by Judy Powell
She turned back to Summer. “They were always trying to make me sing better, make me play the piano better, make me speak French.”
“But Monisha…” Mrs. Stone had her hand at her collarbone and looked very distressed.
“Oh, forget it.” Monisha turned her back to her mother. “I don’t know how much you’re going to get out of her about me,” she sneered, “because that woman knows nothing about me.”
She gave her mother another glare and stalked out of the room.
Summer sat silent, shocked. She looked at Mrs. Stone and the woman’s eyes were glassy with unshed tears.
“Mrs. Stone…” she started to speak but the woman seemed not to hear her. She just covered her face with trembling hands and her body shook with tears.
Summer felt sorry for the woman but had no idea what she could say to make her stop crying. So she said softly, “I’ll see myself out.”
Summer slowly walked out of the house and went to look for the chauffeur. All she could think about was the hurt and pain in Monisha’s eyes. In that short space of time she had learned more about the singer than in all the time she’d been working at Munroe Productions.
******
It was Monday evening, four days before Summer’s deadline to hand in her thesis. She had requested the week off from work so that she could finalize her research, get her paper typed and submitted by Friday at noon.
Now she sat in her usual spot in the library and surveyed the piles of books in front of her. She felt like screaming. The thesis was coming along, but so slowly. The days, on the other hand, seemed to be flying by. She felt like she needed a personal assistant, a secretary and a typist just to get it all done.
She looked at her watch – six o’clock. No wonder she felt so hungry. She’d been there since ten in the morning and hadn’t had a bite to eat all day. She packed her books neatly at the end of the table and slung her purse over her shoulder. She would have to get something to eat or she would not be around to submit a thesis at all.
She was heading for the campus cafeteria when she remembered that she had planned to call Brian on Sunday to wish him a happy birthday. With all the stress she was under it was no wonder she had totally forgotten. Oh well, she would just call him when she got to the cafeteria.
Calling Brian was one thing. Convincing him to let her get off the phone was another.
“Come on, Summer. I haven’t seen you in ages.”
“But we’ve spoken on the phone. We’ve both been busy so it just wasn’t possible.”
“You know I’m off on Mondays so I’m free now. What say we get together for a drink?”
“Not this evening, Brian. I’m busy.” She sighed, almost sorry she had bothered to call him. “I only slipped out of the library for a few minutes so I could grab something to eat. I’ve got to go back in a little while.”
“I have a great idea,” he said. “You just wait by the front entrance and I‘ll pick you up and we can go grab something together. I’m only five minutes away from CU. I’ll be there in no time.”
“Alright,” Summer said slowly, still doubtful that it would make sense for them to meet. Still, she didn’t want to disappoint him, especially since she had missed his birthday. “I guess we could do that. But only if you’re really quick.”
“I’m on my way.”
Brian was true to his word. Within minutes he was pulling up beside Summer in his black convertible Mustang. As soon as she saw him she ran down the steps and hopped in, and he roared off.
“Hey, you.” He grinned as she settled into the seat. “You’re looking good.”
She rolled her eyes. “No, I’m not. I look awful. Can’t you see the bags under my eyes? They’re almost big enough for me to carry my books in.”
“Oh, be quiet. You know you look good.”
“You don’t look bad yourself. You look kinda more…muscular.” She studied him, then asked, “Have you been lifting weights?”
“Remember I told you I was going to join a gym? Started last month. Lost eight pounds already,” he said proudly.
“It shows,” she said, impressed. “You look good.”
“Thanks,” he said, and she was amused at his bashful smile.
The closest restaurant outside of the campus was Wendy’s. Brian pulled up by the drive-through window and ordered chili and a salad for Summer and a hamburger and fries for himself.
“Hey, what about the diet?” Summer teased.
“Yeah, well, you can’t be good all the time.” He grinned.
He drove to the park nearby and they pulled up under a huge elm tree. They reclined the seats and pulled out the bags of food.
“So, how’s it going with you?” Brian peered at her as he bit into the burger. “Last time we talked you were just coming back from Jamaica.”
“Has it been that long?”
“Yeah, it’s been that long. You abandoned your boy,” he scolded. “Once you got into the company of them big shots you forgot all about me.”
“Oh, Brian. Don’t say that. I haven’t abandoned you. I’ve just been busy, that’s all.”
“Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry about me. I’m just giving you a hard time.”
“You’re so wicked to me,” she complained and made a face at Brian. “You make me feel so bad.”
“I said don’t worry about it,” he said, his mouth stuffed with fries. “I’m cool.”
“Sure?”
“Absolutely.”
She gobbled down a mouthful of lettuce then asked, “So how are things going at the restaurant?”
“Same as always,” he replied. “Jackson’s still on the rampage. I’m thinking of leaving that place.”
“Really?”
“Yeah,” he nodded. “I’m good enough to make it on my own. I just need a little start-up capital, that’s all.”
“So you gonna get a loan or something?” she asked, taking a sip of her cranberry juice.
“I haven’t thought that far yet. I just know I want to do my own thing.”
