The Miser's Secret

“Jon Richards, CEO.” It was the name written on the wooden door that I was facing. A square glass pane provided a view of the office behind the door where a person was working behind a desk. That person was not Mr. Richards though, because she's a woman. I entered the room and saw that Sonia, the secretary was on the phone. On the left side of the room, there was a bigger desk with an expensive-looking notebook on it. A man was sitting behind it. That's our CEO. In addition to being tall and well-built, his tan skin made him an imposing figure. If it was not fo his clean-shaven face and the pair of glasses hanging on his nose, he would have been mistaken for an athlete.

“Got all the paperwork, Tom?” He asked.

“Yes, sir. I got everything.”

“Let's get this over with. Sonia, is the car ready?”

“Mr. Dat is waiting for you in the lobby sir.” The secretary answered. “Sir, will you be meeting with the creditors this evening?”

“No, let Jim handle it.” said Jon without pausing to think. Walking towards the exit, I saw his personal black van waiting with his driver Mr. Dat waiting by the open back door.

“Where to, sir?” The friendly Vietnamese driver asked as we both entered the car.

“Lowry's General Store. Don't rush, we have time.” He took off his suit and tie and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. “I hate those guys.” He started reading the newspaper he had been carrying since morning.

“The Lowrys?” I asked, wondering what could two small store owners have done to offend him

“No, I meant creditors. I can handle the Lowrys. Creditors are annoying. All they want is their money back. Fortunately, James Foley is very good in dealing with them.”

“Isn't that yesterday's paper?” I noticed the date on Jon's paper, which was very odd since people usually did not read old newspaper.

“It is indeed.” He answered, smiling slyly like a fox.

I had been working for Richards' Corp. for two weeks but I still hadn't learnt everything about it. All I knew was Jon Richards was the CEO and James Foley was his main deputy, who was also the head of the finance department. As part of the legal department, my job focused solely on paperworks. Contracts, deeds, agreements, that kind of stuff. We were heading towards Lowry's General Store to negotiate something with them. What exactly we were negotiating, I didn't really know.

“What are we doing with the Lowrys?” I decided to ask.

“We're closing them down.”

“Excuse me?” The non-chalant reply kinda shocked me a bit, although it shouldn't have. I have heard stories about Jon Richards in my two weeks working for Richards Corp. He was a miser. He had no compassion. He was ruthless. He didn't care about other people than himself. Apparently, he picked up those traits from his father, who had founded and built the corporation. The rumor was that Douglas Richards, Jon's father, bribed the mayor to sell him the land now known as the Summertown Industrial Complex. He built his first factory in the area. Within a decade, half of the former commercial district had been taken over by Richards one by one, while the other half consists of distribution centers, warehouses and stores selling their products. Jon continued his father's policy of expansion, until you almost could not find a building not owned by Richards Corp in the complex. Those strong enough to resist, like the Lowrys, were threatened to have their rent increased tenfold, unless they agreed to enter some kind of a deal.

“You read the contract. They're giving discounts on other company's product.” He explained.

“The contract doesn't say they can't sell other company's products.” I browsed through the paperwork to refresh my memory.

“They can sell them, but they can't promote them. That's the deal. Oh, here we are.” The car pulled over into a small store, with a plank above the door that said 'Lowry's General Store, since 1961”. Wow! They've been here for almost fifty years. I was impressed. We both got out of the car and approached the store. Sure enough, more than half the racks were filled with Richards' products. Two elderly couple stood behind the counter, reading today's paper as there was no customer to serve.

“Mr. Richards! What a surprise.” said the man, putting down his paper.

“Mr. Lowry, Mrs. Lowry. This is Tom Whitfield from legal department.” Mr. Richards introduced me to the store owners.

“How do you do? I'm Ray, This is my wife Molly.” Despite the cold breeze outside, their hands felt warm as I shook hands with them.

“Nice store you have here. Since 1961?” I said, trying to make small talks.

“It's our legacy. We're proud of it.” Molly said, her face brimming lightly.

“Unfortunately, that legacy will end, Mrs. Lowry.” Jon's sharp words immediately turned both the Lowrys' faces pale.

“I don't understand, Mr. Richards. What do you mean?” She asked.

Jon laid down the newspaper he carried and pointed out an advertisement. I peeked at it and realized what it was. Oh no! I said silently. They had made a mistake. “You advertised that you slashed the prices of our competitors' products.” The advertisement in question showed the Lowry's logo, followed by pictures of non-Richards product. Next to each picture are two numbers, one higher than the other, with a straight line going through the higher number indicating that the products were being sold at the new lower price.

“But Mr. Richards,” Ray said, fear clearly showed in his voice, “We're trying to sell those products off as soon as possible. We wanted to make room on our racks for your products.”

“You know the rule, Lowry. You can't do a promotion on products that are not ours. This advertisement here counts as a promotion. You know what this means.” Unfortunately for them, Jon was right.

“Sir, please. Can't we let this one go. It's just one advertisement. We'll put a bigger one to promote yours.”

“That's not how business works, Lowry.” Jon's voice became sterner and sterner as the conversation went along. “Our current contract is void. Either you pay the current rate of rent, which is ten times than what you're paying now, or you sell your store to us.”

“But we can't afford the current rate of rent.” Molly protested.

“I knew that. I would make the preparation if I were you. I'm sorry it had to end this way, Mrs. Lowry. I really am.” Jon picked up the newspaper and started to walked out of the store. “You will hear from our lawyers. Come on Tom, we're done here.”

As we got into our cars, I could here Ray Lowry screaming. “You can't do this, Richards! This land doesn't belong to you! Your father got it illegaly! Someday, you're going down, Richards!”

“Goodbye, Mr. Lowry.” We drove away from the store with the Lowrys still screaming at our car. “Tom, prepare the paperwork.”

“Yes, sir.” Wow. What did I get myself into?

*

It had been two months since we took over Lowry's but time had not made me feel better. I drafted the legal documents of the purchase of Lowry's General Store by Richards Corporation. I felt guilty about it. Although It was not my decision, I felt like the executioner in that event. At least the amount was pretty good, definitely enough for their retirement. I doubt it would be a good enough solace for them though, as they seemed to enjoy working with their store. I was hopeful that I did not have to close down any more small businesses for the sake of Richards' expansion policy.

The hope turned out to be an empty one, when one day I received an email from Richards. He wanted me to prepare all the paperwork on the Trotts Orphanage. A meeting with the Trotts had been arranged the next morning. “Surely he's not going to close an orphanage!” I thought. Gathering all the relevant paperwork, I learnt that the orphanage's lease would expire in three months. “Maybe we're meeting to discuss an extension.” I tried to convince myself that Richards was not so bad that he would close down an orphanage and forced the children to live in the streets.

The next morning, I made my way to Mr. Richards office, only to find his table empty, with Sonia the only human being in the room.

“Good morning, Tom!”

“Is Mr. Richards not here yet?” I asked.

“He just called and said he's meeting with the board so he will be late,” she answered. “And he's moved the orphanage meeting to two.”

“What do you think he wants with the orphanage?”

“What do you think? He's closing it down. He just confirmed to me that we're going to use it as a warehouse. Oh, don't look so surprised. That's typical Richards," she said, smirking. "He would close down his mother's flower shop to expand his company."

I could not believe what I heard. I went back to my desk to prepare for the meeting. As I browsed through the sea of paperwork, I refreshed my memory about the status of the orphanage. They had a twenty year lease on the land and the building and it was about to expired in three months. Jon Richards could not force them to move until then. Unfortunately for them, Richards Corp had the first option on lease extension, meaning if corporation did not want to extend the orphanage's lease, they did not have to. The orphanage itself was visible from my window. I could see its light blue roof and beige wall, with a patch of green surrounding the building served as a reminder of what the area used to be, a lush park. Staring at the building, memories of the past started to enter my head as I drifted to a waking dream.

*

“Tom, I'm open!” I looked up and saw my teammate Andy waving furiously at me. I nervously set the soccer ball with my left foot and sent it towards him with my right. My momentum caused me to fall down and I was forced to watch him slyly rounded the other team's goalkeeper and put the ball in between the two sticks that we used as goalposts. “That's five! We win!” Andy jumped up and down in joy as we scored our fifth and winning goal.

“That was great Andy! You're probably the best six year old soccer player in Summertown!” I rushed towards him and congratulated him. Three-on-three soccer was one of our favorite past times. We had transformed the backyard of the orphanage into a multi-function sports field. Soccer, baseball, even basketball had been played on those grass. We did not have much equipment though so we had to use sticks as goalposts.

“Tom! Come in. There are a couple of nice people wanting to meet you.” It was the voice of Jack Trotts, who was the only father I had known until I was six years old. He and her wife Helen ran the house that I shared with the other orphans. I walked into the house and saw that he was having coffee with two strangers, a man and a woman. “Tom, this is Mr. and Mrs. Whitfield.”

It was time for me. I had seen it before with the other kids. One day the Trotts would pull one kid aside and introduce them to a couple for a potential adoption. For the lucky ones, they would get a family. For those who were not so lucky, Jack and Helen would raise them until they finish high school, then they can decide for themselves what they wanted to do. Some went to college, with the help of a student loan. Others stayed to help with the day-to-day operation of the orphanage. I was one of the lucky ones.

The living room was quite, with no other children in sight. It was always expected when Jack or Helen met with prospective parents to talk about adoption. Compared to the well-dressed couple sitting in front of him, Jack was wearing a plain white t-shirt and a pair of shorts as usual. He was always very casual, very easygoing. I walked slowly, shyly towards the Whitfields and shook their hands. “Nice to meet you, sir, ma'am.”

“I'll leave you three alone.” Mr. Trotts left me with the couple who would become my adoptive parents. In two weeks, it was settled. I would leave the orphanage and be renamed Tom Whitfield. I still remembered the day I left. Saying goodbye to the kids, to Mr. Trotts, to the orphanage itself. I never came back, although it had to be fate that brought me to work for its neighbor, the Richards Corp. Unfortunately, I found out that my boss was not very neighborly, and the idea of working for someone who was about to destroy my childhood home suddenly made me feel very sick.

*

“Mr. and Mrs. Trotts here to see you.” The clock on my desk said 12.50 when the receptionist informed me of their arrival. I had not seen them since my adoption day, although they called several times to check on me. Embarrassingly, I had to admit that I did not think of them much, having been absorbed into a new life and a new family. I had only come back to the orphanage two times, a number that I wished had been higher after learning the impending fate of my former home.

