“But you saw how she struck my husband,” Susan said. “There must be something very wrong with her or she wouldn’t do that. She’s always been a very gentle person.”
“I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do. Sometimes patients who’ve been unconscious for awhile have strange reactions like this. All I can suggest is that you get over to her house and make sure she’s okay,” the nurse said, and she excused herself to attend to her other patients.
“What do we do now?” Gloria asked.
Mando replied with an indifferent shrug. He couldn’t shake the shame and humiliation he felt.
“She’s not in her right mind, Mando,” Gloria said noting his pained expression. “I’m sure she didn’t mean it.”
His sister’s unexpected tenderness brought Mando back to his senses and he puffed up a bit. “That’s exactly what worries me. She’s agitated and God only knows what she’ll do next.”
“What can she possibly do?” Susan said. “She’ll go home, watch TV, eat a little something and then go to sleep. Tomorrow she’ll be back to her old self again, you’ll see.”
Nobody seemed very reassured by this prediction, but Sebastian felt as wonderful and free as he did whenever he imagined himself running down the length of the soccer field from end to end. The blood was pumping vigorously through his veins, and that fantastic tingle was spreading all throughout his body. His dear grandmother was alive, and at that very moment she was on her way to her little yellow house where she belonged. Before too long, she’d be sitting on her porch, and enjoying a cup of tea. Perhaps Terrence had found a way to leave her dinner order even though she wasn’t home. Best of all, Sebastian knew that he would see his grandmother at Bungalow Haven again, and for the moment that was more than enough to satisfy him.
Chapter Seven
When Sebastian went downstairs for breakfast the following morning, he was surprised to find that his father would be taking him to school for a change. His mother had left early for work so that she could make up the time she’d missed while Lola was in the hospital. Sebastian knew he’d have assignments to make up as well, and for the next day or two he wouldn’t be able to sit outside and play footsie tether ball or watch the soccer game from beneath the willow tree. But he would happily comply with whatever was asked of him, so long as he could go directly to Bungalow Haven afterward.
Sebastian had wanted to go see his grandmother after she stormed out of the hospital the day before, but his parents had insisted on going to her house alone, and he didn’t push it too much. He understood that they didn’t want the grandchildren around to witness any more awkward scenes. When his parents arrived home later that same evening, Sebastian studied them carefully. As far as he could tell, they didn’t appear especially worried or upset, and when he asked them about how his grandmother was doing, they both said that she seemed to be okay for the time being.
After eating half of his breakfast, Sebastian grabbed his book bag and followed his father out to the car. He liked going places in his father’s Jeep. Sometimes, when his mom wasn’t around, his father allowed him to sit up front, saying that it was their little secret. Sitting up so high off the ground, and looking down on the world for a change was an exhilarating experience, and Sebastian enjoyed the bumpy ride.
“You’ll need to go to the care center or whatever it’s called, after school today,” his father said as they waited at a stop light. “Your mother will pick you up from there.”
Sebastian wasn’t sure he’d heard him correctly, or maybe he was merely confused since he wasn’t familiar with the usual routine. “Dad, I always go to Abuela Lola’s house after school. That’s what I always do.”
“I know, but since your grandmother isn’t well, we thought it would be best for you to go somewhere else for awhile.”
“But she’ll be waiting for me,” Sebastian said. “She’ll be upset if I don’t show up.”
“You’re mother and I talked about this last night, and we’ve decided that this is for the best. In fact, I’m going to talk with your teacher about it when I drop you off.”
“Ms. Ashworth?” Sebastian asked incredulous. “You’re going to talk with Ms. Ashworth by yourself, without Mom?”
Dean glanced at his son, somewhat bemused and a little hurt. “You may not believe this, but I’m actually capable of talking to people without your mother’s assistance.”
Sebastian turned away to stare out the windshield, his heart beating like a drum. “I know, but Ms. Ashworth is…”
“Ms. Ashworth is what?” he asked.
He wanted to say that Ms. Ashworth is very pretty and that she wears short skirts, and smells like heaven, and that if he were capable of looking at her the way he did when his mother was present, then anything could happen when she wasn’t. But he remained silent, knowing that this would be a hurtful thing to say, and that even his joke loving father wouldn’t like it very much.
“Ms Ashworth is what?” Dean asked again.
“She’s always busy,” Sebastian muttered, and he didn’t say anything more about it.
Dean parked the Jeep in the visitor’s area and he and Sebastian walked to the classroom in silence. Dean knocked on the door that was always kept locked until after the morning bell rang. Moments later, Ms. Ashworth opened it, and her flowery perfume wafted over them like a summer breeze. Standing in the doorway with her thick hair slung over her shoulder, and one hand poised on her shapely hip, she was positively breathtaking.
“Oh, look who’s here,” she said, her eyes sparkling with pleasure when they fell on Sebastian. She invited them in and led them to her desk at the front of the classroom. A senseless smile hovered about Dean’s lips, and his eyes flashed bluer than ever as he explained that Sebastian’s grandmother had suffered a stroke, and that it would be necessary for him to attend the afterschool program for several weeks and maybe even permanently.
