Pain crunched in Amy’s chest. “Teo doesn’t deserve the way I treated him. If there was a way for me to take his place, I’d do it in a heartbeat. I want him to be happy, even if I’m not the one to make him happy.”
“He’ll be okay. He has the best treatment money can buy. You’ll see. He’ll probably come out of the coma as soon as the swelling goes down. I’m sure they operated already and drained the bleeding.”
Her father really didn’t care about Teo. And neither did his own father. She’d emailed Tasha who told her Teo’s father was too busy at an international monetary conference to go to his bedside.
Teo had been left in Indianapolis alone with his elderly grandmother and his one favorite sister.
Unless … maybe he would come out of the coma if he heard his mother’s voice. Wasn’t that always the miracle on television? His mother would speak to him and he’d wake up. Had to.
“Dad, there’s something I have to do.” Amy stood and paced around the coffee table. “I’m going to the Philippines. I’m going to find Teo’s mother.”
* * *
A few days later, Amy stepped out of a taxi in Manila’s Quezon City suburb. The neighborhood was a mixture of high rise apartment buildings, broken down buildings with walls covered in graffiti art, and numerous churches and religious organizations, including a Mormon temple.
Amy waved a paper fan. Sweat dripped down her face from the heat and humidity. Palm trees and tropical plants lined the residential streets. Unlike California, each house was gated, and meshes of chain-linked fence wire stretched across the porches and balconies of the buildings. Most of the gates were colorful and ornate, while others bore spikes and barbed wire. No inviting lawns anywhere.
She checked the address and pushed a button on what appeared to be a paneled garage door. A few minutes later, a small window slid open, and a pair of dark eyes stared at her. “What can we do for you?”
“I’m Amy Suzuki, an American actress. I have an appointment with the Directress.”
“Walk around the side gate and I will escort you into her office.”
Amy had arranged an interview with Sister Soledad, Teo’s mother, stating her desire to pray with a nun who had lost a child. Obviously this had narrowed down the field easily, and a hefty donation later, the arrangements had been made.
The door was electronically locked. Amy was led down a concrete corridor complete with security grills separating the walkway from the living areas of the sisters.
The silence in the hallway was spooky, and the scent was a mixture of antiseptic and pine cleaner. Portraits of saints and religious leaders graced the walls.
When Amy stepped into the office of the Directress, she felt she had gone back in time. An ancient rotary telephone was the only electronic equipment present.
The Directress wore horn-rimmed glasses and a light rose-colored habit. Her headdress was white, and her face was unadorned by makeup.
“I’m Sister Nora. I understand you’d like to pray with Sister Soledad. She is not feeling well today. I will be happy to pray with you instead.”
Amy lowered her head and breathed deeply, calming her inner disappointment. “Please, give her my regards. I can return tomorrow. Is there something I can do for her?”
“No, miss. She has everything she needs within our walls. Could I inquire what you’d like to pray about?”
“I explained in my letter. It is a personal matter.”
“I cannot see why another one of our sisters would not do. We all pray adoration to the Virgin perpetually. She is ready to hear our intercession. We are also close to the heart of Christ.” Sister Nora looked up at the Sacred Heart of Jesus high up in the center of her room.
“Please, I was in deep prayer and a voice told me to seek Soledad.” Amy braced herself, hoping God wouldn’t strike her dead for lying.
“Ha, ha.” Sister Nora chuckled. “Soledad means solitude. Perhaps God is asking you to seek peace and quiet.”
“Yes, and that is what led me to Sister Soledad Maria Apostol. The message was quite clear.”
“How did you track her down to our convent. We are not on the internet.”
“The message”—Amy raised her eyes above the suspicious nun—“was in her own handwriting. It said ‘choose.’”
“Choose?” Sister Nora rolled her tongue inside her lips. “Perhaps you are to choose God over this world.”
“That is what I want to pray about.”
“I can do that.”
