When The Good Meets Bad.

Chapter One - The Interlude

I moved to New Jersey a little over a year ago, the change has been tough on me, but tougher on my father. Two years ago, my mother was in a car accident on the way home from work. I remember that night like it was yesterday.

It was a cold stormy Friday night in November. Dad had just ordered us pizza from our favorite pizza place down the block, I told him to make sure he got extra ranch because mom loved dipping her pizza in it. And last time he didn't Mom was not very pleased with him. It was around 9:30 pm when the pizza finally came, I was so hungry, but Dad said we had to wait for Mom. Micah, my little brother, stomped around the kitchen saying "Mom would want us to eat!", but my father wasn't having it. He told Micah to go into the living room and watch TV until Mom got here.

As the time passed, we began to get a little worried. It was already 10:45 pm and we haven't heard a word from mom since 8. Micah began to grow more and more agitated with the thought of waiting for Mom, so Dad told him that he could eat now. But, considering her job wasn't far from home, it was especially weird for her to be so late. I told Dad to call her and ask about what the delay was. So Dad tried calling her phone and texting her phone, but there was no answer. 

Dad eventually called the nurses' desk to see when Mom left. I asked Dad to put the phone on speaker so I could hear, I was starting to get a little nervous about Mom. Once someone from the desk answered the phone, Dad asked when Ameria Johansson left work tonight, and the nurse replied with, "And who am I speaking to?". Dad replied with, "Marcus Johansson, Ameria's husband."

The nurse instantly remembered his voice from last Saturday from the brunch called " The Nurses and The Husbands". She replied, "Oh Okay Marcus! Let me look into this for you right now". For the next 2 and 1/2 minutes all you heard was fast and loud typing coming from the keyboard of her computer and a sigh from the nurse. "Well Marcus, in our database it shows that her last keycard swipe was made at 8:15 pm tonight near the hospital workers parking lot exit. I can try to see if she told anyone her intentions for tonight if you wou-", Dad grabbed the phone, took it off speaker, and held it up to his ear immediately.

Dad went into the kitchen and spoke to the nurse in a really low voice, almost as if it was a whisper. They were on the phone for about five more minutes before Dad came to talk to us. His calm and collected vibe soon began to get very worried. His face looked so pale, I had never seen him look this way before. Once he came back into the living room, he told me and my little brother Micah that he was going to the police station. Micah curiously asked him, "Why Dad? Is there something wrong with Mommy?". And my father replied, "I don't know, but I'm going to find out". 

As I was walking towards my room, he pulled me to the side and told me to keep Micah occupied and that he would let me know once he heard anything. I asked him, "What is happening? Is Mom missing? Is Mom Hurt? What do I tell Mi-", he stopped me before I went down a spiral of questions. He reassured me that he would let me know about anything he found out about Mom.

Dad rushed towards the garage door and put on his rainboots and his weather parka. Before he left, he told me and Micah that everything would be all right and that he loved us. Then he left in a frantic hurry. 

Me and Micah watched as Dad pulled out of the driveway and made his way down the street. Micah asked me, "What is wrong with Mommy?" with one singular tear rolling down his left cheek. And I just stared at him for a moment, because I truly don't know either. I hate having to lie to my brother but in some cases it's necessary. I told Micah that it was "Nothing to worry about" and he should get ready for bed.