To Remember, or to Forget

Chapter One

Bright fluorescent lights burned my eyes like small arrows and knives. Shifting, I felt tape and syringes that wrapped around my body. I hear constant beeps that was followed by an unfamiliar voice.

"How are you feeling honey?"

"Sore" I said.

"If you aren't feeling well, let me know okay? I'll get the nurse"

She was dressed in a caramel coloured parka and black dress pants. Analyzing her, I wondered who she was.

"Okay, yeah. Who are you?"

For a moment, she stood speechless. I felt her hesitate but instead of saying who she was, she turned around. Her footsteps lead to whispered mumbles. The pain in my head has intensified. Squinting my eyes, I moved the thin blanket that covered me, revealing my skin that was now filled with shades of purple and blue.

Trying not to move my leg, I touched the area to sense the amount of pain this bruise would give me, but when did I get this?

"Oh, you don't want to touch that. We're going to give some time for that to heal by itself" the nurse said, breaking my concentration. She then places pillows under my knees to support elevation for my leg.

Behind her was the same lady I spoke to first, the nurse then mumbles something quietly to her.

"Let me know if you need anything alright?" the nurse said. I nodded.

The nurse leaves and there's only silence standing between us, she sits on the chair beside me.

"What happened to me?" I asked, breaking the tension.

She clears her throat before speaking, "You were in a car accident Telayha".

"Was I the only one in that car?"

"No, no" she giggles nervously. "You were not in the car"

There was nothing I could think of to say. "Oh".

She broke her focus on whatever it was and turned her head to me, making eye contact.

"You don't remember anything, do you?"

"What do you mean remember anything?"

She shifts from her seat so that she could face towards me. "Do you remember me?" she said slowly but before I could answer, there was a knock on the door. We both shift our attention to whoever was at the door.

"Ms. Frank, how are you feeling?" he says as he slowly paces around the bed.

"I can't say better. I don't really remember what happened"

"That's natural, it'll take a little while before you could remember everything correctly about the accident". He emphasized that the memory loss would resolve only about accident, but why?

"Is there something you aren't telling me?" I look back and forth from the doctor and the lady. She avoids looking back at me. "Whatever it is, I can handle it".

"It seems that the accident has resulted in severe memory loss from the recent time of your life, there's no saying it won't ever come back, but there's a chance it won't. I'm very sorry Telayha" he says with regret, while I find myself trying to recall every memory I ever had.

"If there's anything I could do or if you need any help, don't hesitate to contact me. I wish you both the best" he nods at the lady and leaves the room.

Leaving me filled with fear and confusion. I feel my hands start to tremble, I glance to look at them when the lady places her hand on mine.

"It's gonna be okay. I'll help you through this" she says and I nod my head. "I'm Alesia, I'm Chris's mother"

"Chris?" I repeat.

"He won't be here for another couple of hours. He is your boyfriend"

"Boyfriend?" I repeat. That wasn't me, or who I used to be. Boyfriend was never in the picture. She nods her head while smiling. "So, my mom? She was okay with that?"

Then there was a sudden change in her face, she frowned. Leaving me to believe that something went wrong. I struggled with trying not to strangle her to tell me everything she knew. However, I knew my father passed when I was ten.

"Your mom" she paused. "When you were fifteen years old, she developed a drug addiction".

My world began to spin, I shook my head to recall thoughts and distant memories of my mom. I hear echoes and see shifting visuals of my mother on the floor. She's crying. Sobbing. Her hands are trembling and her hair is a mess. Her back was turned to me, I can't see what's on the other side.

"Mom? Is everything okay?"

"Shut the door" she aggressively says.

I step in and she turns around, her face is tense and angry.

"Telayha! Look at me" Alesia said, shaking me.

I broke out of focus.

"Yes" I spit out.

"You need some rest"

"No, no, I'm okay" I say, knowing I'm eager to hear the end of the story.

"Are you sure?" I nod.

"She passed away late September" she says while tears start to sting my eyes. "You were placed with your aunt by then. Weeks later, you met Chris. He helped you move on, you were a very happy girl".

"But that couldn't be the end of the story"

"No" she hesitated. "You were walking out of our apartment and while crossing the street, a car hit you. Nobody else was hurt but it was a damn shame that it had to be you".

I lay back, attempting to recall all of my past life events but there was nothing. I'm empty handed, trying to puzzle something I don't know the picture too.

"Now get some rest. You'll need it" she fixes my sheets and kisses my forehead. I drift off into sleep, not knowing that I needed it so much.