Chapter Three
It was Sunday afternoon and only Doyle, Mum and I were home. Dad was away on business and Mum was on the internet looking up art sort things. I sat on the living room floor with my older brother facing me. We each had playing cards in our hands and were eyeing each other. The game was polka.
I held a pair of kings in my hands and was pretty confident, not that Doyle would be able to tell it. We both had perfected our unreadable expressions over many Sunday afternoons when no one else was around and we both had nothing better to then play cards.
I put down my kings and smiled sweetly at my dear brother.
"Sorry Sis." He said in his singsong Irish accent (where he picked up an Irish accent I'll never know). His hand came down slowly and his smile was wider then mine. "Royal Flush!"
"Damn you." I grumbled picking up the cards and shuffling them back into the deck. "You always do that!"
"You know what this means..." He trailed off still smiling. Of course I knew what it meant, we had a bet going: The loser at our cards competition-best of five- must buy the ice cream. Something we nearly always did after our cards game. Go get ice cream down at the mall.
I stood up and put of a mock grumpy face on- our games were always in good fun and we both got ice cream any way- "Come on then" I said standing up and stretching, "If we're going to eat delicious yet fattening ice cream we're at least walking there."
He muttered something that sounded like "girls" and headed out the door with me.
The walk was enjoyable for both of us. It was something we had done together since we were little kids. When we reached there we both ordered. I had a vanilla cone and Doyle decide of a chocolate on. I paid and we sat down in the small outdoor part, sitting in a comfortable silence and watching people go past. Doyle broke it and asked the question that we had both been wondering the last two days.
"Wonder why Mum went to the doctors on Friday." He asked without really asking.
"She said it was a checkup." I answered even though I didn't believe it myself.
"What!" He exclaimed and laughed before coming serious again, "Mum never goes to the doctors unless there's something wrong with her or one of us. She hates going."
I sighed. I knew he was right, I had thought about that myself. "I dunno" I said then looked at my watch, "Come on we better get home. It's Five Thirty and the other should be home soon" I referred to our four younger siblings, "and Mum's doing work so I have to cook tea."
We left still licking at out ice creams as we walked, once again wondering why Mum had gone to the doctors. I gussed if it was serious she would tell us.
We walked away from the noise of the mall and in to the semi-quiet of our town suburban streets, toward our large home.
We got home before any of our other brothers or sisters did and were starting to head up stairs when what I saw in the living room stopped me in my tracks. It was Mum but she was lying face down of the floor. It looked as though she had collapsed.
Doyle glanced over to see why I had stopped then quickly ran over to Mum, rolling her other and checking her pulse. "She alive." He stated looking quickly up at me still standing frozen there. "Call and ambulance, Buffy"
That got me into action and I ran to the phone. The talk to the operator was short and she promised that someone would be there soon. I don't know how I got though talking to her; I was as scared as hell. I hung up the phone and walked back into the room where Doyle was kneeling by Mum. I was white as chalk and shaking like a leaf. I sat down and we waiting. This time not in a comfortable silence but a tense one.
Sorry short I know but that's just how it felt like it should end. Hope you all enjoy. I'm on an writing streak whether you like my story or not.
It was Sunday afternoon and only Doyle, Mum and I were home. Dad was away on business and Mum was on the internet looking up art sort things. I sat on the living room floor with my older brother facing me. We each had playing cards in our hands and were eyeing each other. The game was polka.
I held a pair of kings in my hands and was pretty confident, not that Doyle would be able to tell it. We both had perfected our unreadable expressions over many Sunday afternoons when no one else was around and we both had nothing better to then play cards.
I put down my kings and smiled sweetly at my dear brother.
"Sorry Sis." He said in his singsong Irish accent (where he picked up an Irish accent I'll never know). His hand came down slowly and his smile was wider then mine. "Royal Flush!"
"Damn you." I grumbled picking up the cards and shuffling them back into the deck. "You always do that!"
"You know what this means..." He trailed off still smiling. Of course I knew what it meant, we had a bet going: The loser at our cards competition-best of five- must buy the ice cream. Something we nearly always did after our cards game. Go get ice cream down at the mall.
I stood up and put of a mock grumpy face on- our games were always in good fun and we both got ice cream any way- "Come on then" I said standing up and stretching, "If we're going to eat delicious yet fattening ice cream we're at least walking there."
He muttered something that sounded like "girls" and headed out the door with me.
The walk was enjoyable for both of us. It was something we had done together since we were little kids. When we reached there we both ordered. I had a vanilla cone and Doyle decide of a chocolate on. I paid and we sat down in the small outdoor part, sitting in a comfortable silence and watching people go past. Doyle broke it and asked the question that we had both been wondering the last two days.
"Wonder why Mum went to the doctors on Friday." He asked without really asking.
"She said it was a checkup." I answered even though I didn't believe it myself.
"What!" He exclaimed and laughed before coming serious again, "Mum never goes to the doctors unless there's something wrong with her or one of us. She hates going."
I sighed. I knew he was right, I had thought about that myself. "I dunno" I said then looked at my watch, "Come on we better get home. It's Five Thirty and the other should be home soon" I referred to our four younger siblings, "and Mum's doing work so I have to cook tea."
We left still licking at out ice creams as we walked, once again wondering why Mum had gone to the doctors. I gussed if it was serious she would tell us.
We walked away from the noise of the mall and in to the semi-quiet of our town suburban streets, toward our large home.
We got home before any of our other brothers or sisters did and were starting to head up stairs when what I saw in the living room stopped me in my tracks. It was Mum but she was lying face down of the floor. It looked as though she had collapsed.
Doyle glanced over to see why I had stopped then quickly ran over to Mum, rolling her other and checking her pulse. "She alive." He stated looking quickly up at me still standing frozen there. "Call and ambulance, Buffy"
That got me into action and I ran to the phone. The talk to the operator was short and she promised that someone would be there soon. I don't know how I got though talking to her; I was as scared as hell. I hung up the phone and walked back into the room where Doyle was kneeling by Mum. I was white as chalk and shaking like a leaf. I sat down and we waiting. This time not in a comfortable silence but a tense one.
Sorry short I know but that's just how it felt like it should end. Hope you all enjoy. I'm on an writing streak whether you like my story or not.