocking Bethany’s view, Duke passing his right arm around her waist, carried Bethany up to have a proper view.
Bethany could only feel her legs leaving the ground, while Rachel had felt her feet touching her from behind.
Looking at Duke and not believing that he could do that kind of a thing in front of everyone, Bethany looks like a child with no weight.
Glenn and Rachel found a reason to laugh for some seconds at the sight of what was happening and Bethany felt so embarrassed that she struggled to get down.
“What was that all about?”, she reprimanded Duke after putting her down and Rachel could not stop laughing which made Duke too laugh out loud.
Bethany did not find it pleasant as she was treated like a child with what he had just done.
“Do not be sad Bethany, I was just helping you to see what was happening”, he said blinking his right sight moving his lips like someone who wanted a kid.
Glenn on noticing that, laughed even more as she surrounded Duke’s neck with her little arms.
Henry and Eva were at the ambulance and Bethany were the first to rush to them while Rachel follows behind so did Duke and Glenn.
” Henry, are you guys okay? what happened in there? we were so scared of the unknown”, Bethany raised so many questions that Henry could not answer at once as he was catching his breath.
Rachel with tears and admiration for Henry hugged him in appreciation for saving her older sister from the fire.
Henry who had not realized that he had done something so great as he was thinking for his love for Eva, which was the source of the strength he had, caressed Rachel’s hair as she cried on him.
Eva was still unconscious but the aces that were at the scene said it was a minor problem, as she must have inhaled so much smoke from there.
An oxygen pouch was placed on her nostrils, while Henry nuzzle her hair whispering in her ears that she was going to be fine.
The officer had approached Henry questioning whether he lived in the building but he said no, and they told him that they will be needing the statements of everyone who lives in the building as they will like to know what had caused the outbreak of the fire.
Henry gave them his card and told them to come to his office the following day, as the person living in the building was unconscious at the moment.
The chief office shook his hand and left to question the other inhabitants of the building.
Bethany looking at Henry with so much admiration and respect as he and his friend had proven not to be as bad as their appearances were like pushed a word of recognition to his actions,
“Thank you so much, Sir Henry, for saving my friend’s lives, I will forever be grateful for this kind gesture of yours”, Bethany mumbled in contentment as she looked at him with a smile.
” I love Eva so much and I can go to any extent just to protect her”, Henry asserted what he had in his heart in front of everyone, and Rachel who has been listening to everything asked,
“Are you my sister’s boyfriend sir?”, that questions tell like thunder in the ears of Henry and the others as he could not answer the question?
” Rachel, you are too young to talk about this sweetheart, now, we have to get to the hospital to take care of your sister till she wakes up.
Rachel’s face was not that of someone happy, as she was still sad after knowing that her sister was saved.
Henry touching Glenn’s cheeks, noticed the sadness on Rachel’s face, so going down on one knee he inquired what the matter was and the piece of information that she was about to disclose to them, was very vital.
Holding her head, with tears falling out of her eyes, she looked at their faces and most especially Bethany’s.
“What is the matter Rachel, you can tell me everything like we always do you know that right?”, Bethany softly spoke to her bearing in mind that if Rachel had seen anything, she will tell her as she has always been a smart kid.
Tears kept on dropping down her eyes like a tap that had been unlocked while Bethany wiped them off using her palms.
Glenn who had seen her older sister crying felt vigorous and was already starting to cry too when Duke can her down and smooched her forehead, letting out that he will buy a large candy for her.
Henry asking Rachel to speak up as he held her by the shoulder, assured her that, no one will hurt her or her sisters and he gave her his word.
Rachel inclined her head in worry, spoke out,
“The reason why the building started burning down is because of my sister Eva as it was the kitchen that was caught up in fire”, Rachel let out what had happened.
Bethany, shocked to the bone marrow, looked into the ambulance at her friend who was still unconscious it asking herself what would have happened for her to forget a pot on the stove.
Henry, feeling that little Rachel had more on her sleeves asked her told her not to worry, and that it might have been an accident as Eva might have been tired with something.
Bethany, Duke, and Henry looking at each other comprehended that what Henry was saying was not the truth as Duke had thought back to the fact that Eva had shown signs of fear and oscillation when she had phoned her friend while she was still in his office.
Bethany, on her part, has always known Eva to be someone who is always happy and has no enemies nor something that could be so disturbing to the point of behaving in the way that she did.
Rachel asserted that it was not an accident, as Eva had been acting all strange since she came back home receiving calls from someone she did not know.
“It is time to go to the hospital”, one of the nurses in the ambulance called out.
Bethany decided to follow the ambulance so did Rachel, Glenn had found a new daddy and did not want to let go of him so Duke decided to drive with her in his car while they follow the ambulance behind.
Henry was still in shock, after the oddity from little Rachel and he told her not to talk of anything that happened till they had arrived at the hospital, and she was going to tell them everything that she knows.
Rachel nodded in agreement and she left with Bethany in the ambulance.