I opened my eyes to a white ceiling and a blinding light. I blinked thinking this was a dream. As I turned my head to the side expecting to see Tiffany lying beside me, she wasn't there. The reality of life had come back to what happened last night. I tried to sit up but I was wrapped up so much across my chest. "Hey baby, u up? How u feelin?" The voice startled me a bit. I wasn't expecting my mom and dad to be next to me.
My mom caressed my head and smiled at me with red eyes. I knew she had been crying. "Where's Tiffany? Did they bring her here?" My mom looked around to my dad for help as if she didn't know what to say. He stepped towards me beginning to say what I really already knew but I hopin that there was still a chance of her surviving.
"Son...Tiffany didn't make it. She's gone, son. She's dead."
"Nah she ain't. We gettin married next month and shit. We got things to do so stop playin. What room she in?"
"Son, I wish I was lyin but-"
"WHERE IS SHE!" I started to yell louder and louder as my dad got closer. He wrapped his arms around my head as tears poured from my eyes. "This ain't real! Wake me up! Pinch me, Ma. PINCH ME!"
My mom stared at me backing away with tears nowrollin down her face. I was gettin out of control. A few male nurses came in tohelp my dad calm me back down but there was no stoppin me as my dad whispered aprayer in my ear .
It seemed like it had been three years since I had been in this hospital as the time rolled slowly back. I looked at the clock my mom left for me on the table next to my bed: 3:48 am. I closed my eyes shortly and reopened them to stare at the ceilin. Out of nowhere I heard someone calling my name. It was very faint but still audible. I dodged my eyes across the room and saw no one. My parents had already been gone since that last visiting hour at ten and I knew there was no nurse in here hiding. I had to be trippin.
I heard it again and I used the button on the side of my bed to make the bed rise to let me sit up. I stood still waiting for it to come again. Ten minutes passed by and then twenty. It finally came. It sounded like a voice that was in so much pain. And I know it sounded stupid of me to ask it a question but why not. "Who are u? Who is that?"
The voice began to call my name back to back nonstop for atleast a full minute and then it stopped and said 'I love u'. I took in a deep breath almost holding it like I was hiding from whatever it was talking to me. I knew this had to be a dream. This was some psycho shit. This wasn't happening to me. I laid my bed back down and turned on the tv in case the voice came again. I would need to drown it out if it did.
Around nine that morning, my parents walked in on my daydreaming of Tiffany's smiling face.They almost startled me coming in. "Hey dear. How's momma's baby boy doin?"
"Don't baby him Rita. How u doin son?"
"I'm fine ya'll." My throat was so raspy and so tired. I hadn't really said that much these past three days since the incident happened. I was about to sit the bed up but my mom stopped me.
"Oh no baby, ur fine. We can see you." I cracked an almost invincible smile and kept my place. My mom had always treated me this way. And I could never deny that I was a momma's boy. Had always been close to my mom since before I could remember. She always treated me with the upmost respect as a young man and a mature man. Though I wasn't always a cup of sweet tea, I can't remember once that she ever put her hands on me or ever yelled at me. Any time I got in trouble, she talked wit me so gentle and humble and expected me to make my own decision on what to do next and I appreciated that from her because I had so much respect and love for her that no one could break that.
