Growing Up Neighbors

by Frances Hoelsema

  Deborah met her whole family by her locker where they greeted her with hugs and congratulations.

  “Hey, I didn’t see Nick anywhere. I thought you said he was coming,” Deborah said accusingly when it was Alex's turn to hug her.

  “He said he would. He’s probably here somewhere or will meet us at the party. Don’t have such a cow.”

  Before Deborah could respond back, Felicia came up for another hug. The two girls were so excited that they screamed and jumped for joy. Felicia then told Deborah she was going to find her family but that she’d see Deborah later at the party.

  “Well, we better get going so that we’re the first ones there,” Ms. Harrington suggested.

  “Yep, let’s go,” Mr. Harrington agreed. “Who’s riding with me and who’s going with mom?”

  The three kids chose who to go with and they all drove off to the restaurant for the party. The whole way there Deborah couldn't stop thinking about Nicholas and whether he’d be there or not. She was really hoping so because she wanted to see him and share with him her excitement of graduating.

  I’m sure he will, she told herself, taking a deep breath. If he said he would be there he will because he’s never broken his word to me before. Why would he start now?

  ---------------

  Deborah and her dad pulled into the Broadway Diner parking lot, Ms. Harrington, Alex and Robyn pulling in shortly after. The five of them walked into the restaurant together where a tall, extremely skinny red head showed them where the party would be held. The waitress brought them all the way back to the far end of the restaurant where Deborah and all her guests would have a private room.

  Upon entering, Deborah noticed the practical layout of the place. The restaurant staff had put the buffet table along the farthest wall in the back with rectangle tables set up in rows to accommodate up to thirty guests at a time. Then towards the front was a table set up for gifts and cards and plenty of space left for those who wanted to socialize standing up.

  Knowing that she’d rather talk than eat when the others were there, Deborah began to get a plate of food shortly after they arrived. The rest of her family followed suit.

  “The food is so delicious!” Deborah exclaimed to no one in particular.

  The Harringtons chose a Mexican fare that included cheesy enchiladas, chips and cheese, Spanish rice, black beans, a taco dip and tacos with all the fixings. Mexican was a family favorite and there was no better restaurant to get Mexican food than at the Broadway Diner.

  As Deborah was about done with her plate, the first batch of people started showing up. Mostly family was invited to the party, but Deborah also invited many of her friends. Eventually more and more people showed up and the room was beginning to get packed. Every time someone new walked through the door Deborah was hoping it was Nicholas.

  And every time it was someone else.

  With only an hour left to go and Nicholas still not showing up, Deborah excused herself from the conversation she was having with a friend to go and talk to Alex about it.

  “I thought you said Nick was coming, Alex?” Her tone was mixed with worry, anger and doubt because she suddenly realized that Alex could have been lying all along.

  “I told you already that he said he would be here. Obviously he got caught up in something else. He was going to be moving out today, you know.”

  “What? I didn’t know he was moving out!”

  “I didn’t tell you? Oops. Oh well, don’t worry about him and just enjoy your party.”

  Deborah walked away with a sigh, angry that her brother never told her Nicholas was moving out. However, she knew that now was not the time or place to discuss that so she headed towards the other side of the room to get away from her brother.

  Well, then either Alex never asked or apparently moving out is far more important to Nick than what I am, she thought to herself.

  Deborah tried hard not to be disappointed and angry the rest of the night seeing it was her party, which was why she was glad when Felicia finally showed up. Felicia and Deborah spent the remaining hour of the party talking and having a good time, a thought of Nicholas’ or Alex’s betrayal not even popping up in her mind.

  “Well, girls, it’s time to get going. We only rented this room for a couple of hours,” Deborah’s mom said.

  “Okay, mom,” Deborah replied.

  Felicia told Deborah she had to get going anyway so after giving each other a final embrace and Felicia leaving, Deborah walked back over to the rest of her family to see what needed to be done yet.

  “Most of it the restaurant will take care of so I think all we really have to do is get your gifts and cards out of here,” her dad instructed.

  “Sounds good to me,” Deborah said.

  The five Harringtons each took a few things in their arms and brought them out to Ms. Harrington’s car. When everything was all packed up, Deborah’s dad came to give her a hug before taking off.

  “Congratulations again, sweetie. I hope you had a good time.”

  “I did. Thanks for everything, dad.”

  Mr. Harrington said goodbye to Alex and Robyn as well and then went home. Ms. Harrington had to do a few more things in the restaurant and then she would be ready to take everyone home herself. Deborah thought the lack of others around would make it a good time to bring up Nicholas moving out.

  “So, Robyn, did you know Nick was moving out today?”

  Alex rolled his eyes after hearing Deborah’s words. He had no idea what Deborah’s obsession was with Nick and him needing to be here. Before Robyn could say anything, he did first. “No, she didn’t know. I didn’t tell anyone. Can’t you just drop it? He’s a grown man and it was bound to happen at some point.”

  “Yeah, but you could have told me at least instead of making it up that he was going to be here instead. He’s my friend too.”

