Reckless Abandonment Over Summer

Chapter Twenty: Listen to the sound around

Chapter Twenty: Listen to the sound around

I should've listened to my parents. I should've told my friends about my condition. I also should've apologized to my teacher on that letter I left on her table. I should've...

But I didn't do any of those. I wanted to keep everything to myself. I kept on contradicting those who contradicted me. I never did anything right, I guess.

My eyes fluttered open. I could still feel the pain on my chest but it had subsided. The whole room was so white.

"Riley?"

Peering down at me was not my parents, nor my friends. It was someone I didn't know. But her face was so familiar.

"Aunt Lucy?" I asked.

"Hi. How are you?"

I couldn't smile but I was glad she's here. She's the one who took care of me whenever mom and dad were out of town or the country.

"I'm good. Good. Where's mom and dad?" I asked.

"They were just talking to the doctor. What happened to you?"

"Just, you know, complicated things," was all I said.

I remembered that my friends wouldn't be here since they were at the camp and probably not allowed to go outside anymore.

"You know that your heart condition was getting worse, right?"

I only nodded.

"Stress triggers that, and negative emotions are not good. Just, you know, take a break with the activities you're doing. Your friends couldn't make it here but they sent a letter and it should be somewhere here..." She looked for the said letters on the basket filled with fruits. I wondered for how long was I asleep. "Here. There. That was sent yesterday. I'm so glad you're okay."

"I was asleep for two days?" I queried.

"No, just one, sweetie. Why did you even ran away?" she asked. She pulled a lone chair near me.

I placed the letter under my pillow and would read it later. "I just want to go back to the camp. My summer is getting boring and I just want to have it spend with my friends. I'm pretty sure mom and dad are happy that I want to attend the summer camp now, but just as I was enjoying it, they have to suddenly pull me out of it because of just one faint. It's so unfair," I explained.

She touched my hand. "They have the reason, you know. They're just worried. They care about you. Do you want them to stop caring?"

"Of course I'm happy they're finally showing some care but they're unfair. Everything I do and decide, they have to contradict and want me to do what they want. Isn't this my life? I want to be the one to decide on it. They should be only my support."

"You know, Riley, there are some things easier said than done. I guarantee you that, they also want to give you want you want. But with your condition, we have to make sure first that you're going to be okay again. Just like before when you found out about it."

I understood everything she was saying to me. I believed her words but still, I felt like I was alone again. If I was with my friends, I wouldn't feel like this. I would feel so blessed that they were surrounding us.

She left for a moment. I got that chance to read my friends' letter.

Riley,

We heard what happened about you. If you're going to ask you said it to us, it's your dad. He called Mr. Donald and just ask to relay the news to us. We are so worried. We wanted to be there with you but we can't leave summer camp just like that. Text or e-mail is the best option for things like this but we thought that you might want to be old fashioned so we sent you a letter. Cool, right? This is Yuan, by the way. Below will be the message of others. We decided to just write in one paper. You know, to save. Haha.

- Yuan

Riley bear!

I just came up with that nickname just now. How are you doing? Can you please call us once you're back home? Yeah. Okay I'll wait for it. We miss you, Riley!

- Ellie

PS. Gustav is worried as well. 

Riley,

Please take care of yourself. Once we have the permission to go out of camp, we will visit you right away, in the hospital or in your house. I hope you're doing okay, okay?

- Donna

Riley,

Take care of yourself, will you? We don't want you getting sick or anything. Juno and Declan was missing you now. When will you come back? I hope you'll spend the rest of your summer here.

- Alberta

They were all worried, just like my parents. I should just let them decide for myself then. If that's what they think what's good for me, then I'd let them be.

The door opened and mom entered. She sat on the chair aunt Lucy had emptied out earlier.

"How are you?" she asked, just like every one of them.

"I'm good now," I answered.

"That's good. Look, sweetie. I'm sorry for hitting you. I—"

"It's okay, mom. I understand why you did that anyway."

"No, I still shouldn't have did that. It's just I'm so full of worry I don't know what I was thinking anymore. I'm really sorry, honey." She lay her head down on the bed, sobbing. I never seen mom cried this much. I was a bad daughter, I knew that already but being this bad to make my mom cry was something I never expected I would do.

"Mom, please. It's okay," I said, touching her head.

She looked up at me, tears streaked face on sight. "I'm really sorry, honey."

"Mom, it's okay. I'm pretty sure if it's not okay then I wouldn't be talking to you right now. So it's really okay. And we're just going to get in circles if you try to argue with me," I said.

"Okay. And also, your dad and I finally decided, you can go back to summer camp tomorrow afternoon. We'll drive you there and—"

"Really?" I was at a loss for words. "You're really, oh my gosh. Thank you, mom." I was about to get up to hug her but she's the one who lean in to hug me. "Thank you, mom."

"We've been unreasonable to you. You're right and this is all we can do to make it up to you. We've never seen you so happy like this for so long. I'm glad you have friends to count on now."

Dad and aunt Lucy came in after a while. I would be discharged the same day. Apparently, I had the major attack for the first time in my life.

"We called Mr. Donald earlier and told about your comeback at the camp. Also, you should be ready. Tomorrow is the biggest day for the Castaway camp and everyone was so busy there. They had a huge party going to start at night. Since we're going to drive by, I wasn't so sure yet, ten am, I guess. We'll be able to get there by one or two pm. The party was on-going. From morning 'til night, so if you don't want to show up on that day, then we can go the next day, if you want," dad said.

"No, I can go tomorrow. I want to go tomorrow. I think I need partying." I smiled sweetly. "And I'm so excited to see my friends."

"Don't get too excited, kiddo," Aunt Lucy said. "There are still some test have to be done. So you really have to be all good so you can completely go tomorrow morning."

"I know I'm okay now, don't worry."

I knew I was okay. All I had in mind was summer and my friends and...something else. I wanted to tell someone that something else.