FOREVER?

|Chapter Sixteen|

"Hilder Field got in an argument with his wife the other day and it ended up into a fist fight somehow. His one eye is still under treatment. Smith gave him a prescription note saying - Sir, your Clydia is always right", Agnes said clipping my bra. I let out a small laugh for the sake of her trying to cheer me out of my gloom and not be rude about it. She was the nurse Dr. Smith assigned me with. Agnes was in her early thirties, petite sized and a red head.

She'd always tell me things that happened around the town while bathing me, dressing me up. I did feel awkward and embarrassed in the first two days, letting someone help you shower, dressed and being dragged around the room in a wheelchair was not something I want to tell about. I know how miserable that made me sound, yes being pushed in a wheelchair. I was recovering but just not in a speedy way. I was glad the bandages were removed but the black-blue bruised sight of my legs wasn't pleasant to see either. They were no less swollen and no less painful.

"Fiona says she misses you", she said. She helped me put on my gown. "I met her near the book store on Tuesday. Are you cold, Leah?"

"Not so, thank you", I told her. The heater was on and the temperature inside my room was just perfect. She passed me a shawl, anyway. I put it around my shoulder. "I miss being in the library", I tell her as she applied the cold ointment on my legs, rubbing it softly enough to not pain me. Its been a whole week, already.

"You sure do. I've seen you re-reading the same book for thrice. You must be bored", she said. "I will help you with the socks, okay?" I nodded. "Do I need to call Jeffery to put you back to bed?", she asked.

"No, I'm good here. Are you leaving?"

She started to pack her bags and put all the stuffs in hastily. Did I sound vulnerable? Because I could see a pity look take over her all time cheeky personality.

"Sorry honey, I have to accompany my daughter for a school function. Will you be okay?" If I say I won't be okay, would you stay with me?

"Which grade is she again?"

"4th grade. Emily, that's her name", she told me smiling. Is that how a mother looks when she talk about her child? Did mom smiled like that too while mentioning us? I would never get my answers to those questions. It was such a bright and warm smile. I wished to see more.

"Can you tell me more about her next time?" I wanted to see that look again and again. Agnes seemed surprised for a second at my request but she nodded sweetly anyway.

"I'd love too", she wrapped the shawl around my bod properly. "Call me if there's anything", said that she left. This week has been really so boring I realised. Only by staying inside these fours walls I felt how life outside them was more better. The wintery atmosphere, the smoke filled breathes, and the chattering of teeth. I wish I could go through them like every kid of my age did. There was still one week before the winter break starts officially for Grooves High, then slowly the streets of Merrindale will be lighted up for christmas. Those lilac bushes growing abundantly in everyone's lawn were the one to get mostly decorated. Merrindale family has the tradition of hanging lights on them. Although lilac didn't have any particular attraction, but its color, that heavenly purple pigment made it one of the most unique. Standing out of all the other wildflowers.

Mom used to water the ones in out backward everyday. She told me once if there was one thing you don't want to be is a flower. It withers away. Be the thorns, Leah. Her smile was so bright, so was the mid summer sun and it dazzled my eyes. I could hardly kept my eyes open back then. The 11 years old me didn't knew that was going to be the last summer with her mom, with that smile on her face, and after that the sun won't shine so bright ever again, won't blind me, at least not in my world. But what still made me curious was, Lilac didn't have thorns. What was she talking about?