"Thank you, Marie." I hung up the phone and headed to the reception area to meet the couple who took me in after my parents were killed in a car accident. As I approached the waiting room, I saw them. They're still the same selves, just older. I noticed Jack's hair had turned completely gray, and the wrinkles in Helen's face had become difficult to disguise. Nevertheless, they were still full of smile exchanging pleasantries with Susan, our receptionist.

“Jack, Helen, How are you?” I gave them each an honest hug from the bottom of my heart as I was truly happy to see them.

“Tom! We were pleasantly surprised to hear that you work for Richards. We're neighbors!”

“Let's hope it stays that way.” My sigh quickly reversed the atmosphere 180 degrees. “I heard Mr. Richards is not extending the lease. Oh, there he is!” A black van passing by the building gate suddenly alerted me to the arrival of the devil. From the second floor, I could see the van pulled over to the parking spot reserved for the upper management, close to the lobby. As Mr. Richards made his way out of his car into the building, I motioned to my guests to lead them to the meeting room. “Let's wait in the meeting room.”

While waiting for Mr. Richards, Jack explained that he had been trying to secure a permanent place for the kids. But the economy boom of Summertown had made it impossible due to the steadily increasing price of lands and houses. The development of the industrial complex also had made the area unideal for children to live and play in. Parks had been replaced with pollution spewing factories, and the school that used to stand within walking distance to the orphanage had closed, forcing the children to commute thirty minutes everyday to reach their school.

“Mr. Trotts, Mrs. Trotts, I apologize for my tardiness.” Jack's story was interrupted by the arrival of our CEO. “I didn't expect the board meeting to go for hours.”

“Mr. Richards, thank you for meeting us,” Jack said. “As we have said in our letter, we would like to extend our lease, keeping the current rate, on the orphanage for another ten years.”

“Mr Trotts, I have discussed this matter with the board, and I'm sorry to deliver a bad news. The board wanted to use the building as a warehouse and therefore, will not extend your lease, and especially not at the current rate. The value in this area had increased considerably in the last twenty years. I'm afraid you have to vacate the property in two months. I'm really sorry but you have to find another place for your children.”

“We have pursued alternative places to house the children, but we can't afford the lease anywhere else. This current rate is all we can afford.”

“Mr. Richards,” I interrupted. “Our warehouse upstate is operating at under forty percent capacity. We do not need another warehouse.”

“Tom, that warehouse has always been a temporary one. We have been wanting to use the orphanage building as a warehouse for many years.” He answered.

“Mr. Richards, please think of the children. They need to be taken care of.” Jack tried to plead, sounding desperate.

“This is not a third world country, Mr. Trotts. The government will take care of them.”

Mr. Richards maintained a straight, stern face throughout the meeting, which last about thirty minutes. Because of the nature of the lease deal, the Trotts did not have much leverage in the discussion. They were at the mercy of the corporation, and, despite their and my best effort to persuade Richards, the mercy did not come. The decision had been made. They had to leave the orphanage in two months with very little chance of finding a new place by then. Jack and Helen maintained a dignified posture as they left the office, although I could see the stress and sadness painted on their face.

The rest of the day flew by in auto-pilot. I sat in my desk with my eyes gazing across the street. A yellow bus stopped in front of the orphanage, dropping off the older children from school. Younger children were playing ball in the backyard under the supervision of an adult volunteer. Those were just some of the activities that I could witness to alleviate myself from the boredom of work. Thanks to Mr. Richards, I would witness them no more.

*

It had been two weeks since the meeting and the hammering of the nails on the orphanage's coffin. I spent those two weeks contemplating. Who is this guy Richards anyway? Do I need him? No, I don't need him. I can find work anywhere else. Why should I work for a heartless man who destroyed my childhood home, and the home of many other children. And I had made my decision. I finished typing a letter and thought about sending it by email but I decided against it. I would give it to him in person. With the press of a button, the content of the letter copied itself from the monitor to a piece of paper. I took letter, my resignation letter, and kept it in my drawer, because Mr. Richards was not in the office so it had to wait until Monday. As I was getting ready to go home, an email was suddenly delivered to my inbox. It was from Jack Trotts. What could be the matter? I double-clicked the email to enlarge it so I could read it:

Hey, Tom! Good news. The Summertown Charity Foundation had decided to take us in and they had found a new place for our new orphanage. Their benefactor had donated some money to us but unfortunately, we're still short so we're going to do some fund raising. I'm going to meet with them this evening. Why don't you come down to the Foundation and check out the details. The address is 55 Mission Ave.

Regards,

Jack Trotts.

Ah, good news. It was nice to know that people still cared. I heard about the Foundation before. Their headquarters was located not far from my apartment, so I decided to stop by on the way home. No one knew who established the foundation. It just appeared out of nowhere one day. They had done lots of goods to the city though, so I can't complain about their existence. I was thinking about how I could help. Maybe I would help with the fund raising, or I could donate some money myself.

As I parked my car, I noticed a familiar black van. Isn't that Mr. Richards' car? I shrugged off the thought. A miser like him had no business being here. Immediately behind the double door was the lobby area. To the left was a long couch, long enough to fit three people. A line of potted plants decorated the right side of the lobby. Above them was a banner with a slogan written on it. It said 'GIVING BACK TO SOCIETY', all in capital letters. Directly in front of me was the reception area. On the table was a newsletter, apparently their own. I noticed two familiar faces on the front page. It was The Lowrys! I picked one up and read that the foundation rent them a place near downtown where they set up their new store. I was happy and relieved to here the news, and helped reduce my guilt for closing down their old store.

“Can I help you, sir?” A male receptionist asked.

“Is there a Mr. Jack Trotts here? I heard he's going to be here.”

“I'm sorry sir. Mr. Jack Trotts is having a private meeting with the benefactor. They have asked not to be bothered.”

“Oh, okay them. Mind if I look around?”

“Go ahead sir.”

I walked through a long hallway behind the receptionist. A billboard on the wall showed the projects that the foundation is working on. I didn't see anything on the orphanage though. As I made my way to the second floor in this three-story building, I heard two people talking inside the first room from the stairs. It must have been the meeting room, I thought. I peeked through the window pane and see Jack, who was having a meeting with another man whose face I could not see well, who was probably the benefactor. He looked rather young, maybe in his late thirties. As he turned a little bit to his left, I could see his more clearly. Too my surprise, it was an all too familiar face, the face of Jon Richards. Surprised, I stayed close to the door to hear their conversation.

“Mr. Richards, thank you very much for helping us. I was surprised to find out that you're the benefactor of a charity foundation.”

“Why is that?”

“Let's just say the reputation of your father is not very flattering, and his blood runs in yours.”

“Actually, it doesn't.”

“It doesn't?”

“Mr. Trotts, the reason why I build this foundation lies in my past. I am not a Richards. Like the children that you're caring for, I was an orphan. Douglas Richards adopted me when I was five, because he and his wife could not conceive a child. They raised me as their son and eventually I inherited my father's company. Despite all this, I can't forget my past as an orphan. I decided to build this foundation to help the unfortunates like my father had helped me, but I wanted to be discreet. A lot of things that we do here have conflicts of interest with the corporation, such as the situation with your orphanage. That's why I hid my identity and used a fake name when building this foundation.”

“Why didn't you just let the old orphanage be?”

“What many people didn't know is that I didn't make all the decisions. We have a board of directors and we vote on important decisions. I tried to defend the orphanage, but the board wouldn't budge. They wanted the whole area for the corporation. I'm sorry I couldn't save it.”

I had heard enough. I quietly left the building not knowing what to think. So Jon Richards was an orphan, and he had been running a charity foundation secretly. I tried to make sense of all this. How could someone run two different organizations with two very opposite goals? One was built as a money making machine while the other a money giving one. Regardless, one thing is clear. I went home knowing that the orphanage could be saved.

*

The following Monday, I received another letter from Jack about the new orphanage. It was in a nice location upstate, closer to the school. It turned out that it was owned by Richards' Corp. but Jon managed to convince the board to sell it on the cheap, with him funding half the cost through the foundation. The rest would have to be funded through other means, such as a fund raising event that Jack had planned. In the end, the orphans would have a new, better home. I reached for my resignation letter and promptly tore it apart and threw it to the empty trash bin underneath my desk. There was no need for that letter now, because I discovered the miser's secret.

The Grandma Diary

Sunny weather greeted a red sedan as it pulled into the driveway of a small wooden house. Its wall consisted of several logs stacked on top of each other, interlocked with notches at their ends. The red paint of the front door showed some luster but the window on the other end of the front wall was very clean and well-kept, as one could see the bedroom quite clearly on the other side. An old woman could be seen peering through the window, expecting the arrival of the car. A middle-aged woman ran sprinting out the front door to greet the two car passengers.

“Mrs. Tanner, how are you?” She said as she helped the driver opened the front left door. A woman stepped out the vehicle, her friendly smile disguising her tiredness after a long drive.

“Hello, Nelly!” Sarah Tanner gave the stout housekeeper a hearty hug. Her blue blouse and black trousers were a sharp contrast from the house's rural surroundings. “How's my mother?”

“She's been better. Dr. Gladstone will come tomorrow to check on her.” Nelly looked inside the car as if she was looking for someone. “Where's Miss Kara? Isn't she coming?”

“Kara, come out of the car.” Sarah shouted to the other person in the car. A youthful girl stepped out of the car's right hand side but her complexion was the exact opposite from that of the two older women. Instead of a broad, friendly smile, her lips formed an arching frown. There was no spark coming out from her eyes, only a sharp stare fitting for a demon.

“Hello Nelly,” said Kara Tanner unenthusiastically.

“Miss Kara, it's been awhile!” Nelly maintained her friendly tone despite the teenager's attitude. “You didn't come last year. Your grandmother missed you.”

“I almost didn't come this year.” Kara said as she lazily walked towards the house.

“Kara, bring your bag!” Her mother unsuccessfully tried to give her an order.

“It's okay, Mrs. Tanner. I'll bring Miss Kara's bag.” Nelly opened the trunk of the car and the two women grabbed the two luggages that had been sleeping tightly inside the compartments. “Miss Kara doesn't seem so happy.” Nelly expressed her concern to her mistress' daughter as they dragged the bags into the house.

“She's had other plans for the summer,” Sarah said. “But she didn't come last year so I insisted that she come this year.” She sighed. “Teenagers can be a handful.”

“Sometimes I feel lucky I never got married.” Nelly laughed as they entered the house.

