“Of course.” A sound in the hallway pulls my attention, and I glance around the corner. Luna’s family has abandoned the hospital room and is walking our way. “Here they come.” I gesture for her to crawl around the back of the nurse’s station and she does.
We hunker on the backside, pressed out of sight, listening and waiting for her father’s family to disappear. She holds my hand tightly, pressing it to her chest. Her family’s footfalls and chatter grow ever louder. They round the corner and walk past the other side of the station behind which we hide. The ping of an elevator button signals their intent.
“I don’t like this,” her grandmother says. “We shouldn’t allow her to get her way.”
“And what would you have us do?” her uncle responds. Scrapes and shuffles move across the counter above us. We both jolt and press deeper into the barrier. Luna throws her hand over her mouth.
“What are you doing?” her grandfather grumbles.
“Just writing myself a note,” Her uncle says. “A reminder of something I need to do.”
“What do you have to do?” The elevator door rattles open and the motion of footsteps follow. “Hurry up, the door wants to close.”
Something slides across the surface above. I envision his hand scraping the countertop. With the squeal of sneakers on linoleum flooring, her uncle spins and dashes across the hall, into the elevator. And a slip of paper floats from above, into Luna’s lap.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Feeling less than safe hanging in or around Mrs. Flores’ hospital room, Luna and I make our way to the cafeteria. Luna clutches the piece of paper in her hand, staring at the scribble of handwriting running across the page. The message is short and simple and clearly intended for her.
Call me. 9:30 tomorrow. There’s something I must tell you.
~ Uncle Andy
At the bottom of the slip is a local phone number, including area code.
Luna rubs the page between her finger and thumb, as if needing to prove to herself time and time again that the note is real.
“What could he possibly have to tell me?” She murmurs.
“No idea. He’s your uncle. You honestly don’t have a clue?” We cross the cafeteria and peruse the edible options.
“Not really.” She grabs a cup and pops it in the auto dispenser, filling the drink to full. “Like I told you before, I never had a lot of interaction with my dad’s side of the family. I always got the impression there was some sort of bad blood between them. I’m guessing now, I was right.”
I, too, grab a drink and, also, a bag of chips. Luna selects a fruit bowl and suggests we share both the fruit and the chips. We pay and take a seat, eat, and speculate. Check on her mom and speculate some more.
It is decided that her dad’s family knows a lot more about the bokor and the voodoo religion than she was ever led to believe. They may hold the answer to my mom’s possession issue, only Luna doesn’t feel comfortable talking to them. Not after what happened earlier, with them attempting to take her into their care.
“What if they were to hand me over to the bokor, as he originally requested?” she says.
“I’m not going to let that happen.” I curl my hand into a firm fist. Thump it against the windowsill.
“And how would you stop it? We’re less than half the opposition’s age, and even less knowledgeable.” She crosses her arms and frowns. Glances at her mom, sleeping in the bed beside us.
“Opposition,” I repeat and giggle. She giggles with me. “I like that better than bad guy or evil bokor,” I say. We both giggle and my head swoons. I may be drunk on lack of sleep or a proper meal.
We slide to a seat upon the ground, the far wall at our back, and the hospital bed between us and the door. Our hope, our presence goes undetected to any quick peeks into the room. I lean against her and close my eyes. Lose time.
“There are better places to sleep than on the hospital floor.”
My eyes blink to a lazy open. I tilt my head back and stare up at my brother, wipe away the drool at the edge of my lip. He towers over Luna and me, a humorous grin pinned to his lips. He offers me his hand. I accept and he hauls me to a stand. Does the same for Luna.
“Miri asked me to retrieve your sorry butt. But I don’t know…” He rubs the back of his head. “Maybe you’d rather sleep here tonight than in a comfy bed.”
“Ha. Ha.” I tease. Smirk.
“The chair in the corner there reclines.” Luna points to the one and only chair. “If Belle chooses to stay with me, I’ll let her take that, and I’ll squeeze along the edge of my mom’s bed.”
Michael’s head jerks back, and he folds his arms across his chest. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Not really.” Her voice is quiet, fueled with nerves. “I hate to admit it, but I’m slightly afraid to spend the night here alone.”
“Why would you?” Michael says. “This place is not conducive to a good night’s sleep.”
“Well…” She swings her upper body back and forth. “My mom is here and there’s no one back at my house. So, this seems like the place where I ought to be.”
“What about family?” he asks. I shake my head, letting him know her family is not an option. “Well then.” His face relaxes into firm resolve. “Looks like Grams will have to deal with another houseguest for a day…” He shifts and glances at Mrs. Flores. “Or more.”
“Really?” Luna asks. “I don’t want to put anyone out.”
“It’s settled. Don’t bother arguing. Grams is a sucker for young girls in need of mothering. Come on.” He waves us to follow, and he walks out of the room.
Luna kisses her mom goodnight, we toss our remaining trash in the bin, and we dash after
