“What happened?” I asked.
“He has multiple myeloma,” Dimitri said. “Because of the cancer, he has a lack of calcium, and his bones are weak. He fell from the stairs last night.” Dimitri cleared his throat. “I tried to catch him—”
“This isn’t your fault,” I said.
My friend was on the verge of tears, and it clearly took everything inside of him not to have a meltdown. I could not help it. I reached for him, but he stepped aside before I could embrace him.
“Don’t touch me,” he snarled.
I took a startled step back. “I am sorry... I just wanted to comfort you.”
His face softened. “If you hug me now, I will have a breakdown in front of all of these people. I don’t want that.”
I nodded and became aware of the old lady who was now gaping at me. What was the old lady’s problem? I hadn’t assaulted my friend – I just wanted to comfort him.
Then Ethan’s body started to shake violently.
“What’s happening?”
“Call the nurse!” Dimitri demanded.
“What’s happening?” I asked.
“Charlotte, call the nurse!” Dimitri cried.
He rushed to his brother’s side and gripped the side of the bed. “Come on, Ethan! Hold on!”
I raced into the hall, “Help! Someone help me!” Several nurses heard me cry and rushed over. I pointed them to Ethan.
Dimitri watched as they pushed the bed out of the room. He rushed after them, but I blocked his way.
“Let them do their job,” I told him.
Dimitri looked at me then tracked his brother’s bed as the nurses pushed him around the corner and out of sight. His eyes filled with tears, and he nodded. This time I did not attempt to hug him. I took a seat in the waiting room while he paced around like a caged animal. My heart went out to him. What must it feel like to love someone so much and not be able to help them?
“Do you want to get something to eat?” I asked Dimitri.
“I can’t leave him,” Dimitri said.
“There is a cafeteria by the entrance of the hospital.”
“I’m not hungry,” he groused.
I sighed and wondered if he was like me – he didn’t eat when he was stressed or sad. I had a tendency to lose weight before my exams even started.
“You can go if you want,” he said to me.
I could not leave him. He needed me now more than ever, so I picked up a magazine from the table in the centre of the waiting room and flipped through the pages. He would speak to me when he was ready.
After a while, Dimitri spotted one of the nurses who had taken away his brother. He pointed to her, and I got to my feet.
I approached the nurse. “Excuse me, nurse.”
The nurse turned to me and smiled.
“The boy – Ethan Collins – is he all right?”
The nurse nodded. “His family can speak to the doctor for more details.”
“Thank you.”
The nurse walked away, and I stared after her. I was so glad Ethan was still alive. Relief washed over me like a cold shower. How much longer did the child have left? I looked at Dimitri, but he didn’t appear relieved. He looked tired, sad and like he had aged twenty years in the time we had waited.
It was getting late, and if I was home after my parents, they would get worried. I did not want to leave Dimitri here.
“Can I take you home?” I offered.
“I’ll ask my stepfather to come get me.” Dimitri looked at me with thankful eyes. “You have such a kind heart.”
“All right,” I said, “but I have to go home.”
“Don’t feel guilty,” Dimitri said. “I didn’t expect you to stay this long. I’m so thankful to have you in my life.” His gaze was so sincere and as intense as I had never seen before.
“I’m glad to have you, too,” I said, and felt our invisible connection, a line of energy and emotion. “But don’t you think you should go home as well? And get some rest?”
He shook his head. “I can’t leave him.”
I gave him a sad smile, and then I headed to my car. Dimitri returned to his little brother.
Charlotte
That night I informed my family about Dimitri’s brother. I explained to them that he could not attend dinner because his brother had broken his leg and had spent the night at the hospital.
“That is terrible!” Andrea exclaimed.
“This is why we should not assume things. It’s always better to wait for the facts,” Ned told us.
“I’m glad he had a good excuse,” Juan said. “Will he join us for dinner another time?”
“I am sure he will,” I said.
I was happy that my family had accepted Dimitri’s excuse, and I felt much better about the whole situation. After dinner, Juan walked with me to my room, and I could tell that something was wrong with her. She had been off the whole night. She was too quiet, and she was not smiling enough. Whatever it was, she did not want to discuss it in front of our parents.
“What is wrong?” I asked, once our parents were out of sight.
“I just had a horrible day,” Juan said. “I got into a fight with one of my friends.”
“About what?”
“She claims her boyfriend has a crush on me.”
“Does he?”
Juan gave me a look that suggested he did.
“It’s hard being beautiful,” I told her.
Juan managed to smile. “Yes, it is. Anyway, the girl acted like it was my fault he was into me. It’s not my fault, and I would never steal anyone’s boyfriend.”
“She sounds insecure,” I said.
“She is very insecure!” Juan said. “Girls are so much drama. Sometimes I wish I was like you – happy in my own company.”
“I always wish I am as charismatic as you.”
“I did not know that,” Juan said as we entered my room. “I’m lonely, and I am sleeping here tonight.”
“All right,” I said.
