Darian went to his room, sat down on his bed, and put his head in his hands. He sat in the dark, his heart feeling like one big block of ice. How could she do this to him? And how could he not have known that something was wrong? Sneaking around in that big car, never letting him come to her house or telling him anything much about her family. Had he had blinders on or something that he couldn’t tell it was all a game to her? They’d even talked about a future together, and he did remember that she hadn’t wanted to talk about it. No wonder. She knew there could never be a future with him. To her, it had all been a lark. And everyone talked about how boys took girls for a ride, but buddy, he had been picked up and taken for a three month love trip. And he’d followed the rich bitch like a homeless puppy. Feeling guilty for even thinking that way, he couldn’t call her that. She wasn’t like that. But what was she?
He hated to admit it, but even now he wanted to be with her. To be holding her in his arms. To climb into that warm bed with her and… Oh, God! How was he ever going to get over this! For the first time in his life, he felt like running away from home. Just going someplace where nobody knew him and especially what a sucker he’d been. The bad part about that was wherever he went, Lia would go with him. She would never leave his heart.
Five
Mylia parked the car in the garage, and as fast as she dared because of the thin glaze of snow that covered the steps, she hurried to her mother. She knew that her mom hadn’t been feeling well when she left to go to Dari’s but May Li would not hear of Mylia staying home and missing the party. They’d argued about it, but May Li had told her she was going to go to bed and she had everything she needed close by. Mylia could forget about her for the time she would be away and she wanted to hear all about the party when Lia returned.
“You have good time, Mylia. I go to bed. I just tired. Give Dari big kiss. Yum, yum. Love you, my Mylia.” Those were the last words her mother had said to her.
Lia couldn’t wait to tell her mom what a great time she’d had at the party, about all the good food, and especially how nice Dari’s parents and younger sister were.
“I’m home, Mom. How’re you doing?” Her mother was evidently asleep because the customary ‘Mylia, that you?’ was not forthcoming.
The woman lay on the bed, not answering, and did not have the quilt pulled up as she usually did. Mylia rushed to her. She’d surely get cold lying on top of the quilt like that. But when she got to her, she felt cold and clammy to the touch. Alarmed, Lia quickly became more terrified than she’d ever been in her life. It felt like someone had punched her in the stomach and rammed their fist all the way to her spine.
“Mom? Are you okay? Mom!” May Li did not answer her and Lia anxiously put her head to her chest. A heartbeat. Yes, there was a faint heartbeat. She had to get some help!
Not even thinking, she ran back down the steps, sliding, but determined to get to the back door of her uncle’s house. She knocked, rapidly and loudly on the glass. Terrified, she knocked again, hoping to be heard over the music and laughter evident inside the large place. She never thought of the doorbell, which was at every door in the mansion.
Finally, a maid answered. “Yes. May I help you?” She didn’t even recognize the girl.
“I’m Mylia and my mother is very sick. Please! I need to speak to Uncle Warren. Tell him to come. She’s very sick.” And she ran back to the rooms over the garage.
She waited, rubbing a warm wet cloth over her mother’s face, holding her mother’s hand, talking to her, trying anything to get her out of the stupor. May Li looked so helpless and it seemed she’d lost her color, and even though Lia had covered her well, she was still cold to the touch. Her breath was shallow, but she was breathing.
Evidently she had gotten weak and just fell across the bed. If only she hadn’t left her tonight, knowing she was not well! But she had wanted to go to the party so badly, to be with Dari, and her mother had talked her into going, assuring her that she would be all right.
Her Uncle Warren finally made his way up the steps. After assessing the situation he spoke to Mylia. “She looks pretty bad, Lia. The only thing I know to do is get her to a hospital. You have the car. Take her to the Baptist Hospital over on North High Street. They take charity cases. I’m sorry, but I must get back to my guests. It will be midnight soon and my wife will never forgive me if I’m not there. Call me, Lia, and let me know how she’s doing.”
Even though her uncle had acted concerned, she was on her own, with her mother deathly ill, and the first person she thought of was Dari. He would help her.
No! She couldn’t do that! She would lose him if she called and asked for his help to get May Li to the hospital. He’d take one look at this place, be disgusted, and never speak to her again. She couldn’t lose him! She just couldn’t! She had to do this herself.
Getting May Li’s coat on her was a feat in itself, and wrapping her mother as best she could, she practically carried her down the stairs to the warm car. At least she was glad it was still warm and she turned up the heater full blast. So nervous she could hardly drive, she made it down the hill and over to Baptist Hospital. Her uncle had told her they took charity cases and they’d better take her mom because she didn’t have a cent.
Arriving at the Emergency Room, Lia ran inside to get someone to help her get May Li from the car. When she got them to understand that May Li had had rheumatic fever and she was in a catatonic state, they went running with a stretcher. They slowed some, though, when they saw the small woman. There was supposed to be no difference according to race or creed, but she could see these orderlies didn’t follow that regulation. Her mother was nothing to them because she was a foreigner. Would Dari look at May Li the same way? She’d honestly never thought of it as she’d told him her mother was Chalayan, and had to show him where it was located on a map. The poverty they suffered was the only thing that had ever bothered her in connection with Dari.
Fortunately, the doctor was not the same sort as the orderlies. He was a kind, friendly middle-aged man and he rushed to get her mother into a room and started an IV drip, giving her much needed fluids. After his initial examination, he called Mylia aside, close to the window, and spoke with her in low tones.
“I’m Doctor Murray. Do you have an adult with you, young lady? Someone I can speak with? Are they perhaps out in the waiting room?”
“No. I brought my mom here because I’m all she has. My father is dead. She didn’t feel well earlier, but made me go to a New Year’s Eve party. I didn’t want to leave her, but…” and Lia’s tears came. She could no longer be brave, hold them back.
“Oh, child. Don’t feel guilty. This would have happened had you been standing over her. You see, her heart is just not strong enough, and I hate to have to tell you this bad news, but I doubt if she will last out the night. If there’s anyone you can call to come be with you, I’ll stay with her if you want to go use the payphone to call them.”
Lia knew, although her uncle had told her to call him that he would not leave his guests. And Dari? Would his parents let him come sit with her because her mother was so sick? Did she even want him there after she had lied to him so many times about May Li? There would be so much she’d have to explain to him, and she didn’t think she’d be able to face him right now. No, she’d go it alone, as she’d done since her father had been killed.
“There’s no one to call. We live on the charity of my uncle, but he wouldn’t come here just because my mother is sick.” Careful not to disclose her uncle’s name, this kind doctor would never tie them to the wealthy Trenton’s that owned practically all of Speesburg. “I’ll sit here with her. I’ve taken care of her since she was in the hospital with the rheumatic fever. I’ll be here when she wakes up.”
Denial, Doctor Murray was thinking. In her young mind, she could not imagine her mother