Together Forever? : Do you still Care?
Chapter 1 – In the End
February 11, 1989 – 1:34 pm: 6 months later
It was this morning around six am, the news came to me, and I found out my mom has passed on. It wasn't like it was something that I didn't see coming, of course I knew a head of time. But when it finally hit me, it killed me. Over the past six months my mom and I's relationship grown so much again, it was like when I was a teenager when we were inseparable then. We became just as inseparable once again, and it didn't even take six months to restore that kind of relationship again. Even though she was lying down on a hospital bed, her voice sounded so strong and vibrant. She didn't sound or behave as anyone who knew they were going to die soon. I enjoyed taking care of her so much, I am so glad I did it. I knew I would have ended up hating myself for life if I didn't.
But now I eat my lunch in a silence at my chauffer's house, which he and I became pretty good friends too in the past months. Also I didn't want to be at my mom's place, the phone is probably ringing off the hook there and I want to be left alone. I felt like such a dead person, knowing my mom is no longer living. I hadn't cried once today, because it seems so unreal to me. It was like, not being prepared for something you knew was coming. I wasn't prepared, I never once thought about her dying in the past six months. I thought if I did, I'd be setting myself up for it before it even comes, being overly depressed about it just to be extra depressed when it came. But now it's like a shock, the least expected thing to happen. Did I have any regrets? At least I can say I don't. I appreciate all the sadness, arguments, and the happiness we had. I don't think I would have had it any other way.
I sit on the rocking chair, outside as all I heard was peace and quiet. See, Carlos my chauffer lived far out, upstate and he has a huge backyard filled with snow at the moment, but it was peaceful which was exactly what I needed right now. Last thing I wanted was to talk to anyone, have them check up on how I'm doing, I wasn't doing anything but grieving that's all. There was nothing to be said or done, all I wanted to do was mourn and grieve in peace because anything else would upset me even more.
"Hey Kitty, how are you now?" Carlos asks as he joins me out here, in the shivering weather.
"Same as before, just grieving."
"Family has been calling for you, their pretty worried about you."
"Yeah."
"So what am I supposed to tell them, Kitty?"
"Just tell them I'm alright, I'm just grieving."
"And what do I tell Michael?"
"Tell him, I'll call him later."
"Okay. You got it. You're not going to be over here for a long time right? Because my wife comes in tomorrow night, and she wouldn't be so pleased seeing a woman staying over."
"Yeah I know. I'll be out by tomorrow morning, but anyways thanks for letting me stay here, for a day."
"No problem, I figured you may have needed a quieter environment. Since i know how devastating losing a parent can be, especially as young as yours is." But you'll be okay, you're a tough one."
"That's what they all say."
"Because it's true." He winks at me as he walked back into his home as I rock my chair back and forth thinking of all the happy memories I have of my mother.
February 11, 1989 – 5:35 pm
Michael's POV
In about two hours I was set to go out on stage for my tour, but one thing I couldn't help but to think about was Kitty. She hadn't called all day, or all afternoon. Where has she been all day? What's been going on? Was she so busy that she couldn't even call for even a minute? Maybe I was overreacting; maybe she's planning on calling tonight.
"Michael, when are you going to forget about her?" Sheryl rudely asked as she came in my room.
"How about never?"
"Michael get over yourself, she's probably over at some dude's house sleeping with him right now not even thinking about, you. Just be literal Michael, you've been gone for 6 months, how many women can go without sex for that long? Majority can't. Especially since your little fiancée is about what? 20? She's at her sexual peak. " Sheryl just hates the fact that I am with Kitty. Every day she tries to get into my head with some similar story like this, taking about how, she's cheating on me, when she has no clue what's she's been up to.
"Sheryl may you please, leave."
"Michael I'm just trying to beat it in your head that the little fantasy that you live in about her being oh so in love with you, is totally false. She does not love you Michael, I can bet you a million dollars right now that she's at another man's house."
"Okay, then prove it."
"She hasn't even called you today, how busy could she be? Really, think about it Michael."
"Stop giving me lectures about my girlfriend, thank you."
"Your so blind Michael, you need to know who's really looking out for you and who's not." She struts out of my room like it was a runway I looked back in the mirror as I wondered where she could be. Was she really that busy? The weather in New York is cold and snowy; maybe she had gotten a cold in the past 24 hours? Maybe something spontaneous happened with her mother? Or…maybe she had passed away. Maybe that was the case, of why she was being so silent. I just hope whatever the case is, she's okay.
