“What do you mean seven?” Calvin asked his grandma.
The little lady walked up to Ella and circled her, examining her.
“Calvin?” Ella whimpered. “Wha--what is your grandma doing?”
The grandma quickly scattered away and came back with necklaces of a Buddha praying.
“this young lady…has a spirit attached to her.” the grandma said.
“What are you talking about grandma? You’re scarring her.” Calvin asked.
“Someone close to her just died, and that spirit can’t let her go. It still feels like there are some unfinished business left for it to stay in this world.”
Calvin sighed loudly.
“Calvin, what is it?” Chun asked.
“Ella, she said--she said that there is a--” Calvin glanced at everyone’s confused faces and finally to his grandma. “my grandma said that there is a…spirit attached to you.”
“A What?”
“Ella, she thinks it’s someone close to you. Is it your step mom?” Calvin asked.
Ella looked at her family members. She didn’t want to answer them. “I--I--I have these dreams…” she started.
“Dreams?” Calvin asked.
“There like visions…” Ella said. “Usually every night I dream of my adopted parents and recently..my step mom.” Ella said.
Calvin translated her words to his grandma who sat Ella down and had their forehead touch each other.
Ella could hear the grandma chant a prayer, when she was done, she smiled slightly.
“this is not a bad spirit. It wants to protect you.” the grandma said. “It is afraid that the things it had done before to you will come and haunt her in her next life. She needs your forgiveness.”
“Ella, the spirit is not a bad one, it wants you to forgive it.”
“But who is it?” Ella asked. “Is it my step-mom? If it is I already forgave her.” Ella said. “I forgave her the day she came back.”
“it’s gone.” the grandma interrupted. “It’s gone, but I still feel a presence.”
“Grandma what is it?”
“I don’t know, the energy isn’t strong enough for me to feel it.”
“What’s going on?” Ella asked.
“She thinks the spirit left, but she…she feels another presence.”
“Ah--” Ella groaned in pain.
“Ella?!”
“Chun-” Ella said having trouble breathing. “Ah!” she bent over feeling the pain in her stomach.
Chun could see the little lady chant a prayer louder and louder, faster and faster.
“Calvin!! What is your grandma doing to my wife?” Chun yelled as Chun tried helping Ella out.
Soon, Ella subsided from the pain and passed out.
----
“Ella...Ella…”
Ella opened her eyes seeing Amy.
They seemed to be in a hospital.
“Mom! Sorry I wasn’t there for you! Sorry..sorry…I killed you, didn’t I? Just like how I killed my adopted mother, right?” Ella cried at her feet.
“No, Ella. You never did any of that.”
“I did! I killed you…”
“Ella! You didn’t kill me. It was my time to go.” Amy gently wiped Ella’s tears away.
Ella was scared that she was going to get a slap from her but, no.
“Did you really mean that, Ella? How you already did forgive me?” Amy asked with tears in her eye.
“I never held anything against you. You were the one that kept me alive when no one wanted me. How can I ever hate you for that?”
Amy smiled through the tears.
“I guess there’s no use of me staying here then.”
“Wait! Where are you going?” Ella asked as Amy stood up.
“I’m going to a place where I will never be sad again.”
Ella wanted to stop her but she couldn’t move.
“Wait! Mom--”
“I’m giving you a present, Ella.”
“For what?” Ella asked.
“For everything.”
“What is it?”
“A miracle...”
---
Ella woke up from a strong sent of odor.
She was faced with the little grandma.
“Ella? Honey are you ok?” Chun asked.
“Thank you.” Ella said to the grandma, and waied to her.
The grandma nodded and disappeared outside.
“Ella, what happened? Do you feel better? Maybe we should go to the hospital…or home..” Li said.
“I feel fine.” Ella said placing a smile on her face.
“Er..everyone…I want to apologize to you all for bringing here to see my grandma…I didn’t know she would be like this…”
“It’s ok, Calvin.” Mike said.
“At least now Amy can be at peace.” Mary said.
Everyone was about to leave when the grandma came outside to say good-bye.
“Calvin, tell your grandma that we said thanks. It was a nice experience here.” Mong said.
Everyone waied to the grandma.
“Take care of the little one.” the grandma said looking directly at Ella. “I can finally feel seven presences, and no spirits around this time.”
