Healing Hearts

Graduating top of her class from the Harvard School of Business and analytics; MISS YENDORA MARGARET MACKENZIE.

Everyone rises in applause as I approach the stage to receive my sash and certificate of honour, I look into the crowd and I see my biggest supporter, my great-grand father, he has been my biggest cheerleader all my life, he was always there from birth, to every milestone achieved, held my hands when I walked for the first time and now sitting in the crowd as I receive my Masters degree, he looks on with so much pride in his heart.

'Papa, you came!', I squealed with excitement as I walked up to him in the crowd, 'of course my dearest Yenne, I wouldn't miss your graduation for anything, look at you', her great-grand father takes a look at her, 'I am so proud of you and the woman, you are growing up to be, I believe you would be an exceptional and a wonderful personality especially in the business world, so any plans tonight. I want to hang with my girls I deserve that right, and besides Miss Nettle has her eyes on you all day, take her to dinner of the very least, live a little Papa, and let me live a little too', replies Yendora. 'Ok fine, you go have fun and I will take Ms Nettles to dinner, Yendora nods and smiles as her great-grand father keeps dishing out instructions to her about her hangout with her girlfriends, 'Is that all Papa' queries Yendora, he nods knowing fully well that she would break some rules, she pecks him goodbye as she runs off and out of the hall to meet her girlfriends at the parking lot.

'Hey y'all ready for the night of your lives', yells Yendora excitedly as she reaches her car in the parking lot.

Yendora and her Papa are seated in the garden having tea and biscuits, and laughing at their conversation, 'there is no way that happened' giggled Yendora almost spilling her coffee, 'I am so serious, I didn't know she liked me that much of trying to go sexual on me', continues Nathan, 'isn't she like 65 or something' queries Yendora, she continues 'oh my God, I can't believe you had a wild night Papa, look at you still charming the ladies, it's refreshing at least you get to hang with someone or hang something at the end of the night' Yendora winks at her great-grand father, 'ugghhh, you children of nowadays with your crazy thoughts and reasoning, anyway enough about Me and Ms Nettles, how has your internships been?' 'a lot papa, a whole lot' but it is also good, I'm learning a lot, even though I don't why you won't let me work at Glacier Towers, our family basically owns the coglomerate, its not fair Papa' responds Yendora, 'Life isn't always going to keep giving you hand outs sometimes you have to fight and strive for what you want and what you need and sometimes doing things the tough way helps you be an even stronger person, one day my dear you will understand why you are at McGregor's company as an intern so enjoy it and learn' Nathan responds with a crooky smile, 'Hey, I love you baby girl and I want you to always remember that, now are you ready to get yourself beaten in a game of lawn tennis' asks Nathan, 'Oh Papa please, I'm going to whoop your ass Sir, you better bring your A game' responds Yendora.

They both jog to the tennis court and begin a long and nerve wrenching game when suddenly Nathan collapses to the ground, Yendora runs over to him frantically yelling his name, she calls for help but the housekeepers can't hear her and her phone is far off in the garden, 'Hold on Papa, I'll be right back', she whispers to him as he strains and wheezes for air, She dashes out of the court in full speed to get her phone and dials the emergency line

'Hello, this is the emerge.....'

'HELP!!, please my great grand father just collapsed and he's wheezing and straining on the lawn, please send an ambulance' Yendora interrupts amids tears, she also calls Barr. Hansel, she runs back to the Lawn tennis court and holds her great-grandfather up and places his head on her thighs, he's breathing slowly now, 'it's going to be ok, you'll be fine', Yendora hold him and cries, begging him not to leave. The ambulance and Barr. Hansel arrive at almost the same time, the paramedics rush off to the lawn with a gurney they carefully place Nathan on it and begin to administer oxygen, as they wheel him to the ambulance, they ask that the Barrister brings Yendora in his own car as it's for the best.

They arrive at the hospital and Nathan is wheeled into the ICU, after 2 hours of nerve wrecking tension, the doctor appears, 'I'm afraid I have bad news, Mr Mackenzie just suffered a terrible heart attack, its really bad and he's unconcious right now, he will remain in the ICU, for now till he gets better, 'can I please see him' begs Yendora, 'of course but just 10minutes' responds the Doctor.

