Chapter Three - A Dark Day
1334 Words
Sprinted home like a Cheetah on a hunt. Her heart was beating heavily.
“What happened?”
Hillary asked Ella.
“I do not know! I was in the toilet taking a bath when I heard her fall on the tile floor. I quickly carried her to the couch before calling you.”
“Come, let's prepare to take her to the hospital.” Hillary dropped her bag.
Rushed out to the street to find a taxi, and they dashed out.
Immediately, her mother was taken to the emergency room, and the doctor and nurses started diagnosing her.
Hillary and Ella sat outside in the hallway, scared, worried, and filled with all types of negative emotions.
“Now, I have found a job and mom’s sickness is getting worse! Why God?”
She says in her lowest voice.
Ella held her hands as they both sat in despair, not knowing what the result of the diagnosis would be.
About 15 minutes later, the head doctor, Patrick, comes out with a terrible look on his face.
This could only mean one thing
“How is my mother? How is she? Is she breathing now?” Ella inquired impatiently.
Hillary added, “Why is your face looking like that? Is she fine? Can we go and see her now?”
Before she could finish!
The doctor chimed in,
“We lost her. I am so sorry.”
Ella and Hillary succinctly broke down in seconds. Their world as they knew it was finally crumbling down.
Heavy tears and a sharp scream ensued.
They were hard to console as they fell to the hospital floor drowning in deep sorrow and pain.
Pain that felt like a hot knife driven through the heart.
The nurses rushed out of the emergency room.
Consoling them. Trying to keep their spirit from breaking.
“Be strong, it's not your fault, please try to be strong.”
Said one of the nurses while hugging them tightly.
Ella, the youngest, was inconsolable.
She was 10 years old when their father passed away in a car accident.
Now at 15 years old, she is experiencing another shattering omen.
No father and no mother. How will they cope?
No mother to tease, laugh, and cheer her up after a bad day.
Now all they have is each other.
For Hillary, it was a painful dark day. Swollen red face, scattered hair, an ocean of tears as she could barely get up from the floor.
Just yesterday, she was the happiest girl on earth.
Today, pain has wiped all that very happiness away.
She could not comprehend it.
“Why is this world so harsh to me?”
A piercing cry at the top of her voice.
Dr Patrick Vicker who has a history with the family suggested driving them home along with one of the nurses.
“Take heart, Hillary and Ella, you have to be strong for your younger sister” he held our hands as we walked sobbing to his Honda SUV.
Added “Always feel free to call me when you need or want anything please” as he drove off.
It was an endless tear of woes and pain from the hospital to the house. Their life is not going to be the same again.
That night was the toughest and loneliest night they had ever felt, worse than when they lost their father.
Hillary realizes the new reality.
They are now orphans, alone in this world. Automatically a father and mother to her junior sister.
The night was so long. She held and cuddled Ella all through.
As early as 6 am, the next day.
Hillary heard the water running.
Sobs are coming from the bathroom.
Ella was no longer on the bed.
Opening the bathroom door, she saw her crying again, wet from the running shower.
She quickly hugged and held her tight, “Do not worry little Ella, we will be fine. I will take care of and protect you in every way I can.”
Turned off the shower and grabbed the towel. Took her out of the bathroom to sit on the bed.
Wiped her dry and fixed her hot coffee to drink.
Equally overwhelmed by her feelings, but as an elder sister she felt indebted to making sure Ella felt good for the day.
She is supposed to resume the briefing today at the office but won't be able to make it.
She puts a call through!
“Hello Mr Donald, I am sorry, but I won't be able to come today,” Hillary says in a low tone moody voice.
“But why? You no longer want the job,” he replied.
“No, not at all. I don't know how to say that. I lost my mother yesterday.”
Her voice disappears briefly as she cannot get a grip on herself.
Immediately, he began sobbing and before Donald could say anything she burst out in a full-blown cry.
Finally breaking down from the memory of seeing her mother for the last time on the sick bed.
Those moments filled up her thoughts.
“I am so sorry Hillary,” Donald cuts in. “Please don't cry, it's a sad omen.”
He tries to console her mildly.
Slowly her cry started fading off but you can still hear and feel the deep heartbreak she is experiencing almost like her heart is about to get ripped out of her chest.
“Try to rest. Don't bother coming in today. I will call you back shortly.”
He put a call-out to Mr McGregor.
“Hello Sir, the new Personal Assistant lost her mother and will be missing out on today's briefing.”
“Oh my God that is so sad, how is she holding up?” McGregor asked.
“She is in total shambles, she could not stop crying when she called just now.”
McGregor thinks of a smart way to ask for her phone number to avoid attention.
“Please help me with her phone number, I want to reach out to her,” he mentioned. “We should give her 2 weeks off, losing a parent is a lot to bear.”
“OK, sir, I will’. Donald quickly called Hillary. “Mr McGregor is going to call you shortly and he instructed you to take a 2-week leave.”
After putting down the call, he then texted Hillary’s home number.
“Such a poor girl.” Donald is empathetic.
Her phone rings,
“Hello Hillary, this is McGregor, I was just told you lost your mother yesterday.
I am so very sorry. On behalf of the company, do accept our condolences. It's unfortunate what has happened. It's beyond your control, do take heart.”
“Thank you, Mr McGregor, I appreciate the kind words and support.”
“Do you want me to come around? You must have been feeling terrible the whole day. Why didn't you tell me yesterday? I would have rushed in as quickly as I could.”
“I was lost in myself and emotion, I could not think at that moment. Besides, I needed to look after my sister”, Hillary responded.
“Maybe when I feel better, I will. But I can't say for now. I will write to you later, please. Let's talk later McGregor” acts uninterested and puts off the call.
She wants to be left alone. Just with her thoughts and family.
She fell back on the bed with a huge gasp, exhausted.
“Here eat this,” Ella said, passing her a bowl of hot spicy noodles she had just made.
“You need to eat. You have not had anything since yesterday evening. Come on! Take it quickly while it's hot.”
Hillary started eating but with a lot on her mind, her body was doing the eating while my mind was not.
How is she going to navigate this new life? What is her plan now?
- Writer
