The HOSPITAL

chapter 18. A stowaway

While on their way home from the cemetery, Bertha noticed something weird with her fifteen-year-old daughter Christina, who was sitting next to Louisa, Amelia's daughter. 

Bertha, sitting in the front next to Amelia, who was driving, Bertha occasionally looked behind her by glancing at the rearview mirror. While the two boys, Evan and Andrew, sat in the back seats while playing together. Christina looks restless and feels uncomfortable, while Louisa looks sleeping, curled up closed to the window.  

 Bertha glimpsed behind through the rearview mirror; there was something strange; she quickly looked back and confirmed what she had just seen. But everything is normal; even Andrew and Evan are still busy together playing with the toys they have provided from home. Louisa seemed to wince in discomfort: "Mom, why does my seat feel cramped? Even though it's just the two of us sitting here??" Amelia glanced at the rearview mirror while saying: 

"Oh, Louisa's sleep is taking up space." 

" No, aunty, Louisa even folded her legs and curled up in her sleep," said Christina uncomfortably. 

" Do you want to change place, Tin?" asks bertha to her daughter, she called her Tina.  

" Is that okay for you, mom? Said Christina asked back to her mom.  

" of course, sweetheart," answered Bertha smiled. 

 Amelia pulled her car to the side of the road because Bertha and Christina were about to change seats. Bertha sat at the back in Christina's chair, and Christina sat next to Amelia in the front seat. 

Christina was right, Bertha thought; she felt something squeezing her while sitting in the back seat where Christina was seated. Like someone was jostling next to her. Bertha tried to arrange her space as comfortably as possible. 

 Bertha was surprised when she glanced at the rearview mirror; someone sat between them and Louisa, who was fast asleep without noticing something strange next to her. Bertha gave a muffled scream, which made Amelia startle and break suddenly: "Oh, dear sister! what's going on?" Amelia shouted in shock. Meanwhile, the children were also shocked, and Evan, who was highly active, could not stay still in his chair, bounced on his seat, and hit the back of the chair. "Mooom!" she cried as he was shocked and hurt.  

"Oh, sorry, love, mommy accidentally pressed the brakes hard," said Amelia, worried 

"Are you okay, dear?" she asked her son again. 

Bertha was busy calming Evan and looked at Andrew to check if he was okay: 

" Andrew, are you okay, baby boy? Asked bertha, worried. 

"Mom, stop calling me baby, I'm a big boy," Andrew replied, annoyed. 

"Oh, sorry, of course you're, are you alright??" ask Bertha back 

"Yeah of course because I'm put on my seatbelt." 

"Very good, boy," replied Bertha smiling. 

Evan was starting to calm down, and he was beginning to sit nicely and on his seatbelt. Louisa woke up because she fell too, but it did not mean anything to her, who was sleepy. 

 When they are going back home, the trip takes a little longer than usual than two hours to get home; it lasted until night from late afternoon, due to traffic and winding roads. Indeed the cemetery is a little above the hills and passes through a valley road, fortunately, 

Amelia is agile driving can nimbly cross the road, which is a little dangerous. Even though the road looks dark and a little right scary at night, she can trough it well. 

First, Amelia dropped Bertha and her children before she continued the journey back to their house in suburb housing outside the city. Finally, they arrived at Bertha's house. The place looks dark because  Bertha forgot to turn on the lights when she and the kids are gone, and Maria, the house cleaner, did not come to work today.  Amelia was waiting for Bertha and her children to come down, and she saw someone coming out of Bertha's yard, carrying a candle. Amelia asked Bertha: 

"Who was guarding the house earlier?" 

"No one at all," replied Bertha. 

"But..." before Amelia could continue her words, the person who brought the candle just disappeared. 

"Okay, sissy thank you very much, be careful when continuing the journey home." 

"See you on Monday at the office," said Bertha while kissing Amelia's cheek briefly. 

" Bye, aunty, by Louisa and Evan, said Christina and Andrew in unison. 

