Chapter 5: Plans & Projects
"It's essential, the surgery, for the patient's survival. The tumor is at the moment benign, but it quite large. The main concern for us at the moment is the chance that it might change. Since it is located near the liver, there is only so much we can tell."
"How much time do I have......t-to get the money in?" I gripped harder to the arm of my chair. The reality of it all shook me, but tears didn't fall, as sat in silence.
"We should get her tumor removed in at least three months. Before it starts affecting her vitals."
"We are sorry Ms. Ridler."
*~*~*~*~*~*
Present Day
Cathaway, Massachusetts
11:00 am
"Come on, let's go. You wanna go see Mama, right?"
I glanced down at the somber boy, he was clutching book and refusing to glance toward me. For a mere 11-year-old he was quite persistent.
I kneeled down and glanced toward him, "What's wrong?"
"Why do we even have to see her? She always sleeping!" He muttered back, without looking at me.
"Josh, you know she's in a coma. We have to go there to show support, we have to help her wake up, right?"
"I know, but you have to work so hard...an-and it's not fair to you." He voice starts to tremble. I circled my arms around him and held him close.
"Shhh, what do you mean it not fair?" I turned his face toward me and smiled. "You're my family, I would do anything for you."
He nodded slowly and quickly ran up the stairs to get dressed. I sat down quietly and pulled out documents from the satchel that was slung across my waist.
The bills.
I placed them slowly on the coffee table and started to rub my head from the amount of digits on each slip. I was gonna have to take a couple more shift to be able to pay for the expenses. I had so many things to take care of; Mama's hospital expenses, Papa's medicine expenses, the heat, Josh's school fees, food, electricity.... I leaned back on the beaten sofa and sighed. If only I wasn't a stubborn mule, I had yet to tell Felicity about Mama's condition. She was in England, with Alexander, to take are of the Blackwell Industries branch over there. She was to come home in two weeks, I'll tell her then for sure. But, in reality, I was waiting for Mama to wake up before that.
Mama.
She was sent into surgery, not long ago. The surgery was successful, but no one knows why she hadn't woke up. They say her vitals, blood pressure and pulse were stable. But her eyes stayed closed. They say it probably because she was, still healing on the inside. But it has been three months, and apparently she's still healing. They say it's nothing peculiar, that she will wake up; but I know they have no idea what was going on.
For the surgery, I got some loans for people in Salem. No one here wanted to help me, they say it was a curse for Mama. I was cause, that's what they said.
I shut my eyes and prayed for a couple of moments, to catch up on the slumber that I missed for so long. I worked morning shifts at the near by gasoline station, the afternoon shift and 'Olive Garden', and the night shift at Bo's Spin.
