5. A Deal?
1440 Words
Elle
The look in my mother's eyes broke my heart. It is hard to believe that what used to be her biggest source of joy is causing her so much pain. I was talking about myself, just to be clear. Mom and I have always been close, sometimes too close, suffocatingly close.
A reality check? Then it struck me: What if I had really died? I mean, I'm kind of dead now but she believes I'm very much alive and recovering fine. But what if this "Miracle", like the doctor called it, didn't actually happen? Would she even survive it? I'm a hundred percent certain that my mum can never bear the pain of my death. It is extremely hard for every mother but would be worse for mine.
After my dad died of that strange and unexplainable accident ten years ago, she has been exceptionally protective of me. She did everything within her powers and capacity to make sure I was happy, healthy and fine. People in our small town, Crooks Bridge, called me Mama's girl and it didn't make me angry because they were correct. My mum alternated between three jobs everyday simultaneously despite the high blood pressure and low sugar ailment she was managing. She did it because we had a shared dream, we both wanted me to be the first person in our family to go to college. I know she has been trying so hard to be strong for me, so I can't take it for granted or break her heart further.
She shouldn't know I'm dead and I'm not the person in my body right now. I have to keep the facade. Till I figure out what is going on, I and this unwanted tenant living in my body right now have to convince her that her daughter is alive and well.
But there's a problem. How on Earth do I make this rude dummy corporate with me and my desperate plans? The way he stares at my mum was enough to give us out already. My mum was not noticing it now because she was too happy and relieved that her daughter is alive. That was what is most important to her at the moment. So before letting her notice or catch on what was going on, I had to somehow convince this dummy body-thief to act like me.
Acting like me should be easy for him since I was the only one that could hear his reak voice, but to others, he sounds perfectly like me. His behaviour and personality were entirely different, of course. He was not even a girl. If he were one, it would have made the whole situation a lot easier to handle.
But he was a boy and a very rude and nonchalant one for that matter, from what I have seen so far. Would he stop looking at and almost filling up my breasts? The Hell! Was he some kind of p*****t?
A nurse walked into the room. "Excuse me ma'am," she gestured towards my mum.
"Ma’am, the visit time is over, you can come back tomorrow after 9 am." The prim and proper looking young nurse said to my mum with a light smile. "Also, you don't have to worry about her. She's in safe hands here.", She added with her sing song voice.
Yes! This is the opportunity. Firstly, for her to get a good and well-deserved rest so as to keep her blood pressure stable and for me get the chance to convince this dummy to act like my mother's daughter. Killing two birds with one stone. This Nurse is an angel.
My mum stared at my occupied body and stared back at the nurse in silence. I know she was wondering if it would be okay for her to leave me by myself.
I poked the dummy on his/my shoulder, silently telling him to let my mum know that he's okay so she go get some rest, so the both of us coy talk privately.
He completely ignored me. I almost went livid. Can you believe the jerk? And why the hell is he acting like a spoilt brat to me? I'll poke a hole into his shoulder till he answers me or my shoulder as the case maybe, but I won't feel a thing, he will and sure does deserves that for being an unreasonable d**k right now.
So, I kept poking him until turned reluctantly facing my mum and said in a forced voice; "I'll be okay maaaa...mum. Don't worry." Even the way he used my voice sounding annoying. This dude was ruining my voice!
"Alright baby, I'll go and rest now. Alert the nurses when you need anything by pressing that bell okay, sweety?" She said, not really expecting a reply as she gently brushed the hair off my body's face and kissed his/my forehead. That is so confusing!
The dummy boy looked like he was going to explode at any moment while I was here wishing I could feel my mum's touch once again.
"I'll see you later baby," she said with a voice laced with fatigue and worries. I watched her follow the nurse reluctantly out of the room, staring at my body once again before closing the door after her.
I let out a sigh of relief as I listened to her tired footsteps down the hallway then faced my new arch enemy. I was boiling.
"Why do you have to be such a d**k?" I barked at him. "That woman you're staring at with so much disgust and disdain as if she's the cause of your predicament or and has a bad communicable disease is my mother! Do you hear me? As long as you are occupying my body, you have no choice whatsoever but to treat my mum with extra dose of respect and stop behaving like a pompous and spoilt brat." I yelled, spitting angry words into his face.
"What? Pompous brat?" He fired back looking straight into my eyes. "Did I ask to be in this ugly body in the first place?"
"My body ain't ugly", I retorted feeling miserable.
" You are expecting me to act normal, like unexplainably falling into a random white girl's body is what I do for a living? I'm still trying to comprehend what exactly is going on here and you expect me to smile and act like everything is okay." He continued, rising to his feet like the anger was controlling him. His voice cold like winter in Antarctica. "News flash mummy's girl, none of this is normal, I don't know if dying is normal for you, it isn't for me. Hell, I don't even have a mother who is this sweet me so I ain't used to none of this." He drove his fingers into his hair looking like he regretted his last sentence.
Everywhere went still after that. My eyes dropped to the ground, all the anger in me dissolving into uneasiness. I felt pity towards him instantly.
"You don't have to feel any pity for me. It's all in the past. I'm good." He said trying to wave the awkwardness in the air away as if he could read my thoughts. Could he?
"I'm sorry for expecting so much from you without bothering to understand your situation too." I said calmly, my head slightly bowed. I have to use this opportunity to strike him a deal, I said to myself.
"Uhmm... duuh.... sorry, what's your name?" I stuttered, ashamed of my own insensitivity.
He narrowed his eyes at me less angry than he was earlier. "Whatever, but it's John... just call me JP, that would do", he said with airs if cockiness like it was something that run through his veins.
I decided to keep my cool.
We both couldn't be bratty and crazy at the same time. One of us had to be logical and open minded and that, without any reasonable doubt, it has to be me. I was the smart one of the due.
Besides, I was the desperate one here. Some humility won't hurt.
"JP", I muttered, trying to sound as audacious as I could.
"Yes?" He answered nonchalantly as usual folding his arms against his chest.
"Let's make a deal".
"What? You and me, make a deal?” He chuckled mockingly, as if I was proposing the most absurd thing in the world.
But what could I offer him in return? I wondered.
"Yes, you and me. I want to offer you a deal." I said with a confidence I never knew existed in me.
- Writer
