***
It took forty minutes, the going off of the bell, and the absence of Madam Charity for me to speak again. "I'm not staying for Biology."
"Oh, you're off to meet fairy godmother," Amarachi teased.
"Right," I said.
"What was that about?" Amarachi asked, her face stern. "You almost got yourself into trouble."
"But it didn't happen."
"It almost did," Flora's seatmate, Ibim said.
"Nearly cannot kill a bird, can it?" I asked. Without awaiting a reply, I made for the sickbay.
"You're early," Stella said. Sat behind the counter, she emptied spoons of cereal into her mouth. "Give me a moment to finish up."
She had all the time in the world. Wordlessly, I perched on the bed I'd been using for the past three days. Quiet took dwelling in our midst. The sound of Stella chewing on her food sought to sever the silence, but it held no such strength.
Stepping out of my shoes, I took off my jacket, and rolled my sleeves, baring my skin for what would come. I lay on my side and faced the wall opposite me. In no time, I had Stella beside me, preparing to administer the final drip.
"You won't even ask if I had breakfast?" I asked.
Stella thought for a moment. "You would not come here on an empty stomach."
"You forgot to ask," I said.
"I didn't."
Was it just me or did she not look well? I didn't want to pry, but- "Are you...okay?"
"Yeah." She smiled to reassure me.
I smiled back, but it lasted a second shorter than her forced smile. "Nice try. Now, seriously, what's wrong?"
A genuine smile lit up her face as she tightened the tourniquet around my arm. "What now? You know me well enough to tell my lie from truth?"
"If you're thinking about yesterday and the game ..." I started, but she waved off my words with a backward flip of her hand.
"I'm not thinking about that," she said.
"It's fine if you won't talk about it," I said. "I won't insist."
"Not everyone who come into your life is here to stay," she said. The look on my face said 'tell me something I don't already know.'
Stella continued, "While some are here to stay, some are not. They're only around to teach you a vital lesson. And then they are gone. They don't necessarily die. They just stop being a part of your life."
I didn't like the direction of her words. I didn't like the rather wistful look on her face. A question revolved around my mind. "Are you leaving me too?"
Although my question almost made no sense because Stella had been serving as the school nurse for more than ten years, I had to ask.
"Are you?" I asked.
"No, dear," she said. "I walked into your life. There is no way I'm walking out. I'm here to stay. Okay?"
I wanted to believe her, but I couldn't. "But you sound like you're making plans to leave."
Stella looked away for a few moments. She seemed to be debating over something. Whatever it was, I hoped she rounded up soon.
Looking back at me, she said, "My job as the school nurse ends today."
"What?" I gasped. "Why? But you said you'd be the school nurse to save lives."
Frantically, I searched for a possible cause of her job termination. "Is it because of Bloody Miri? Sir Amadi already agreed to install CCTVs in the restroom. The game will never be played again, I promise. Please, you don't have to go. Please, stay."
"It's not about the game," she said. "My deal was only to last for twelve years. I'm sorry."
"I don't understand."
"I made a promise to do this for Mimi for twelve years, since she wanted to be a nurse. The twelfth year is ended."
"Do you have to go?"
"I'm getting married, Vicky. I have to travel to the Uk. That's where the wedding will be."
My throat tightened at the sound of this. She was getting married. On a normal day, I would be happy for her, and I wanted to be, but I couldn't get past the feeling of emptiness crawling into my soul. I knew how selfish I sounded, but I could only think of what would become of me. I'd been close to her for barely three days, but getting used to her came naturally, as though she'd been destined to be a part of my life. Knowing her had replaced my misery with joy, my tears with smiles. Knowing her had undone my stepmother's evil, restoring my place as the daughter of Mr. Brown.
With my fairy godmother leaving for the Uk, I would never see her again, unless she returned sometime in the future. It hurt me, deep inside. The bareness of her departure brought to mind the emptiness I had felt when my father died.
Forcing my mind away from my loss of hope, I asked, "When's the wedding?"
"In two weeks time," she said.
"My fairy godmother is getting married and I don't even get to attend," I said.
"I'll send you pictures," she suggested. "And videos. You won't even feel like you missed a thing."
"I don't have a phone," I said.
Ignoring my pitiful statement, she said, "Vicky dear, don't feel like this or I'll feel bad. I would stay if I could, but I have to go. Next week, someone's taking over. Elizabeth Monroe from the Uk. She's a great nurse."
"Great. You're going to the Uk, so they send someone from there as a replacement."
"How clich?, right?" Stella teased. "She's a great replacement."
"There is no replacing you," I said. "I will miss you, fairy godmother."
She pulled me into a hug. "And I you, my Cinderella."
"This is our goodbye?"
"There is no goodbye," she said.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Friends
"I don't think we can be friends. We are from two different worlds."