Dying Wish

by Margaret McHeyzer

  I go to roll off my bed, but the sudden tiredness is making me struggle to get up. “Do me a favor?” I say to Becky as she grabs our beach bags and heads for the door.

  “No, I will not stop calling him Mr. Sexy Pants,” she replies to my unasked plea. I swear that girl can read my mind.

  “Ugh,” I grumble and follow her out to the family room. “Mom,” I call as Becky reaches the door first and opens it for Elijah.

  Far out. My heart skips a beat as my pulse quickens through my veins. He’s standing at my door, in a pair of gray board shorts and a white t-shirt that clings to his muscled arms. He steals my breath away.

  “What is it, sweetheart?” Mom comes out of her bedroom looking at me. “Oh right, you’re ready to go.”

  “Not yet, we’re waiting on Laurie,” Becky adds. “He won’t be long.”

  “Have you got money?” Mom asks me and Becky. We both nod. “Beach towels?” We both nod again. “Sunscreen? Hats? A bottle of water?” We both nod again. “If you need to go to the bathroom, make sure you go together.”

  “I’ll look after them, Mrs. Brackman,” Elijah says.

  “I know you won’t let anything happen to them. But there’s certain things a Mom has to tell her girls.”

  “Yes, Ma’am.” He steps back and looks down.

  When Mom says ‘her girls’ Becky extends her arm around my waist and squeezes me. Becky loves my Mom, and it’s clear to anyone who knows us, which is the entire town, that Mom loves Becky. Mom even said she went to the store last week and they asked her how ‘the girls’ were. We have a tight family, and Becky is definitely a part of it.

  “What time do you think you’ll be back so I can get dinner started?” Mom asks the three of us.

  “What time would you like the girls back?” Elijah asks, falling innocently into the whole ‘Alice and Becky are your daughters’ thing.

  “I’ll start dinner at five, so no later than five-thirty,” she pointedly looks at Elijah.

  “Yes, Ma’am. I can do that.”

  “And Elijah, I’ll make this clear to you. I know a lot of people, and if I hear that you’ve been driving recklessly or irresponsibly, I will make your life a living hell. Not to mention I won’t hesitate to ban you from my daughter or my home. Do you understand?” She lowers her chin and narrows her eyes which sends shivers down my spine.

  “There’s no way I’d do anything to jeopardize their lives.” Elijah’s tone is shaking, I bet he’s feeling the shivers too.

  “Good, I’m glad we’re able to be on the same page when it comes to the safety of my girls.”

  Elijah swallows hard, the Adams apple in his throat jumping from fear. “Yes, Ma’am.”

  “Knock-knock, we ready to go?” Laurie appears at the open front door and we all turn to him. The intensity in the room is heavy, and all wide eyes are looking at Laurie. “What?” he asks as he wipes at his mouth and then his nose.

  “God, Laurie,” Becky says as she rolls her eyes.

  “Remember what I told you,” Mom says as I go over to give her a hug and a kiss. “Five-thirty, Elijah; not a minute past.”

  “Yes, Ma’am.” There’s a lot of ‘yes, ma’am’ going on, but I suspect it’s because Mom’s put the fear of God into him.

  “Bye.” Becky gives Mom a hug and a kiss too and we all head out to Elijah’s car.

  I sit in the front with Elijah, and Becky and Laurie sit in the back. When Elijah pulls into the street, he lets out a huge sigh. “I swear to God, your mom scares me more than your dad,” Elijah says as he grabs his aviator sunglasses from the center console. I watch as he slides them on, and I swear my skin heats up as tiny pebbles form from my head to my toes. I swallow the dry lump sitting in my throat. It’s not until Becky punches me in the arm that I realize I’m staring at his handsome face.

  “Damn it,” I mumble, knowing Becky caught me lusting over Elijah.

  “You look cute,” he says as he quickly glances at me, taking in my exposed legs. He reaches over, and rests his big palm on my thigh. I love his touch.

  “Hey, you heard Alley-cat’s mom. If you screw anything up, she’s going to have your balls in a vise,” Becky calls and leans forward to smack Elijah’s hand off my thigh.

