Chapter VII: Wedding talk with sad heart: January
"No New Years day to celebrate"
Eveleen's POV
As soon as January arrived, so did my dear enemy, the depression. It had been lurking at the back of my mind already in December but now it tried to attack me with full steam. But some higher power had decided that since it was the year I was supposed to get married, I had no time to sink into depression.
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It was New Years day, the first day of the year and I was up before Gideon was and making breakfast. "This is odd," I talked to Tibbit and Tabatha, while they ate their "breakfast". I waited ten more minutes and then decided to go and see was Gideon awake. I entering the bedroom, I walked beside his side of the bed and tried to wake him. "Oh god, "I breathed when I touched Gideon's skin. It was really hot. "Gideon, honey, wake up," I shook him and he stirred. And right then, I heard the doorbell. "Stay awake, I'll be back," I told to him and ran to open the door. Outside, waited Bry, my adoption mother Carol with her girls, Tammy and Pammy, Garcia, JJ, Sole, Bons and Basil. "Oh caca, I forgot you were coming. Come in, "I said and gestured them to enter. Then I ran back to Gideon and changed briskly our bed sheets. Then I told him to climb back to bed and hurried to kitchen. "I'm so sorry about this. You go ahead and make something to eat, I have to make some ginger tea to Gideon, he's sick," I explained to others while rummaging my herbal cabinet. "Add some drops of eucalyptus oil to cool water and moisten a small towel in the water, that should help also," Bry suggested and I did so. Then I took it to him. "Drink it while it's still hot. I'm so sorry if we make noise but try to get some sleep too," I whispered to Gideon and kissed him on his forehead. Then I tiptoed away.
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"He's got fever, right?" Bry immediately asked when I returned. "Yeah, I just hope it's nothing worse than just cold," I admitted. Then I poured myself a glass of juice, sat on the table and said, "OK, let's start. "
"Well, first we gotta decide the theme, any ideas?" Basil started. "I've got that one covered. It'll be forest after rain, on sunrise," I said.
"So the colors would be, what? Greens and light blue," Carol suggested and everyone thought it would be fine. "So the ceremony will happen where?" JJ asked and I told them about Elmwood Park. "It's quiet at sunrise when I want it all happen.""How about the wedding dress?" Bry inquired. "I've drawn this," I handed a picture to Bry," And I thought that Sole together with Pammy and Tammy could make and sew it. That way, we can make changes to it if needed. After all, I'm gonna give birth only month before."
"Good idea, though women in our family have always been quick on recovering to our normal measures," Bry said.
The time had flied quickly when we discussed and I noticed that it was already midday. "We'll go out to eat, foods on me," I suggested and everyone went to get their coats. I headed to bedroom. My back was killing me and my emotions made this all hard to me and when the gang didn't saw me, I leaned my forehead to wall. "Oh heavens, how am I ever gonna pull this through?" I asked wearily from the wall.
"You're doing fine, baby mommy," it answered and made me jump scared. "Sorry if I scared you," Basil said behind me," but you're gonna be a winner. You're just emotional and tired and worried because of Gideon but cheer up, lady. He's gonna get better in no time when you take care of him. Now, go and check him, I'll wait you," and he patted me on my back.
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After we'd eaten, it was 2 PM and Carol had to leave. "My flight goes at 4 PM but I have to be at the airport an hour earlier," and she excused herself saying that it had been nice to meet me again. Bry and my cousins wanted to go shopping and see the city. "Alone, my dear, alone," Bry said, "but I'll call you if we get lost," and they left with JJ and Garcia who also wanted to see the city. Before going, Bry said," Call me if Gideon gets worse."
Soledad and Bons had some errands to run but Basil walked me to home.
"Basil, would you do me the honor and give me away on the altar? I planned that my adoption father and my uncle would do it, but I want them to stay with their wives. They are so emotional both," I asked Basil on my door.
"Nothing would please me more, my dear. Of course I do it," Basil said and hugged me.
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Gideon was still sleeping, when I entered in. I peeled my coat of, kicked my shoes away and went to check him. His fever wasn't as high as it was in morning. "Good," I whispered and headed to kitchen to take some juice and from kitchen, I went to living room and made fire to our fireplace. Sitting on front of it, I started to read wedding magazines and books about babies, pregnancy and parenting. "I think I'll do fine and even better without this junk," I said to Tabatha after reading few chapters of one particular dry parenting guide. Tibbit had obviously sneaked to our bedroom already. I yawned and decided that it was time to go to sleep.
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It was little before 11 PM at night, when I woke up to a feeling that something wasn't right. I listened quietly for a while but the house was silent. Tabatha and Tibbit slept peacefully. I went to check the door anyway but noticing it was locked, went back to bed.
Climbing back to bed, I accidentally touched Gideon and immediately knew why I'd woken up. His fever had returned and was high now. Without really thinking anything, I started to act. I did everything what Bry had taught to. She told me to use saffron or safflower to the fever and so I did. And I managed to fight the fever down. Few times, it spiked back up and again I fought it down. At 5 AM, I thought that I had won when the last part started.
Fever rocketed to sky high and Gideon was restless. He tossed and turned at the bed and was delirious. Many times during that last hour, I prayed for whatever gods there was and almost called Bry to help me, so close he was to death. "Oh please, let him live," I was whispering when Gideon really scared me. "Eveleen, where are you?" he called my name, "Shh, calm down honey, I'm right here," I answered to him. "Eveleen? No, don't do this to me. Ev, I won't let you disappear. Nooo!" he yelled, jumped up from the bed and looked savagely around the room. Then he sat down on the edge of the bed and started so shiver uncontrollably. I helped him back under the blankets, kneeled down beside the bed and held his hand until he calmed down and fell asleep.
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Clock stroke six times. I was tired but couldn't sleep anymore. I had won the battle against the death but Gideon's words had placed a fear into my heart and soul. I tiptoed to kitchen to get something to drink and then I went to living room. Putting my glass down to windowsill, I stared out, I stared the waking city. I tried to subdue the fear but it caught me and I broke down. Hugging my feet on the floor, I felt the tears flooding and I couldn't do anything but to cry without comfort.
"Oh lord, don't let those words mean anything," I cried and the feeling inside me was paralyzing. "Don't let them mean anything."