The log house was rather old but very welcoming with its wooden architecture giving a countryside aura, perfect for anyone who wanted to escape the busy cities. The main door lead directly to the living room, where a television stood proudly like a king surrounded by its furniture subjects, which included three sofas and a coffee table. The kitchen retreated to the back, with a dining table separating it from the living room. On the right side of the room were two doors guarding the entrance to the bedrooms, one smaller than the other. As they entered, the door to the larger bedroom gave way to a wheelchair with the mistress of the house on it.

“Hi Sarah! Why are you wearing work clothes?” said the elderly woman, noticing her daughter's out of place outfit.

“Hi mom! I had a meeting with our supplier and it was on the way here so,” explained Sarah. “Anyway, how are you, mom? What did the doctor say?”

“Oh, don't you worry about what the doctor said.” She turned her head and saw her only granddaughter sitting motionlessly in one of the sofa. “Hey Kara! You come this year! Wow, you've changed a lot in the pass two years.”

The teenager walked over and gave her grandmother a brief hug. “Hi grandma.”

“Oh, dear. You sound tired. Long drive?” her grandmother inquired, noticing the weak tone coming from Kara. “Oh, I just know the thing that will energize you dear! Nelly, bring the cupcakes!”

“Cupcakes?” Kara managed to pull out her first smile of the day.

“I know you love them. I made some for you last year but you didn't come. Your mother ended up eating your portion.”

Sarah laughed listening to her mother's story as Nelly walked out of the kitchen with a tray of cupcakes. “I didn't eat them all. I gave some to our neighbor.”

“The Ferringtons? I made cupcakes for them every week. Come on girls, have some.”

Kara needed no invitation as she grabbed one before her grandmother finished her sentence. The sweet taste of the pastry seemed to brighten her spirit as it made its way down her throat, if only temporarily. “Where do I sleep mom?” She asked her mother, hoping to catch some nap before dinner.

“Do you want to sleep with me in the guest room or do you want the attic?”

Kara weighed up her options and decided that she needed the privacy. “I'll sleep in the attic.” she said as she grabbed her bag while finishing her cupcakes. “I'll be napping till dinner.” She went up the stairs located next to the kitchen and disappeared from sight.

“I'm sorry. She's still very upset that I forced her to spend part of her summer here.” Sarah apologized for her daughter's behavior.

“It's okay if she doesn't come.” Her mother assured her. “We see each other in Thanksgiving. Besides, she's a teenager. I'm sure she has other plans.”

“Thanksgiving is just one dinner per year. I want her to spend more time with her grandmother.” Sarah said. “Besides, if what the doctor said is true...”

*

Kara entered the attic bedroom and dropped her bag next to the single bed in the middle of the room. Other than the bed, a small dresser and two nightstands made up the furnishing. Despite being the darkest area of the house, the lighting was very good as the ceiling lamp was complimented with a light stand. From the window, one can see the Ferrington farm, one of the neighbors in the small countryside town. Kara lied down on the bed while her fingers were busy punching several buttons on her cellphone. After a few seconds, her call was answered.

…
“Hi Elaine! Are you guys in L.A.?”
…
“Oh, how lucky you are.”
…
“I know, I wish I'm there too but my mom forced me to spend two weeks in this place.”
…
“Yes, it sucks but what can I do? She's my mom.”
…
“I don't know what I'm going to do for two weeks. There's barely anything in this town.”
…
“Yeah, okay. Have fun guys!”
…

“ Why am I stuck here while my friends are having fun?” she thought. She picked up her bag and put it on top of the wooden dresser. Her hands rummaged through her clothes but did not find the item she was looking for. “Oh, damn”. She sighed. “I forgot to bring a book.” Closing her bag, she lied down again with her hands on her face. “What am I going to do now?”. Her eyes circled the room and were drawn towards the nightstand to the left of the bed. Its single drawer was slightly open, inviting her to look inside. She reached for the open drawer and found a single item: a book. It was slightly covered with dust. She picked it up and blew away the dust, revealing that it was a diary. Though it was in a good condition, the discoloration of its pages betrayed its age. “This must have been here for a long time.” Kara thought. She turned the cover and the only sentence on the first page revealed the book's owner.

“This diary belongs to: Julia Rollins.”

“Who's Julia Rollins?” Kara tried to remember if there was anyone in her family named Julia Rollins but she was certain there was none. On the bottom of the page, a date was written: January 13, 1965. “1965! This book had been here for 45 years!” Surprised, she started to flip the pages of the book and got to the last few pages. She did not know why the diary suddenly interested her as she read one of the entries:

June 10.
Dear Diary,

I am so happy today. We finally arrived at grandma's lodge. It was a long trip, three hours from Summertown. Grandma looks older and thinner, but she's very cheerful as usual. Jason and I competed to see who can ate the most cupcakes. Grandma makes very delicious cupcakes. My brother beat me 5 cupcakes to 4. She promised to make more tomorrow! Oh, I can't wait to have more. Afterwards, the three of us took a walk to the lake. I love that lake! Mom and Dad didn't want to come. They said they had to discuss something with Dr. Kendricks. We played at the lake until 6, then we went back for dinner. I can't wait for tomorrow!

“I wonder who she is.” she thought as she let out a yawn. She put the diary back into the drawer and closed her eyes. “I have plenty of time to read it. It's time for a nap.” It was the last thought that entered her mind before she drifted off to sleep.

*

Whole roast chicken, potato salad and onion soup had been prepared by the expert hands of Nelly when Kara made her way to the dinner table. She took her seat on one end of the rectangular table as the housekeeper set the table for a four-person dinner. Glancing through the window, she could see that her mom and grandmother were chatting on the front porch.

“Want me to call them, Miss Kara?” Nelly asked.

“No. Let's wait for them. I'm not that hungry.” As they waited, the diary she found in the bedroom suddenly aroused her curiosity. “Nelly, do you know who Julia Rollins is? I found her diary in the attic.”

“Of course, I do.” Nelly answered. “I used to play with the Rollins' kids. They used to live here before your grandparents bought it forty five years ago right after they got married.”

“She wrote that her grandmother made very nice cupcakes.

“Her cupcakes were just as good as your grandmother's.” Nelly looked at her mistress' granddaughter intently and asked “Miss Kara, you don't seem happy seeing your grandmother. May I ask why?”

“I'm supposed to go to Los Angeles with a bunch of friends, Nelly.” Kara explained. “This is our summer together. Next year everyone will be off to college.”

“Last summer with your friends?” Nelly paused to think about something. “Miss Kara, maybe you should know...”

The front door suddenly opened and the two women who were conversing on the porch entered.

“Looks like dinner's ready!” Sarah exclaimed.

“Nelly makes the best onion soup.” said her mother. “Isn't that right, Nelly?”

“You're just flattering me ma'am.” The housekeeper blushed. “If you or Kara want me to make a specific meal, please let me know.” She said to Sarah.

“It's okay Nelly. Kara and I will cook tomorrow. Won't we, Kara?” Sarah winked at her daughter, only to be responded with a frown. “Okay, I'm starving. Let's eat.”

*

Sarah Tanner laughed out loud as she finished her last piece of the potato salad. “That is so funny! I never got bored of the story.”

“It's not funny. It's embarrassing.” Kara expressed her differing opinion. “I don't want you to tell it again.”

“Okay, dear. I promise. But it was a long time ago. You should be able to laugh at it now.” Her grandmother laughed. “I should retire now to my bedroom now. You're welcome there anytime dear. I want to listen to your stories.” The elderly woman wheeled her chair into the bedroom.

Sarah picked up her dishes and brought them to the kitchen, followed by her daughter. As she looked around the kitchen, an idea suddenly entered her head. “Nelly, what time does my mom usually wake up?”

“She usually wakes up at 6, ma'am.” answered Nelly while washing the dishes.

“Let me help you with that.” Sarah grabbed a dirty plate and started to pour warm water on it. “I think we should surprise grandma by preparing breakfast tomorrow. What do you think, Kara? Can you wake up at 5 and help me make breakfast?”

Kara thought for several seconds but answered negatively. “Not tomorrow, mom. I don't feel like it.”

“You don't seem well. Are you okay?” Sarah asked her daughter.

“I'm fine. If you don't need me here, I want to get back to my room.” With those words, she left the kitchen and headed to the attic.

Kara had barely reached her bed when the bedroom door suddenly opened. Her mother had followed her into the room with a noticeable change of mood.

“What is the matter with you, Kara!” Sarah said with a scolding tone. “I took you here so you can spend some time with your grandmother!”

“I had made other plans, mom!” answered Kara with an equally high tone. “Next summer we'll be off to college. This is the last time I can spend summer together with my friends.”

“If you really don't want to be here, you can take the bus tomorrow morning and go home!” The usually composed mother stormed off the room, leaving Kara alone and unhappy.

“Whatever,” she thought. “No book, no DVDs, no entertainment. Maybe I should go home tomorrow.” She closed her eyes trying to fall asleep but her earlier nap had made her eyes unwilling to comply to her intention. After thirty minutes, she gave up and picked up her cellphone. 1 new message. “It must've been sent while we were eating.” She quickly opened her inbox to retrieve the message.

“Hey Kara! We're in Disneyland! Do you want anything? We're going to shop now. Text us back!”

Disgruntled, she threw her cellphone into her bag. “All I want is to be there with you guys.” She looked around the room looking for something to do. Seeing no other choice, she picked up the diary and continued reading.

June 12.
Dear Diary,

I'm sorry I didn't write yesterday. Grandma suddenly got ill and we had to take her to the hospital. She looked very pale and weak. We didn't do much but sat by her side. Dr. Kendricks said we have to prepare for the worst. We're all praying and hoping for her recovery. Today was more or less the same. She's not getting better. I'm so afraid. I don't want to lose her. I will miss her cupcakes. I will miss her cheerfulness. I will miss spending my summer with her. Pray with me diary. Please.....

“Doctor?” Suddenly the story in the diary felt closer to home. “Didn't mom say something about a doctor treating grandma? Could it be?” Suddenly something new filled her very soul. Concern had replaced resentment. “What if grandma is ill like her grandmother?”

June 13.
Dear Diary,

It's the saddest day of my life. Grandma passed away this morning. My brother and I couldn't stop crying. My mother said we shouldn't be sad for too long. Instead, we should remember the memories. The happy memories of spending time together every summer at the lodge. Remember her advice, her food, her laugh. Harder said than done. But I know we have to try. This is what grandma would've wanted us to do.