“I’m so sorry to hear that,” she replied, frowning prettily. “I know that Sebastian really loves his grandmother.”
Sebastian hung his head. He’d spoken to Ms. Ashworth about his grandmother a few times, but couldn’t remember saying anything about love. Dean responded with some gentle platitudes about how the entire family was upset and the like, but it seemed that he was taking much longer than necessary to say these things. Didn’t he have to get to work? Sebastian wanted to kick his father on the shins and send him on his way. But his father had no intention of bringing this meeting to a premature close, and whatever he was saying now, he was saying it so smoothly and so cleverly, that it caused Ms. Ashworth to make a soft purring sound like a contented kitten.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure that there’s room for Sebastian in the after-school program,” she said. “In fact, I’ll take him there myself.”
Ordinarily, this would have been a pleasing prospect, but now the idea left Sebastian feeling cold and he went to go sit at his desk. From there he could still hear his father and Ms. Ashworth talking in such a warm and intimate manner that he knew it had to be a betrayal of some kind. He put his head down and thought of his mother as she arrived early to work, wearing one of her shapeless polyester dresses with a matching vest that barely reached around her midriff. He thought of her chubby fingers and the puffiness that collected around her eyes when she was tired, the gray at her temples that mysteriously appeared and disappeared every few weeks. His mother could never compete with someone as perfect and lovely as Ms. Ashworth.
When he sensed that the conversation was finally coming to a close, he raised his head and saw his father take a business card from his pocket, scribble something on the back and place it on Ms. Ashworth’s desk. Almost as an afterthought, he turned to give Sebastian a friendly wink. “See you tonight, little man,” he said brightly before leaving the classroom.
Ms. Ashworth put the card in her top desk drawer without looking at it. “We still have a few minutes before the bell rings,” she said. “Would you like to clean the whiteboard for me?”
Sebastian studied the white board, and could see that it hadn’t been properly cleaned for a couple of days. It would’ve been quite satisfying to wipe away the grime, and make it look brand new again. But even if he didn’t have to worry about Keith getting angry, Sebastian realized that for the first time he didn’t want to clean the whiteboard.
“What’s wrong Sebastian?” Ms. Ashworth asked. “Are you feeling ill?”
“No, I just don’t feel like cleaning the white board today,” he replied, putting his head down again. Moments later, he felt Ms. Ashworth’s gentle fingers smoothing the hair away from his forehead. Her touch was as beautiful as she was, and he clenched his teeth while trying his best to resist her.
“I’m sorry about your grandmother,” she whispered. “I hope she gets better soon.”
Sebastian nodded, and kept his head on his desk until the bell rang, and the other students filed into the classroom.
During the lunch break Sebastian stayed in the classroom to complete the assignments he’d missed on Friday. He started on his math as Ms. Ashworth organized some papers in the file cabinet. When she was finished, she began to grade the previous night’s homework, but then stopped abruptly, and pushed herself away from her desk.
“I need to go to the office for a moment,” she said. “I’ll be right back.”
Sebastian nodded, barely looking up from his work, but when she left the classroom he went directly to the top drawer of her desk where he found his father’s business card resting on a row of newly sharpened pencils. He took the card without disturbing anything else, and returned to his own desk in a matter of seconds. Before he tucked the card into the front pocket of his book bag, he turned it over and read the hastily scrawled note on the back. “Let’s get a drink sometime,” it read, but Sebastian wasn’t sure what this meant. Keith wrote Kelly Taylor bold and adoring notes all the time that said things like, “Let’s get married,” and “I want you to have my baby.” He knew this because every now and then one of the notes was intercepted, and read out loud before Ms. Ashworth confiscated it. Nevertheless, Sebastian suspected that adults were more subtle about these things, and that whatever his father meant, it had very little to do with being thirsty.
Ms. Ashworth returned to the classroom a few minutes later. Sebastian had made little progress on his math, and he still had his spelling assignment to complete. She asked him how he was getting along, but he didn’t answer very convincingly which prompted her to go and see for herself. She was surprised to find that he’d done almost nothing.
“What’s wrong Sebastian? This should be easy for you.”
He shrugged, and looked away. All at once, he hated her for her thick golden hair and short skirts. He hated her sweet smile and zippy thighs, and the sound of her melodious laughter just as much.
“I’ll tell you what,” she said placing her hand on his shoulder. “I know these last few days have been rough on you, so you can take this work home with you tonight, and tomorrow we’ll start fresh, okay?”
“Okay,” he muttered, trying his best to remain stoic and unmoved by her kindness, but when he looked into her lovely eyes overflowing with sympathy, he couldn’t help himself – he smiled.
When the school day came to a close, Ms. Ashworth asked Sebastian to wait for her until the other students had been dismissed so she could walk him to the after school program. He’d been there a couple of times before when his grandmother was ill with the flu, and knew that he’d languish in the corner with some silly craft project meant for kindergartners while watching other kids his age play on the gym equipment outside. And what’s worse, he’d overheard Keith saying that he would be attending for the next several weeks as well. The thought of spending more time with Keith made Sebastian feel queasy, and as he waited for the first two rows to be dismissed he considered possible ways to get out of it. But he couldn’t decide what he dreaded most, spending the afternoon with Keith or disobeying Ms. Ashworth’s request.
