chapter twenty nine

Harper pov

Arriving back at Indiana the next day I went straight for the hospital to see mom; I left my hustle last night and I was very lucky to get into a night train which ticket was still been sold and I left with the train back home, I still knew my way around here so I went back to see mom in her ward where she was clearly laying down with bandage around her head while a nurse was attending to her, get over the to her side and it was like she doesn't recognize me at all.

I saw the hesitation in her eyes and I stood back up and watched the nurse who was attending to her; the nurse explained to me that it was normal for her to have a memory lost cause her brain tumor was already at the 3 stage and top it all she just got a surgery done, and the nurse cheer me up that I shouldn't worry that she would slowly remember me and I moved towards the seat close to her and sat down while holding her hands, which mom relentedly accept and I held her hands in my while telling her my name.

The nurse excused us and I tried starting a conversation with mom and I told her all about myself all over again; she just watched me and I kept talking and talking while maintaining a smile on my face even if I felt the tears about to slip from my eyes still I won't show it and she lifted her hand towards my cheek, she told me not cry that she would remember me slowly and I nodded my head at her words while wiping a lone tears from my eyes and the nurse came in and said I should leave now that mom needs her rest, I walked out of the ward and stood at the window while watching mom who was taking her medicine from the nurse.

I heard an approaching footsteps but I was too preoccupied with mom and I payed no heed to it all; soon it seems like whoever the person was wasn't going away so I turned and saw who the person was and it was like the slightly younger version of my mom which looked elegant and polished, she walked towards me and asked me nicely to come with her outside.

I followed her outside to a bench which was placed just outside the hospital and we both sat at both end of the bench while she spoke after a while, she finally said I could stop holding the tears now and let it out; listening to her words was like a command and I found the emotional strains which made me cry while letting out all my furstation and disappointment, she slowly got closer to me and said I should let it all out while patting my back and handing me an handkerchief which I used in wiping my tears.

I settled down after awhile and she asked me if I would like an ice cream which I nodded to and we left for an ice cream shop, I wasn't really myself now cause I was still lost in my thoughts about mom; and when we arrived at the shop I just walked inside and took a seat while she got me the ice cream and I took it in slowly, when I was done she asked if I wanted to have another one and I said no which made her asked me to come with her.

We drove towards a park where we both sat and she gave me a minute to myself afterwards she asked me how I am now; I stared at her for awhile and made a slight nod with my head and she introduced herself as mom's sister who happens to be my aunt and she said that mom and her have been keeping a long distance conversation for a while now, aunt said she knew everything about me even my last birthday and how I got an admission into school to study theater art and I just listened to all her words, I mean I knew I had an aunt both I never got a chance to see her even if mom talked about her once with dad.

She carried on with her explanation that mom knew that a day like this would arrive so she prayed that she would still retain her memory of me, but if she couldn't she wished aunt could be here for me and I felt a lone tears ran down my cheek; she said how much mom hated me crying and I Iaughed amidst tears and she pulled me into a hug while she carried on saying that mom left her family business just to have a life where she could experience love, while saying she envies mom for choosing something better for herself compared to her.

I listened to all her tales about how my grandparents were like and how much she missed mom when mom left home to come be with dad and how it spite her parents, soon we left from the park and got into her car and she handed me a tablet; I played the video there and it was dad who was apologizing to me that he was sorry he couldn't have this conversation in person with me that he would probably be in New York now working on his license to be a chef, that aunt would be here for me if I need to ask any questions and he said he would call me back when he got a free time.

The video ended like that but he did said he loved me at the end while he seems about to enter a flight; I returned the tab back to aunt and she drove me towards her place which I found to be very new, she said she bought the house when moving here and showed me my room while saying I should come down for dinner soon, I got inside the room and found the room nice and very spacious while I head towards the closet and found my things inside along with some new clothes.