Julia's words struck her heart as if they were talking straight to her. The feeling of anger at being forced to change her summer plans had completely gone, replace by guilt. Memories of her own grandmother started to fill her head. “She sounded very sad when her grandmother died. I still had mine. Why am I so selfish? I should cherish every moment while she's still alive.” She immediately got up and headed straight down. She had an apology to make.

*

The clock showed 6 o'clock when the smell of maple syrup and corned beef hash filled the log house. As Nelly pushed her mistress' wheelchair to the dining room, Sarah and her daughter had been busy preparing the table.

“Did you make breakfast already, Nelly?” asked the old woman.

“No, ma'am.” she answered. “Our guests made the breakfast.”

“Oh, you two shouldn't have bothered. We have Nelly.”

“We wanted to do something nice. Besides, we woke up really early and couldn't get back to sleep so, we decided to make breakfast.” Sarah said.

“Look, grandma! I can make pancakes now.” Kara said excitedly. “Just like you taught me.”

“That's wonderful, dear. I'm glad you feel happier today.”

“I'm sorry for yesterday, grandma. I would love to spend this summer with you. Why don't we go to that lake this afternoon.” Kara suddenly remembered the lake that Julia wrote in the diary. “I heard it's very beautiful.”

“That's a wonderful idea, dear.” Her grandmother said as the whole family prepared to spend the first day of summer together.

Sunset

“Come on, guys! Let's just continue tomorrow.” I slammed the computer mouse on the desk. “It's been eight hours.”

“It's due next friday, Greg.” The tall guy sitting to my left said. “We're not even halfway through this assignment.”

“Tom's right. We need to keep working,” said the other member of our workgroup.

“If you two want to keep working, go ahead. I'm going to take a break.” I grabbed my wallet and car key and walked out of the computer lab. “I'll be back in an hour.”

The final assignment for that summer programming class was a killer. We had to create a Visual Basic application using all the concepts we have learned in the class. It looked simple enough except for one thing: the three of us knew nothing about programming. We took the class because we had nothing to do all summer and thought it would be fun to take a programming class. As I drove my car away from the campus, I started to regret that decision. What kind of idiots took a programming class for fun? The classes were boring and we did not understand completely what the teacher talked about. Anyway, I decided to get some coffee in the Palisades Mall. The open air mall located next to the campus of Summertown College was my favorite place to hang out, shop or just relax. That day, all I wanted was some coffee.

While there were several coffee shops in the mall, my favorite was a cozy cafe located on the side of the mall facing the campus. It's called 'The Lost Java'. The barista on duty that day was Mr. Cooper, a nice old man who had been working there for as long as I remember. He already knew what I wanted since i always had the same thing.

“Hey, Greg! The usual?” He asked rhetorically.

“Yes, please.”

“Coming right up.”

I took my vanilla latte and went outside to the patio. After about 15 seconds, my body protested that decision by shivering wildly. I went back in, grabbed a newspaper from the nearby rack and sat in a table overlooking the counter. Finally, after hours of working, I could rest and relax for a while.

While I was reading the paper, the cafe suddenly went brighter and warmer. I lifted my head and looked around and saw a woman ordering a drink on the counter. She was wearing a yellow t-shirt so bright that I thought the sun had decided to rise right then and there. She was, in one word, stunning. I found my eyes locked onto her for several seconds. I didn't know what it was. Was it her eyes? Her smile? I wondered what she was ordering. Maybe a mocha to match her sweetness. Was it for here or to go? Please have it here. I wished silently as if I was trying to control her mind. She turned towards me. Was the mind control working? No, of course not. She looked at me for one second and walked away. Oh well. Couldn't hurt to try. I dismissed her from my mind and got back to my paper and coffee.

After about thirty minutes, I left the cafe and started to walk around the mall. It was something I usually do when I had nothing to do but didn't feel like going home. I passed by a music store and saw a CD of The Beatles in Jazz. It looked interesting enough for me to check it out. Lucky for me, that CD was a featured item that week and it was available to preview. I put on the headphone on one of the CD players the store had installed for previewing songs. As I was listening to the song 'Here Comes The Sun', I felt someone bumping into me.

“Excuse me. I'm sorry,” said a female voice.

I looked up and took off my headphone. Lo and behold! The sun girl

I went after her. I didn't know what made me do it. Somehow, she beckoned me to follow her. Like a fading flower looking for the sun, I was drawn to her. I had no control. My feet took me to the east side of the mall, where all the restaurants were. Suddenly, I lost her track.

I looked around trying to find her. The only way out of the area was back where she came from. She must have gone into one of the restaurants. Seven restaurants lined up in a semi-circular shape. Which one did she go into?

The first one to my left was a sushi restaurant. A giant circular belt ran around carrying colorful plates of various sushi dishes. At the moment, the only color I cared about was yellow. My eyes scanned every customer looking for that specific color. Red, white, blue. No yellow. She wasn't in there.

Next to the sushi bar, a giant red, white and green flag welcome customers to Del Mare restaurant. Judging from the flag and the name, it had to be an Italian restaurant. For some reason, the manager decided to make his restaurant the brightest among all the restaurants in the area by turning on every single light available. I saw someone wearing yellow inside. It was her, sitting in a table with her bright yellow shirt, brighter than any light the restaurant had on. She was sitting...not alone. She was not alone. A man sat across her. He was holding her hands. Suddenly, she was not so bright anymore. I stood there for several seconds, then turned away.

*

The next morning, I tried to forget she ever existed and went to class as usual. As I was shifting through the textbooks in my locker, I saw her appearing out of the corner at the end of the hallway. I couldn't take my eyes off of her as she moved closer and closer. She was wearing a kinda gloomy red blouse. I didn't realize that she was also staring at me.

“Do I know you?” She asked.

“Oh, I'm sorry.” Startled, I started making up an excuse. “We met in the music store last night.”

“Oh yeah,” she replied. “I'm sorry again for bumping into you. I didn't mean it.”

“It's okay. I saw you later that night in the Italian restaurant.”

“Yes. I love the lasagna there. Did you have dinner there as well?”

“No, I was just passing by. I was, uh...” What would be a better excuse than 'I was staring at you the whole time?' “I was looking at the menu in front of the restaurant and saw you inside. I thought that yellow t-shirt was really nice.”

“Oh. I love that T-shirt. My boyfriend got it for me for my birthday.”

Boyfriend? So that man sitting with her last night was... “Do you have class here?” I tried to change the subject.

“No, I'm not a student here. I'm just waiting for my boyfriend.” She then waved towards someone behind me. “There he is. Hey, Martin!”

I turned around and true enough, it was the same guy I saw with her. He put his arm around her. “Ready to go, Margaret?”

“Yes.” She looked at me and smiled. “Nice talking to you.”

I just smiled back. There was nothing else to say. I watched them slowly disappeared from my sight like a sunset. I turned back to my locker and resumed my daily life as if nothing had happened.

Pemain Sepakbola Yang Sombong

"Apa? Kenapa ditolak?!" Michael Pratama menggebrak meja dengan geram.

"Maaf, Michael. Kamu masih dibutuhkan di tim Surabaya Elang. Sebagai pencetak gol musim lalu, kamu terlalu penting dan tidak mungkin kami lepas ke tim saingan seperti Jakarta Harimau." Pak Syarifudin, manajer tim Surabaya Elang, mencoba menjelaskan kepada Michael. "Lagipula, kamu telah menanda tangani kontrak sampai dua tahun kedepan. Kami berhak untuk tidak menerima tawaran transfer dari tim lain."

"Pak Syarifudin benar. Seharusnya kamu lebih loyal terhadap tim dan rekan-rekan satu tim." Jonny Rustaman, pelatih kepala tim, menambahkan.

"Saya ini pencetak gol terbanyak dua tahun berturut-turut. Saya terlalu bagus untuk tim Surabaya Elang yang setiap tahun hanya mampu menduduki papan tengah. Saya ingin ditransfer ke Jakarta Harimau sebelum kompetisi liga mulai minggu depan. Permisi." Dengan bergegas, Michael meninggalkan ruangan kantor manajemen tim sepakbola Surabaya Elang.

"Susah sekali berurusan dengan pemain itu." Pak Syarifudin hanya bisa geleng-geleng kepala.

"Saya tidak suka ada pemain seperti itu di tim saya. Biar dia itu pencetak gol terbanyak, karakter dia sangat mengganggu keharmonisan tim. Lebih baik ditransfer saja." Sang pelatih juga tampak tidak senang dengan sikap Michael.

"Kita tidak bisa mengabulkan begitu saja permintaannya. Ini bisa menjadi preseden buruk. Kalau kita biarkan, pemain lain di seluruh liga juga akan ikut-ikutan. Seakan-akan, kontrak tidak ada artinya. Saya akan memikirkan penyelesaiannya sebelum kompetisi mulai."

*

Michael Pratama berjalan meninggalkan Stadion Pahlawan menuju tempat parkir. Saat mendekati mobil Toyota Supra miliknya, beberapa wartawan tabloid olah raga telah menunggu dengan amunisi pertanyaan-pertanyaan seputar gosip transfer yang biasa terjadi beberapa minggu sebelum kompetisi dimulai.

"Michael, ada gosip bahwa anda akan pindah ke Jakarta Harimau dalam beberapa hari kedepan. Apa benar?" Pertanyaan diluncurkan oleh seorang wartawan tabloid 'Bola itu Bundar'.

Michael berpikir sejenak, kemudian menjawab. "Sudah menjadi keinginan saya untuk bergabung dengan tim yang mampu bersaing di papan atas seperti Jakarta Harimau. Saya merasa tim Surabaya Elang tidak mampu memberikan apa yang saya mau. Saya berharap manajemen tim mengizinkan saya untuk pindah ke Jakarta. Maaf, saya harus pergi." Beberapa pertanyaan dari wartawan lain tidak dihiraukannya. Michael langsung memacukan mobilnya menjauhi stadion. Sebenarnya, dia senang dengan perhatian wartawan terhadap dirinya. Bermain di Surabaya Elang membuat namanya terkenal di lingkungan pencinta sepakbola.