“I think you should jump on it right away. You’re a great chef. And if you ever need a P.R. consultant you know where to find me.”
“So what about you? What’s new on your end?”
“Well, the job has been really interesting so far and I get a chance to travel. Now if only I could get this damn thesis out of the way I’d be a happy camper.”
“And that Munroe guy. You managing okay with him?” Brian looked concerned. “I heard he’s not the easiest person in the world to work for.”
“I’m getting along with him quite well, actually. In fact…” she paused, dying to share her joy with her friend but scared of saying too much.
“In fact?” Brian prompted her, his curiosity obvious.
“In fact, we work well together,” she ended lamely.
“Oh, no, you don’t. I know that wasn’t what you were going to say. You’re not gonna get away that easy. In fact, what?”
“That was it. Now stop hounding me.” She dipped her spoon into the chili and pretended to be absorbed with its consistency.
“Summer, if you don’t come clean with me I’m going to keep you in this car and then you won’t get to finish your work.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Try me.” He folded his arms across his chest and sat back, still watching her. “Now cough it up.”
“Brian,” she whined.
“That won’t help. The only way I’m taking you back to the library is if you tell me exactly what’s going on.”
“Alright.” Summer sighed. “But it’s just because I absolutely have to get back to my work. Otherwise you could never bully me.”
“Whatever.” Brian rolled his eyes. “Now talk.”
“I…I think I‘ve fallen in love with him.”
“What? I thought you were going to say he made a pass at you, or something. But falling in love? How did that happen so quick?” Brian stared at her as if she were crazy.
“I don’t know, really.
I mean, I didn’t even like him at first. But as I got to know him I found out that he was so real, so down-to-earth.” She became pensive. “He’s so different from what I first thought.”
“Meaning he’s been generous with his gifts, huh?”
“Brian, I can’t believe you just said that.” She frowned at him. “It has nothing to do with what he can give me. In fact, he’s not given me a single thing except my salary that I work hard for.”
“Then what the heck would you want with a man like that?” he demanded.
“Will you shut up and just listen?” Summer glared at Brian. “Lance has shown me a side of him that’s impressed me more than money or gifts ever could. He’s shown me that he’s kind and caring, and not just to the women he’s pursuing. I saw how he dealt with his little god-daughter. And you should have seen him with my mom – she loved him.”
“Your mother? This must be really serious, for you to take him home to Mom.”
“It was his idea, really. He was the one who asked to meet her.”
“Hmmph.” Brian looked skeptical but said nothing.
“Anyway, it’s almost seven,” she said, looking at her watch. “Can you take me back to the library now?”
“Alright. I know you haven’t told me everything but I’ll get you next time.” He revved the engine and they drove off.
Yeah, right, Summer thought. You’d have to kidnap me for a week before I tell you anything else.
She didn’t get home until almost eleven that night. Her head pounded and she felt like just throwing herself down on the bed and sleeping for a week. She dropped her book bag on the ground and headed straight for the bathroom where she splashed water on her face then stared in the mirror at her disheveled hair and tired eyes. She was glad Lance was not around to see her right now.
Lance. She hadn’t heard from him all day. He had left for Los Angeles early that morning but she should have heard from him by now. She dabbed her face with a soft towel and padded over to the phone. Yes, there was a message. She smiled. She knew he hadn’t forgotten her.
She sat on the couch, punched in her password and leaned back to listen to the deep mellow voice she loved so much.
Instead, a sharp female voice assaulted her ear. “Miss Jones, this is Amy Spence from the Serenity Nursing Home. You need to get in touch with me right away. Your mother had another stroke and had to be rushed to the hospital. Please call me as soon as you get this message.”
The phone receiver fell from nerveless fingers. It was happening all over again. Dear God, her mind screamed, what are you doing to my mother?
She was sobbing as she dialed the number for the nursing home. The phone rang eight times before someone came on the line. By then, Summer thought she was going mad.
“Where is she? Where is my mother?” she blurted out between sobs.
When the warden had calmed her enough to find out who Summer was talking about she said, “She’s at the City of Chicago Hospital. You need to go down there right away.”
22
“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.”
Summer bowed her head and dabbed her eyes as the singer’s voice filled the church with the mournful sounds of the song. Her heart was filled with pain and she felt that she could not go on any longer. She couldn’t believe her mother was gone.
She wiped the tears that kept flowing down her face and looked at the coffin in front of her, covered in flowers, and thought of how her mother loved flowers so much and now she would never see them again.
As she stared a small sob escaped her lips and Brian put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. Summer put the handkerchief to her face again and wept. She leaned into the solid mass of him and shook from the intensity of the sobs racking her body.
When she finally got control of herself she sniffed then drew a deep breath, straightened her back, and looked forward steadily at the pastor as he rose to give the message. She tried to be strong. She knew her mother would have wanted that.
Summer’s nightmare had begun the moment she got the message from the woman at the nursing home. As soon as she’d spoken with her she immediately called a cab and rushed over to the hospital. When she got there she immediately rushed over to the front desk where the nurse was on the telephone.
