Voices

Chapter 8

Tamra picked up her phone after a few rings. It was Quelton. His voice blasted through the speaker with a sense of urgency.

"Your father needs to be taken to the hospital immediately," he said.

Tamra felt her heart sink as she tried to speak.

" Why, what's wrong?" she asked.

" He has pneumonia, he needs medical care but he's refusing to go to the hospital. How soon can you get here?"

" My car is down" she lied again.

" I can take him for you but you must convince him to go with me".

" Okay thank you, can you allow me to speak with him please".

He handed her father the telephone.

" Dad, the doctor will have to take you to the hospital. You are very ill, do you understand? If you don't go with him, your chances of surviving are slim. I need you to trust me. I trust Doctor Archer and I know he'll take care of you."

He nodded his head in confirmation. He was feeling too weak to respond or to even fight with her.

" He has agreed," Quelton said as he took the phone back from her father.

Tamra sighed. " Thank God" she whispered.

"I will keep you informed about what is going on, in the meantime can you send me your father's information? I will need it for him to get registered upon arrival."

"Thank you Quelton," she said and she felt a tear escape her eye as she lightly wiped it away with her thumb.

Quelton knew how much she loved her father and her not being able to come to his aid must have been killing her. He heard the sadness in her voice and he wanted to hold her now more than ever before to comfort her.

"Don't worry, he will be okay and I will take care of everything" he assured her.

*********

Tamra paced back and forth as she waited for Quelton to call. It had been two hours and she wasn't sure what was going on. He said he would call her as soon as her father got admitted but she heard nothing and she was beginning to get worried.

It was almost midday when she heard the doorbell buzzed. She wasn't expecting anyone and since she was not in the best state of mind she didn't want to see anyone either. When she opened the door, she saw a young man dressed in a red polo shirt and khaki pants. His smile was bright and warm and he was holding a basket in his hand.

" Good day, delivery for a Mrs. Solomon," he said, handing her the basket.

"Thank you" she replied in a low voice and she smiled slightly at the young man who was now walking away with a satisfied look on his face.

She closed the door and looked down at the basket in her hands which contained roses, wine and chocolates.

Just as she was about to read the card her phone rang and she pulled it from her back pocket. As soon as she opened the line Karl spoke.

"Happy anniversary my love," he said.

"What's so happy about it? Tamra asked perturbed. " I'm living in a hell that you created and that is not love. Do you think I can be happy when all you do is control everything?"

"I know you're upset with me for taking your keys but you know that I love you. You are the mother of my children".

Children? What the hell was he talking about? Did he think she was stupid enough to get pregnant again? He was even crazier than she thought. She was about to answer him when she heard a beep coming through the line. She looked at the phone and it was Quelton. She knew she couldn't end the call abruptly with Karl. He would take offense to that as no one should be as important as he was.