I do not own any of the Summerland characters and I might make up some of my own.
Chapter Two
A Disaster
"Oh, my cellphone!" Ava remembered as she was walking down the stairs of her bungalow. Johnny would be there any minute and she had to be ready. She ran into the kitchen and grabbed her pink cell phone off the table.
"All ready!" She exclaimed.
"I'd say!" Johnny said as Ava turned around in surprise. "You look stunning!" He added.
"Thanks! We better get going…uhhhh…are you sure you want to pay? 'Cause, I mean, I could if---"
She was cut off by the touch of Johnny's lips and a sweep off her feet as he carried her to the car. She laughed and thanked him.
They were at the restaurant in no time. The waiter was showing them to their seat and Johnny went to the bathroom. As Ava sat down and thanked the waiter her cell phone rang. "Hello?" Ava said as she accepted water and mouthed a "thank you" to the waiter.
"Hello. Is this Ava Gregory?" The women on the other end of the line replied.
"Yes, it is. May I ask whose calling?"
"This is Emily, from the General Hospital in Kansas. I'm a nurse. Are you a relative of Mr. and Mrs. Westerly?"
"Yes, I'm Mrs. Westerly's sister. What's wrong?"
"I'm so sorry to be the barer of bad news but if you've been paying attention to the weather we are having in Kansas you will have some input on what I'm about to tell you…your sister and her husband they…passed away in a flash flood accident."
"What? How could this happen? I mean, what about the---?"
"The kids? Yes, we've already looked in on that. This is a lot of information for you to take in right now, and on the phone at the most, are you sure you want to talk about that right now?"
"I'm sure. I just am really confused. Where are they going to go?"
"Well, that's exactly it…you're their only closest relative. It's either they stay with you or live in a foster home. So, if you feel like answering that right now please do so but if not then I'll let you relax and think about this. If it's possible for you to come to Kansas in one of the next days for the funeral then, also, please do so."
"OK, well, I'll…take the kids. I'll try it out…ummm…I'll also come down to Kansas. Thanks…uhhh…so much for letting me know…"
Ava was in tears as she clicked the off botton on her cell phone. "How could this happen? They weren't meant to die…I---"
"Ava? What's wrong?" Johnny asked as he came back from the bathroom. "Why are you crying?"
"My sister…her husband…the kids they…they oh my gosh their gone!"
"They moved? They all died? Why? How?"
"No, not all of them. Just my…my sister and her husband. They passed away in a…a flood. Oh my God…Johnny!"
"Honey, I'm sorry! I'll take you home! Come, come with me. Come on Ava I'll take you home." Johnny finished as he carried her to his blue convertible.
Ava was crying all the way home as expected. Johnny took very good care of her and they were at the bungalow when Suzanna walked in.
"I'm sorry for distur---What is wrong with Ava? Honey, are you…crying?" She asked as she sat down beside the two of them on the couch.
Johnny sighed and said, "Yah, Ava just got a phone call from the Kansas General Hospital and her…her sister and her sister's husband they passed away in a flood. She's taking the first plane to Kansas tomorrow to be at the funeral. She also told them that she would foster the kids because they had know where else to go."
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry Ava. Is there anything I can do? I mean it must be horrible. Johnny, do you think I could travel to Kansas with her to keep her company?"
"Sure, actually I was just going to ask that. So, I will stay with her tonight. You can go home if you want and I'm going to make some tea. Thanks Suzanna. Oh, and tell the others about this so they don't ask her. It will make her cry if they mention it without knowing and she has already suffered enough. She doesn't need to be reminded. Bye…"
"Bye. See you tomorrow…"
Johnny sat there by Ava and held her, thinking. Thinking about life and death. How it could happen so quickly, yet, so painful and slow. He wouldn't want any one close to him to die. He couldn't even imagine how bad Ava must feel now that it's happened to her. Johnny tried to comfort Ava. He looked around at the bungalow that used to live. It was like, without Ava, the happy things were gone.
Ava was crying, silently now. Probably thinking of all her childhood memories or even of death. Her eyes weren't bright and cheerful like usual. She was curled up in a blanket not touching her tea. She looked like death or like the life was ripped out of her. She was relieved that Johnny cared so much. She was relieved that anyone cared so much. She was also scared of ever picking up a phone again. You never know what could really be said every minute. She thought to herself that if she wasn't there or hadn't answered the phone she would still be at the restaurant with Johnny, not knowing a single thing about the nightmare. She felt sorry for the kids and wasn't certain if she was ready to take on the position of a mom…