Hold My Hand

Chapter Twenty-Six

It was two o'clock in the afternoon when Nino called me and offered to pick me up. As already mentioned, she was a perfect driver, her skill to stay quiet and not bother me with unnecessary questions along with her professional driving were a remarkable combination. As commanded, I was ready at 2:30 p.m. standing in front of my school building and Nino appeared in two minutes as well.

- Hello, dear! - she smiled at me warmly.

-Hello! How are you? 

- I don't mind. Come on, sit down.

I got into the Mercedes. The sweet scent of French perfume reached my nose and made me pleasantly dizzy. I closed my eyes and leaned back, took a deep breath of the sweet-smelling air, and thought about what question I could be worried about at this particular moment. I didn't even have to think for a second, a completely logical and simple question came to mind: why just from three to four o'clock?

I didn't even hesitate, I let the sentence out of my mouth.

- What did you say? - said she as if she hadn't heard the question, but in reality she bought herself some time to think of a proper answer. For the sake of politeness, I repeated the question.

Answer changed:

- Mary...

Her smile disappeared.

- You know, I didn't want you to know...

- What do you mean?

- Mary, - clutching the steering wheel, she looked at me with wet eyes, - Gabriel is sick.

- To your surprise, I know.

- Did he tell you?!

- No.

- Then...

- Does not matter.

- Do you know why he can't see?

- Yes.

- In short... - he took a deep breath, - his brain function decreased after his father, my husband, died; But before that, Gabriel had signs of brain dysfunction, they are also called seizure signs, although very, very small, so much so that nothing was visible in his behavior and actions, only he often lost his hearing for a moment, his vision would go dark, so we didn't pay attention, - she stopped the car here. The hum of the engine stopped. 

- Two years ago, he had an attack, and lost his vision completely, one hundred percent. Nervous attacks were also added to this... - she continued after a short pause to dispel the sudden silence. - he has to take hundreds of kinds of medicine and pills, just to live, Mary... But only God knows, what can happen one day... If the attack happens once again, he might not even survive... 

She stopped for a second and made the sign of the cross. 

- If he misses the time of taking any medicine by even two minutes, he starts to get anxious, and he can't control himself anymore. If he skips the time only by three minutes, everything may end fatally one day... He takes one medicine at 4:05 p.m. exactly, which makes him anxious. Then he can't control himself and his behavior, Mary. He is in pain, which I can't help, that tears my heart out every day... He doesn't want you to let you see that. Do you understand?

- No.

- May God never make you understand, that, my dear, - she tried to lighten the mood a little bit,-  but I haven't seen him so happy for a long time. I have tried everything, everything in this world to cheer him up, but nothing worked to this day. I don't know, a miracle is happening!.. - I have to go now, wait for me for five minutes, I will come soon,- she quickly jumped out of the car, closed the door, and walked towards the abandoned, helpless building in front of her. She stood at the entrance as if waiting for a sign to cross the threshold. In a minute, a man came out of the building and approached Nino, hugged him, and led him to the lobby.

Exactly four minutes and 34 seconds later, she ran down the stairs again and quickly opened the car door. There were silvery sparks in her emerald eyes.

- Let's go! - she said with a smile and started the engine.

I haven't asked anything else. 

Something good was clearly going on.