  “I didn’t lie when I said he was going to be here. I asked him at the baseball game like I said I would and he said he’d be here. And if you were such a friend of his then he’d still be talking with you and seeing you like he does with me.”

  Alex’s words were sharp and stung Deborah to the core as soon as they were spoken.

  Deborah wiped a tear away so that no one would see. Not being able to think of what to say to that, Robyn again came to her rescue again.

  “Alex, that wasn't nice. Nicholas is Debbie’s friend too, and mine as well. Now maybe not as much of a friend to us as he is to you, but still is one.”

  She then turned to Deborah and said, “Look, maybe he just got caught up in something. I’m sure he didn’t mean to miss your graduation and the party, especially if he said he’d be here.”

  Just then the kids’ mom came out of the restaurant and they started to head home. Hardly anyone said a word to each other. Deborah just tried not to think too much into what Alex said otherwise she knew she’d cry some more.

  ---------------

  Upon arriving home, Deborah made sure to take a glance over at the Michaels’ home to see if Nicholas was possibly there. Her thoughts were confirmed when she saw nothing but a dark and lifeless house. Trying to push past her disappointment, Deborah went inside like everyone else, albeit with a slower pace and a forlorn expression.

  “Hurry up and get inside, everyone. I want to get some pictures of you all, especially the graduation girl!” Ms. Harrington exclaimed.

  This is so not what I feel like doing right now, Deborah thought.

  “Mom, do we have to do that right now? I’ve had such a long day and don’t feel like it.”

  “Deborah, yes we have to do this now. It won’t take that long. I promise.”

  “Ugh, fine.”

  By the looks on their faces, Deborah could tell Alex and Robyn didn’t want to take pictures right now either. But she supposed getting them done now would at least get them out of the way and she could then go on and try to enjoy the rest of her night, laying in her bed with all thoughts to herself.

  “Where do you
want us to stand this time, mom?” Robyn asked, voice indicating she was sick and tired of picture taking.

  She was the only one in the family that shared some of the same enthusiasm about pictures as their mom did, but tonight she even had enough because their mom had already been taking pictures of anything and everything the whole time.

  “You guys can just stand against this plain wall here,” their mom replied.

  All three of them obliged to their mom’s request, making the entire picture taking experience over in a flash.

  When Ms. Harrington indicated that she thought she got all of the pictures that she wanted to get, all of the kids started heading for the stairs to their respective bedrooms.

  “Deborah, don’t go up just yet. I need to talk to you a minute.”

  “Um, okay.”

  Deborah looked at her mom with confusion. She had no clue whatsoever regarding what it was her mom wanted to chat with her about.

  Deborah went to the kitchen to get a glass of water and then to sit at the kitchen table, waiting for her mom to put her camera stuff away and to come and talk with her.

  Ms. Harrington finally came and took a chair next to her daughter a few minutes later, a glass of water in her hand as well. She started out with small talk about Deborah’s day and just wanting to catch up with her daughter. Throughout all that, Deborah noticed her mom was wearing the ring they bought her for Mother’s Day, which made her smile. It warmed her heart that her mom loved the gift and wore it every chance she got.

  However, sensing her mom was stalling, and not wanting to talk all night long, Deborah decided to get her mom to cut to the chase.

  “Mom, while this is nice talking with you and everything, I have a feeling this is not what you really had in mind.”

  “No. I guess you know me too well. What I really wanted to talk to you about was if you are okay?”

  “Am I okay? Um, yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” Deborah asked, puzzled.

  “Well, I can see that something is bothering you and I have a feeling I know what it is.”

  “I’m a little disappointed is all, but that’s it. Otherwise I’m fine. I mean, I’m finally done with high school!”

  “You’re disappointed about Nicholas though, aren’t you?”

  “Nick? Well, maybe a little. How did you know?”

  “Moms just know these sort of things.”

  Ms. Harrington gave a small smile and put her hand, the one with the ring on it, on top of her daughter’s. The ring shined so brightly in the light that both of them stared at it. Ms. Harrington smiled at the incident then added, “I’m sure that whatever happened is something he couldn’t avoid because knowing him as long as we have, he’s the kind of man that keeps his word.”

  Deborah thought it a little funny when her mom referred to Nicholas as a man, but really that was what he was.

  “I know. I was just hoping to see him and then when he didn’t show up I felt like I wasn’t important to him. Then of course what Alex said…”

  “Wait, what did Alex say?” Ms. Harrington interrupted.

  “Just that if Nick was really my friend then he’d still talk to me and see me like he does with him.”

  “Oh, don’t listen to anything Alex says about that. He’s always been a tad jealous that you were friends with Nicholas like he was.”

  “It still hurt when he said it though.”

  “I’m sure it did, honey.”

  Just then the phone rang and Ms. Harrington got up to answer it. From the way she was talking, Deborah gathered it was someone from her work or something. She waited just a few more minutes for her mom while she finished her water; refreshment that was beginning to emulate the way she was starting to feel inside. Deborah heard her mom hang up the phone just as she put her empty glass in the sink.

  “Everything okay?” she asked as her mom re-entered the kitchen.

  “Yeah, that was just my boss reminding me of a meeting I need to schedule by Friday.”