  The conversation on the way to the beach is easy and fun. And Elijah even manages to sneak his hand back on my thigh. When we get to the beach, the parking lot is almost full with holiday goers starting their vacation by visiting the beach.

  The sun is hot and the air is humid. As soon as we’re out of the car, the intense sea smell assaults my senses. You can’t mistake that heavy salt smell and the sound of seagulls demanding food from everyone lining the beach.

  Elijah breathes in deeply as his chest puffs out. “I love the beach,” he says. “I love the sound of the waves as they come in. It’s the best thing ever.”

  We head over to an open spot, where I spread my towel on the sand. Taking my t-shirt off, I stuff it in my bag, but not before taking my floppy hat out. “Let’s go in,” Becky calls, already stripping out of her tiny shorts and micro t-shirt.

  “I will in a bit,” I say as I plonk on my towel on the coarse sand.

  “I’m going in,” Elijah calls ripping his t-shirt off and throwing it beside me. “Come in.” He extends his hand to me.

  “I will in a while.”

  “You okay?” He sits beside me and hugs me.

  “Yeah, I’m feeling a bit flat and kind of tired,” I admit. “I’m don’t think I’m getting sick or anything. I don’t know how to describe it.”

  “I’ll sit with you,” he offers.

  I look out to the water and Laurie and Becky are already in it. She’s splashing him as he tries to dunk her under. Looking back to Elijah, I can see the longing in his eyes; he’s busting to get in the water and I can’t hold him back. “Go, Elijah. I’ll have some water and I’ll be fine.”

  “I don’t want to leave you.”

  I know he doesn’t want to leave me alone, but this is his birthday and it’s something he loves. Considering we don’t live too close to the beach, it’s unfair of me to keep him back. “Will you go? You’re getting on my nerves.” I playfully push on him to go and have a swim.

  He looks at me and smiles, then leans in and gives me a kiss on the cheek. “God, I love y . . .” He quickly catches his statement, looks at me with wide eyes and then continues to say, “I love the way you’re so . . . um . . . yeah.” He jumps up and runs toward the water.

  What just happened? Did Elijah tell me he loves me? Nah, that’s not right. It’s not. I swear I’m hearing things.

  I look toward where Elijah’s run into the sea, and he’s diving into the water. He’s a natural out there; the sea is his thing, like ballet is mine. Laurie heads out of the water and comes back to where I’m sitting. He shakes his head and water flicks on me. “You should go for a swim. The water is so nice.” He flops down beside me and reaches into the small cooler bag he brought with him, taking out a water and offering it to me. I shake my head, so he cracks it open and takes a long drink. “Are you going in?”

  “Absolutely, later. I’m feeling just a bit, I don’t know, like blah.”

  “Like you drank too much last night?” he laughs at his own joke.

  “Considering I don’t drink, I’d have to say no. More like tired and flat.”

  We both look over to where Elijah and Becky are. She’s trying to splash him, and he keeps dodging her efforts. She jumps at him, and knocks him face first into the water. He comes up, grabs her around the waist and throws her into the surf.

  The moment she’s up, the water is lapping at her thighs, and she launches straight at Elijah’s retreating back. She jumps on his back, and he loses his footing falling sideways into the water. I love seeing my boyfriend and my best friend like this. They get on so well.

  Beside me, Laurie growls when Elijah falls into the sea with Becky on his back. It doesn’t escape me how he protectively wraps his arm around behind him to protect B
ecky as they fall into the water. “Don’t be jealous,” I say to him.

  “He’s got his hands all over my girl,” Laurie says through a tense jaw.

  “I can tell you right now, I trust them both. Becky would never betray me or you, and Elijah’s worked so hard to get me that he wouldn’t throw it away. He knows I love Becky like my sister and he knows Becky loves me the same way back. So trust me, you have no reason to be jealous.”

  Laurie breathes out and nods his head. “I know. And I also know she’s way too good for me, and one day she’ll be gone. I just hope the person who ends up with her has a heart big enough for her. She deserves that.” He blinks a few times, then turns his head to the side so I can’t look at him.

  I don’t know what to say. Instead, I put my hand on his back and gently rub his water-drenched skin.