Liga Sepakbola Profesional dibentuk 10 tahun yang lalu dan terdiri dari dua divisi, dengan 20 kesebelasan di tiap divisi. Jakarta merupakan satu-satunya kota yang mempunyai dua kesebelasan: kesebelasan Jakarta Harimau di divisi satu dan kesebelasan Jakarta Bangau di divisi dua. Michael sendiri memulai karirnya 4 tahun lalu di kesebelasan divisi dua Pontianak Orangutan. Setelah dua tahun menjadi top scorer divisi dua, dia pindah ke Surabaya Elang. Disitu pun dia berhasil menjadi top scorer. Sayang, ketajamannya dalam mencetak gol tidak didukung oleh lini belakang tim yang rapuh sehingga tim ini hanya mampu menempati papan tengah selama dua tahun terakhir. Kesuksesannya menjebloskan bola ke gawang lawan telah membuatnya menjadi target utama tim-tim lain. Bahkan, beberapa tim dari luar negeri ingin mengambil pemain berusia 25 tahun itu. Sampai saat ini, tim Surabaya Elang masih dapat mempertahankan pemain bintangnya.

Sesampai di apartemen mewahnya, yang merupakan hadiah dari tim Surabaya Elang saat dia bergabung, Michael langsung mengambil tabloid 'Bola itu Bundar' edisi terbaru. Seperti tahun-tahun sebelumnya tabloid itu memuat preview kompetisi liga seminggu sebelum dimulai. Melihat perkiraan klasmen akhir, muka Michael berubah menjadi masam. Jakarta Harimau, yang merupakan juara bertahan tiga tahun berturut-turut, diprediksi untuk menjadi juara lagi sedangkan Surabaya Elang hanya diperkirakaan menempati posisi kesembilan di akhir kompetisi. Dihalaman berikutnya satu artikel menarik perhatiannya. Ia mulai membaca dengan seksama:

Gosip Transfer Pemain:
Budi Budiman (Kiper) - Jakarta Bangau ke Medan Singa
Muhammad Sulaiman (Penyerang) - Bandung Macan ke Makassar Hiu
I Gusti Mayor (Gelandang) - Denpasar Kuda ke Bandung Macan
Michael Pratama (Penyerang) - Surabaya Elang ke Jakarta Harimau

Dengan kesal, Michael melempar tabloid itu ke tong sampah. Dengan telepon genggamnya, dia menelpon agennya, Joko Suparman.

"Halo, Pak Joko, tolong negosiasikan dengan tim Surabaya bahwa saya ingin ditransfer ke Jakarta dalam minggu ini."

"Michael, keputusan terakhir ada di tangan tim. Kamu masih di bawah kontrak mereka. Kalau mereka tidak mau melepas, kita tidak bisa berbuat apa-apa."

"Saya tidak mau tahu! Katakan kepada mereka kalau tidak dilepas, saya akan bermain asal-asalan supaya tim jelek ini turun ke divisi dua!"

"Saya akan bicara lagi dengan mereka. Tapi saya tidak bisa menjanjikan apa-apa."

"Kalau kamu tidak berhasil, kamu saya pecat!"

Michael langsung mematikan teleponnya dan berjalan menuju dapur untuk menyiapkan makan siang.

*

Keesokan harinya, agen Joko Suparman menemui manajer dan pelatih tim Surabaya Elang untuk mendiskusikan masalah transfer Michael. Joko menceritakan percakapannya dengan Michael di telepon.

"Dia berkata seperti itu?" Pak Syarifudin seakan tidak percaya dengan cerita Pak Joko.

"Tidak ada pilihan lain. Dia harus keluar dari tim." Pelatih Jonny Rustaman terdengar marah. "Sangat tidak profesional sekali. Kemarin dia juga berbicara kepada wartawan bahwa dia ingin pindah ke Jakarta."

"Kemarin saya juga menerima tawaran transfer lagi dari Jakarta. Kalau dia mau pindah ke Jakarta, kita kabulkan saja permintaannya. Ayo kita berbicara di dalam." Pak Syarifudin mengajak Pak Joko dan Pak Jonny ke dalam kantornya untuk membicarakan transfer Michael ke Jakarta.

*

Sorenya, Michael menerima telepon dari agennya.

"Halo, Pak Joko? Bagaimana?"

"Kabar baik, Michael. Pak Syarifudin telah setuju untuk melepas kamu ke Jakarta. Kontrak dari tim Jakarta juga sudah disiapkan. 4 tahun dengan gaji sama dengan yang kamu terima sekarang. Mereka juga akan memberikan mobil dan apartemen selama kamu di Jakarta"

"Oh, bagus itu. Apa saya harus ke Jakarta untuk menandatangani kontrak?"

"Tidak perlu Michael, manajemen tim Jakarta akan ke sini besok. Setelah menandatangani kontraknya, kamu punya waktu satu hari untuk bersiap-siap ke Jakarta. Biaya perjalanan ditanggung mereka."

"Ok ok. Terima kasih Pak Joko."

Michael sangat senang mendengar berita itu. Impiannya untuk menjadi juara liga akan dapat dicapainya dengan tim Jakarta Harimau. Bahkan dia sudah tidak sabar untuk bermain melawan Surabaya Elang dan mencetak gol sebanyak-banyaknya untuk membuktikan bahwa dia terlalu bagus untuk tim ini.

*

Pagi-pagi, Michael sudah dijemput oleh Joko Suparman untuk bertemu dengan manajemen tim dari Jakarta. Dia memang sudah siap sejak pagi karena tidak bisa tidur memikirkan bermain bersama tim Jakarta Harimau. Nomor punggung berapa yang akan dia terima? Dia berharap dapat memakai nomor 9 seperti di Surabaya.

"Michael, sebelum kita bertemu dengan mereka, saya ingin beritahukan kalau saya akan pensiun menjadi agen sepak bola." Pak Joko tiba-tiba mengabarkan sesuatu kepada Michael.

"Pensiun? Kok tiba-tiba sekali? Saya bagaimana dong?"

"Pemain seperti anda pasti tidak akan kesulitan mendapatkan agen baru."

"Oh, ya sudah kalau begitu."

Lima menit kemudian, mereka telah tiba di tempat yang sudah dijanjikan. Dua orang sudah menunggu mereka.

"Michael, ini Pak Suparjo dan Pak Doni, manajer tim Jakarta dan asistennya." Pak Joko memperkenalkan Michael kepada dua orang itu. "Saya ke kamar kecil dulu, Michael. Permisi."

"Michael, kami senang sekali kamu mau bergabung dengan kami." Pak Suparjo menjabat tangan Michael dengan penuh semangat. "Kontrak sudah kami siapkan. 4 tahun dengan gaji yang sama dengan gaji kamu sekarang. Tinggal kamu tanda-tangani di sini."

"Pak Suparjo, sudah menjadi impian saya untuk bermain di Jakarta." Michael mengambil pena yang sudah disiapkan dan membubuhi tanda-tangannya di tempat yang ditentukan. "Kapan saya bisa ke Jakarta?"

"Transport dan akomodasi sudah kami siapkan. Besok pagi kita berangkat ke Jakarta. Selamat bergabung dengan tim Jakarta Bangau."

"Apa?" Michael merasa pendengarannya salah. "Jakarta Bangau?"

"Kami senang sekali pemain sekelas anda mau bergabung dengan tim kecil seperti kami. Pertandingan pertama adalah pertandingan divisi dua melawan Lampung Gajah. Semoga sukses, Michael."

Don't Call Me Lainy

Elaine. That's my name and that's what I like to be called. I hate when people try to be cute and make change to it. There was this one guy. His name is Danny. Ugh! Do you know what he used to call me? Lainy. Yeah. He used to call me Lainy. And I hate it. What kind of a name is that? It's just...I don't know. Weird! Anyway, this guy had been calling me that since the beginning of the school year. If you want to know what happened, listen up!

*

First, a little background. I'm freshman at Summertown High. That's not important though. What important is I'm a fencer. Not a professional one of course, but I joined the school's fencing team. Why fencing? I just thought it's cool. I get to swing a sword and have a swordfight with other people. Cool, huh? Just like that Johnny Depp pirate movie. There are 15 students in the team but only 2 are freshmen. Can you guess who the other freshman is? Yeah, it's Danny.

Anyway, it was the beginning of the spring semester and I've ready for another fencing practice. I was kinda late so I was hurrying my pace trying to get to the gym. Right before I entered the gym, I heard him.

“Lainy! Wait up!”

Aargh! I could feel blood rushing up my head. “Danny, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me that!”

“Oh, come on, Lainy! It's a cute name!”

Cute? I lifted my right foot and gave him a swift kick on the shin. “Now, THAT'S cute!” I left him grimacing and went into the gym.

“Lainy, that hurts!”

I ignored him and approached a group of people at the end of the gym. They were the fencing team of Summertown High. We had a head coach named Coach Green. Unlike the other coaches in the school, he was actually fit and did not have a beer belly. I liked him. He was patient, especially with me and Danny and made sure we mastered all the basic technique. He wanted to hire an assistant but the school would not let him because of budget issue so the seniors helped out with our training. We're not exactly the most successful sports team in the school so, ah well, maybe i'll change that in 2 or 3 years. Anyway, that day, the coach had an important announcement.

"Alright everyone!" Coach Green said with his deep voice, "In two months, the California High School Fencing Championship will be held at West Orange High School. As always, all High School fencers are welcome to attend. Anyone interested can register through me."

"Will all 3 weapons be contested, coach?" Shaana, a transfer student from Colorado, asked. I heard she was the top fencer in her old school but had to move with her family.

"Yes. Foil, epee and sabre. Although, we don't really have a sabre fencer here." Coach Green looked around. "Noone's really interested in it."

"Hey, coach, can I switch to Epee next year?" I asked. Not that I didn't like foil. I just thought the epee was cooler and didn't scream “beginner!” if you know what I meant. Foil was usually the first weapon that a beginner fencer learns.

"You haven't even mastered the foil, Lainy," sneered Danny. "I think the epee is a bit out of your league."

I glared at her him. "Neither have you!"

"I'm not the one wanting to switch to epee."

"Okay, stop it, you too." The coach stopped us. "We are going to prepare for the competition." He grabbed his Nike sports bag, and retrieved a black magician hat from it.

"We're going to do magic?" Asked Roger, a senior fencer who lost in the quarter-finals in the previous competition. I chuckeld. Roger was always the funny guy. The Michaelangelo of the team.

"Yes, Roger. You definitely need some magic if you want to get a medal in the competition," remarked his coach, which caused all of us to laugh. Nah, I take that back. Coach Green's the Michaelangelo of the team. “We're going to have a mini competition of our own. Each class will have it's own competition so we'll have four different competition.”

"Aww, I was hoping I could spar with the seniors." Danny said half jokingly.

"Danny, you can't even beat me. How could you hope to beat the seniors?" I couldn't stand his braggings anymore.