We bathed, brushed teeth, and got dressed into our sleepwear. I usually slept on the side of the bed that was the closest to my desk. I tried to switch my bed light on but it flickered and went out. Instead, I switched on the bed light on the other side of the bed – where Juan would sleep.
I picked Amore up onto the bed and climbed in under the sheets where it was warm and comfortable.
Juan came in with her hair still wet and in her comfortable night clothes. She closed the door and switched off the light.
“My bedside light is fused,” I told her.
“Do you want me to leave mine on during the night?” she asked, but I could tell from her tone that she did not want to.
“That’s all right,” I said. “I know you don’t like it.”
Juan gave me a smile and switched off the light. Amore lay at my feet and was the first to snore.
“I love you. Sleep well,” Juan said.
“Goodnight,” I said as my eyes adjusted to the dark.
I fell asleep on my side – I faced my desk and the window. I woke in the middle of the night to the sound of a book being dropped. I rubbed my eyes and looked towards my desk. It was dark, and I was not wearing my glasses.
“Juan?” I asked.
My sister was standing by my desk looking at my books. She had her back turned to the bed, so I could not see her face.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
I got no answer and decided to switch on the bed light. That was when I remembered that it did not work. I would have to use the one on the other side of the bed. I sat up and leaned over so that I could reach it.
I leaned over my sleeping sister.
I froze, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I looked down at Juan, who was sleeping peacefully. My sister was unaware of the stranger in my room. Slowly, I lay down again. I tried my best not to cry, because that would make noise. I lay close to my sister, as if we could protect each other, and squeezed my eyes shut.
Amore was also sleeping peacefully, thus she did not wake, and she did not bark. She did not see the ghost lurking around.
I could hear the ghost move, the footsteps, her paging through my books. She picked up pencils. Was she drawing?
I lay there like a corpse. There was no way I would fall asleep. I was too scared to move. I listened to everything the ghost did.
By the time my alarm clock went off, I was still awake. I turned to my desk, but the ghost was gone.
Juan was up immediately and said cheerfully, “Good morning.”
“Hey,” I mumbled.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Juan told me.
I shrugged and watched my sister get out of bed and go to her room. I got up and went to the desk. I was still scared.
The notebook Dimitri had bought me was open on the fourth page where the ghost had drawn something. I had no doubt that it was the Red-eyed Lady who had done so. I swallowed. She had drawn pink and purple cosmos.
The flowers were beautiful, and I thought they’d look good as funeral flowers. This must mean that the Red-eyed Lady wanted me dead.
Chapter 14
Charlotte
I felt shaky the whole day and thought about how I was not ready to die. I had my whole life ahead of me. I was still so young…
I went to school and tried my best to focus on my work. There was no point in thinking about the ghost and scaring myself even more. Yet, I could not get the Red-eyed Lady out of my mind. I could see her in my thoughts as clearly as a painting.
After school, I did not want to go home to my family who loved me but never believed me. My parents were working, and my sister was coming home late from college. I did not want to be alone after everything.
Amore would be waiting for me. She must have sulked the whole day, and I felt slightly guilty for not going home directly. I drove to the hospital where Ethan was, and I hoped I would meet Dimitri there. It was time he got a new phone. They looked like a wealthy family, and I was surprised that he did not have a new one already. Maybe he was being punished for breaking the old one.
I entered the hospital and greeted the nurse with whom I had spoken yesterday. I went to Ethan’s room, past all of the beds, and noticed that the old lady, the one who had stared at me, was not there anymore.
Ethan was awake and sitting upright in his bed. He looked at me when I stopped in front of his bed.
“Hello.” I offered him a warm smile and hoped it would lift his spirits. “I’m Charlotte. I am a friend of your brother’s.”
Ethan had a pretty face – round cheeks and a strong chin with full eyebrows. If he had the chance to grow up, he would become a handsome man. His arms were wrapped around himself and his eyes looked empty.
“I miss him,” Ethan said.
The two brothers clearly loved each other very much. They were the most important people in each other’s lives.
I had not come here to talk with the little boy. I had hoped to see Dimitri, but now that I was here, I could not leave the sad child. I stood close to him and gestured to his leg. “Are you all right?”
“I am,” he said. “It looks worse than it is.”
“I like your positivity,” I said.
Ethan proved to be a talkative boy. One would not say that he was dying from the way he began to smile. We spoke about movies he watched, and I did not realise how quickly the hour passed until the nurse told me that visiting hour was over.
“Thank you for coming to visit me,” he said. “My mom never does.”
“It was my pleasure,” I said. I felt pity for him. If I were in the hospital, my family would visit every chance they got. But my family weren’t alcoholics...
“I will see Dimitri soon. I’ll tell him you said ‘hi’.”
“Thanks.”
I left the sweet little boy to rest.
Charlotte
When I walked out of the hospital room and into the hall, I saw Dimitri. He looked at me with bright, hopeful eyes.
“I have not seen Ethan smile that much in a long time.”
