Argument with Heart

XV

XV

Being sick.

Yes, one of the worst feeling in this world. 

Especially when all her friends were breathing down her neck. 

'Sam, don't do this'.

'Sam, don't do that'.

'Samantha, don't move'.

 'Sam, don't stress yourself'.

Phew, she was tired of being treated as sick, when she never had a past history, wherein she had the luxury of being treated like one. Not that she had any other option, but she was here for a vacation. And they were in Miami, for crying out loud.

After talking to her mother, who had her own list of instructions - 'do this', 'do that' and what not and what all, she was like under hotel-arrest, until the following day. All thanks to Sean, who had accidentally slipped that information to Lily, in which Samantha had to answer a bunch of vocal exercise to calm her mother. 

If that was not enough, then, Sean always kept coming back, in-spite of his bed-rest advise. 

'Are you alright Sam?'

'Are you fine?'

'Do you need anything?'

Same questions, same tone and same puzzled face, but he was like a synonym for English word of fine.

But........

Her eyes were searching for someone else. Someone, she had not seen since the time he had left her room earlier. Not even during their dinner. Their dinner was the elaborated discussion on the same matter.

So, she excused for an early retirement to her room, but she had difficulty keeping her eyes closed for a longer time. Her pain was more or less gone. The bridge of her nose now spotted a black discoloration due to the impact. But her sleeplessness was not because of the pain, it was because of her thoughts that was disturbing her. And Ian's behavior -why didn't he come to see her, even once? Or even asked how she was doing? And dinner was a complete no-show, why?

There were thoughts that he might have left or he might not want to see her. Or might be busy with....Carla.

Rubbing her hand over her swollen nose, she let out a frustrated breath and closed her eyes in an attempt to sleep. To her dreamland.

An image appeared in blurry. Samantha was all geared up to make her first dive into the swimming pool. At five years, learning to dive was a thrill. Lily was standing a little afar taking to her friend, Jenna. Samantha gave one look at her mother and then looked at the clear water below her. Darren, her cousin brother had been calling her from inside the pool. 

"Jump Samantha," he spoke once again.

She got ready to jump. She hunched her back, buckled her legs and raised her arm for the dive. 

"No, no, no, I can't do it," she realized. "Its too high," she told Darren, who looked bored after asking her repeatedly to do the same. 

As she was contemplating her next move, she saw movement from corner of her eyes. She saw him coming towards her. Coming closer, he gave her a quick smile and stood next to her.

Giving her a quick look-over he said, "You can do it, Sam." And focused his attention for his dive.

He forwarded his hand towards her and spoke to her again, "Hold my hand,".

'No Ian, I am scared I will fall."

"Trust me."

She held his hand and felt a warmth of relief. With a cornered look he shouted. "Jump Sam." And she did. She jumped with him, hands still holding together and a victorious smile on their faces.