Elisa, Ortho, and the still-unconscious Nasser quickly boarded the helicopter. Elisa looked at Nasser with anxiety, her breathing becoming shallow as she started to panic.
Ortho looked at her and said,
— Whoa, whoa, calm down. Don't have a panic attack too. One is enough already.
He added with a mocking smile:
— And you're acting like you're his girlfriend.
Elisa blushed and replied,
— I'm not his girlfriend!
Then, in a sadder tone, she added:
— Besides, he's going to be my future brother, so it's normal for me to be worried about him.
Ortho thought for a moment before answering:
— Yeah, fair point.
The helicopter landed at the Limete General Hospital. Upon arrival, a team of nurses was already waiting on the roof. They immediately took Nasser and rushed him away on a stretcher. Elisa tried to follow, but Ortho stopped her, saying:
— No, don't follow them. You'll just slow them down.
Elisa and Ortho went down near the room where Nasser was taken and sat on a bench.
A bit hesitant, Elisa asked:
— Uh, Ortho, I have a question…
In a cheerful tone, Ortho replied:
— Yeah, tell me what you want to know, I'll help you.
Elisa hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should ask about her brother Amir. In the end, she changed her mind and asked:
— You, me, and Nasser aren't at the party. If someone's looking for me, what should I do?
Ortho answered confidently:
— Don't worry. Grâce will cover for us. She'll tell her mom that we, the younger ones, have our own party. Since you're with us and Grâce will tag along, it'll make the story more believable. Your dad trusts Grâce, especially since she's 23. You'll stay with us, and no one will know Nasser passed out.
Then he added proudly:
— I'm such a genius!
Elisa, curious, asked:
— Wait… but if Grâce is 23, then how old is Nasser?
Ortho calmly replied:
— Nasser? He's the same age as me — 18.
Elisa lamented internally:
— Oh no… and I'm only 16… I'm such a kid.
She gathered herself and dared to ask:
— You're a Lema, right?
— Yeah, that's right.
— Then you must be Amir's brother, right?
Ortho, surprised, replied:
— Whoa, you know my twin brother, Amir?
Elisa, shocked, exclaimed:
— What? Your twin brother?! You don't even look alike!
— Yeah, yeah, he's my twin brother, Ortho added.
— We're fraternal twins, and I'm the older one.
(Note: Fraternal twins are formed when two separate eggs are fertilized by two different sperm cells. They can be of the same or different genders and don't necessarily look alike — just like regular siblings.)
— Ah, I see, said Elisa, looking at Ortho.
She hesitated, then began:
— But I'd like to know more about…
She didn't get to finish her sentence, because at that moment, a doctor opened the door and announced:
— Mr. Lema, he's awake. There's no more issue, his condition is stable. You can go in.
— Thank you, ma'am, Ortho said as he stood up.
But before he could move, Elisa had already rushed inside.
When she entered, she saw Nasser reading a hospital book as if nothing had happened. She threw herself at him, crying and shouting:
— Nasser!
Nasser looked at her, surprised. Élisa threw herself at him and hugged him tightly, crying.
— Don't ever do that again!
— But why are you doing this?! What's with this behavior?! Nasser exclaimed.
Still hugging him, Élisa replied:
— To hell with manners!
Still clinging to him, she thought:
"Sorry, everyone... Sorry Ino, sorry Émilie, sorry Lusia... I can't let go of him... It feels impossible."
Eventually, she let go of Nasser and sat down on a chair, staring at her knees to avoid his gaze.
Ortho, being his usual self, cheerfully explained the situation to Nasser. The latter didn't seem to remember much. He just recalled being stuck, then blacking out. He also remembered Élisa placing him on her lap and calling for help.
He turned to her and said:
— Uh… Élisa?
She looked up:
— Yes?
Casually, while flipping through his book again, Nasser said:
— Thanks for getting help.
That simple "thank you" filled Élisa with joy. She smiled and replied:
— You're welcome.
Then she lowered her head again and began swinging her legs back and forth like a six-year-old.
Ortho, outraged, exclaimed:
— Come on now! She saved your life and you just say "thank you"?! What a cheapskate!
— What do you want me to do?! Nasser snapped back.
— She deserves flowers, a hug, tons of gifts, a limo, a yacht, a Chanel handbag… something a girl would like!
— Sorry, Ortho, not everyone's filthy rich like you. So leave me alone!
— Nope, I won't leave you alone! Forget it, bro, I'll scold you all night if I have to!
Watching them argue, Élisa couldn't help but laugh.
They stayed at the hospital until 10 PM. When they came out, it was already very late, and only a few people were still on the streets.
Élisa wondered:
"Where am I supposed to find a taxi at this hour?"
Ortho, curious, asked:
— What's a taxi?
Élisa explained:
— It's a driver you pay to take you to your destination.
At that moment, three cars pulled up right in front of them.
Élisa, surprised, exclaimed:
— Well yeah, exactly! But… they're not supposed to get here that fast!
— So, Élisa, aren't you coming with us? Nasser asked.
She replied:
— No, my dad must be waiting for me. He's probably already home.
— Ah, I see… said Ortho. Where do you live?
— In N'djili, she answered.
— Alright, one of my drivers will take you.
— Ah, thank you, Ortho.
— It's nothing.
She got in the car, and before closing the door, she looked at Nasser and said:
— See you Saturday, Nasser!
He looked back at her and replied:
— Yeah, see ya.
She closed the door and the car drove off.
When she got home, she found her father asleep on the couch, still in his suit. She smiled and whispered:
— Ah, he's already asleep… Well, I need to get ready for Saturday too… Just two more days.
What she didn't know was that this cultural day would be far more troublesome than she ever imagined…