It had been difficult leaving her family after New Year’s Eve, but the break had been much needed. Now that Bella was back in school, it was hard to concentrate on things such as gross anatomy or biochemistry. She wasn’t a biochemistry kind of girl. Sure, she could be quite the bookworm and she’d done quite well in school, but she was convinced that her brain was just not wired for the hard sciences. Maybe returning to Veterinary school wasn’t such a good idea.
She was in pretty low spirits for the majority of the day, considering many other options. She’d done veterinary studies before, but it had been in wildlife management and animal behaviour. Perhaps she was more of a researcher…? That night, she called Nathan and told him of her concerns. To her surprise, she wasn’t even fazed by her whining. “Bells… you can do this,” he told her. “You’re not just a researcher. You have a brilliant mind. You’re just nervous because this is a big change in our lives, but you can do this.” At the moment, Bella didn’t quite feel like she could. “I loathe biochemistry,” she said. “Gross anatomy I get. Even developmental bio isn’t bad. Nutrition and radiology… simple. But biochem? I don’t know…” “‘That’s just one subject out of many. I’ll help you with biochemistry and it’ll become easier. You’ll see. We’re doing fine here. Stop worrying about us. That’s probably your main problem.” Bella sighed. That was partly true. She missed them more than she ever thought was possible to miss someone. It sort of wavered her desire to work hard on those subjects that she wasn’t naturally good at. But maybe Nathan was right. Maybe she really could do this, if she tried harder. “Okay,” she said. “But if I fail this quarter, I’m coming home for good.”
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“Ugh…” Bella groaned as the image on her screen went fuzzy once again. It was frustrating trying to speak to her hubby when the connection at Ithemba kept dropping. Bella was more than aware that their home was located in the middle of nowhere, which often meant awful internet connection, but it didn’t bother her that much until now.
“Babe?” She stared at the pixelated version of Nathan’s handsome face. He obviously couldn’t hear her either. Or perhaps it was she who couldn’t help him. Either way, the Skype call was not working. She sighed and ran her hand down her face, trying not to get too annoyed. She wasn’t yet used to this brand new schedule that had taken over her life. Three days a week away from the girls and Nathan was torture. When she was deep in study mode, she often found brief moments of relief from how much she missed them, but times of relaxation were tough. She wanted nothing more than to cuddle up on the couch with her family and watch a movie, or enjoy a nice dinner at the table. She wanted to be there for Nathan on his birthday, to pamper him and start off another year of his life in an unforgettable way. “Bells?” There was Nathan’s face again. Handsome as ever. “Can you hear me?” Bella smiled. “Yeah,” she said. “Happy birthday, handsome. How’s it going? How are the girls treating you? Is Ithemba doing well?” She was trying to get all her questions out at once before the connection dropped again, but it was too late. The beeping sound as the connection failed on Nathan’s side was infuriating. “Ugh.” Bella disconnected the call and typed a message to Nathan: There's a vineyard nearby. I’ll be sure to bring home some wine. Ask Belie in advanced to babysit. I promise I’ll make it up to you this weekend. Love you.;) Three years. Bella stared at the school curriculum for what seemed like hours. Was it a good idea? For three years, she’d be a student again. And not just a student; she’d still be a full time mother and a full time co-founder operating on the grounds of Ithemba. It was a lot to add to her plate, but Nathan had faith that she could do it. In the long run, it would be worth it. She would be a fully licensed veterinarian and that went a long way. Going back to school meant spending 3 days a week living five hours away from her livelihood and family. The city was so far away from Ithemba that it didn’t make sense to go back and forth between her home and school during weekdays It was quite a sacrifice, leaving her family for three days. Of course her schedule wouldn’t always be the same, but it was a little unsettling to think about her first year. “You can do this,” Nathan kept saying as they walked around the campus. The girls were happily walking ahead of them, enjoying the scenery that was so different than what they were used to seeing. “How are you so sure I can do this?” Bella asked, she glanced sideways at Nathan walking beside her while she kept an eye out for the twins.
“Because you’re Isabella Dwyer,” said Nathan. “Listen… we’ll visit when we can, it’s only 3 days a week you’ll be away, and the other 4 days, you’ll be home with us. You can do this. I have faith in you.” Bella smiled at him and pecked his lips. “I wish I had as much faith in me,” she said. “But you seem to have enough faith for both of us. So… we’re really doing this? I’m really going back to school?” It was hard to believe, but another big journey was incoming. Bella hoped it would all work out for the best. Their lives weren’t perfect, but Bella still adored it. Things were a little shaky lately, literally. With Nathan’s hand still in recovery and Bella’s future study plans still left undecided, things were generally up in the air. However, as it was their anniversary, Nathan and Bella decided to take a break from the norm. Leaving the girls in Belie’s capable hands, Bella and Nathan packed the jeep with supplies and headed far away from Ithemba. Soon, the vast fields faded away and the coast drew nearer. The lands changed from vast plains to rolling hills and large bodies of water. The boat they’d rented for the weekend awaited them at the harbor, and soon they were on their way to one of the smaller islands for their marine adventure Bella loved being on the lands of Ithemba with their animals, but there was something about being on open waters. The gentle rocking motion of the boat was soothing, even at times when the waters were rough. Under the water was a universe of colour. It was almost magical and Bella enjoyed it even more with the love of her life. Quality time with each other was exactly what they needed, and what a better excuse to get away than for their 4th anniversary. At the end of the day, as they cuddled up to each other in their cosy tent, they laughed about how drastically things had changed in their relationship.
“In the past we probably wouldn’t have even made it off that boat,” Bella teased. “Hmm… you think that’s changed?” Nathan questioned with a mischievous grin. “Maybe we won’t get off it tomorrow…” Bella smirked at him. “Or maybe we won’t leave the tent…?” Nathan chuckled. “Even better...” “So after four years being married to me, you’re not bored yet?” “I can never get bored of you. I’m looking forward to a lifetime of adventures with you.” Bella wasn’t the one who had been trampled, yet she kept reliving the moment. She’d made a decision: she would never insist on studying elephants up close again. It had almost cost her husband’s life. By some miracle, the young elephant didn't cause Nathan any major internal injuries. His organs were intact. Only his bones and his pride were hurt. Every day, Bella watched him struggle over the easiest of tasks. He could barely hold the girls, and much less administer vaccinations to the animals at Ithemba.
His patience was running thin, and the more he insisted on doing tasks, the slower his bones would heal. She’d tried to give him a lecture about slowing down, but instead he turned the whole thing around and told her that maybe it was time that she furthered her education. Maybe it was time for her to study to be a fully-licensed veterinarian. She was only a veterinary technician, meaning that by law she couldn’t really treat animals without being in the presence of a real vet. Until now, she’d been satisfied with that certification, but it took a moment like this to wake her up and show her that she needed to step up her game. It had been her dream to one day work with elephants, but dreams always changed. Maybe instead of working with elephants, she could go back to school. Then again, there weren’t any ‘schools’ near Ithemba. She would either have to return to New York schools or go into the city of South Africa. Either way, it needed a brand new conversation with Nathan, and lots and lots of thinking and consideration. Bella’s mind had been on this for weeks before she finally decided to address it. Nathan was in the nursery, looking at the girls while they slept in their cribs when Bella entered. “Hey,” she whispered. She smiled at their beautiful girls. Maybe it was time they got toddler beds; they were growing so quickly. “I was thinking,” she said quietly to Nathan. “Maybe we should talk about me going back to school after all…” |
Isabella Kaylee DwyerWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
December 2017
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