“I appreciate it, but I will only speak to Sister Soledad.” She fixed her eyes on Sister Nora’s in a staring contest. “I only need fifteen minutes.”
After a few minutes, Nora blinked and picked up the phone, speaking in the Filipino language. She hung up and grimaced. “I will accompany you.”
“Thank you.” Amy stood and followed her out of the office.
Sister Nora flagged down an armed guard, and smiled greasily at Amy. “We can never be too careful these days.”
“Yes, I agree.” Amy walked with the pair down a set of corridors. The guard unlocked a heavy metal gate and allowed them to pass.
Was this a convent or a prison?
Other than their footsteps, Amy heard only the gurgling of water in a fountain, the chirping of birds, and the buzzing of insects. Where was everyone? Praying silently? Kneeling at the altar?
The guard opened the door to one of the cells, er, chambers. A small woman with doe like eyes sat behind a screen. There was a single chair between the door and the screen.
“Please, have a seat,” Sister Nora said. “I and the guard will be right outside.”
Without waiting for a reply, the heavy door thumped, leaving Amy separated from Teo’s mother by a lattice of wrought iron bars, the same color as the nun’s habits.
Teo’s mother said nothing, waiting silently.
Amy forced her tongue to move, but her throat was tight and her voice barely squeaked. She cleared her throat and smiled.
The faintest trace of a smile brightened Sister Soledad’s features. She was quite beautiful with large, sad eyes, graceful eyebrows, and thick lashes. Her face was relatively unlined except for a few crow’s feet at the corner of her eyes, and her complexion was unblemished.
“Shall we pray and ask God to bless our devotion?” Sister Soledad looked down at her lap.
“Yes, please do.” Amy lowered her head.
The sister mumbled a litany in another language. When she finished, she raised her eyes and waited.
Amy’s time was running out. She took a breath and focused on the moment. She had no lines, no plan, no script. The most important woman in Teo’s life sat across from her. She would go with what came naturally.
“I’m in need of prayer. There is a man I hurt.” She paused, but the nun made no encouraging remarks, so she forged on. “He and I played a lot of foolish games. He loved me truly, but I didn’t trust him and I blew my chances.”
Soledad had a quizzical expression on her face. She frowned and rubbed her nose. “What makes you think I would be able to pray for things I do not experience? In your application you asked for me concerning a child.”
“I’m getting to that.” Amy swallowed and steadied her breathing. “The man was very needy. He wanted too much too fast, and he was afraid of being hurt, so he pretended he didn’t care. He’s in a dangerous profession, one where he could lose his life. I figured out why he was both needy and unable to commit.”
Teo’s mother licked her lips and hummed. “If you’re supposing I can pray to bring him back to you, I don’t want to disappoint you. If it is not in the will of God, it will not be granted.”
“He had an accident at work and is in a coma.”
“Of course, we will pray for him to recover.”
The nun took out her rosary and mumbled a prayer which took at least three minutes.
Sweat dotted Amy’s nose and the minutes ticked by on the large clock above her. Hopefully, Sister Nora and the guard would n
ot disturb what they thought of as a deep prayer session.
When Sister Soledad made the sign of the cross, Amy continued, “There’s one thing this man wants more than anything. Something that might make him come out of his coma. He wants to hear the voice of his mother.”
“That’s a very natural request,” the nun said. “We can pray for her voice to help him.”
“Of course, we should. But that’s not the entire story.” Amy wrung her hands and took another breath. “When he was three years old, his mother deserted him. He has a lot of half brothers and sisters, but no one close to him except his grandmother. His heart is closed to love because of the great pain he carries. He feels his mother left because she didn’t love him, that she was ashamed of him.”
Teo’s mother narrowed her eyebrows and glared at Amy. Her nostrils flared and she snarled. “Leave now. You’re not here to pray for him. You’re a reporter looking for a story.”
“No, no, I’m not. I swear to you.”