  “Oh, okay. Well, I’m going to go to bed.”

  “All right. Just hang in there. Like I said, I’m sure Nicholas has a really good reason for not showing up today. Okay?”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Good night.”

  Deborah gave her mom a hug and then headed towards the stairs to go to her room and go to bed. As she reached the top step she heard the phone ring again.

  That must be some important meeting if that boss of hers is calling about it again, she thought.

  She found Robyn lying in bed, her nose in a book, so she quietly got her pajamas and headed to the bathroom to change. She was surprised to find her mom and brother in her room when she got back. Just looking at her mom she knew that something was wrong and she felt an awful pit in her stomach.

  “Mom, is everything okay?” Deborah asked.

  “No, I’m afraid not.”

  “Well, what is it?” Deborah pressed.

  With a distressful expression and fear of how to go about telling her kids what she had to say, she exhaled and said, “It’s Nick. He’s been in an accident.”

  9

  Deborah sat at the table staring at her cereal she just prepared. However, she couldn’t make herself come to eat it. Since last night when she found out that Nicholas had been in a serious car accident, her stomach had felt queasy. She barely got any sleep the previous night and her nerves were on edge worrying over what was going to happen to Nicholas. After fiddling with the spoon in her hand a few minutes, she decided to just get dressed and go see him for herself.

  As she quickly put on the first ensemble that matched, not caring what she really wore at the moment, she thought about earlier that morning when Alex went off to work acting like nothing had happened at all. Deborah had no clue how he could not think about or care about Nicholas at a time like this when all she thought about last night and up until this very moment was when she’d get to go visit him and see how he was doing.

  Her mom and Alex gone already, Deborah just had to say goodbye to Robyn and let her know where she’d be.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to dress up a little or at least brush your hair? You don’t look that great,” Robyn pointed out.

  “I don’t really care what I look like,” Deborah told her sister as she put on her second blue and silver tennis shoe.

  “Well, tell him I say hi. Can you do that for me?”

  “I will.”

  Deborah quickly grabbed her purse and keys and ran out the door. She got in the car, started the engine and backed out of the driveway. As she headed down the road, she buckled herself in, checked her mirrors and put on the radio, usually doing all that before she left the driveway. Deborah went at least ten miles per hour over the speed limit, something she never did, in order to hopefully reach the hospital in record time. She was thankful she didn’t have school busses to worry about and that traffic was on the lighter side at this time in the morning.

  When Deborah finally found a parking space at the Bayview Hospital, she ran inside where she was greeted by a tanned, black-haired volunteer who was sitting at a desk with a computer in front of her.

  “Hi. Can you tell me which room Nicholas Michaels is in?”

  “Sure. One moment.”

  She typed in his name and scrolled through the information that popped up. “There he is. Looks like he’s in Room 312. Do you know how to get there or will you need assistance?”

  “I know my way there. Thanks.”

  Just as she started walking away, the nice lady called out to her and said, “Oh, and one more thing, ma’am.”

  Deborah turned back around to face her. “Yeah?”

  “It shows he’s a coma patient so before you visit him, please see the nurse at the nurse’s station on that floor. Okay?”

  “Okay. I will. Thanks again," she said, trying her best to smile at the helpful volunteer.

  Deborah opted for the stairs instead of the elevator. Her nerves wouldn’t be able to stand the short wait that it would take fo
r her to get to the third floor without her moving something. She felt the need to keep going and the stairs provided that.

  It didn’t take long for Deborah to reach the third floor where she instantly found the nurse’s station. Unfortunately, no one was there at the moment so the best she could do was to wait. Again, feeling the need to keep moving, she paced back and forth while moving her fingers in piano-playing-like motion against her thighs. A nurse finally showed up after what seemed like forever and immediately she inquired about Nicholas.

  “Hi. I’m here to see Nicholas Michaels. I was told he was in Room 312 but that I had to stop and see you first before I went to see him.”

  “And you are?” the nurse asked.

  “I’m a good friend of his,” Deborah quickly replied.

  “Okay. Let me just look at his chart a moment here.”

  The nurse, who was a medium height and medium build, sat in her dark gray chair to flip through Nicholas’ file.

  “Ah, yes. He’s still in a coma, unfortunately. You’re allowed to see him, but do know he will be unresponsive. We encourage you to speak with him though as that can help him come to.”

  That’s what I had to stop here for? What a waste of my time, Deborah muttered within.

  Pushing her thoughts aside, she expressed gratitude for the information and pried for more.

  “Um, is there any way you could give me information on what happened or any updates? Anything at all?”

  The bright, blond-haired nurse looked at the young woman in front of her and could see the worry in her eyes. She technically wasn’t allowed to give out information to just anybody. But she saw that Nicholas meant a lot to Deborah so decided to let her know as much as she could.

  “I’m not supposed to say much, but this is what we know as of right now. Last night around six o’clock…”

  He must have been on his way to my graduation when it happened, Deborah feared in her mind.

  “He was brought in by an ambulance that responded to a drunk-driving accident.”

  Nicholas didn't drink, did he?