Elephant's Memory

Prologue

 Prologue

My eyes blinked adjusting to the blinding lights focused on me. I used one arm to hoist my body up in a sitting position, I looked around my surroundings: a light pink room with a curtain covering half of the room. There was a small wooden tray of scrambled eggs and pancakes. In the corner was a bunch of balloons saying 'Get Well' with cards. An i.v drip taped to my arm administered whatever kind of medicine.

  Why was I in the hospital? I pushed my hazel brown hair away from my face. I searched, soon finding a red button with the word ‘Help’ inscribed in white. I pressed the button franticly numerous times. A tall African American woman with Afro type hair came in. “Hi Maddeline. How are you? I’m Natalie your nurse for today.”  I looked around the room confused. I didn’t know who that was. As far as I knew she and I were the only ones in the room.

 “Who’s Maddeline?” I asked curiously.  “That’s your name sweetheart. Can you remember-“ Natalie was interrupted by another woman in her mid-forties rushing in. Her brown curls bounced up and down, her green eyes lit up. “Oh my baby!” She exclaimed putting her arms around me giving me a hug. I squealed out her clutch. “Who are you?” I stared at her trying to get a better look.

 A man around her age came in with a pale skinned girl and dark hair. The girl’s eyes were puffy and large as if she’s been crying. “Maddeline, how do you feel?” There goes that name again. What if she’s me? I thought briefly. “Umm. Okay. Who are you? Who’s Maddeline?” I was desperate for answers.

Natalie gently pulled away the curly haired woman escorting her and the others out the room. She appeared with a young man in a lab coat, presumably a doctor. “Can someone tell me what’s going on here?” I was impatient and completely annoyed with what happened before.  “I am Dr. Riarazzo. Can you tell me what you remember last?” He asked. I thought for a moment not recalling any information. “No, it’s all blank.” I whispered trying to stay calm. Why can’t I remember anything? “Do you know who the woman who came in your room was?” I shook my head. “Nope.”  “I’d like to perform some test is it ok?”  “Sure.” What do I have to lose?

   After an hour, countless tests were done. The doctor sat down next to me. “Maddeline , you have amnesia. You lost all of your memory before your accident. You were in a coma for two days. The people who came before are your family members.” He said calmly. Everything made more sense now. “What happened to me?” I asked. “It seems you had a seizure.”  “What causes a seizure?”  “Anything really, it can’t be determined.”  Which is a nice way of saying he can’t do this job properly.

  “Will I ever get my memory back?” I said finally. Will I ever find out who I was before the accident?  “In most cases yes but-he paused dramatically- there is a chance you will never get your memory back.” He explained.  Dr. Riarrazo left a while later. My parents would come and visit me the next day.

 -In the waiting room-

   A mother paced around the nearly empty room, while her husband entertained himself by watching the news. Her eldest daughter played on her phone trying to waste time.

  Dr.Riarazzo walked in with a small smile.  “How is she?” The mother asked sitting next to her husband.  “Maddeline has amnesia. She lost all of her memory unfortunately. There is a chance she will get it back, but for now it’s best to let her rest”

   The family sighed collectively. They discussed a plan they should use and questions they had.

  A teenage boy strolled into the waiting room where they family was. He was tall at 5’11” having usually bright blue eyes, at the moment filled with sorrow. He dressed in a dingy white t-shirt covered with a red sweater, ripped skinny jeans tucked into the latest Jordans.

   “How is she?” The boy inquired, looking at each person. “Henri, she’s awake.” The sister trailed.  “Can I see her?” Henri’s eyes lit up. “No she doesn’t remember you. She doesn’t remember any of us.”  The mother sighed.  “It would be best to give her a fresh start.” The father said.  “Meaning?”   “Pretend Madi and you were never together.” The mother said simply.

  “That’s not fair!” He cried. “I love her!”   “It is for the best Henri. You are partially the reason she is here now.” The father defended his wife.  The boy bit his lip unsure of what to say.  “So what? Are you going to lie to her what happened.” The boy protest.  The parents glanced at each other as if they were caught.  “It isn’t any of your concern”  “Fine” The boy set his mouth in a straight line, he hastily walked out.

  The mother looked at her daughter.  “This” She points around the room. “-Never happened-. If Madi asks, she had a seizure, exactly what the doctor said.”   Now it was time for the daughter to exclaim.  “You told the doctor to lie!”   The mother scanned the room to see if anyone heard her daughter’s outburst.  “Yes, you are not under any circumstances to tell.”  The daughter nodded reluctantly.

  The family left, their shoulders hung low with the burden of the secrets they carried.