Memoirs of a Hard Luck Woman

It is all too clear

*BEEP

*BEEP

*BEEP

I hear some annoying alarm going off and my head feels like it has been split in two. I start to open my eyes and the pain is worse. Where am I? I feel someone in the room with me but can't see who.

"What does it take for a girl to get some sunglasses around here?"

"Good evening to you too Rue Rue. You have done it now. Nurses from hell will be in here soon thanks to you waking up too quickly. Mama and Daddy are not going to be happy they missed this Sis."

I'd know that smart mouth anywhere.

"C.J. what are you..." I hoarsely whisper to the fourth of my brothers, the jokester.

"Shh Sister! We have all been here and this is just my turn on brat watch. I've got to be honest, it is going to be good to not have to be here everyday now. I tried to tell them you were too ornery to quit us and they didn't believe me."

I can't shake the cobwebs from my head. I know I am in the hospital, but why? The last thing I remember was leaving the wedding reception. I was riding with Chris and neither of us are happy about it. We fought and then nothing...until now. 

My head may be killing me, but my thoughts were clear enough to know I better ask C.J. to fill in the blanks before someone alerts the fam-damily and they overwhelm the hospital staff in true Cajun fashion.

"Ceej, tell me what is going on. Tell me everything you can before THEY get here. I mean everything you know, brother. I have got to find it out for my self preservation."

"Well Sis, you've been in an induced coma for two months, then when they tried to bring you back slowly you just decided you didn't want to wake up. So here we are Sleeping Beauty. What else do you want to know before the storm hits?"

"Everything Brother, everything"  and that is how I learned that Christopher didn't survive our wreck. I wasn't sad though, I was angry and didn't know why. My heart ached for his mama and sister but I needed to calm down and try to remember what happened before we went off the bridge on my own. My sanity depended on it. 

C.J just sits beside me and holds my hand as I stare out the window. He isn't like the rest of them, he is Mama's rebel child and Daddy's headache. He doesn't ask me what I am thinking. I am thankful for the silence and drift back to sleep. 

I wake with a start as I am literally shaken awake by Mama and hear Daddy softly scolding her, but there is no stopping that woman when she sets her mind on something. 

"LaRue, WAKE UP! We didn't sit her for months with you half dead to have you play possum now. Wake up and stay awake until we all get to see you. NOW TALK TO ME!" She sounded frantic, almost possessed, but I can expect nothing less.

"Mama, can you not yell? I have a headache and you're not helping it much. I will talk best as I can so you can realize I am no more mentally challenged than I was before. Now please hush just a little so I can hear Daddy's voice and not just yours." I heard her huff and stomp her foot before she takes a step back and I see my bear of a father with his face in a grin. He leans down close to kiss my cheek and whisper in my ear and I can feel a single tear fall.

"Don't be so hard on her cher, she is your only mama and she is just mad she wasn't who you woke up to. You know how she is. Now tell my how you is?" 

"I am tired Daddy and I am kind of numb, but I will be up and going soon. I had some blanks filled in by C.J. and the rest I am going to have to come to terms with on my own. I will be good as new in no time."