A Mother's Sin

by Mia Henry

  Everyone was there except Amber. She had not as yet arrived at the hospital.

  ‘Richard is very lucky to be alive’, said Rob. ‘The doctors are pretty confident he will pull through but they are very concerned about his right arm’, he continued.

  ‘There seems to be considerable damage to the nerve from the neck down to his hand so he may end up with a gammy arm. It is something that is going to have to be reassessed as he progresses. Possibly surgery may be considered at a later stage’.

  Rob then also mentioned that the doctors felt that Richard should be transferred to Johannesburg, to a hospital more geared up for Richard’s condition. They were confident that it would take another week, then, he should be stable enough to be transferred by road ambulance. They were reluctant to allow him to fly due to his broken neck.

  With the news that Richard was out of danger, Rob would fly back home that evening and Eduardo would travel back to Johannesburg. Tammy and Troy would go back home with Rob, as they needed to get back to school. Ella would stay with Richard and keep Amy with her. Rob arranged with his mom to move in with them until Ella returned.

  The family, although shattered yet relieved that Richard would pull through, made their way to the car park. They would then go find a place to have lunch. They felt they needed a change from the hospital’s coffee shop.

  When they got to the car park close friends of Richard from Beline, had just arrived to visit him. They were Hans, his wife, Sue and another friend Andy. As they stood there greeting one another, Amber arrived in Richard’s sports SLK Mercedes. She had come to see Richard and inform Monica and William that she was heading back to Hillcrest.

  ‘Well, you are not taking Richard’s car’, hollered Monica.

  ‘O yes I am’, responded a very indignant Amber.

  Hans upon hearing that went right up to Amber, waving his finger a few inches from her face and sternly uttered, ‘You give me those keys right now! You are going nowhere in Richard’s car! Do you understand?’

  ‘Watch me you fuck’n retard’, screamed Amber and then proceeded to climb right back into the car.

  Hans stepped in front of the car. Amber revs it, yelling that she would run him over.

  As Amber began moving the car forward towards Hans, Monica opened its door, grabbed her by her blouse and insisted that she climb out of the car. Surrounded by family and friends she was blocked, with nowhere to go. Hans grabbed the keys from her and passed them on to Andy who said he would park it in a safe place with a local friend and where Amber could not access it. Their concern was that she had the spare key. In the car was Richard’s brief case with his laptop. Not only did she attempt to steal his sports car, she also wanted to go off with his brief case and computer.

  Amber left without seeing Richard again.

  When Monica and William returned to the house, they were informed by Mavis that Amber had opened Richard’s safe. They immediately looked for the key. They knew where Richard kept it, but the key was nowhere to be found. Monica called Amber. She did not answer her phone, so Monica tried Ella. Ella suggested that Eduardo go over to the house to see if he could remove the safe from the wall and then take the safe to a locksmith to have it opened.

  Eduardo agreed to go over to the house before heading to Johannesburg. It took forever to remove the safe from the wall due to a lack of the right tools. Once it was off the wall they took the safe to a locksmith. Due to all the delays, Eduardo decided to stay another night and leave early the next morning.

  The locksmith opened the safe easily but the only thing left in there was an empty wallet. It contained one credit card. No cash. Monica, besides knowing that he had more than just one credit card, also knew that Richard kept his Tag Heuer watch in the safe and that too was gone. Ella tried to call the bank, but unfortunately she had no authority to obtain information so that proved fruitless. With Richard in a coma there was no knowing how many credit cards he had.

  Everyone soon left to return back to commitments. Ella along with Amy, were the only ones left behind. However, a couple of day’s later, Richard’s company kindly sponsored Linda to join Ella.

  Nine days after the accident, Richard was stable enough to be transferred to Johannesburg. Ella, together with Linda and Amy followed the ambulance on a slow four-hour trip back to Johannesburg. On arrival, Richard was immediately transferred to the ICU. It would take another two days before Richard started to become aware of his surroundings and able to verbally communicate.

  ‘Do you remember what was in your safe at home?’ enquired Ella.

  He pondered a little while, and then he responded. ‘My wallet, some cash’.

  ‘Anything else?’ Ella asked.

  ‘Uhm, yes my Tag Heuer watch is also in there’, he confirmed.

  ‘Your wallet – what all was in there?’ Ella continued asking

  ‘Some cash and my credit cards.’

  ‘But why all these questions?’ Richard asked, perplexed.

  Ella tried explaining to Richard what had happened in River Bank, informing him that Amber had gotten into his safe and all that was found in the safe was an empty wallet with one credit card.

  ‘You’re not serious’, Richard looked puzzled and confused.

  She had ransacked his home, stealing his watch, cash and his credit card. Fortunately, with the help of his friends, she had not got away with his car, brief case and his laptop.

  Ella immediately went out of the ICU and called Amber’s lawyer whom she had already contacted previously to inform her that she suspected Amber had stolen one of Richard’s credit cards.

  ‘Unfortunately the only one that can make that claim is Richard and the only one who can demand it back is also Richard’, responded an irritated lawyer.

