Aphrodite Rising

Chapter #26 - Lauren - Progressions

I spent the rest of that first day with James talking about his movies and rehashing what Sylvia had told me about the early stages of their relationship. He didn't tell me anything different from what she'd said, but it was nice to at least confirm the details. We all assumed the next time we met it would be at Sylvia's, maybe even at Stanley's house. Since I had the last week of school to attend before graduation, I gave James my number and made him promise to call me if her condition changed. None of us thought it would drag on as long as it did.

By the third day after her surgery, Sylvia still hadn't awakened. I checked my cell phone at lunch to hear James' tearful message that she was in a coma and they weren't sure when she'd come out of it. My heart dropped. A woman like her didn't deserve her explosive life to end in a fizzle. I tried to call him back and let him know I would be there when I got out of class, but there was no answer.

I arrived to find him still pining at her bedside, stroking her hand and talking to her about the old times. "I'm sorry to interrupt," I told him as I entered the room and sat in the chair opposite him.

"Don't be," he smiled. "You're her friend, then mine as well. If she wakes up, I'm sure she'll want to see you."

"Will she want to see you?" I asked.

James shrugged. "I hope so."

We spent a while in silence, the only sounds being the ones emitted by the machines that were keeping her alive. I watched how tender and loving he was with her, listened to his recounting of events they'd shared, laughing quietly at his own jokes, hearing the lilt and inflection of his voice as it animated the tales she'd told me, though it sounded more distinguished coming from him, somehow.

I'd told my grandmother about Sylvia's health, not that I'd found her, but that she was in the hospital, and she expressed a desire to visit. She wasn't aware that James was there, or that Sylvia was in a coma because I wanted to get permission to bring her. "My Gran wants to visit her," I sighed, breaking the silence. "She and Sylvia got on wonderfully when they met."

"Why?" he asked, unblinking as he looked up to me.

"I don't know," I shrugged. "Maybe she hopes that walking Sylvia down memory lane will bring her back." I gestured towards him, "Not that it's worked, yet."

"True." He smiled. "Let her come."

The rest of the week went by in a flash. My graduation was on Saturday, but was, to me, bittersweet. I'd hoped Sylvia would be there, if for nothing else than to cheer me on. It felt empty without her, especially since the only people there with me were my mom and Gran. I'll admit, I did look on in jealousy towards the classmates whose entourages were three and four times the size of mine.

I waited a few days for the excitement of everything to die down before I broached the subject again with Gran. Secretly, I hoped each day for a call from James saying that Sylvia had awakened, but the call didn't come. Finally, I invited Gran to come with me on the Friday after my graduation. She was ecstatic and began rattling on about how she wanted to bring her album again, that she hoped she could bring Sylvia out of her coma. My Gran was adorably delusional, but I let her be. James' presence would be a surprise to her.

Gran was still prattling on when I picked her up and had hauled not only her scrapbook with her, but a book she'd found about "Aphrodite Rising" that included photos from the set. These, she'd stowed in a large, quilted book bag that hung heavy on her shoulder. I offered to take it from her, but she insisted on carrying it herself. "I'm not an old lady," she grinned. It was her mantra. Gran was classic, not old.

When we arrived at the hospital, her demeanor changed. Her vibrance was not lost, but toned down, and I could tell she was reflecting. "The last time I was here was when your grandfather died," she said reverently. "It was so long ago."