February 11, 1989 – 8:13 pm
Kitty's POV
"No I don't know I didn't even plan anything like that over the past six months." I complained on the phone, to family. I decided to call one of them since I know they've been calling me all day. So I dialed one of them to see what's been going on and all of this drama. All it was that they wanted to talk to me about all this time were just funeral arrangements. When I really had no answer, I didn't do any kind of arrangements of funeral in the past six months. Maybe it was wrong of me not to, maybe I should have been sensible and thought ahead, but I just couldn't bring myself to do something like that. And I still can't. Somebody's going to have to come up with something.
"Well, what were you doing all of this time then?" My aunt asks apparently annoyed over the phone.
"Taking care of my mom, so much, that it never even crossed my mind to go and pick out her coffin."
"So, when are you going to do that? Today would have been the perfect day to do it, I thought all this time you were ignoring me was because you were planning."
"No. Why can't someone else do something for my mom for once? I'm not saying I deserve the noble peace prize for this, but I took care of her, your family as well, you can at least do something too."
"But it's your mom."
"Well it's your sister. "
"Your there in New York city, No one else is, so that's why I'm saying-"
"No. This time, I'm saying to go call the rest of your brothers and sisters, to come up, as soon as possible and come and get the funeral arranged and all of that. Otherwise, no one's getting buried."
"Kitty, why the hell are you being this way?"
"Because I can't take this funeral stuff, okay? I don't have the heart for it. So please, just get together with some kind of plan. I can't keep doing everything for her; you guys got to chip in too, because as far as I'm concerned, were all family, despite we may never get along."
"Alright, I'll see what I can do. I'll call you, whenever tomorrow. What time do you plan on going back to your mom's apartment?"
"Tomorrow morning for sure."
"Alright I'll call you sometime then, Bubye."
"Bye."
February 11, 1989 – 11:45 pm
Time went along and what I really needed right now was a huge distraction from my mom. It seemed like whatever I'd do my mind would just drift off to thoughts about her, which of course depressed me. I guess there was just one thing left to do, and that's call Michael. I wasn't sure if he'll be in his hotel room because he was usually in later then this time, but there were times when he came in earlier than normal so I guess I'll give it a try. I made sure the number to Carlo's place was private just in case he happens to call back the morning after, if he missed the call I didn't want him to call back here and then I dialed the hotel room number down and awaited a response.
"Hello"
"Hey Michael…"
"Hey Kitty, what's up? Where have you been in the past two days?" I figured he'd ask that, since I hadn't talked to him in two days. Yesterday was because it totally slipped my mind. And today was because I didn't want to bother him with my problem, I still don't. I'm not even going to mention the news to him.
"I've been busy. But I've missed you so much, Mikey Bear."
"Aw I missed you more. How's your mom?"
"My mom? Ah…She's alright."
"Are you sure she's okay? You don't sound too sure of yourself…"
"Um, yeah she's okay."
"I'm curious, why did you call me on a blocked number?"
"Um…well because…" I stuttered, I had no clue what to say there ,if I tell him I'm at another's man's house because I am grieving because my mom died this morning he's going to think I'm cheating for comfort when really I'm not. The last thing I needed was an additional stress on my head.
"Because?"
"Because um, no reason?" Damn I couldn't think of anything good enough to use as an excuse he'd fall for.
"You're not at another's man's house are you?"
"Ah, no what makes you think that?"
"Because I find it strange you'd call from a blocked number…Tell me is there something your hiding?"
"No, Michael I'd never cheat on you."
"Then what's going on? Spaced out answers, about everything, blocked phone number. Are you even home?"
"I'm not home, Michael."
"Where are you then?"
"I'm over someone else's house, okay Michael?"
"Who's?"
"Michael….you sound so paranoid right now."
"Just answer my question."
"Don't worry about who it is, Michael, I'm not cheating on you."
"Just tell me, don't give me a hard time."
"Just this guy that lives upstate, I wanted to get away from the city."
"A guy from upstate? Really? This is how you pay me back, after everything?"
"Michael I am not cheating on you! Michael, let me tell you the whole story…" I confessed feeling pretty crappy and just wanting to tell him about how my mom died and so forth.
"I have the whole story down. Thanks for nothing."
"No! Michael Wait!" He hangs up the phone on me, as I crashed into the bed with water filling up my eyes. I can't believe he'd actually think I am cheating on him. Why couldn't he trust me more? Why did he have to be this way? I cried into the pillows as I wondered how I could lose everything in just one day.