  Ella feeling exasperated called a lawyer friend of hers who advised her to type out a letter and get Richard to sign it giving her the power to demand the credit card back.

  There was however one hitch, that complicated Richard signing a document. He was still being administered high doses of narcotics, like morphine, so his signature would not stand legal scrutiny unless he was off them for twelve hours. In collaboration with the doctors and with Richard’s insistence despite being in severe pain, no narcotics were administered for twelve hours. Richard could then sign the document giving Ella the authority to demand his credit card back and also allow his bankers to give her any information regarding the activity on his account. The doctors also needed to sign a declaration acknowledging that no narcotics had been administered for twelve hours.

  With all the necessary signed documents on hand, Ella once again called Amber’s lawyer informing her that she had the declarations and wanted to arrange a time and place to collect the credit card.

  Before visiting the lawyer’s office, Ella had established that Amber, the very next morning after arriving in River Bank, purchased a cellphone with Richard’s credit card and had already spent a substantial amount of money at various stores.

  The lawyer was quick to defend Amber. She told Ella, ‘Richard knew she was using the credit card as she needed money to buy groceries for herself and the children.’

  ‘That is not true. How could Richard know she was using his credit card if he was lying in a coma?’ Ella asked.

  ‘Well, that’s what my client tells me. Besides she was given all of Richard’s possessions, which included his wallet with his credit card by the hospital staff when she got to the hospital. She then used his credit card as she needed to buy groceries for herself and the children,’ said the lawyer.

  Dumbfounded, Ella responded, ‘that is such a blatant lie! Firstly, I was given his torn up clothes and the helmet days later in hospital. Secondly, she was buying a lot more than just groceries, and that, the very next day, after arriving in River Bank, and thirdly, he was out cycling when he had the accident. He didn’t have his wallet or any other poss
essions on him. The only way the medics knew who to contact was because of an emergency band he wore around his wrist when he cycled, which contained Amber’s mom, Betty’s number and his medical insurance details.’

  It was clear the lawyer knew her client was lying. Shooting Ella a puzzled glance, she shrugged her shoulders and handed Ella the credit card.

  Once Richard regained consciousness, his foremost desire was to speak to his girls, Stella and Gina. Amber, now even more abusive and defiant, refused to allow him to talk to the girls, let alone allow them to visit.

  Monica would purposely stop by at Amber’s cottage in order to allow the girls to speak to Richard. She would try and coincide with times that Amber was not home in order to avoid all the abusive ranting about refusing the girls contact with their father.

  ‘That’s it! Back to square one. She has broken her promise to not ever deny contact between the girls and their father. How can she refuse to allow the father of her children to speak to his girls, after he has just fought for his life?’ bemoaned William to Monica. He continued, ‘I disown her! She may as well not be my sister. I want nothing to do with her ever again!’

  Back in hospital, Richard lay, frail and clearly tired. It was haunting to see the sorrow in Richard’s eyes every time he begged to speak to his children and how his eyes would light up when hearing Stella and Gina’s voices. His smile would broaden and for a few moments he would be imbued with happiness before all too soon being consumed with longing to hear or see his girls again.

  After three weeks in ICU Richard was moved to the general ward. It was another week before he was able to walk unassisted. He still had a long road of rehabilitation ahead of him so the decision was made that once he was discharged he would go back home with Ella and she would take care of him until he was fit to be fully independent again.

  Before leaving Johannesburg and going to the coast he desperately desired to see his girls.

  William called his parents and threatened to break ties with them too, if they didn’t insist that Amber allow the girls to visit their father. The situation was toxic and created a rift between the families. Monica kept trying to be the peacemaker between siblings and parents. Amber eventually agreed to allow Monica to take the children to the hospital to visit their dad.

  The girls were delighted to see Richard and for a moment Richard couldn’t be happier. It was the medicine he most needed. He felt nourished and joyful.

  ‘I am so glad to see that my dad is fine’, said Stella to Monica in the car on their way back to Hillcrest. Stella looked sad and confused.

  A few days later Richard, Ella and Amy flew back to the Bay. Ella was thrilled to be going back to her family. She hadn’t seen them for over five weeks.

  Richard spent six weeks with Ella and every day Ella would take Richard to physiotherapy. Physically he kept getting stronger but emotionally he was battered. He would cry often as the struggle to speak with his children was unending. Ella tried to intervene by frequently calling Amber, but as soon as she recognized Ella’s voice, like the lightning fast stab of a chameleon’s tongue, the words, ‘You just fuck off’, would spew out and down the phone would slam.

  So this continued for six weeks. The only time Amber allowed the children to speak to Richard was when she used it as a bargaining chip.

  ‘Pay five thousand Rand into my account and then you can speak to the girls’, she demanded. He was desperate and would give in.

  Despite the emotional holocaust that was choking him and the physical excruciating neuropathic pain from the underlying damaged nerves that would at times have Richard in tears, he was getting physically stronger day by day. After six weeks of ongoing physio he was ready to go back home. Before leaving the Bay he had nerve conduction studies done on his arm, which sadly still showed no sign of activity. His neurologist suggested surgery but only after another three months. He would need to see a neurosurgeon in Cape Town. A tentative date was set for surgery but he was advised to repeat the nerve conduction study before heading to Cape Town.