  Before long Elijah and Becky join us and we all decide on what to have for lunch. Elijah and Laurie head over to the food trucks to get us all something to eat. “Hey, Laurie’s worried you’re going to leave him.”

  “Hmm.” Becky shrugs as she opens a bottle of water and drinks from it.

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means, sooner or later I probably will,” she nonchalantly replies. I look at her and raise my brows in question. She’s avoiding me, as if she knows I’m scrutinizing her. “Look, Laurie’s a nice boy. I like him, but I can’t see him in my future.”

  “Who do you see in your future?” I ask suddenly angry at her for using Laurie like this.

  “It’ll always be me and you, Alley-cat. I mean, my own brother’s away at college and I barely hear from him. He occasionally sends me a text to see how I’m going, but do you know he’s not even coming home for vacation? My Dad works all the time and he tries to avoid me. Men, to me . . . they’re not reliable. Do you know, after Mom died, Dad told me he finds it hard to talk to me because I remind him so much of her?”

  My heart breaks for Becky, tears into two. “You’ve never said anything.”

  “You know, my life isn’t bad, so don’t feel bad for me. It’s just, I’ve never had a male who’s stuck around. Dad and Caine love me, but they’re off doing their own thing. And sooner or later, Laurie will do the same. No way am I going to get attached to him, because when he leaves I don’t want it to hurt.”

  Shit, she’s guarding herself, expecting every guy in her life to abandon her. “I’m sorry, Becky.” I lean over and hug her.

  “Dad and Caine aren’t bad people. I think they’ve forgotten what it means to have a family. But it’s okay, I have you. You’ll always be my family, no matter what we go through we’ll always have each other. And when I’m famous and playing in a band somewhere around the world, I’ll always know you are only a phone call away.”

  Tears well up in my eyes, because Becky has never been so vulnerable in her life. “Only a phone call,” I say.

  “What are you two beautiful ladies doing?” Laurie asks as he brings over four sodas. Elijah follows closely behind holding a large paper bag from one of the food trucks.

  “Here you go.” He places the bag down beside me. I cross my legs so there’s more room for Elijah to sit, and he hands out our lunch.

  I unwrap mine and take one bite from it, then lower my arm. “Is there something wrong with this?” I hold it out for Elijah to try.

  He takes it, bites into it, and then shakes his head. “No, princess. It tastes fine. But here, I’ll swap you. Take mine and I’ll eat yours.” He hands me his which has couple of bites missing.

  I try his and it tastes fine, so I eat half and then hand it back to him. “I can’t eat any more. I think I drank too much water.” I hold up my water bottle swish it around so I can feel how much is in there. Sure enough, I’ve had a lot to drink.

  Elijah eats my lunch, then reaches over and eats his lunch too.

  When lunch is done, we all head into the water. Today’s been one of the best days of my life. It’s easy and carefree, and although I’m feeling tired and lethargic I still manage to enjoy every single second. This is turning out to be an awesome summer. The best one I’ve ever had.

  “Sweetheart, you have to wake up,” Mom says as she sits on the side of my bed.

  “Do I have to?” I mumble as I draw the covers over my head.

  “Yes, I want us to go out and get a mani and pedi done, then I’ll take you to lunch.”

  “I’m too tired,” I whine, though spending the day with my Mom would be cool. Elijah dropped Becky at home last night, because today she’s got band practice.

  “Too bad. School’s out for both of us, so today we’re having a mother and daughter day. Get ready because we’re leaving in half an hour. Do you want some yogurt for breakfast?” I scrunch my nose but I know Mom can’t see me under the covers. “I’ll take that silence as a yes, so hurry up.” She smacks me on the butt and leaves.

  Slowly, I push the covers back and feel pins and needles in my feet. “Not again.” They feel like I was lying on them in an awkward position. As I rise out of bed, I stamp my feet on the floor to get rid of the tingling in them. When the tingling is gone, I go to the bathroom and get ready for the day.

  Wearing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, I pull my hair back into a ponytail and head out to the kitchen.

  “There she is,” Mom announces as she drinks from her coffee cup. I can’t help but smile as she lifts it to her lips to sip. “What are you smiling at?” she asks.