Yendora walks into her great-grand father's ward, 'Papa', she says as she sinks into a chair next to him and holds his palms, 'Please don't leave me Papa, don't go now, there's still so much we have to see and experience together, you cannot leave me now PLEASE, I love you and I just want you back and alive, please' she sobs slightly as she squeezes his palm, she's still crying when the nurse walks in as gently lifts her shoulder, 'I'm so sorry Miss but you have to go, come on I'll help you out', she helps Yendora to her feet and holds her hands as they slowly exit the room, she looks back at her great-grand father one last time and hurries back to him, she places a light peck on his forehead and leaves with the nurse.

'Can I stay the night here' she asks the nurse, 'I'm so sorry but no, although you can come in tomorrow, he's still in the ICU hence the decision' Yendora nods in defeat as she walks to the lobby still in tears, Barrister Hansel holds her and request she stays at theirs for the night but she insists on going to her own apartment as its closer to the hospital.

'Beep beep'

Yendora's 5am alarm blares non-stop, she gets up and is preparing for her morning run when her phone rings, she picks it up with a cringy sigh, 'who the hell calls at 5 in the morning', 'hello', she says, on the other end she hears a feminine voice, 'hi, is this Miss Yendora Mackenzie' yes, she responds, 'well I am calling from St. Charles specialist hospital, it's about your great-grand father, suddenly the room felt small and Yendora's heart stomped nonstop as the voice kept talking and relaying the message over the phone, she got up, picked up her bag and headed out.

She got to the hospital and headed straight to front desk. 'Good morning, I'm here for Nathan Mackenzie, he had a heartattack a week ago, I got a call about a relapse', as she was speaking the front desk searched her system and directed her to his ward, she walked into her great-grandfather's private ward, and she saw the gloomy faces on the doctor and nurses, she saw her great-grandfather,quiet and cold on the hospital bed, standing beside him, she held his hands 'papa' as she fondly calls him and squeezed it tight, she cried quietly and then progressed to loud sobs and wailing, her papa was gone, the nurses tried to take her away but she shook off their hands, she didn't want to let go, she was broken as she realized she won't ever see or speak to him again, he was taken away from her and now she's alone. The doctor walks her through the cremation process and the required documents to sign as it was always his wish to be cremated.

She walks into the house and goes into her great-grand father's room, she lays in bed and cries her heart-out until she falls asleep, the housekeeper comes in to call her down to meet the attorney, but she's fast asleep and doesn't want to wake her.

Late in the evening she wakes up and goes downstairs, to attend to guests who arrived to sympathize with her majority being some staff and executive members of Nathan's company. As she walks along into the living, she receives consoling messages; take heart dear, oh, the lord knows best, Nathan was such a good man and a visionary, you'll get through this don't worry dear, and Yendora smiles and nods and even hugs some of them.

Barr. Hansel walks up to her and she gives him a warm hug, he was like an uncle she never had, always acting as a mediator whenever she and Nathan had their schuffle, especially during her teenage years. 'How are you?, I came in two hour ago and you were fast asleep, so I decided not to bother you, how are the plans for the funeral' inquired Hansel, 'you know he wanted to be cremated' replied Yendora, 'I've signed all necessary documents and made a purchase for a beautiful ern, by tomorrow everything should be done and a week from now, we'll have a funeral service and celebration, afterall he lived long, he deserves that'

It's 7pm in the evening and the final guests have left, Yendora's sighs a breath of relief as she walks up to her bedroom, she requests some ginger tea to ease her stress and some cream cookies too, afterall she's a sweet tooth, just before she leaves Barr. Hansel comes in, 'I thought you left already' Yendora inquired half-way up her bedroom, 'I waited outside the house for all the guests to leave before coming back in, I needed to discuss something urgent and important with you, your great-grandfather's will', 'oh ok, so what about it, are there external and unknown family that we need to contact', 'well no, there's no one, you are the sole benefactor of all of Nathan's estate, the houses, the accounts and the company, you're his heiress' Yendora stood stunned and speechless, 'what do you mean', 'Miss Yendora Mackenzie, you are the sole heiress to all that Nathan owns, prepare yourself, in 2 days, you meet with the board' and on that note, Barr. Hansel takes his leave and walks out the door, leaving Yendora in the hallway in a state of perpetual shock and surprise.

She goes into her great-grandfather's study and stands staring at his large frame on the wall, 'why, why did you do it, why me, why, why only me, what about my cousins, your nephews and nieces, every other person, why just me, I don't understand' she walks out and still lost in her thoughts and endless speech to herself heads over to her room, she lays in bed and stares blankly at the ceiling.