  Ella decided to fly back to Johannesburg with Richard and then together with Monica and William they would take him back to River Bank.

  However, before returning to River Bank, Richard insisted that he wanted to see the girls. He was adamant and refused to inform Amber of his intention. Ella was apprehensive having come to know how volatile Amber could get, so she asked Eduardo to also accompany them.

  When they got to the cottage, Amber was not there but the girls were, under the care of their nanny, Beth. Beth was thrilled to see Richard but she told him that she was not allowed to let him in. Richard and Ella begged her to at least allow the girls to come to the gate. Beth could see his desperation so she went and fetched the girls from inside the house. There they stood on the other side of the gate like caged lions in a zoo. It was heartbreaking to watch this. A desperate father just wanting to hug his girls but all he could do was hold their hands through an iron gate. He spent a good twenty minutes just standing there looking at his babies with the odd tear dripping from his stubbled chin.

  As they were about to leave, Amber arrived with Chad. The car had barely ground to a halt when she flew out in a frenzy, screaming, ‘You get out of here immediately before I fucking shoot all three of you!’

  Ella felt her anger rising.

  She had been dealing with a desperate father for weeks and she was not going to allow Amber to continue with her abusive behavior. Ella strode over to Amber, grabbed her by the arms and staring right into her eyes, shouted, ‘Do you know the damage you are causing your children by allowing them to witness this pathetic behavior?’

  Amber pulled away, and continued shouting, demanding them to leave.

  Ella persisted, ‘what kind of love are you teaching your children? Why must they suffer because of your anger? You are cruel! Stop being so selfish and put your kids first in your life! They are small, so hopefully they will forget all this. Start thinking how your behavior will affect them and start doing what’s right for them, not what you think is right for you!’

  Amber then turned around to Chad and in a marginally subdued voice uttered, ‘Please get these people out of my sight!’ and then she proceeded to storm towards the gate and soon disappeared into the house.

  They left. Chad looked embarrassed and didn’t say a word.

  The divorce proceedings now began in earnest. The saga would continue.

  Just before Richard was booked for surgery to his arm, nearly six months after the accident, another nerve conduction study was done. This time slight activity was detected so surgery was cancelled.

  CHAPTER 13

  TAMMY’S SCHOOL DAYS

  As Tammy moved from her toddler years into her school years Ella found it difficult to know what to do. Society places a lot of emphasis on physical appearance and knowing that Tammy would start to become more aware of her own appearance and the reactions she would get from the public, school children and even sometimes from her own friends, were matters of great concern for Ella.

  Ella felt that she needed to cope with the situation and hopefully that example, would be the best way to teach Tammy how to cope as well. She had to remain positive. Often when out in public, she would find people staring at Tammy. She would try and convince herself that people were just being curious not rude.

  Despite Tammy’s lazy eye and slightly asymmetrical face, Ella would always tell Tammy how beautiful she was and would put her hair up and tell her everyone must see her beautiful blue/green eyes. She was still strikingly beautiful, thick golden hair, yet her facial asymmetry were puzzling to observers. Even though her physical obstacles and related medical complications made her tire easily, she still managed to excel at school. She loved sport and yearned to join her peers but she soon became aware of her own limitations. Yet, despite her best efforts she would often feel left out. Behind her ‘tough girl’ façade was a shy,
often withdrawn, stubborn and sometimes angry little girl. It was a challenge to help her embrace what ultimately shone through, her intelligence, her kind heart, and her fun loving personality.

  Troy would be asked at school, ‘what happened to your sister,

  Tammy?

  His quick response would be, ‘She fought a lion and won.’

  Tammy loved that and would laugh out loudly every time Troy relayed the story.

  It was often difficult knowing exactly how she felt. In her second to last year of primary school, Tammy needed to do her own biography as part of a school project. She was only twelve, but when Ella read it, it gratified her deepest feelings. The project was a window into Tammy’s soul and the projector into her mind. Ella felt reassured that her and Rob had done something right.

  Here are some excerpts of Tammy’s biography.

  AN AVERAGE GIRLS LIFE BY TAMMY UNBORN BABY

  10th November 1989

  Today my life began. My parents do not know it yet, but it is me already. And I am a girl. I will have brown hair, although as a baby I will have golden locks. I will have green eyes. Just about everything is settled though, even the fact that I will love everything to do with water.

  24th November 1989

  Some say that I am not a real person yet, that only my mother exists. But I am a real person, just as a small crumb of bread is truly bread. My mother is. And I am.

  28th December 1989

  My mouth is just beginning to open now. Just think in a year or so I shall be laughing and later talking. I know what my first word will be: DADA

  30th December 1989

  My heart began to beat today all by itself. From now on it shall gently beat for the rest of my life without ever stopping for rest. Unfortunately there is a big hole in the main aorta of my heart, which will need to be fixed sometime. Hopefully only after many years it will tire. It will stop and then I shall die

  8th January 1990