Mona Lisa My Love

Chapter Sixty

When I got back to the hotel, a message was waiting for me to call Brian. Why did I need to call Brian, I thought? Whatever the reason, it can't be good news. I went up to my room and placed the call. Brian answered on the first ring.

"Hi Brian, miss me already?"

He was quiet. I could hear his breathing, but he wasn't he saying anything.

"Brian?"

"I've got some bad news for you," he finally said.

"Is Lisa all right?" I was panicking now.

"Yes."

"The kids. Did something happen to the kids?" I asked.

"No, the kids are fine."

My heart sank. Sis! Why didn't Sis call me? Why did Brian call me?

"Oh, my God. Is Sis all right?" I was going crazy.

"No. I mean yes, Jenny if fine, but she wanted me to call you. I am so very sorry to tell you...Sarah is dead. She was hit by a car this morning and died at the scene."

I couldn't speak. I couldn't move. I was numb and not hearing what Brian was saying. It couldn't be. Sarah couldn't be dead. I just left her! I just proposed to her! We are to be married. She couldn't be dead.

I had the phone in my lap. I could hear a tiny little voice but couldn't understand anything. Why was the sound so small? Why couldn't I hear what the person on the phone was saying? Who was it anyway? What was wrong? What was wrong with me?

I hung the phone back up. I had tears flowing off my nose. Tears were dripping off my chin, I realized, and there was a ringing in my head. No, not my head, I thought, it was the phone. Someone was calling me. Who would call me now? And for what? Couldn't they see I was busy? Busy? Busy doing what? Crying. Why was I crying? Why couldn't I feel my arms? Why couldn't I see anything? Why did my stomach hurt so much? Why was I so numb?

That damn phone! I finally picked it up.

"What!" I screamed into the phone. "What do you want?"

"Hey, bro," Brian said. "Are you okay?"

At his words, everything came rushing back to me. Sarah was dead.

"Are you sure, Brian?" I asked in a whisper.

"Yeah, bro. She died this morning."

I hung up the phone, dialed the front desk, and asked to speak with the concierge.

"Oui? Can I help you?"

I told him I needed to leave on the next available flight because of a death. He said he would arrange everything for me. I tried calling Senior's room but got no answer. I found him down in the lounge.

He saw me coming and said to his companion, "Here comes the man of the hour. Sit down, my boy. Sit and have a drink with us."

I managed to say, "I am leaving."

"What do you mean, you're leaving? Are you going out for a walk?"

"No. I am going home to bury my fiancée. She died this morning," I said very softly, and I left.

I felt dead inside. I knew I was walking and talking, but I felt nothing. As soon as I returned to my room, the concierge called and, as promised, had quickly arranged my flight home, and within a few hours I was aboard the plane. I talked with Sis before leaving for the airport. I know I told her I was coming home and what flight I would be on, but I could not remember anything else.