CHAPTER15
1269 Words
Damira could hardly breathe when she saw her uncle and aunt in front of her. Drenched in rain, she rushed to the hospital upon receiving their call. She even accidentally bumped into Alexander as he entered the living room.
"Why are you here?" she asked with a trembling voice.
"Well, can't we visit my sister?" Lorna retorted. As usual, one of her eyebrows was raised in that familiar way.
"They just came for a visit, dear," Almira reassured her with a smile, guiding her to sit up.
"And you, Damira, marrying a billionaire has already gotten to your head. What more if you're married to that Casablanca guy?" Eddie teased, accompanied by a playful nudge of his two arms.
This was the reunion she dreaded. That's why she agreed to leave their custody to avoid being involved, but here she was now—judged from head to toe as if she had stolen a large sum of money from them.
"Be grateful that family owes us a favor. If not, you wouldn't even know that Alexander. Are we invited to the wedding? Well, you better invite us!" her aunt proudly stated.
She took a deep breath. Slowly, she started to dispel the chill in her entire body, even with the added cold from the air conditioner.
"If you came here just to criticize me, you might as well go home. I'm not the one preparing for the wedding; it's the Casablancas," she responded firmly.
"You don't even offer any comfort. We didn't raise you like that. You've just ended up in the world of the wealthy, and your head has swelled."
Because of that, Damira left the private room and called a guard to escort the two out.
"What's that, Miss?" asked the security guard as she signaled to approach.
"Could you please accompany them downstairs? It's already beyond visiting hours, but they're still here."
The man checked his watch before entering the room.
"I apologize. You can visit again tomorrow. I might get in trouble if someone sees visitors at this hour."
The two glared at her sharply as they left the room. Once the door was closed, she sat on the edge of Almira's bed.
"Ma..."
"Sweetheart, why did you do that?" her mother asked gently and affectionately.
"I know I'm the reason why they're here. Why again? Can't we have a month or a year without their presence? I want to live without them, Ma."
Her mother held her hand.
"They're still your relatives. Even if they haven't done anything good for you, just think that because of them, you have a home, a place to stay, food..."
"I worked hard for all that, Ma. I lied about my age to find a job, to have money for daily expenses even though I knew hurtful words and not 'thank you' would be the result."
The lady fell silent after what she said.
"I know they're your siblings. But, Ma, you won't understand because you weren't there during the times I struggled to understand them. Sometimes, I just prayed that I would get sick. Maybe if that happens, I will die with you. At least, in that situation, I'd be with you."
Tears welled up in her eyes. This is the first time she cried in front of her mom. She had been okay for several months since she moved to the Casablanca mansion. She felt her humanity again, no longer treated as a servant.
"Do I still need to feel important to other people?" she added.
She bowed her head while sobbing.
"I-I'm sorry, Damira. I'm sorry if I wasn't there for you when you needed me the most. Sorry, my child. Sorry if I can't understand you..."
Her mother started crying too. Damira quickly wiped the tears that flowed down her cheeks.
"Just get well, Ma, and I'll be okay. Just promise me that you'll take your medicine on time and follow the doctor's orders; that's enough for me."
"D-Damira..."
She embraced her mother tightly.
"I don't want to feel again how slowly Papa let go of my hand before he left. I don't want to feel doctors again apologizing to me because there's nothing more they can do to revive you. I don't want that, Ma... I don't want it!"
She hugged her even tighter as if nothing could separate them.
"I don't want to be alone again, Ma. Until now, I've been praying for your recovery so we can be together again. It's so hard for me to be alone..."
"I-I'm sorry, my child. I'm sorry..."
She sobbed even harder when Almira gently stroked her hair, just like when she was a child. She had longed for her mother's touch for a long time. It's as if she had forgotten what life was like with her mother because of everything that happened.
"You need to get stronger, Damira. You need to be strong. You need to be brave."
At that point, she got nervous, so she pulled away from her mother's embrace.
"D-don't say that. I won't be able to handle it if you're gone. What will happen to me?"
"Damira..."
Now it was Almira who sobbed. She opened her mouth in shock, seeing her mother in this situation for the first time.
"Ma... why?" she asked in astonishment.
"Sorry, dear. I am so sorry..." she repeated. Damira lost count of how many times her mother uttered those words, but she couldn't comprehend any of them.
"W-why are you apologizing? What happened?"
As her mother turned away, her anxiety heightened.
"The doctor talked to me just before Lorna arrived..."
She swallowed hard, staring at her mother and waiting for what she would say next.
"...it's terminal cancer, dear. I won't get better. They don't know how much time I have left—"
She stood up. "Th-this can't be true! Which doctor told you that? I'll sue him!"
"Damira, please..."
She pulled her arm away, avoiding her mother's touch.
"I-I'll let you rest. I'll come back tomorrow. I just need to talk to the doctor who told you this."
She left the room and went to the nurse's station, searching for the doctor who spoke to her mother. Unfortunately, she confirmed that Almira's life was already limited when she talked to the doctor.
Her feet felt heavy as she walked. Her mind was racing, memories of witnessing her late father's death due to cancer flooding back.
Unconsciously, she found herself in front of the Casablanca gate. It was locked, so she sat on the curb and hugged herself. She decided to sleep outside, not wanting to disturb the people who were probably already asleep.
Her eyes were about to close when she received a call from Alexander. She answered but remained silent.
"Where are you?"
She stood quiet, listening to his calm voice.
"I was so worried about you. Tell me where you are right now. I am going to pick you up. It's dangerous for you to be outside, Damira. Aunt Trinity has been looking for you since earlier."
"Go to sleep, Alexander..."
"No. Where are you?"
"Don't look for me. I'm tired."
She almost dropped her cell phone due to exhaustion. Her eyes were also hurting from crying earlier.
"Go to sleep. Bye."
She hung up, keeping herself wrapped in her arms, and then she bowed her head. She closed her eyes until she didn't notice something that eased her sleep, as if she were being cradled.
It was Alexander. He was still catching his breath after carrying her.
"Stubborn woman," the man sighed, before finally bringing Damira inside the mansion.
- Writer
