Six

Valerie missed our mom so much, I thought it best that we visited her that weekend.

During the week, Valerie had been sent out of school, finally. It did break my heart, but I was helpless.

On getting to the hospital, I found out that my mother had been moved. She was not in the ward that she used to be in. Frantically, I checked the other beds, but she was nowhere to be found on any of them. It made me uneasy, the worst of thoughts ran through my mind as I wondered where she could have been moved to.

I felt myself begin to panic as I rushed to the receptionist with my sister. I could tell she was only trying to stay calm. The woman was familiar with us, so she spoke as soon as she spotted us,

"Ward 117." She didn't even bother to smile, but her courtesy was the least of my problems. I nodded in silence, fixing the hem of my gown as I searched for Ward 117.

I finally located the ward. My jaw dropped...not in a good way, but with despair and utter shock. It was three times smaller than the one she had been in and her bed size smaller, to the extent that the end of her legs swayed at the edge of it. Valerie rushed to her and stood by the side of her bed, caressing her hand gently. I stood at the door for some minutes, just to drink in the sight before me. Before I stepped into the room and stood by Valerie.

"Miss Wyatt?" I heard a voice call behind me. I turned. I did not recognize him, but he seemed to have authority. He looked stern. There was no exchange of pleasantries, he simply glared at me as he spoke.

"This is where your mother would be staying for two weeks until we are forced to either take away her oxygen or move her to a palliative care center whichever you would wish to happen. You have two weeks to decide and after that, we would be forced to take matters into our own hands and end this, once and for all."

His words knocked the wind out of my system. Tears welled up in my eyes, confusion clouded my mind. It didn't make sense, I needed to see the owner of the hospital. He had promised to be patient until we could pay up.

"I need to see the Director, sir." I requested, with shaking hands and an equally feeble voice.

"You are standing right in front of him, miss."

My eyes widened and I looked behind him, hoping someone else would emerge from behind him, the man I wanted to see.

"But it wasn't you..." I trailed off. This couldn't be happening.

"Clarke retired. It's officially the end of Christmas." He spat out.

End of Christmas.

The statement quickened my heartbeat and sent my pulse racing.

"Sir, please..." I started but he did not let me finish.

"The hospital has been lacking funds lately and I believe it has to do with charity cases like your family. Clarke wasted enough facility and equipment on your mother already and it is high time we ended this. The bills are only growing. As I said, you only have two weeks to come up with a decision or we would make that decision for you." He turned to leave and I stopped him.

"And what's... What's the bill, sir?" I dared to ask, I had to.

He stared down at me and I could swear I had not imagined the look of amusement on his face. I bit my lip under the scrutiny of his gaze. His answer would determine my next move.

"And why do you wish to know?" He asked me. I fisted my palm, pushing myself to say it.

"I want to pay for it." I blurted.

My statement was met with resounding laughter. My cheeks turned crimson red with embarrassment.

"You? Do you want to pay for it? Interesting. You think that you can pay that amount off, don't you?" He asked, I said nothing and waited for him to finish.

"You think you can pay off roughly 7.8 million dollars? And by doing what exactly? Running around in a waitress dress?"

Seven-point-say what now?

Million...

Dollars...

These were terms I had never heard in the same sentence before. How on earth was I supposed to even...? I paused my thoughts. I would be strong.

"Could you please extend the time?" I mumbled.

"No."

His reply was blunt, he left the room without a word.

I heard muffled cries from the corner of the room and tilted my head toward the direction of the sound; it was from Valerie. I was kneeling before her in seconds, wiping her face.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, in between tears. "But I just can't believe we're about to lose mama. I don't know her but I love her so much, Jo. I'm trying to be a big girl but I can't do it anymore, I wish things didn't have to be like this." She cried out.

It was then that my heart broke. I gathered her in my arms, I had nothing to say. Tears rolled down my cheeks and I wished, for my sake as well, that I could tell her that it was going to be okay.

That I was going to find a way to pay up the bills. But I knew that I would be lying to both of us. There was no way I could gather such an amount of money in my life. Not to talk of two weeks!

A miracle was the only thing that could save my mother from death and I could only pray for one right now. We wept in each other's arms for as long as we needed to. Until she fell asleep and I rocked her in my arms as I took out my phone to look at the time.

I fell into a stool beside my mother and buried my head in my palms. I did my best to shield my eyes away from Valerie so she wouldn't see I was crying, but I couldn't help it.

This was too much for me to bare.

Where was I to find such an amount of money in such a short period?

I couldn't ask Mel for…wait.

I thought back to what she had said to me earlier, about the men who frequented the restaurant, the men who ogled at me.

"Why don't you accept these invitations, JOJO, it will make it a lot easier for you."

Mel's words echoed in my ears.

If they were as rich as she said, surely they'll be able to help, right?

It did not matter what I had to do to get the money, I couldn't allow my mother to die. She had come this far, I knew we were going to get out of this, I just didn't know how.

Did I want to do what Mel had introduced me to? Was I willing to give myself to men for quick cash?

I pushed the thought to the back of my head and sat up. I decided to watch Valerie until she fell asleep beside our mother.

It was almost midday and I had two messages. The first one was from the family of the elderly man I was supposed to take care of. They informed me that they had found someone else for the job and I could stay back. I heaved a frustrated sigh and scrolled past it. I had seen it coming. I moved to the next message from Mel.

She was reminding me to come to work early. I appreciated the effort she would always put in for me. I knew about my first job and didn't want to get carried away or show up late. I gently picked my sister up and set her on a small couch close to my mother's bed.

I took out a piece of paper and a pen and scribbled a note explaining where I was going and when I would be back. I set the paper on the table next to my mother's bed. I placed the meal we had gotten on our way here close to it as well, it didn't matter that my stomach audibly growled.

Then I willed myself to look at my mother. She was not the woman I used to know. But she was still a fighter.

She had been fighting for eight years and maybe it was time to let her go. But what about Valerie? Would she ever heal?

I tore my eyes away from her in that instant. Too many questions and no answers, I was growing weary of it.

I sighed and picked up my bag, heading out of the hospital.

Go for money!