  Sliding into the chair, I bring the bowl closer to me. There’s yogurt and strawberries in it. “I’m smiling because that’s the cup I gave you when I was like ten for Mother’s Day.”

  “You were nine. And it’s my favorite cup.”

  Lifting the spoon to eat some yogurt I notice a small tremble in my hand. Moving my arm, I stretch it out, then try and crack my elbow. “You okay?” Mom asks.

  “I swear my sleeping is getting worse. I’m really tired this morning and my arm is shaking.” I roll my shoulders to help me relax.

  “Then I think a mani and pedi will do you wonders.”

  After eating a heaped spoonful of yogurt, I can’t finish it and take it over to the sink. “I’ll go and brush my teeth. I won’t be long.”

  Quickly I head into the bathroom, brush my teeth and slip on a pair of flip flops. When I head out to the family room, Mom’s already waiting with her bag over her shoulder. “It’s going to be really hot today, Alice. Bring some water.”

  I grab two bottles from the fridge and we head out.

  “This is heaven,” I say as the woman massages my feet.

  Mom is sitting beside me and she’s having her feet massaged too. “This feels so good, it should be illegal.”

  The ladies have already put a brilliant red lacquer on our fingernails, and are about to apply the same color to our toenails.

  “After this, we’ll go have some lunch, okay?” Mom asks.

  “Yeah, I’m really hungry, although I’m still feeling tired and kinda meh.” I shrug my shoulders.

  As soon as the color is on our toes, we let it dry for a few minutes before we head out to get lunch. “Where do you want to eat?” Mom asks.

  “Anywhere there’s food.”

  We decide on a café and go in to find an available table. I order a burger because the moment my eyes saw it on the menu, my stomach growled so loudly I could swear everyone heard it.

  “Tell me where you and Elijah are at?” Mom asks once the waitress has brought us over two sodas. “He’s hanging around quite a lot.”

  “Are you okay with him and me going out?” I sip on my soda and look up at Mom.

  “Is he pressuring you for sex?”

  “What? No, he’s not.”

  “Then I’m okay with him hanging around. I just want to make sure you’re okay, Alice. I want you to know you can come to me and ask me any question you want. First, I won’t judge you, and second, I’ll give as accurate an answer as I can.”

  “I know, Mom. You don’t have to tell me. I know you’ve
always got my back.”

  “Always.”

  The waitress soon brings over our lunches and places my burger and fries down in front of me. The moment I lean over the plate, a horrible metallic taste floods my mouth. Bile quickly rises and I can’t stop it; I vomit all over my meal. “Oh shit,” I say as I hold my hand over my mouth.

  “What the . . .” Mom jumps up and starts trying to clean the mess I’ve made. “Are you sick, Alice?”

  I shake my head. “I feel okay,” I say. “I don’t know what’s going on, Mom. The smell of the burger, and the sight of it made me vomit. I’m so sorry,” I start to cry, unable to hide my humiliation over what’s happened.

  Mom quickly summons the waitress over, who starts to dry retch herself, and Mom requests more napkins or a damp cloth so she can clean it up. “It’s okay, sweetheart, don’t cry.”

  Mom cleans it, pays the bill and we leave. I’m completely humiliated, and Mom keeps checking my forehead for a temperature.

  “It’s probably one of those twenty-four hour viruses. Best let Becky and Elijah know so they don’t get it too.”

  “Yeah, you’re right.” I take my phone out of my pocket while Mom drives home and shoot them both a message.

  Don’t come over, I’m sick. Mom thinks I have a twenty-four hour virus.

  Elijah replies instantly by saying:

  I can come care for you.

  Becky’s at practice, so she may not see my message for a while. I message Elijah back.

  It’s best you don’t. I don’t want you catching whatever I have.

  You can’t keep me away tomorrow.

  Smiling I look down at my phone. Deal.

  “Elijah wanted to come over and sit with me, but I haven’t heard back from Becky. She’s at band practice.”

  “He’s a sweet boy. But I’ll look after you.”

  We pull into the driveway at home, and Mom gets out and rushes up the steps to the porch to open the front door. Slowly I get out of the car, and head inside.

  “My legs feel like they’re made of lead,” I say to Mom as I collapse on the sofa.