Chapter 30I park badly then run into the hospital where I see my mother standing in front of me. She looks much older than her years and her body seems shrunken and stooped. She's dressed in her customary black shift. Her grey hair is tied back into a tight bun and the skin on her face is lined and papery.
She doesn't see me enter. “Hello Mama,” I say and she turns.
She stares at Patricia and me. “What's she doing here?” she asks nodding towards Patricia. “It's not her father who's dying.”
I feel the colour drain from my face, “Is Papa dying?” I ask hoarsely, fear constricting my throat.
“He might as well be, for all you care,” she answers acidly.
“Mama,” I plead. “Tell me, is he really that ill?”
“The doctor said he'll come and speak to me once he's finished his examination, so you'
