My Favorite Story

Chapter 11 : THE STRANGER'S TALE

“Are you ready sweetie?” Daddy says after his knocks. I reluctantly open the door for him. I am not expecting him to be nice to me but it was a great relief seeing him smiling, like nothing happened last night.

When I woke up my mom was already gone, instead I saw Trixie at the floor playing my dolls Anna and Peter. I hurriedly get Anna from her and throw it at the balcony and I regret doing that when she cries and realizes that it was John’s precious gift to me. I bring it back to my sister after checking if I had broke it. It is made out of porcelain and the doll may be fragile. I sneeze when I removed the dust from it and ignored it. From now on, I will never be dependent to any of my drugs again.

“Cassie, are you ready?” Dad repeats his question when he noticed I was just staring at him. I nod and hold his arms when he offered it.

At the van, my worries bugs me again and that makes me a little bit scared and I can’t hide it. My palms are cold and sweating.

“Don’t be afraid, everything will be going fine. Okay?” Dad patiently holds my hands while we are travelling. I adore him for being a good father to me, he has been so sweet and kind and even if I’d done a great mistake in my whole life he never laid his hands to hurt me. When Ma Marie told them that I have a positive result in my pregnancy test he just turned his back and went to their room. And last night I didn’t expect that he will join mom and me in my room.  While mom trying to help me to sleep he showed up bringing my photo albums when I was a kid and tell me a lot of stories of me while I’m growing up… I told them how sorry I am but they just both smile and hug me until I fall asleep.

I looked at him, embraced him and whisper “I love you dad”. I saw him smile… a very familiar smile… the one he uses when he plays with me. I laughed so hard when he tickles me and I accidentally hit mom with my elbows.

“Enough for plays, both of you… behave.” Mom shrugged and widened her eyes to dad. I laughed and everyone follows. My worries suddenly disappear I felt like I was whole again. Just like before… those days before John entered in my life. I embrace mom and told her how much I love her.
Ma Marie is sitting at the front seat with Trixie and I’d seen her winks at me at the rear view mirror. I was perfectly lucky to have this family and then my tears fell again. But I swept it immediately and smiled and again remind myself that I should have to be strong.

After several test I needed, the doctor ask for my parent’s presence and since Ma Marie is my nurse she come with them. I know she’s worrying because she’s still giving me drugs and vitamins even I was suspected for being pregnant… and again it was my fault because I didn’t tell her.

I wait for my parents and for my nurse at the out patient’s waiting area and there I’d seen an old woman sitting two seats away from me. She’s looking too far while holding her bag. Her hair was all white and long enough that she uses a stick to hold it, face though wrinkled is still beautiful. I don’t know how long I’d been looking at her and I was surprised when she speaks with me. How did she know that I was staring at her?

“Hi little one.” She turned her sight at me and smiled. I looked around and there’s no one there except me and the old lady.

“Y-yes?” I ask and without any hesitation I seated near to her I don’t know why but I feel like she needed a companion today.

“I can hear two heartbeats” she said when I came near. “Can I have your hands for a while?” She looks at me again and smiled.
I hesitated first but I see her waiting patiently and decided to give her my hands. She placed her two fingers on my pulse and while she’s doing it I stared at her eyes. Those were the eyes grandma has when I’d last seen her. She must be a victim of a cataract too and I know now that she was blind but I was wrong when she told me that “Glaucoma” impaired her vision.
“Two heartbeats…” The old lady says when she freed my arms and I was amazed of what she’d said. “It had been 25 years when I do this to my daughter and I was sure she was pregnant that time. She’s my only child and always been complaining but I love her.”

The old lady pauses and took a deep breath. She looks like she’s contented but I can still feel her pains and disappointments. I don’t want to speak, it’s not that I am afraid that she’s a stranger it is because I wanted to hear the stories behind her smiling wrinkled face. I never see my grandma smiled at me like that. She’s always yelling and never fails to show me that she doesn’t want me as a grandchild. I just let the old lady continue her tales and as she unfolded her book I slowly understand why she was in so much pain. I hold her hands and squeezed it gently… to let her know that I am interested with her stories.