"Who said I can't beat you?" Danny replied. “You better hope you don't have to face me.”

“Actually,” Coach Green interrupted. “Since you two are the only freshmen, you will face each other for the title of best freshman in the team.”

I liked that idea. I was glad I didn't have to face any seniors before I got to Danny.

“Ah. Okay, then. Lainy, you're going down!”

By then, I was completely numb from all his nonsense so I just ignored him. I had a chance to shut him up and I intended to use it.

“Your match is next tuesday. The seniors will be judging, so be prepared. We'll have a draw for the other three classes.” The happy-go-lucky coach proceeded to put several pieces of paper into the hat. “Oh, before I forget, all 4 winners will receive a prize.”

“What's the prize?” I heard Roger asked.

“Free dinner at Juan's.”

That particular announcement was greeted enthusiastically by every member of the team, including me. Juan's is the best Mexican restaurant in Summertown. It wasn't good, it was FANTASTIC! It surely gave everyone an extra incentive to win the tournament. Anyway, I didn't really follow the draw for the other three classes. I was to preoccupied with my own match with Danny. I knew I couldn't afford to lose.

*

The cool thing about our school was that they let us use the gym on Saturday. I had asked Stan, a senior in the team, to practice with me that day. There was one technique in particular that I wanted to learn. It was something that Coach Green refused to teach freshmen like us. I arrived at the gym early in the morning and found a group of cheerleaders practicing. Stan was at the back, apparently busy with our fencing equipment.

“Hey Stan! What are you doing?”

“Oh, hey Elaine! I'm counting our equipment. We might be missing an epee.” He had laid out the different weapons and gear and was sorting them out.

“I thought we count them after every practice.”

“We do. Maybe the coach took it. Anyway, they should be done in ten minutes.” Stan returned the weapons to their designated storage and observed the cheerleaders.

“Don't we have this place booked?”

“They've had it for an hour. They should've been done by now. I guess they went overtime.” He took a fencing jacket and threw it at me. “I guess we can warm up first.”

After waiting for the cheerleaders to finish, I stated my intention.

“You want to learn the Fleche?” Stan asked.

“It's the one technique we haven't learn. I want to have every advantage I can have for our match.”

“Hmm.” Stan paused for a moment. “It's against the coach's wish but, sure! Why not?”

“Yay! Thanks, Stan!”

In fencing, the two fencers usually duel each other from their own side, rarely passing each other. The Fleche, meaning 'arrow' in French, is the only attacking manouver that would take one fencer pass the opponenet. In simple words, it's a running attack with the blade pointed towards the other guy. I intended to use it against Danny.

“Remember. If you miss, he will have a free shot at you.”

“Got it!”

We spent thirty minutes practicing the Fleche. From the basic movement, to pulling it off in the heat of the match. It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be, but I thought I could get the hang of it. After that, we reviewed all the basic stuff. After all, I could not rely on just one technique. We had several practice matches where I tried using the Fleche, but Stan wasn't too impressed.

“Elaine, you were too obvious. Anyone could see that Fleche coming.”

“Sorry. I tried to mask it.”

“If in doubt, don't do it. Stick with the basic.”

“Okay, one more bout.” I started tiring and wanted to finish the practice session. I thought I was ready at that point. But when I was about to resume practice...

“Lainy! Getting an extra practice?”

Argh! I couldn't believe he showed up. Was he spying on me?

“Danny! What are you doing here?” I immediately walked to him, weapon still in hand. He ignored me and walked towards the storage area.

“I was thinking of getting a little extra practice myself.” He grabbed a foil and started swinging.

“We have this place booked. Wait your turn.”

“Actually, Lainy, the fencing team has this place booked so I have every right to be here.” He put on his fencing gear and started to stretch his legs.

“Enough! Don't call me Lainy!” I swung my foil towards his legs but he blocked it with his own.

“Okay! How about this.” Danny pointed his foil towards my face. “If you win, I will stop calling you Lainy. But if I win, you can't get mad if I call you that.”

I beat his foil to the side. “Fine!” I started thrusting and swinging my foil at him while he desparately parried every single attack. “When it's all over, you will learn how to treat girls with respect.”

Danny retreated towards the middle of the gym. “Hey, hey! What's the matter with you?”

I didn't relent and continued attacking him. He finally got sick of defending and fought back. I had been waiting for this. An all out, epic duel, no holds barred, and none of the restrictive rule of foil-fencing. We swung, thrusted and parried at each other. The sound of steel banging against each other filled the indoor gymnasium building. Seeing that neither of us could get the upper hand. I feigned retreat towards the back. Danny chased me there and thought he had me cornered. But I had another plan. I switched the foil to my left hand, and grabbed an epee with my right. I planned to overwhelm him with two weapons.

“Hey, wait a minute. You can't do that.” Danny started to back off.

“Yes, I can.” I started attacking again, managing to hit him several times as he could not block two blades with one.

“Enough! Elaine. Stand down.” Stan decided to step in and stopped the imminent bloodshed. “Settle this on Tuesday.”

I complied. I made my statement. I would not hold anything back on Tuesday. Deciding to end the practice early, I took off my fencing gear and grabbed my bag.

“I'm off. Thanks, Stan.” As I passed by Danny, I issued the final challenge. “You're going down, Danny.” Then I left. I felt good about my preparation. It's the waiting that had become the hardest part.

*

Before we get into the action, let me explain a few things. For foil, the target area is the torso, front and back. A hit on any of the four limbs doesn't count. The torso is divided into four areas. Above the bellguard and to the inside of the front arm, it's the 'four' area. For a right hander, that's the upper-left part of your torso. The upper-right is the 'six' area. The lower-left is the 'seven' and the lower-right is the 'eight'. Got it? Just reverse left and right for left hander. Okay, let's finish the story. It's just about to get good!

*

Finally. The long-awaited Tuesday had arrived. I arrived at the gym early to warm up and found that almost everyone in the team was already there. They were all staring at a piece of paper posted on the bulletin board. It was the order of play for today. There would be matches for the other classes and my match with Danny would be the main event for the evening. That wasn't ideal for me as I was really roaring to go and waiting would just get me nervous. Anyway, Danny arrived later and we didn't really talk until our match.

While waiting, I tried to watch the other matches and picked up a few strategies but I couldn't really focus. I just wanted my match to start as soon as possible. After waiting for almost an hour, Coach Green finally called us for our match. I grabbed my foil and mask and headed towards the piste, which is the narrow strip where fencing matches take place.

I stood on my side of the piste, foil unseathed. Across, I saw Danny with his eyes focused on me. I was wondering if he was nervous. I raised my foil to salute him and he did the same. I didn't really want to do that but it's the custom for two fencers to salute each other before a match.

“Okay, as usual, it's a race to 5 points with a three minute time limit. If the score is tied after three minutes, there will be a sudden death overtime.”

I looked at the coach, who refereed the match, and put on my mask. For some reason, it felt warmer than usual and I started to sweat. I couldn't wait to start and wished for the coach to give the green light. Finally, the word was given.

“En Garde! Ready! Go!”

I stepped forward and lunge towards his four immediately. Danny was there to parry the attack. I tried a different angle. From the outside this time. I feigned attack to his four, then pulled back and went for his six. Unfortunately, Danny was faster than I expected. He didn't buy the feign and parried my attack. In a quick move, he counted and hit me.

“Touch! Danny leads 1-0.”

Argh! I had to be more careful. When the match re-started, it was Danny who was more aggressive. He quickly launched a few attacks. I managed to parried them all but couldn't find an opening for a counter. Finally, Danny lunged just a bit too far and he went off balance. I took advantage and attacked his four succesfully after beating his blade away. 1-1.

Danny seemed a bit irritated by that and again was aggressive in his approach. I decided not to sit back this time and tried to press myself. We beat each other's blade back and forth for several seconds. I decided to feign again. Aiming towards his four, I lunged forward and then changed the direction of my blade down to his seven. Score! 2-1.

Phew. I got my first lead. Danny didn't look happy but he seemed to keep his focus. I tried to use my momentum and went for the attack. He seemed to be holding his blade closer to the center, guarding his four and seven. I tried to launch several attacks in those areas and true enough, he parried all of them. His guard stance left an opening on his six so I decided to attack him there. As soon as I lunged, he parried my blade with a stronger force than usual. I was taken by surprise and his parry flunged my right arm away, leaving me unbalanced. He took advantage and scored easily. 2-2.

That one surprised me. I guess I just had to hold it stronger. The next point would be very important. I decided to be more defensive, stepping back to inivite him to come forward. He tried several attacks, focusing on my four. I managed to parried them away, and it seemed to make him uncertain on how to proceed. Sensing his indecision, I made my move. I beat his blade to hard to the side and attacked his four. He moved his blade to parry, but I slid mine under his and attacked his six instead. That's a touch! 3-2 to me.

Sensing a momentum swing, I decided to end this quickly. Just two more points. I pressed him hard, stepping forward and forcing him back. He stood firm near his end and suddenly started to move forward. I retreated hastily. Too hastily. As I moved my feet to retreat, I felt a sudden pain on my left ankle and lost my balance. Danny took advantage to tie the match. 3-3.

“Argh!” I let out a scream as the pain on my ankle intensified. I was quickly surrounded by everyone in the team.

“Are you okay, Elaine?” I heard the coach's voice.

“I'm fine.” I was not going to let him or anyone stop the match.

“Are you sure, Lainy?”

“I'm fine!” I got up and decided right then and there that it would be the last time he called me that. It was just a minor injury and i wouldn't throw the match oever something like that.

“Okay then. 3-3. En Garde! Ready! Go!”

I had to end the match quickly before the pain became unbearable. I tried taking small steps forward. It didn't hurt much so maybe it was nothing. As soon as tried lunging, however, the pain came back. I lost focus for awhile and Danny took advantage. 3-4.

Crunch time! Down 3-4, I had to win the next two points. Sweat was running down my head inside the mask. I needed a new plan. I decided not to lunge unless I absolutely sure it would win me a point. Two lunges, that's all I had. I had to make them count.

I had a plan. I had been practicing this move with Stan on Saturday and it was time to put it to use. When the match restarted, I relaxed my defense, trying to draw him to attack. He moved forward, I stepped back. That's it! He took the bait! He lunged towards my six. I was ready for it. I brought my blade across as if to parry his blade away to my right. But I circled under and parry it the other way, to his right. He didn't expect it and his blade went too far outside. A quick counter later, I've tied the match! 4-4.

