And Mylia sat, watching the doctor and the nurses coming and going. The only time she left her mother’s side was to go to the bathroom. Dr. Murray arranged to have a tray brought to her at breakfast. He’d been surprised when he’d arrived at the hospital that morning and the small woman was still holding onto life. But only by a thread.
Sunday went by and May Li didn’t open her eyes. Monday morning found Mylia eating the food that Doctor Murray was paying for himself. She didn’t know that, as he knew she wouldn’t eat a bite if she did know that he had arranged for her to have a tray. As far as she knew, the food she was eating was being furnished by the hospital. But he had a soft spot for the child whose father had died and left her with a very ill mother. He had a daughter nearly her age and wondered how Penny would react if she were in this girl’s situation.
Mylia heard her mother release a long breath and ran to her. She didn’t take another, and Mylia was on her, shaking her, yelling, “Breathe, Mom! Breathe! Wake up!” When she got no response she ran to the hallway shouting for the doctor, a nurse, anybody. Finally a nurse came into the room and quickly put a stethoscope to May Li’s chest. She listened for a second then told Lia to wait in the hallway.
The nurse went running past her, and Lia didn’t know what to do. She stood there, shaking, scared to death, wondering if she should go back in the room where her mother lay. All color had left her face, and the terror Lia felt at that moment could not be described. Evidently the nurse went to get the doctor because he came running down the hall, glanced at Lia and charged into the room.
In a few moments he was back and led her a short distance away to a private room that was furnished only with two small sofas and three chairs with tables between them. Wonder why the chairs don’t match the sofas, she thought, her mind in a daze.
He sat her down, and she knew what was coming, had prepared herself for this day, but it didn’t hurt any less. Tears ran silently down her face.
Doctor Murray gently took her hand in his. “I’m sorry, Mylia. There was nothing we could do. All we can do in cases like this is to keep the patient comfortable until their time comes. You evidently did a good job taking care of her. As badly as her heart was damaged, I’m surprised she lived this long.”
“She… She lived for me, Doctor Murray. She often said I was the only thing she lived for. And I believe that. You would have liked her, I think. She was wonderful!”
Lia fairly shouted those last words, threw her arms around his neck and sobbed. The doctor held her as she cried and wondered what would happen to her now that both her parents were gone. Evidently she was all alone in the world as the small Oriental woman had had no visitors in the two days she’d been there. But someone was going to have to take responsibility for this girl. She was too young to account for herself.
“Mylia? Who can I call? There has to be somebody. I’m worried about you.” And the genuine concern on his face touched Lia.
“I’ll call my uncle, Doctor Murray. Don’t worry. My uncle will take care of me.” And she cringed at the lie she was telling this man who had done his utmost to save her mother. She had no intentions of calling her Uncle Warren. What would he care?
*********
“She’s not in school, Butch. I’ve looked all over for her and asked everybody if they’ve seen her. This isn’t like her. You know she’s here every day.” Although Dari was upset with Lia, and he meant to come down on her pretty hard for lying to him, he couldn’t let her go. She was too much a part of his life. If anyone let go, it would have to be her, and he was scared to death that she’d do just that. But what would he do without her?
“The one day I have something really important to tell her, she’s not here, and you know she wouldn’t give me her number. Said her mom wouldn’t let her. Well, at least now we know why.” Dari was at his wit’s end, needing desperately to find out why she hadn’t told him she was Warren Trenton’s daughter, and wondering why she wasn’t in class.
“Hell, they probably pulled her out. Gonna send her back to one of them big fancy private schools.” Butch was adamant about what more than likely had happened. “Maybe she saw us pass her house and knows the cat’s out of the bag. Who knows with rich people? We sure wouldn’t.” And he took another drag on the cigarette he and Dari were sharing after lunch.
“Well, I’m going to her house this evening, Butch. If you want to come, you can, but maybe I should do this by myself. I’m goin’ right after school.”
“Okay, but I think you’re nuts. What’re you gonna do? Walk in and sit on their five thousand dollar couch? They probably won’t even let you see her. That is, if she’s still there. She might have already gone. Dari, you may as well hang it up.”
“I can’t. I really care about her, Butch. Rich or not. If she wants me out of her life, she’s going to have to tell me to go.”
“I was afraid you were gonna say that. I sure can’t blame you, though. I’m crazy about Jenny. If it was her, I’d do the same thing.”
After school, Dari went to the garage and his dad let him take the Chevy after he explained that his girl wasn’t in school that day and she might be sick. He didn’t tell his dad what he’d found out about Lia, that she was one of the Trenton’s that everyone in town knew, at least by reputation.
Arriving at the Trenton mansion, Darian brazenly walked up and rang the door bell. A maid finally answered, as he was looking around at the perfectly kept grounds and the driveway that didn’t even have the smallest crack in the pavement. Everything was immaculate, a place he would never be invited and Lia had proved that.
“Is Lia home?” he asked in all innocence. “I missed her at school today.”
“Who is it, Annie?” And a woman who looked as if she‘d just returned home from a beauty shop, dressed in an outfit his mom might wear to church if she could ever afford anything like it, showed herself behind the maid.
“This boy wants to see Mylia, Mrs. Trenton.” And Patience stepped in front of the maid who hurried back through the foyer.
“Who are you, and what do you want with Mylia?” The woman asked suspiciously.
“I’m Darian Wilks, Lia’s boyfriend. She wasn’t in school today and I thought I’d better check on her. Thought she might be sick or something.” Very few people intimidated Dari, but this woman, with her haughty attitude, did so now.
“I’m sorry,” the woman stated facetiously, “but Mylia doesn’t live here. I would have never allowed those Chinks to live in my house. Her mother passed away this morning.” At Darian’s surprised look, she went on. “Did you honestly think she lived here?” And the woman laughed. “Oh, I see. She probably told you she lived here. Chinks will say anything. Lia lived around back with her mother, but as I said, her mother died, and right now I don’t know where she is. My husband called and said he was going to go check on her at the hospital. They’re his relations, not mine. She might still be there.” The nerve of the girl, telling this boy that she lived in this house! She would fix her.
Darian stood there and stared at the woman. How could anyone be so cruel? Especially to someone like Lia. And who was she calling a Chink? All of a sudden, his intimidation turned to anger.
“You’re welcome to go to the apartment over the garage and wait for her if you want. Warren only called me a little while ago and said that May Li had died. It’s about time. She’s been a burden for years.”
Burden? What was this woman talking about? Lia had never said anything about her mom even being sick. Darian’s heart was beating so fast he couldn’t even think. This high falutin’ woman had said that Lia’s mother had died. Oh, my God! What would she be feeling right now? Somehow he had to get to her. “Which hospital?” And she told him Baptist Hospital and he knew exactly where it was and that it was a charity hospital. Dazed, he thanked the woman and she