“Call the emergency!” Dad shouted.
I called them, and told them about Mom, and they said they were on the way, fifteen minutes top.
Mom was kicking and screaming, “This is not my house! Take me back to my house!”
I felt the tears streaming on my cheeks, “This is your house,” I informed her.
After a few struggling minutes, Dad was able to hold her, and calm her down. She finally lost her energy, and collapsed on the floor, with Dad still holding her hands, just in case if she wanted to do anything risky. It took a while, for the ambulance to arrive. I opened the door for them, and they took her carefully downstairs, and placed her in their car, while Dad and I walked behind them.
Dad turned to me, and placed his hands on my shoulder, “You need to stay with the kids.”
“I have to go!” I snapped.
“No, your siblings need you!” he shouted back, then he stepped back and entered the ambulance. The siren started and they sped away. When I looked back at the front door, Adam and Amelia stood in the middle of the entrance, crying and hugging each other.
“She’ll be okay,” I informed aloud.
And I thought, is she?
****************************************
I worked my way upstairs with my bottled up feelings and tried to stop my tears from falling. I took my crying siblings upstairs to their bedrooms, when I reached Adam’s room, I said, “Goodnight, try not to think about it, okay?”
He nodded with weak faith and got into his room and locked the door behind him. I took my sister’s hand and escorted her to her bedroom. She was still crying, her tears falling on her shoulders, making her shirt wet. When I stopped at her bedroom door, I bent down and grabbed her shoulders, “Amelia, she’s going to be okay. It’s just a temporary phase, doctors will take good care of her,” I explained to her.
I planted a kiss on her forehead, and she went into her room, and closed the door.
I took a shaky breath in, and muttered to myself, “Why God? Why?”
I walked into my bedroom and sat on the edge of my bed. I thought of all the possibilities that would come from this incident, and how we really need Mom alive. I was worried that what happened that day will traumatize my siblings for life. But what could have I done? I was helpless. I was weak.
I turned at my bedside table where the box Ned gave me, laid there. I took the box and placed it on my lap. I opened the box and read every note he wrote. The Shakespeare quotes that I adored. I took one and read it with tears finally falling from my eyes. I was crying.
I crumpled the piece of paper in my fist, and covered my face with my hands.
I needed someone to hug me at that time, and I couldn’t stop thinking of what would Ned do if he saw me crying.
Ned.
I had to call him.
I picked up my phone and dialed his number, and it rang for a few seconds.
I heard him picking up the phone, I felt he was smiling on the other end.
“Hey, Celia, it’s good to hear your voice,” he greeted.
“Hey,” I said with a shaky voice.
“Are you crying? What happened?” he asked.
“My mom was admitted to the hospital. She has been acting weird and aggressive,” I forced my normal voice, and sniffed, “I’m sorry, but I had to call you.”
“Celia, you don’t have to apologize,” Ned said, “I’m sorry about your mom. Are you there with her?”
“No, Dad’s with her. I’m at home with Adam and Amelia,” I answered with squeaky voice, “I have to be here with them.”
“Okay, Celia, I’m coming over. Hang in there,” Ned said.
I nodded, “Okay.” And hang up.
I put the phone on my lap, and wiped the tears on my cheeks. I had to breath, and let it go.
“Celia?” Amelia called as she stood at the doorway.
I turned to her. Not replying. It took me a lot of effort to look normal, but too late. She saw my tears.
She stepped in the room, “Can I stay with you? I can’t sleep.”
“Sure, Mimi, come in,” I said.
She walked in and sat beside me on the bed. I hugged her from the side and kissed her cheek. She looked at me with worry, and fear, “Were you crying?”
“Yes. Yes, I was.”
She kept her head on my chest as I rubbed my hand on her arm, “But we’re going to be okay.”
I heard the doorbell, and I saw Adam run in the hallway shouting, “I got it!”
After a while I heard them talking while they walked upstairs. Ned stopped by the doorway, and saw us hugging each other on the bed. Adam went to the dressing table and took the chair, and placed it beside my bed, where we were sitting.
“You can sit here,” Adam suggested.
“Thanks, man,” Ned said to Adam, and sat on the chair.
I turned to look at Adam, and smiled at him, “Thank you.”
He nodded, “Don’t worry about it. I will stay here as long as you need me.”
I was so grateful for his presence, and I wanted to tell him how special he was to me, but words would have failed me. I couldn’t describe how much I needed people around me at that time. I was hurting. We all were. I rested the side of my head to Amelia’s, and took the time to let the silence fold in on us.
****************************************
I woke up in the middle of the night, and
