PERSUADING HER
“Is she still crying!” Aurora asked Keisha who stood outside the door of Noelle’s room.
“Yes..” Keisha muttered softly.
“I feel so bad for her,” Aurora said, her voice heavy with sympathy. “To be separated from her mother like that, it must be so hard for her.”
“I know,” Keisha said, a worried frown on her face. “I wish there was something we could do to make her feel better.”
“f*ck!” Aurora cursed as her eyes darted to Kira who was holding her mother’s hand, then it dawned on her that she was not supposed to curse in front of a small kid.
But the situation they were in now was so complicated.
Layla was still in a Coma and her child was just brought out from the incubator and then brought him. Noelle on the other hand has not stopped crying since the day she was brought back from the hospital. She refused to eat or even talk to anyone and Noelle was very stubborn, it was very hard to persuade her.
“What should we do now? We have to make her eat” Aurora asked, but she knew that was a very baseless question to ask. There was no way Noelle could be convinced.
Layla always had a hard time controlling her as she did whatever she wanted.
And the only people she listened to were her parents, Nolan had been in the hospital, and Layla unconscious as there was a probability that she wouldn’t make it.
“I seriously don’t know Aurora..” Keisha signed deeply. She had used all the tactics she knew as a mother to try and make Noelle eat something but none of that worked. She was just so adamant.
“I’ll try and talk to her..” Aurora stated as she walked into the room slowly.
“Noelle?” She called seeing a small figure curled up in the bed.
“Go away, I don’t want to see you..” Noelle whimpered sadly from where she lay.
“Noelle, please. You have to eat something…” Aurora tried to beg her.
” No, I won’t! ” Noelle stated in a firm voice.
” I want my Mommy, not food..” she sniffled, and get cries increased the more.
” But that’s not good for your health. You have to be.. ”
” Please go away… ” Noelle interrupted, Aurora knew better than to argue and she slowly left the room.
” Did she eat? ” Keisha asked as Aurora shook her head, indicating a no.
“Poor girl. She blames herself for what happened to her mother..” Carla muttered. Layla took a bullet for Noelle and Noelle saw all of that.
“We should just keep trying. She’ll definitely come down for breakfast..” Keisha said with Hope.
Moments later, they saw Malcolm approaching with a tray.
“What are you doing Malcolm? Noelle has refused to come out?” Kira asked as she ran to Malcolm the moment she saw him.
“I’m going to try and convince her..” Malcolm informed. He was very close to Noelle, so there was no harm in trying his luck.
“Go ahead..” Aurora urged him, opening the door for him to go in.
Probably she’d listen to her fellow kid.
“Noelle… ” Malcolm called as he got into the room.
” Go away. I thought I said I don’t want to speak to anyone.. ” she snapped sitting up from the bed. Her face looked sullen, one could tell she had been crying.
” I brought you food… ” He announced dropping the tray on a table near her bed.
” I’m not hungry. Take it and go away.. ” she folded her hands against her chest.
The sweet smell of the pancake hit her nose. She literally found difficulty in controlling her hunger.
If not for the fact that Noelle had resolved not to eat till she saw her mommy. She would have descended on the food long ago.
“I know you’re upset, Noelle,” Malcolm said, his voice gentle.
“And I understand why you’re not hungry. But I think it’s important for you to eat something, even if it’s just a little bit. Your body needs nourishment, especially now.”
Noelle looked up at him, her eyes full of tears. “I can’t,” she said, her voice breaking. “I don’t want to eat without my mommy.”
Malcolm’s heart broke at her words. He could see how much she was hurting, and he wished there was something he could do to make things better
” Please Noelle, you have to eat something. Or you’ll fall sick.. ” Malcolm tried persuading her.
Layla had been so good to him and was like a mother to him.
It was his duty to be there for her daughter when she needed him the most.
He was little, but he still knew how to cater to someone.
” I don’t want food, I want my Mommy… ” A Sob slipped her lips.
It’s been so boring without Layla. There was no one to shout or yell at her.
The house felt dead. No one came to wake her up in the morning to force her to go to school.
And she only enjoyed listening to her mother’s lullabies.
The nanny’s song Gave her sleepless nights.
“I know you do, Noelle,” Malcolm said, his heart aching for her.
“But please, for your own sake, try to eat something. If not for your sake, then for your mommy’s sake. I’m sure she would want you to be healthy and strong.”
” No! ” She refused, still trying to act stubborn.
“Please, Noelle. You should eat. Or you’ll get thin and when your mommy finally wakes up. She’ll be so disappointed..” He tried to reason with her.
” Then mommy should wake up soon, So I won’t get thin”
“Oh, Noelle,” Malcolm uttered, his heart breaking for her.
“If only it were that simple. I wish your mommy would wake up too, but she’s in a coma. And we can’t make her wake up until her body is ready. But you, you can eat and stay strong. Can you do that for me?”
Noelle looked at him, her eyes filled with sadness. “I’ll try,” she said, her voice small.Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.
“But I miss her so much.” She cried softly.
“I know you do,” Malcolm said, reaching out to pat her on the shoulder. “We all do.”
“Now eat something..” he placed the tray happily in front of her and handed over a pancake to her.
Noelle looked down at the pancake, and then up at Malcolm. “I’m not really hungry,” she began, her voice barely above a whisper. “But I’ll eat it for you.” She muttered.
She picked up the pancake, her hand trembling slightly. She took a small bite, and then another, and another. Each bite was hard to swallow, but she forced herself to keep going, just as she’d promised Malcolm.
After a few minutes, she had finished the pancake, and she felt a small sense of accomplishment.
“Thank you… ” Malcolm breathed out as he gave her a glass of milk, which she drank a little from.
” You can leave now..” she said lying back on the bed.