P. H. A. S. E

PHASE 2: unexpected loss

POV : Erika

I remember clearly. That was my first time seeing Jarvis shed tears. He really loved my mum.

They were more people than I expected at the funeral. My mum was a legend. A great impact to every life present.

His black handkerchief was damp even before he gave his speech. He had to get up from his seat a trillion times. I couldn't even move. My eyes were so sore. Alvin and I used up a box of tissue already.

"I met Lucille 17 years ago. I was returning to Washington after my mum's burial. I was really surprised to see a young pretty lass sitting in the lounge waiting for the 2pm flight back to new York, with no luggage. She sat alone, no parents or anyone else.

Then our flight was rescheduled for twelve hours later due to the storm. While everyone was leaving for their hotels. She didn't. I walked up to her and asked her to kindly go home. But she said she would wait until 2am in the morning. I asked her to book a room or something but she said she had nothing than the plane tickets on her. As a 27 yrs old soldier, I couldn't just let her stay all by herself. After few minutes, I had finally coaxed her to stay with me till it's time for the flight. That was after showing her my badge." He chuckled slightly.

"We got to my room, had lunch and a little chat. I told her my name was Jarvis Sinclair and the my reason for visiting Paris and abouty work in Washington and my junior twin brother." He paused. "She said her name was Lucille. She grew up with the nuns at a Catholic church and attending the Catholic school. She gave me no surname or anything. It was 2006, not every one had a mobile device. I asked why she wanted to be in new York so urgently and she said she was running away from Paris to keep her baby safe. After spending almost 20 hrs with her, I heard her story. She had gone through a lot for a teenager to handle. But she impacted my life with the mentality she had. She didn't care about the group of f*** boys who raped her or why she was on their f*** list, she cared about the future of her and her child. She was not going to take the life of her baby or dump her in the orphanage. She was going to let her grow by her side.

Few years later I heard of a great 25 Year old poet and ballerina called Lucy. I attended her show in Washington few hours before it started to congratulate her personally. I was also curious about her child. But when I came, I was told
she was busy with a lot of things. I had to wait for two extra hours before she was free for visits. When I got into the lounge, I met her playing chess with a ten year old Erika as her make up artist started her work. I didn't even know what to say, we were just staring at each other until I realized that I now had beards and it caused me to laugh really hard. In the next moment, her hands were around me in the warmest embrace. She didn't forget my laugh. I knew then that I had fallen for the little kid I met. That night, she had the courage to tell the world her story.

When I asked her to be my wife, she asked me to ask her daughter if I could get married to her. The little girl asked for a dowry of a vacation to Disneyland." He wiped his face again. His eyes were glued on me as I remembered that moment. " And brownies for the rest of her life."

I loved brownies. Mum sometimes teased me about them. She said that might be reason I'm brown and cute and sweet. My mum was the nicest person on earth. She ranked the world most beautiful beige woman in all of ballet history. She was the first Brooklyn to beat a opera house rep.

She had written and published twenty poems recognized in college and highschool all across America. I can not still believe she's gone. It felt miserably creepy to think of waking up a day without her pretty voice.

I still wonder how she managed to save me from the collision. Three other people lost their lives during the accident. I just had a cut on my arm, leg and head due to the glasses.