“Do not swear in the house of God.”
“Sorry, what I say is true. Teo’s in a coma. If you have any love in your heart for him, you’d go to his side. He couldn’t even remember what you looked like until I gave him your locket. The one with the word ‘choose.’”
Teo’s mother fanned her face. Sweat broke out on her nose and her cheeks reddened. “I will pray for him, but I cannot go see him.”
“Why? What should I tell him when he wakes up?”
His mother gripped the bar between them. “Do you love Teo? Answer me. Or are you meddling in what you know not of?”
“I-I.” Amy gasped, her head light and dizzy. She opened her mouth, then closed it. How would she know what was love and what was pretend? She, who was an actress, could portray any emotion at command. How would love feel?
“You cannot answer me. I cannot trust you.” Sister Soledad raised her hand and rang a bell.
The door behind Amy opened and Sister Nora stuck her head in. “Time to go.”
“Please no.” Amy gripped the bars. “It doesn’t matter for me. I’m not trying to get him back. I don’t care for his money. I just want him to be happy. If you go to him, I’ll step out of his life completely. I promise you. I won’t mention this trip. I won’t contact him. I’ll read the news from far away. But you must love him or he’ll die empty. He has this dream. He wants to live a normal life, but he can’t. He is unable to allow anyone to love him, and when his grandmother dies, he’ll have no one.”
Tears drilled down Amy’s cheeks, landing in fat drops on the latticework.
Sister Soledad made a hand signal and Sister Nora retreated. She waited for Amy to gain control. Amy grabbed a wad of tissue from the dispenser conveniently placed on a table in front of the chair and dabbed her eyes. It would do no good for her to blow this interview with her emotions.
“Do you love my son?” Sister Soledad asked again.
“I don’t know what it feels like. I can’t lie to you.”
“I cannot go to Teo.” She pursed her lips and sniffed, blinking. “I pray for him every day and every night. I ask God to look after him. That is the best I can do.”
“Please, I beg of you. Teo needs you. He needed you when he was three and he needs you now. Don’t wait until it’s too late.”
Sister Soledad rang the bell. “This interview is over. If you love my son, you won’t mention it. It would only hurt him more.”
Amy had no choice but to thank Teo’s mother and follow Sister Nora to the gate of the convent.
Chapter 28
Teo bobbed on a bright cloud cradled in white fuzzy globes of light. All around him was comfort and love, a feeling of well-being. An incredible glow of iridescent beauty rose on the horizon in front of him like a multicolored sunrise, drawing him with soothing sounds: water trickling in a creek, bird song, and the chirrups of night bugs.
He’d never thought about God, except that his mother served Him. If God was in that beauty, that transparent, glowing place of peace, he could now understand why his mother would forsake him, a mere baby boy. What was he compared to the glory of God?
The fuzzy pillows he lay on radiated love, and he absorbed it hungrily. Someone loved him, someone in the globes of light caressing him. He reached for her, but found no one, yet he was bathed in the peace and acceptance of her true love.
Harsh voices mumbled in back of him, disturbing the globes around him. He turned and darkness swamped him. A black mist expanded menacingly, yanking his arms and legs, pulling him apart. He fought against it, struggling to return to the warm, soft globes.
A female voice caught up to him. “Teo, can you hear me? Open your eyes, Teo. Wake up.”
What was she talking about? Teo’s eyes were wide open. He was wide awake. He put his head down and swam against the tide pulling him under. The light remained in the distance, flickering. He desperately wanted the peace and beauty of God and the comforting clouds of love.
Would he find his mother there? Was she already there? Perhaps she couldn’t see him at the convent because she had already passed on.
“Nanay,” he called her by the Filipino word for mother.
It was the only Filipino word he knew.
“My love for you is better served by praying than being with you. I have always prayed for you, day and night.”
“I want you to be with me, Nanay. I will die to be with you.”