And yet, when he thought of his grandmother waiting for him in her little bungalow, it was no longer a question of fear, but of need. He needed to see her. He yearned to sit with her on the porch watching the sun set and waiting for Terrence to bring the evening meal. At that moment, it was the most meaningful part of his life, the reason he woke up in the morning and went to bed at night. And then he remembered the black haired old lady’s words, “You’ll have to take some chances.” Could this have been what she meant?
Ms. Ashworth was preoccupied with the students in the fourth row who weren’t settling down, so she didn’t notice when Sebastian got up from his desk to stand in line with the third row students who were waiting patiently to be dismissed. And when she finally said they could go, he slipped out of the classroom with them.
He marched boldly across the playground, putting greater distance between himself and everything he knew. By the time he passed the soccer field and the tether ball court, he’d crossed the threshold into another world where the air was lighter, the sights and sounds and even the smells had been transformed into something new and strangely invigorating. Suddenly, he was a fugitive from the mundane existence he’d always known, and he became aware of a foreign sensation coursing through his body. At that moment he felt that he could defy anyone and make things happen simply by forcing his will upon the world, and he thought of all the things that he wished could come to pass; that his mother was beautiful again like she was in those old photographs and that his father would look at her the way he looked at Ms. Ashworth; that his sister would find the time to read to him at bedtime the way she used to do; that his grandmother would be completely well again. But most of all, he wished that his heart was healthy so that he could play soccer and be the fastest runner in his class.
As Sebastian continued on his way, he wondered if Ms. Ashworth had noticed that he was missing yet. Perhaps she was searching for him on the playground, and had already asked several of his classmates if they’d seen him. They’d shrug and say they hadn’t in a way that lets everyone know they also don’t care. Not knowing what else to do, Ms. Ashworth would go back to her desk to look for the card his father left so she could call and inform him that his son had disappeared. Not being able to find it, she’d empty out her drawer until she was absolutely sure that it was gone. Would she suspect that Sebastian had stolen it while she was in the principal’s office earlier that day? Would it occur to her that the little boy who could clean the whiteboard better than anyone and who was always such a perfect gentleman was not only defiant, but also a thief?
Sebastian tried not to think about this anymore because it was robbing him of that sensational thrill he’d felt earlier, and he wanted it to last as long as possible, at least until he reached Bungalow Haven. Once there, he’d let go and breathe easier as he walked along the meandering path between the little cottages to the place where he knew his grandmother would be waiting.
Chapter Eight
When Sebastian stepped onto the grounds of Bungalow Haven, he felt the same welcoming warmth and tranquility he always felt. Even if his parents were furious with him for having left school, he knew Abuela Lola would be overjoyed to see him, and perhaps she’d find a way to lessen his punishment. But at that moment, he wasn’t too worried about punishments because he could see her little yellow house at the end of the path bathed in golden sunlight. It was the end of the rainbow, the shining star, and he could barely keep himself from running the rest of the way, and bounding up the stairs to see her.
He found the door open and the screen unlocked as usual - so far so good. He peered inside. Lola was not seated in her rocker facing the photographs on her wall, and she wasn’t in the kitchen, but neither was she lying on the floor in a heap. Sebastian figured that she was probably in the bathroom, or perhaps she’d stepped out for a moment to visit a neighbor who was curious about her stay in the hospital. He knew that old people talked about their adventures at the hospital as though they were discussing their latest vacation.
This would undoubtedly be his grandmother’s preferred topic of conversation for awhile, but he was more than prepared to endure it.
He stepped inside and became aware of the faint odor of burnt matches, and then noticed that the vase of plastic flowers in the center of the kitchen table had been replaced with several candles that were burning brightly. Their flames flickered merrily so that the space around the table glowed with a beckoning light. A chill stole up his spine as he realized that he hadn’t been the only one to break the rules that day.
Just to make sure that all was well, Sebastian peeked behind the counter and breathed a sigh of relief. All he saw was the trash can brimming over with artificial candles, and this gave him pause - it wasn’t like Lola to throw anything away that wasn’t broken.
“Abuela,” Sebastian called out. “I’m here, Abuela.”
She called back from the bedroom. “I’ll be right there Sebastian. I’m just combing my hair.”
Sebastian noted that her voice sounded completely normal. If anything, it was cheerier than usual, and he could only assume that she’d had a good day. No doubt, she had enjoyed lighting her candles and he couldn’t deny that the difference between the real and the artificial ones was remarkable. The entire room was infused with a soft wavering aura, as though it were underwater or floating on a cloud.
“I like your new candles,” Sebastian called out, feeling quite daring mentioning it.
Moments later, Lola appeared and when Sebastian saw her, he jumped back and brought his hand to his chest. “Abuela Lola,” he said, staring at her in disbelief. “What happened to you?”
She ran her fingers through hair that was now the pinky red color of strawberry Jell-O. “Do you like it?” she asked, with an impish smile.
“I like the way it was before,” Sebastian replied.
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