“I did not see you there!” I said. “Are you hiding from me?”
His smile turned sad. “I’m hiding from my brother. If he sees me, he won’t want me to go. I don’t have the heart to tell him that I have to.”
“When are the next visiting hours?”
“Tonight,” Dimitri said. “I visited this morning, and he is going home soon.”
“Really?” I asked, “but he looks so sick.”
“There is nothing more they can do for him,” Dimitri said. “The best thing for him is to be home so that he can be surrounded by people who love him.”
My throat felt tight. I was at a loss of words, and I was thankful when Dimitri spoke.
“Why did you come here?”
“I was hoping to see you,” I said. “I had a bad night, and I need a friend.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” Dimitri asked.
“No,” I said hesitantly.
A part of me was dying to tell someone. The death of the Red-eyed Lady was eating at me, but I was too scared to open up. What if I told someone, and they told the police? Would I get arrested?
Dimitri was not a pushy person. I liked that. He never nagged or begged, and it is one of the reasons why I had become so comfortable with him.
“How about we go somewhere?” he suggested.
“Where?” I smiled.
He thought about this for a moment. When he decided where he wanted to take me, his face lit up. “I know just the place.”
We headed to my car, and I asked Dimitri if he wanted to drive. From my experience, guys liked to be behind the wheel. I wondered if it was a dominance thing.
“No thanks,” Dimitri said. “I’m not on your insurance.”
“I’m sure you are a good driver and won’t crash my car.”
“But you never know what other idiots are on the road,” he told me.
He was way too wise for his age. My father would approve. We left the conversation there. Then I wondered if he had turned down the offer because he was responsible or because he had a scare after his accident. It was probably normal if he was scared. Had he dared to drive again after he wrecked his car?
“Are you going to tell me where you are taking me?” I wondered.
“Did I tell you my stepfather is a businessman? He works in real estate. He owns a lot of vacation homes which he rents out.”
“He sounds successful,” I said.
“He is,” Dimitri said. “He knows how to work with money. Anyway, one of my favourite properties –that he owns – is not too far away.”
“Can we just show up? Won’t we get into trouble?” I asked.
“No one is renting it at the moment. He won’t mind if we go and sit there for a while.”
“So, your great plan is to go and sit in an empty house?”
“Not exactly.” Dimitri smiled.
I followed his directions, and we drove further and further away from the city. I switched on the radio and discovered that both of us enjoyed 1980s music. We sang along to our favourite songs, and I only turned the music down when the road got rough.
“My small car isn’t made for gravel roads,” I said.
“We are almost there,” he told me.
We drove past tall trees with beautiful-coloured foliage. The leaves spiralled down like puzzle pieces falling into place. I could see the place now. It was a brick house, three stories tall, and it had a balcony reaching over the side. The doors were closed, the curtains were drawn, and it had been built next to a big dam filled with water plants. I wondered if this place had inspired Dimitri to draw flowers for me. Little rivers flowed into the dam, and there was a boathouse with a pier.
“This is so beautiful!” I exclaimed.
“I’m glad you like it.” Dimitri smiled.
We parked next to the house under a big tree.
I jumped out of the car, and my shoes crunched on the fallen leaves. “There is so much water!”
“My stepfather likes water. He has a knack for buying properties that have a lot of it. If you ever want to go on a short vacation, he is the man you should contact.”
My parents wanted a weekend away, and I would keep Dimitri’s advice in mind. “I’ll do that.”
“I’m sorry I don’t have the keys to the house,” Dimitri said.
“It’s not a problem,” I said.
I walked to the water, kicked of my shoes, and stuck in my toes. The water was cold. Birds were chirping above me, and the trees reflected in the water.
“Aren’t you going to stick your feet in?” I asked Dimitri.
“No way,” he told me and kept his distance. “I don’t really like the cold.”
He passed the boathouse and went onto the pier. He continued until he reached the end. That was where he took a seat and gazed at the horizon. I admired him from a distance. What was he was thinking of while he sat there?
I went to him and found that some of the planks were loose. I took a seat next to him and let my bare feet hang off the peer. I swung them back and forth but they did not touch the water.
“Do you come here often?” I asked.
“When my stepfather and mother started dating, we did,” Dimitri explained. “My stepfather put in a lot of effort to be a part of the family. He had both me and my brother’s approval when he asked her to marry him.”
“That’s good.” I liked the man because Dimitri spoke so highly of him.
“I thought it would be,” Dimitri said. He was clearly not a person who opened up easily. He looked at the water as he told me about his family.
“My mom is a wreck. If I were him, I’d regret marrying her. I don’t think she fulfils any of his needs. She’s always out with friends. She does not cook or clean. She does not support or cherish him.”
He was not only talking about how his mother treated his stepfather. He was talking about how his mother treated him and Ethan.
“Thank you for coming to visit me,” Ethan had said. “My mom never does.”
What must it be like to grow up in a broken home? How much psychological damage did it do to a person if their mother neglected them like this?
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