Savanna

Chapter 19

I dunno if I'm beginning to see my mistakes better or what, but the whole chapter sounded so lame when I read it over :/ Ah well...

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Mum took a deep breath, paused, breathed out, as if trying hard to calm herself down. I knew something had to be really wrong if she acted this way.

"It's about your father," she said so quietly I almost missed it. But when I heard her say that, I could feel chills run down my spine as I froze in place, horrible thoughts of what might have happened filling my head.

Forcing myself to come down the stairs, I asked, "What happened? He's okay, right?"

"He is in the hospital," she replied. "They said something attacked him. Some kind of animal."

"An animal? But he'll be okay, right?" The thought of my dad being in danger felt so unreal that I almost didn't know what to think.

"I don't know how he is," mum answered sadly. "We need to go to the hospital."

"What's wrong?" Jake appeared at the top of the flight of stairs, looking at us both with a hint of concern in his eyes. Mum seemed surprised of his presence, but did't say anything.

"My dad is in the hospital," I told him, a little too much in a hurry. I was shaken, fearing the worst. "Something attacked him and me and mum have to go see him. I guess you'd better leave."

"I'll call the taxi for us." Mum turned her back as she took out her cell phone.

"Maybe I can give you a ride?" Jake offered, following me down the stairs.

I looked at him. "With what?" Jake had approahed to me as a jaguar out of the forest behind our house.

"I have a car not far from here," he said. "It would take me only a minute to bring it here."

As always, my mum didn't really want to be a bother. She looked at me shortly, like seeking for help. "I wouldn't ask you to do this for us..." she began, but Jake raised his hand to interrupt.

"It's okay, I'd gladly help."

Mum sighed, then nodded. Without wasting any more time, Jake left, saying he'll be back soon. When we were alone, mum turned to look at me, a little confused and questioning.

"He helped me," I told her, but it sounded lame enough to not be taken seriously. So I added, "For school, of course. But, mum, is it serious? With dad, I mean?"

"I don't know," she sighed, looking down and leaning on the counter, showing that she really didn't and was deeply worried. "I just got the call."

I nodded slowly, knowing it's better to stay calm and think positively. We left the house, locked the door and sat down on the low stairsteps in front of the door, hoping Jake will be back soon, like he had promised.

We had barely been there half a minute when a Chevrolet pulled up in front of our house, shiny and steel-coloured. I was wondering if it's some kind of joke, up until the driver's side door was opened and Jake appeared into our view.

"Whose car are you borrowing now?" I asked, trying not to stare as I hesitantly walked closer, mum behind me. I wondered what she might be thinking, a guy I have invited to our house driving something clearly so expensive.

"It's mine," Jake said shortly, opening the door for us. Mum climbed on the back seat while I went in the front.

"I didn't know you had your own car," I pointed out as he got back behind the wheel.

"I bought it yesterday," was his only answer. And though we didn't talk much during the ride and it wasn't a good time to talk about how someone spends their money, I knew he enjoyed the look on my face. His mum's car had looked much more... decent. And their house had been pretty small, nothing above the average from what I knew. But I had to keep in mind I didn't really know his personal life. Maybe he really could afford things as such.