Olive Tree (WAIK Sequel)

Chapter 11 - "Buenas noches?"

"Hola Beatrice!" Louise yelled while walking into Bea's house. She soon threw her arms around her and they hugged for a few seconds.

Okay. I said I wouldn't go to her mum's with her. I decided to leave Si and Rose with Anne and Josh. It was only for a few hours anyway, and I could use some time away from song writing. That's the reason I stopped. It always makes me really sad because the texture of each song is so emotional. It just gives me heart ache.

"Did you get me anything?" Bea asked charmingly over Diamont's barking.

Louise soon calmed him by bending down and stroking him. "As a matter of a fact, I did."

She clapped her hands excitedly and ran over to Louise's bag with her, Diamont closely following of course.

Louise dove into her bag and pulled out a traditional sombrero. A freaking sombrero. This girl pulled a sombrero out of her bag, and now my girl friend was trying it on. Lord, what is happening?!

"Does it suit me?" Bea laughed and turned to me.

"To tell the truth," I paused and looked her up and down. "Your socks don't really match."

"Hello Mr. Gok Wan," Louise cleared her throat. "Beep beep motherfuckers it is the fashion police."

Everyone fell silent and stared.

"Buenas noches?" She twirled her hair awkwardly and everyone resumed doing what they were doing. Whether it was drinking, playing darts against the back door or listening to Joyce boast about university.

"Off the fact that you just cursed in front of most of my family, you look great." Beatrice came swinging in with her awkward sledgehammer of destruction. She uses it to break ice with new people and to start up new conversations that have turned awkward. Imagine it. Funny, right?

Although her voice was squeaky because she hated resurrecting dead conversations she was right. Louise had put on a ton of weight. She wasn't a stick insect anymore. She had a great tan, not looking like a lobster. She looked a lot healthier in general. She also seemed bubblier than before and wanting more hugs than usual.

We all took a few selfies (photos of ourselves) in the sombrero, taking it in turns to be wearing it. Later, I would be humiliated on Facebook and, most probably, Twitter too knowing Beatrice.

I left Bea with her family and a very drunk Louise to return home. Si had collected even more lady bugs and had named them all in the time I was gone. He now had 10. Hey, it was a big achievement for him and I made him pinky swear he wouldn't set them on me. Wouldn't want one of those down your boxers in the middle of the night, would you? I rest my case.

Rose had coloured multiple, colourful drawings for me and I placed most of them on the fridge.

I greeted Anne in the kitchen for the first time in a few hours. Even then it was brief. Just a "hey, can you baby sit? Great, thanks. See you later on." then a goodbye. I didn't really take any notice of her bump then. When a woman you know is pregnant your eyes don't automatically fix on their stomach like you're giving signals to the baby with your eyes. She was getting bigger by the second.

"When I get married I want it in a big church. You'll be there. And so will... Everyone else!" I recalled Anne saying one day. It just shows how many people we knew then compared to now. We had the whole of Bea's family behind us and their baby, and we were all very grateful.

Too bad things couldn't stay as dandy.

The next day Beatrice threw up again and called me to go straight over, complaining of mild stomach ache. Of course I grabbed my coat and was in there in a flash.

When I got there, I instantly heard screaming. And then there was silence. You could hear a pin drop. My palms began to sweat and I panicked. So much so that I skipped two stairs going up to her and almost fell flat on my face. Twice.

I arrived at her side. She made it to the toilet and was curled up next to the toilet in a ball. She was grey and had two, bold bags under her eyes. I couldn't help it. Tears spilled over and ran down my cheeks, dripping on the tiled floors. Her phone was sprawled half way across the room so I leaned over to get it. I instantly called anyone I could. Scrolling down her contacts, it took me awhile to find someone who was nor pregnant, mildly annoying or unavailable. Quickly, I decided to call over Louise. Luckily, she answered and wasn't too pissed that I'd called her so early in the morning, while dealing with a hangover.

I waited anxiously for Louise to arrive. After a few minutes of pacing, Louise rushed up and helped me take her to the hospital. It took a lot for me to call an ambulance because I didn't want to accept the fact that Bea was ill enough for professional care.

It wasn't long before she gained consciousness in the ambulance. Seeing her with an oxygen taped across her face made tears over spill my eyes. She stretched the mask from her mouth.

"No," I said within cries. "Keep it on."

"I love you."