Ah! The pain! It was almost unbearable at that point. Just one more. One more point to decide the match. I was so close. I wondered what to do. Same thing? No. He would anticipate it. Then, I decided. The Fleche. That would be the way to end it. I got one shot. If I missed, he would have an open shot at my back.

I tried to focus, waiting for an opening. The last bout made him hesitant to attack. I beat his blade a couple of times, testing his defense. I needed to open him up, take his blade away from center. So I made a few moves towards his six, without lunging. It seemed to have worked. He put his blade closer to his six. That's the opening I have been waiting for. His four is vulnerable. It had to be quick. One shot. I extended my arm and made my move. The Fleche...

*

And so, that's how the match ended. Oh, you wanted to know who won?

“Excuse me, miss. Here's your Beef Burrito.” A friendly latino man came over to serve my order.

“Thanks, Juan!” I took the plate from the restaurant's owner.

Well, let's just say Danny won't be calling me 'Lainy' again. Thanks for reading my story. If you would excuse me, I have a burrito to eat.

Jessica

Wednesday, April 9

Jessica sat on a chair next to the hospital bed. The fingers of her hands fiddled nervously. Her eyes showed the weariness of someone who had not slept much in days. In front of her lied an elderly woman. Her frail figure was attached to medical tubes and wires. She slept peacefully despite her rather heavy breath. Jessica reached for the old woman's right hand and held it tight with her own. With a heavy sigh, she closed her eyes.

"Don't worry too much. The doctor said mom will be fine."

Jessica looked to her right and smiled to the young man standing next to her. His presence that day had given her a much needed boost of strength. She didn't know if she could've last the day without him being there.

"I'm going home now," he said while looking at his watch. "I have to be ready for work in 6 hours so I'm going to need some sleep. Are you staying here again today?"

"Yes. Thank you for coming in today, Andrew. You, *cough*, really helped a lot."

"Hey, I'm her child as well. It's also my duty to take care of her. I think you need to get some sleep yourself. You look awfully tired."

"I will. Don't worry about me."

Jessica got up to send her brother out of the room and walked back slowly to her mother's side. Her eyes were running on reserves but she didn't feel like sleeping. It had been four days since she had proper sleep. Ever since her mother was admitted to the hospital, she had barely eaten and had only slept less than four hours a day. "I'm her only daughter," thought Jessica as she closed her eyes. "I have to be at her side all the time until she completely recovers." The incident that sent her mother into the room where they had stayed for three nights kept playing on her mind despite her best effort to block it.

***

Sunday, April 6

Jessica had to force herself to get out of the bed. Walking lazily towards the bathroom, she glanced towards the wall on the opposite side of the room where a clock hanged. "9.34. I shouldn't have partied till that late," thought Jessica. Her eyes felt heavy as she brushed her teeth. After washing her face, she walked out of her room and found her mother sipping on a cup of hot tea.

"Hi, mom! Good morning," said Jessica as she approached the dining table.

"Good morning, dear. What time did you come home this morning?"

"I think around 4 A.M. I'm sorry, mom. I should have come home early. I forgot I'm supposed to take you to the doctor today."

"It's okay dear. I just want you to take care of your own health." Jessica's mom got up her seat and kissed her daughter in the forehead. "I'll take a shower then we'll go to the doctor. Eat some breakfast before we go."

"Yes, mom. I'll get the car ready."

Jessica grabbed a croissant and started buttering its inside. She had her left hand pressed to her forehead as she was slowly consuming the croissant. Her head was spinning like a steam-powered turbine. As a free-spirited young woman, partying was a part of her life. Like today, she spent most Sundays trying to shake off the hangover from the previous night. Jessica grabbed a carton of orange juice and poured it onto an empty glass. As she was drinking, she started to feel guilty about staying out all night. "How am I supposed to drive like this?" She was about to get her car key when there was a sudden loud noise that almost made her jump. The noise came from the bathroom. Jessica felt her heart stop as she feared the worst. She quickly rushed to the bathroom and opened the door. What greeted her confirmed her worst fear. The sight of her mother unconscious sent her into panic.

"Mom!" Jessica knelt down next to her mother's lifeless body and started shaking her. "Mom, wake up! Oh God! She's not breathing!" With both hands, she pressed her mother's chest several times, followed by a breath to her mouth. "Mom, please wake up!" Jessica tried to apply CPR to her mother several more times but failed to produce the desired effect. Running out of option, she called out to her last hope, the only other occupant of the house.

"Andrew!!! Andrew!!!" Drawing every ounce of strength she had, she let out a desperate final scream. "Andrew!!!! Please help!!" The next fifteen seconds felt like an eternity as she waited for help. She desperately tried one last time to revive her mother. Two minutes had passed when the elderly woman finally let out a groan. A sigh of relief escaped Jessica's mouth as Andrew entered the bathroom.

"Mom! Oh, no. What happened?" Andrew's face tensed as he approached the two women.

"Andrew, we have to take mother to the hospital. She just collapsed. I...I don't know what happened."

"I'll drive. Help me get lift her."

Together, the siblings carried their mother to Andrew's SUV. Jessica rested her mother's head on her lap, her hand caressed the weak feature of her mother's face. "You'll be fine, mom. We're taking you to the hospital." Andrew's hand reached for a button located on the ceiling of his car to open the garage door and raced towards the nearest hospital.

***

Thursday, April 10

A sudden knock on the door caused Jessica to snap out of the realm of dream. She stretched her arms and body and turned towards the wall. "7 o'clock." Jessica got up and opened the door. A familiar face that she's been seeing in the past 3 days stood in front of the room with a wheel cart.

"Good morning, Miss Jessica." The short woman wearing a white uniform pushed her wheel cart into the room. "I brought today's breakfast for your mom and for you as well."

"It’s for me, nurse? That's unusual." Jessica looked at the nurse with puzzled eyes.

"Your brother asked me to bring you this." The nurse handed Jessica a paper bag. Jessica grabbed the bag and her right hand reached for the content.

"Sandwich and, *cough*, a bottle of milk. Thank you for bringing me this, Nurse Yumi."

"And this special honey from the doctor." Nurse Yumi put a small container of honey on Jessica's palm. "It's for your cough. You really should be taking better care of yourself. Let us take care of your mom."

"It's okay nurse. I want to be here," smiled Jessica as she opened the container and drank its content.

"Well, enjoy your breakfast. The doctor will check with you in about two hours." Nurse Yumi left the room and closed the door.

Jessica ate the sandwich that her brother ordered while she waited for her mom to wake up. She turned on the notebook PC that had been sitting on the desk for as long as they had been in the hospital. Being a freelance wedding photographer had allowed her to stay by her mom's side. She clicked on a folder that says "Rita's wedding, March 29." A screen full of wedding pictures appeared on the notebook screen. A smile formed involuntarily on her face as she browsed through them one by one. "I love this job," thought Jessica. "It feels good to be wanted, to be asked by other people to take pictures in their wedding. Although sometimes," Jessica let out a small sigh. "Sometimes being too wanted has its drawbacks." Jessica's mind wandered to an incident on Monday.

***

Monday, April 7

"Doctor Nicholas, how long must my mom stay in the hospital?" Jessica asked the tall middle-aged man wearing a long white coat as Nurse Yumi scribbled something on her clipboard.

"I will have to evaluate her condition in the next two days," replied the doctor. "But she should be okay. She has passed the critical stage of her illness."

Jessica put her bag on a sofa on the far side of the room and took a look around. The clean room felt like a hotel room with a television hanging on the wall across the bed. There was a bathroom near the door and a closet for storage. The sofa leaned against the side wall next to a window. Next to the sofa is a desk with two chairs for guests to sit in. "I guess this is where I'll be sleeping for the next few days," said Jessica to no one in particular.

"Jessica, you don't have to stay here. Nurse Yumi will take care of your mother. I don't want you to get sick," said Doctor Nicholas with a slight concern in his tone.

"I want to stay, doctor. She, *cough*, might need me here," insisted Jessica adamantly. She looked outside the window and saw a view of the hospital garden. She always liked being in a garden to relax and take pictures of everything in and surrounding the garden. However, this garden was different. Instead of happy children and relaxing parents, she saw crying children and concerned family members waiting on the news of their loved ones' health. Her mouth formed a sympathetic smile as she knew how exactly those people felt.

"If you insist, I can't stop you. I'm going to give you something for your cough." The doctor turned to Nurse Yumi. "Nurse, I have to check on another patient. Take care of both of them." He smiled to Jessica and said "I will see you again tomorrow. The nurse will take care of you." With those words, he left the room.

"If you need me, just press the button here," said Nurse Yumi as she showed Jessica a button next to the bed. "I'll come right over. I'll bring dinner at 6." She adjusted the bed one last time then she left the room. Jessica had just sat down in the sofa when she heard her mom calling.

"Jessica."

"Mom, you're awake." Jessica got up and stood next to the bed. "The doctor said you'll be fine but he didn't say when you can come home."

"If you want to go home, you can go home. You look tired."

"I'll stay here as long as you're here, mom. It's partly my fault. If I hadn't partied till late last Saturday, I could've taken you to the doctor earlier." Tears almost formed on her eyes as guilty feelings started to enter her mind.

"Don't blame yourself. The doctors can perform a full medical check-up on me in the hospital. If they find any other hidden illnesses, they have the chance to fix it until I'm as healthy as I can be."

"You still look weak, mom. You should get some rest. I'll turn on the TV." As Jessica reached for the remote, her cell phone rings. She grabbed her bag and took out the loudly ringing device. She looked quickly at the caller's name and pressed the talk button.

"Hi Rita!...Yes, my mom had been admitted to a recovery room...Sure, you can come over...Nah, you don't have to bring anything...Okay, it's room C on the second floor...Thanks, Rita. See you soon." Jessica smiled at her mom and turned on the television. "Rita's coming over mom."

"She's the one who got married two weeks ago? That's very nice of her."

"She probably wanted to see the progress of my work on her wedding pictures,” said Jessica half-jokingly. “I told her that I will be delayed in finishing..." Her sentence was cut off by another ringing from her cell phone. She looked at the caller's name and her smile instantly disappeared. "I have to take this outside. I'll be right back." Jessica left the room and answered the phone.

