Veil of Vengeance

Chapter 2

Suddenly, everything became chaotic!

Chaotic!

It became chaotic the day she was diagnosed and the day she fell sick, and I felt there was no hope. Tears lingered in my eyes as I thought of the events of the past that made my face a little sad.

I subconsciously waved my hand at a passing taxi. It slowly stopped as I quickly opened the door of the car.

“Hospital clinic, please,” I ordered in a whisper.

The driver nodded as he immediately tore to his wheels.

I mumbled a silent prayer while silently hoping that nothing terrible had happened to my mom. She was all I had. I really had nothing but her. I sniffed slowly, remembering that car’s steering. My mind was racing with various questions, and as they did, I couldn’t help but wonder, Why us? Why did all this have to happen to us?

Since she was diagnosed with kidney disease six months ago, it has been incredibly hard to survive.

I sighed deeply because, at that precise moment, my mother was the only thing on my mind.

My mom had been the sole provider for the family. Even though we were not very wealthy, something made me stop and think.

We were surviving, and we were alright. We were good to go, as we didn’t lack anything. Even though I knew my mother wouldn’t lie to me, I still trusted her when she told me that my father had abandoned us when I was still a small child.

The moment she fell ill, everything changed. Everything!

I looked out of the window, watching every passing object, person, or building, and trying very hard not to think of how my life had suddenly been overturned.

It used to go smoothly, like the objects going past me with no hindrance—not until she fell sick.

I wanted to cry. I wanted to.

But I had to stay strong, not because of myself, but because of my mom.

As I slowly lifted my chin, the taxi turned into the largest hospital in Paris.

I didn’t know what had happened. After I dropped the call, another private number called me, informing me that my mom was in the hospital.

And here I was, looking for my mother, right there in the hospital…

“Ms., your t-fare,” a deep, husky voice spoke, startling me back to reality.

Reality!

It was unavoidable, as my thoughts slowly overwhelmed me. I couldn’t help but rush as I made my way into the gigantic building.

I approached a nurse stationed behind a large desk, bowed, and gave her my visiting card. She acknowledged my presence with a sly smile.

“Thank you,” I muttered, not sure if she even heard me. I dismissed the feeling as I made my way to my destination.

Different thoughts dashed through my head as I tried to organize them. “What if something had already happened to her? What if…?” The thought I wanted to avoid came dashing in right there as I silently hoped and prayed that nothing had happened to my mom.

She was my world, if anything happened to her, I doubted I could survive life without her.

Before I dropped out of college six months ago, my life had seemed kind of interesting and smooth sailing. I can remember as clearly as ever, back in kindergarten, when I was always teased and would silently watch while other fathers carried their children up in the air, hanging them on their shoulders.

Every day, I would ask her where my father was and who he was. My mother would constantly say, “Papa is never going to come back,” with the saddest expression on her face. I would tell her how much I wanted to see him again and hug him because he was my father. But all my mom could say was that.

I couldn’t help but reflect on everything that had transpired so far as those thoughts raced through my mind. “I can’t bear to lose my mother,” I muttered as I hurried closer to the elevator.

The door creaked as I entered the ward. It was as silent as a graveyard, and the only sounds were the faint beats of the CPR machine. The room was filled with the scent of methylated spirits, and I think I liked the hint of it, but not too much—loving that smell felt strange.

My gaze shifted towards my mother, who lay on the bed. She was badly injured, and I couldn’t see her beautiful face, as it was completely covered in bandages. Her feet were in a cast, and for a minute or two, I felt my world crashing down. I felt like everything I had tried to build was crumbling to pieces.

“Mom,” I whispered, staring at her motionless body as it lay on the bed.

“Mama, please get up. You are my world, everything I think about, and everything I hope to live for. I really can’t do without you,” I almost cried.

I noticed right away that tears were starting to fall as I carefully wiped them away. I just had to be strong. I had to be strong for my mother because she was the only person who believed in me when the world turned its back on me.

My thoughts had traveled so far as I stared at her motionless body. I spotted bruises all over her body, but the more I looked at them, the more I felt like they were more than just from an accident.

Could this have been planned? My mind raced at the question.