Summer tapped on the counter trying to get her attention but the woman totally ignored her.
“Hello. I’m here to see my mother. Edna Jones.”
The nurse continued talking.
“Excuse me. I’m here to see my mother. It’s an emergency.”
The nurse covered the mouthpiece and said, “I’ll be right with you. Let me just finish this call.”
“I have to see my mother now. She’s here in this hospital. Just tell me where she is.”
She clenched her fists in frustration and was about to let the nurse have it when she heard a familiar voice.
“Miss Jones.”
She turned quickly and saw her mother’s doctor standing at the entrance.
“Dr. Jabez.” She ran over to him. “What’s happened to my mother? I got a call that she had to be rushed to the hospital. Where is she? Is she okay?”
Dr. Jabez put his hand on her shoulder and pulled her over to sit on a nearby chair.
“Just calm down, Miss Jones. Your mother was rushed in last night because she had another stroke.”
“Yes, I know that, but how is she?”
“She’s in very serious condition right now.”
“Oh, my God…” she moaned in fear.
“Calm down, Miss Jones.” The doctor patted her hand. “As I said, the situation is serious but we have her stabilized and we’re monitoring her as closely as we can.”
“Can I see her right now?” Summer asked anxiously.
“I’ll take you to her room but I must warn you, she cannot respond to you. She won’t know you’re there but you may come and sit with her for a while.”
As Summer followed Doctor Jabez to her mother’s room her mind was in turmoil. She was so scared. And she felt so guilty.
She normally called her mother at lunchtime every day but today she’d been so focused on getting her thesis finished that she had decided to skip the call just this once so that she could get her work done. She knew that she could never go on the phone and spend less than an hour with her mother so she had decided to forego the call until next day. But it was not to be.
Summer couldn’t help wondering if she had made that call if it would have made a difference. Maybe she would have realized that something was wrong, and then she would have gotten her mother to the hospital earlier. Maybe.
When Summer entered the room she almost didn’t recognize her mother. Edna lay in the bed, thin and frail. She had tubes in her nose and needles were stuck in her arms. A bag of saline hung beside her bed.
Summer approached slowly and peered at her mother, almost afraid of what she would see. She looked so still. Her heart beat hard in her chest and she touched her mother’s hand.
“Mom.”
There was no response. A sudden fear gripped Summer and she touched the hand again.
“Mom.” When there was still no response she turned quickly to the doctor, “She looks so still. Is she…”
“She’s alive. But she’s in a bad state.”
“Oh, my God,” she cried, and turned back to look at the woman she loved so much. “Oh, Mom. Why did this have to happen?”
“Miss Jones,” the doctor approached her and rested his hand on her shoulder, “please, try to calm down. Right now your mother needs to recover. She needs your strength. Be brave, for her sake.”
“Yes, doctor.” Summer nodded, but her legs felt like they were collapsing under her. Doctor Jabez seemed to realize how weak she felt and he pulled a chair over and helped her into it.
“You may stay here by your mother’s side,” he said. “Just try not to get too upset. She needs you to be strong.” Then he slipped out through the door.
>
Summer turned back to her mother and stroked the frail hand. The tears welled up in her eyes then broke free to run down her cheeks. She didn’t care. All she knew was that her beloved mother was lying in this hospital bed, fighting for her life.
“You can do it, Mom. You can make it. I’m here for you,” Summer whispered through the tears. “Just, please…don’t leave me. Don’t leave me alone here. I love you. I need you, Mom.”
Silence. But she prayed that, even in the silence, her mother was hearing her.
Summer sat by her mother’s bedside the entire night, sometimes drifting off momentarily into a doze but always waking and looking anxiously at her, hoping to see some signs of life.
When the sun came up next day she was still sitting in the chair, holding her mother’s hand. The nurse came in and greeted her, then asked her to leave the room so that the doctor on duty could examine her mother. She was reluctant to leave and begged the woman to let her stay but her request was gently denied and she went slowly from the room.
Summer leaned against the wall outside the door and rubbed her eyes. She was so tired but so afraid. She could not lose her mother, the only person who loved her. She didn’t know how she would survive if she lost her. She felt so alone that she decided she had to talk to someone.
She walked over to the pay phone and dialed Lance’s cell phone number. She knew he would still be in California but she just needed to talk. But there was no answer. All she got was his voicemail. She quickly left him a message that her mother was in the hospital and that he should call her at the hotel’s main number and ask to be put to her mother’s room. When she hung up the phone she felt empty inside.
The nurse and the doctor came out within a few minutes and told her that she could go back in, but they advised her that it would do her good to go home and get some rest because there was no change and it would not make sense for her to stay there and suffer. She needed to keep her strength up so that she could be there for her mother.
Despite her reluctance to leave she spent another hour with Edna then headed for home. She planned to just freshen up, get something to eat, and head right back.
When she got home she checked her voicemail just to see if Lance had returned her call but there was nothing. It didn’t make sense for her to call the office because it was closed. It was the day before Thanksgiving and Munroe Productions had given all employees the day off. Still, she tried, just in case. As she expected, all she got was voicemail.