"Mrs. Tan...I'm sorry I forgot to tell you that I won't be able to work at your son's wedding this Saturday...My mom is sick. I need to take care of her...I know this is a very short notice..." The replies from the other side of the line had become louder and angrier. "I could refer you to another photographer...I appreciate that you want me to do the job but...Please understand, Mrs. Tan." Jessica tried to hold back her tears as Mrs. Tan's voice started to become unbearable. "I've always tried to be professional but this is an emergency...I didn't...How could I have known that my mom would get sick." Suddenly, Mrs. Tan's voice was replaced by a busy signal. Jessica had to restrain herself from throwing her cell phone across the hallway. She dropped effortlessly to the floor as if she was pushed down by a strong pair of hands and started crying. Three minutes had passed until she heard a friendly voice calling.

"What's wrong, Jessica? Why are you crying?"

Jessica, still sobbing, looked up and finally managed to smile. "Rita! Thank god you're here!" She got up and hugged her friend.

"Something happened to your mom?" Rita looked concern as she wiped Jessica's tear off her face.

"No. It's my next client. I'm supposed to work at her son's wedding this Saturday but I have to cancel. She didn't take it too well." Jessica had stopped crying and opened the door. "We better go in." Her hand motioned her friend to come into the room and Rita complied.

"Hello, Mrs. Bloom," said Rita as she walked towards the hospital bed. "Feeling better?"

"Thank you. You're Jessica's friend who got married two weeks ago?" The older woman turned towards her daughter. "Have you finished working on her pictures?"

"Ah, I'm sorry. I haven’t quite got them done." Jessica grabbed Rita's left arm and dragged her towards the desk. "Sit down. I'll show you the ones that are ready." She sat down on the chair next to Rita's and handed the external mouse to her friend. "Just double-click on the thumbnails to see the full picture."

"Wow. These are beautiful," exclaimed Rita as she clicked through her wedding's pictures. "You're a real professional, Jessica."

"Well, I guess my professionalism is ruined now," sighed Jessica as she slammed her back to the chair.

"Huh? Oh, Mrs. Tan?" Rita put her right arm around Jessica's shoulders. "You did the right thing. She's being unreasonable. Surely family is more important than work."

"Still, canceling a wedding job less than a week from the date is almost a capital crime. If she spreads the news..."

"If she spreads the news, tell your next client the truth," smiled Rita after interrupting her friend. "They'll understand and they will see you as someone who cares about her family."

Jessica smiled and gave Rita a big hug. "Thanks a lot, Rita. I wouldn't be able to handle this without you."

***

Thursday, April 10

Jessica's memory was interrupted when her mother woke up. Jessica shook her head to chase away her weariness and stood up towards the breakfast cart.

"Good morning, mom. The nurse just brought you breakfast." Jessica took off the lid of the wheel cart to reveal the mystery food. “It’s porridge again. Want me to get something else from the cafeteria?" Jessica asked while helping her mother to a glass of water.

"Yes. Go ahead, go to the cafeteria. You need some fresh air. Get some food for yourself." She put the glass of water and reached for the TV remote. "I'll watch the TV in the meantime."

"Call the nurse if you need anything. I'll be back." Jessica took out her wallet and her cell phone from her bag and waved to her mom as she walked out the door. As she was walking towards the elevator, she felt a vibration in her left hand. Jessica instinctively looked at her cell phone and saw an unexpected name calling her. Her expression changed from weariness to excitement in an instant. She almost dropped her cell phone as she fumbled through the buttons. She finally managed to press the talk button and screamed.

"Margaret!!! You're back from your trip! How was it? You're in the hospital lobby? How did you find out...Oh, you called my brother last night? Alright, I'll be right down! Meet me in the cafeteria." Jessica's pace fastened as if a hurricane was chasing her. She rode the elevator down to the first floor and ran to the cafeteria located to the left of the elevator. She turned her head left and right searching for the woman named Margaret. A waving hand at the far side of the cafe beckoned her to come closer. Jessica walked towards her with her arms wide open and gave her a big hug.

"How are you, cousin?! How was your trip? What are you doing here so early?"

"I woke up at five and couldn't sleep so I decided to come here and visit your mom."

"Hang on. I’m going to order some food for my mom." Jessica went over to the counter, ordered something and quickly came back to her seat. "What time did you arrive last night?"

"Our plane landed at nine then I called your house," said Margaret while sipping her coffee. "Your brother answered the phone and told me about your mother. What exactly happened?"

"It was last Sunday. She suddenly collapsed in the bathroom. She knocked a candle-holder to the floor and made a loud noise. I was so scared because she wasn't breathing. It took me about two minutes to revive her. Andrew helped me bring her here."

"She knocked a candle-holder? Wow. That's lucky. What if she hadn't knocked anything? No one would've come to her rescue."

Jessica paused and looked deeply at her cousin. "You're right. If I had not been alerted by the sound, she would've been unconscious without anyone noticing," she shook her head. "I couldn't imagine."

"Well, let's not think about it. You got through the worst part."

Again, Jessica looked intently at Margaret. "It wasn't the worst part."

"It wasn't?" There was a concerned tone to her question.

"The worst came later," Jessica sighed as she began her story.

***

Sunday, April 6

Despite the adequate air conditioning, the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) room felt like the ninth circle of hell to Jessica. Her mother was lying in the bed where she was attached to some random medical instruments. Jessica was sitting on a chair next to the bed, still shaken by her mother's sudden collapse that morning. Bored, she decided to look for her brother and Doctor Nicholas.

Jessica exited the room and headed towards the ICU entrance. Jessica saw her brother talking to the doctor near the reception near the entrance. The two men stopped their conversation when they saw her approaching them. Andrew waved towards his sister and showed her some paper.

"The doctor said mom has a weak heart. It's not regulating blood flow properly."

Jessica looked at the paperwork, trying to understand the numbers and the medical terms. "What is your suggestion, doctor?" Jessica handed the paper back to her brother as she asked the question.

"Your mother needs a pacemaker," replied the doctor. "Your brother said that she refused to use one?"

"Yes, another doctor had suggested a pacemaker but my mom didn't want to use one."

"I cannot force her to use it if she doesn't want to. But maybe you two can talk to her and convince her."

"I'll do that." Jessica turned to his brother. "Andrew, about the medical bill…"

"Don't worry about it. Her insurance covers most of it. I'll cover the rest." Andrew put his right hand on his sister's left shoulder. "You did well this morning. You're the reason she's still alive."

Jessica decided to respond with just a smile. "I better get back inside." Jessica entered the room where her mother was being treated. She sat down next to her mother as she started to feel sleepy. She was resting her eyes when she heard a warm voice talking to her.

"Are you going to stay here all night, miss?"

Jessica looked up and saw a nurse smiling at her. "Yes, I'm not going home tonight, or for the rest of the week. I'm staying here as long as my mom is here."

"Your mom must be proud to have a daughter like you." The nurse tapped Jessica's shoulder lightly and walked towards the cardiac monitor to check on the patient's heart rate. Suddenly the electronic signal in the monitor started to flatten and emitted a screeching sound. Jessica recognized the sound and started to panic when she looked towards the screen. It was as if the Grim Reaper himself taunting her and threatening to take her mother away. Jessica couldn't hold back any longer and let out a scream.

"Mom! No!" Jessica ran to the door, opened it and screamed on top of her lung. "Doctor! Andrew! Help! It's mother!"

The nurse acted quickly and grabbed the defibrillator. Doctor Nicholas and Andrew came running into the room.

"Andrew, Jessica, please leave the room. Leave this to us," said the doctor.

"No, I don't to leave! Mom!" Jessica cried as she tried to fight off her brother who was trying to drag her out of the room.

"Jessica, please let them do their job." Andrew finally managed to get his sister out of the room. He rested his sister's head on his shoulder. "There's nothing we can do. We just need to pray for our mom's recovery."

Jessica, still crying, could only look through the small window on the door and pray.

***

Thursday, April 10

"But she turned out okay, didn’t she?" Margaret sipped the last of her coffee and threw the paper glass to the garbage bin not far from their seat. It missed the target and ended on the floor. With a slight groan, Margaret got up her seat and disposed of the glass properly.

"Yes. It was a close call, though. Andrew and I never stopped praying the whole time."

"You went through a lot in the last four days. You must be very tired. Andrew said you didn't come home and slept here the whole time."

"It's very tiring but my mom's friends came visit us on Tuesday. They were nice enough to stay the whole day which give me a chance to get some sleep."

Their conversation was interrupted by the waiter who told Jessica that her order was ready. Jessica went to the counter and paid for the food. With paper bag in her hands, she waved to her cousin. "Let's go upstairs and see her. She can't wait to see you."

They walked back to Jessica's mother's room and found Doctor Nicholas talking to her. "Doctor?" A surprise tone accompanied her query. "I thought you wouldn't be here till later?"

"I have no patient to see before your mother so I decided to check in on her early." Doctor Nicholas saw Jessica carrying a bag of food and looked displeased. "Jessica, there's a reason why we provided our patients with our own food. We need to monitor the quality of food our patients are having."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I just thought..."

"I'm just kidding," chuckled the doctor. "If you don't mind, I would like to examine your mother now. There's a good chance she can go home tomorrow. Please wait outside, both of you."

"Okay! Thank you, doctor." Jessica waved to her mom. "See you later, mom!"

"See you later, dear. It’s nice to see you, Margaret!"

"It's nice to see you doing well, Auntie!" Margaret waved goodbye to her auntie and walked out the door with Jessica. "The doctor thinks she'll be okay."

"Let's hope so, Margaret!" Jessica smiled at her cousin and closed the door.

***

Thirty minutes had passed when Doctor Nicholas walked out of the room. Jessica stared at the doctor with a hopeful look in her eyes. He smiled at her and nodded lightly. "Your mother will make a full recovery. She still needs to rest and eat properly for the next seven days."

"That means... she can go home?"

"Yes, she can go home tomorrow morning."

"Oh, doctor! Thank you very much!" Jessica gave the doctor a quick hug. A happy smile finally formed on her face after four days of sleeplessness.

"Jessica, I'm just a doctor." He smiled back at Jessica. "You are the reason your mother got better. You are her ray of hope, her oasis in the desert. You revived her soul while I only revived her body. I have never seen such dedication by a daughter to her mother. Your mother must be very proud to have a daughter like you."

"In our family, we call Jessica our wild angel," added Margaret half jokingly.

"Margaret, don't tell him our family secret," laughed Jessica. "Thank you again, doctor, for everything."

"Come in. Your mom is waiting."

Jessica felt a heavy burden was lifted from her shoulder and she could feel her heart flying free like a bird. With a big smile on her face, she opened the door and stepped in to see her mother.