The beauty was gone. Black streaks slashed across the clouds, and the fuzzy globes quivered and scattered.
“Teo, I love you. I didn’t know it then, but I know now. Be with me, Teo. Just be.” This voice was different, pleading with him. It was soft and very feminine. Who was it?
Teo closed his eyes, struggling to breathe. A heavy weight pressed on his chest and claws tore his skin. Sharp teeth gouged his flesh, and pain raged through his arms and hands.
“Snap out of it.” A sharp sting slapped his face. “A warrior fights. He doesn’t give up.”
Sweat burned every nerve and pain sharpened, drawing huge knives through him. He gasped for air, his lungs burning. The roar and rumble of motorcycles buzzed around and around, never ending. Where was the peace? The beauty? The love?
He jerked himself, forcing his heavy eyelids to open.
Everything disappeared, except for the beeps and whirs of electronic devices.
“Teo’s awake. Teo’s back. Oh, thank God.”
His vision cleared and a young woman smiled at him. What was her name?
A herd of strange faces peered down at him. Someone shined a bright pointed light in his eyes.
“Stop it.” His mouth and throat were parched.
“What is your name?” One of the faces asked.
“Teo?”
“What year is it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do you know me?” Oba-chan shook him.
“Yes, Oba-chan.”
“How about me?” The younger woman peered at him.
He didn’t know. She was pretty. He shut his eyes. Too tired. He wanted to go back to the clouds of love and beauty.
* * *
The next time Teo woke, he knew what had happened. He was in a hospital room, and his sister Tasha was at his side.
She caressed his face. “You were out for almost a week. We were so scared.”
“The race? Did I miss it?” He raised his left arm and found it in a cast. “What am I doing here?”
“You crashed, but you’re going to be okay. Let me tell Oba-chan’s driver to bring her in.” She texted a message and slipped her phone into her purse.
Teo grabbed a cup of water and wet his lips. “Tell me what happened.”
“Rampini cut you off when you tried to pass and you went flying. You barely missed getting run over.”
Teo tested his toes, wiggling them and moved to sit. Every muscle and bone ached, but he seemed to be able to move.
“You were lucky,” Tasha said. “No spinal injury, a broken arm, and bleeding in your brain.
That caused the coma. You came out of it yesterday when me and Oba-chan were visiting.”
“Just you two? Was my mother here? I heard her voice.”
Tasha’s eyes popped wide. “No, she wasn’t. You must have dreamed it.”
“There was someone else, but I don’t remember who.” A sense of gloom pressed down on him and he struggled. The vision was right around the corner, but just out of reach. Someone lost, wandering around, someone important. “She was there. Are you sure there was no one else?”
“No one but me and Oba-chan, unless you saw an angel.” Tasha patted his hand. “The doctors say you might have near term amnesia. What’s the last thing you remember?”
“I must have crashed. I broke my finger and toe.”
“That was the last time.” Tasha’s eyebrows drew together. “What month is it?”
“April, no, May.”
“It’s August.” She pursed her lips. “I better get the doctor.”
“August?” Teo palmed the top of his head. “I don’t remember anything after Le Mans.”
“Le Mans was mid-May. You crashed in Indianapolis last week.” Tasha woke her tablet and showed Teo the date. “It’s okay. It should come back to you. We’re just happy you’re awake.”
“Yeah, I’m happy to be back too.” Teo leaned forward to let her kiss his forehead. “Can’t wait to talk to Oba-chan. Wonder what she wants for her birthday this year.”
* * *
Amy was back home after her disastrous trip to the Philippines. Teo’s mother was a real piece of work. How could anyone believe it was better to pray for a son rather than take care of him?
Thankfully she hadn’t told anyone outside of her family why she was gone. It would hurt Teo too much to know how little his mother cared and to have it confirmed yet again.
Roaring Hot! (Contemporary Romance): A Billionaire Biker Romance Page 21