Evan moved to sit next to his sister, but not for too long; Louisa asked him to sit down in another seat because she feels claustrophobic. 

" Why don't you move to front seat, beside mom?" asked Louisa. Amelia stopped her vehicle and told Evan to move to the front next to her, who was driving. 

Louisa felt something strange next to her, but she did not care and preferred to continue sleeping until they reached their house. 

Because of exhaustion Amelia and the children fell asleep quickly and soundly. 

Amelia did not even notice the beautiful brown eyes staring at her while she was asleep, looking at her with a very loving gaze. 

Even sound of the neighing of a horse coming from outside the window. Amelia slept soundly that night. 

Amelia does not understand for some reason. When she woke up in the morning, she felt unwell, felt dizzy, and lazy. Nida, her maid, feels worried about her. She did not let the baby handle by her mom.  

But Amelia asked to breastfeed her baby because it can help reduce the pain. 

Nida gave the baby to Amelia's hand and looked at them worriedly. 

"You just take a break later after breastfeeding the baby, don't forget to take a warm bath," said Nida with great attention. 

"Yeah aunty, please don’t worry about me, maybe it's just exhausted," said Amelia reassuring Auntie Nida. 

Amelia sleeps all day after taking medicine for fever. She felt a little relieved and comfortable; she moved to the middle room, where Evan watched TV while playing. 

Evan approached his mother and said: 

"Mom, let me take care of you," he said lovingly to his mother. 

"Oh, thank you my handsome hero," said Amelia while kissing Evan's hand 

"Let me know if you need something?" asked Evan while giving a massage to her mom. 

"I'm not asking for anything, because your massage really makes me feel good," Amelia said with a smile. 

"Is it true?" asked Evan while sparkling 

Amelia nodded while closing her eyes. 

"Okay, I'll massage your feet until you fall asleep," said Evan excitedly. 

"Oh, great, how lucky I am that I have a very good child like my boy Evan," said Amelia praising, making Evan even more excited to massage his mommy's legs with all the strength he has. 

Either because of the medicine's reaction or Evan's massage, Amelia fell asleep on the sofa, and across from her seat, Evan was playing and occasionally looked at his mother, worried that her voice would wake her mother, who was sleeping soundly. 

Suddenly the living room door opened with a bang:

"Braak!" Evan and Amelia were shocked at the same time, followed by a woman coming in nagging grumbling; Amelia looked at her in surprise and strangeness without saying anything. 

The woman looked angry with Amelia, but she did not look at Amelia directly; in the dim twilight, the room was a bit dark except for the light from the television; the woman was sideways; she was about thirty-five years old, curly long hair. She wore a gray dress that was like a patient's clothes in a hospital. 

 She mumbled incoherently, but what she said was caught by Amelia: 

"I followed you since yesterday, but you don't care at all," she said in a hoarse voice like panting. 

"I don't want to die, I don't want to die yet!!" he said, shouting. 

"I still have responsibilities that I have to finish right away," she said again. 

Amelia gasped and tried to get the words stuck in her throat: 

"Who are you? and why did you enter my house without permission?" 

  She suddenly turned furiously at Amelia: 

"Do you have to know people, first if you want to help them?!!!" she answered angrily to Amelia

 made Amelia startle and scream hysterically: 

"Get out!!, I don't know you,I don't want to see your face!"

" And I don't want to help you," said Amelia screaming and closing her eyes tightly, while her hands pointed to the woman with a spooky face, her face only half the half is plain.

 It looks like Evan was sleeping earlier and woke up by the sound of the door but fell asleep again; he heard his mother's voice shouting; Evan was shocked and jumped towards his mother, hitting the woman strangely. Evan penetrated the woman's body without realized and tripped over his mother's sandals on the floor.

Evan shook his mother's body, 

"Mom you scared me." 

"Moooom wake up," scream Evan made; aunty Nida runs from the kitchen towards them. At the same time, the door was bang again by the woman as she was leaving the room.