Nine Years Later
— Mom, Dad, — he shouted and screamed as tears ran down my cheeks.
I put my hands on my face, because I felt something hot running down my face, I see blood, I get hysterical, I try to look for a mirror to see where the blood came from, but I look next to me I see my sister Leah passed out I try to wake up but it's useless. She passed me by, I can't get to where Mom and Dad are, and the water almost covered her whole body. I see dad move, I touch him and he looks at me, he asks me to take out my sister, that he was in charging of taking Mom out, don't doubt it for a second. I take off her seat belt, I try to open the door, but it was locked, so I break the glass with my feet, I don't know where I got the strength from, but I throw it out and then I go out, I try to reach the shore. When I leave my sister lying on the shore still unconscious. I go back to where my parents were to help them, but there was no trace of the car, I sink but the water was cloudy nothing was seen, I go back to where my sister Leah was, I begin to cry out for help, but no soul at that time did not pass by. I kept insisting, but it was in vain, I was already losing the strength I had left, I could still feel the blood running down my face, I touched my head and from there came the damn blood, apparently I hit my head hard. When it seemed, that everything was lost due to the exhaustion of so much screaming and the blood, that I was losing at that moment, I felt that someone was calling me, —Bella, awake, —said that voice.
—But how did he know my name, — I said without force, I tried to lift my head but not a soul was there.
I kept hearing my name, but I couldn't see anyone, it seems that everything I could see from my mind. When I feel like I'm out of breath. I didn't understand why I was short of breath if we were out of the water. Suddenly I jump and find myself in a room. I look around and see my sister Leah holding me.
—Quiet Bella, it's been a nightmare, — she said as she stood beside me and hugged me trying to reassure me.
My heart is still beating very hard, I was already taking control, I had been just thinking, I was reliving the moment of the accident where my parents died as soon as I was 17 at the time and my sister Leah was only 11 years old. I was glad to see her there; I had not remembered that she was there. Since the University started and she moved to Madrid, she only came to visit me on weekends.
—Again the same old nightmare, no, —she said as she nodded.
She gives me another hug and we lie down on the bed, and we start talking, I don't know when I fell asleep, but I didn't have any more nightmares all night. When I wake up my sister was still asleep, I look at the clock at 6 o'clock in the morning, I go to the bathroom, I wash and wash, I put on the break to exercise and go out to run a bit. I needed to clear my mind, I couldn't take long because in two hours I had to go to work. I leave Leah a note telling her that I went for a run.
When I come back, I see her preparing breakfast and I go to where she is to greet her.
—Don't you dare go near me like that, you're all sweaty, go take a shower and I'll wait for you for breakfast, —she said.
—Yes, Mama, — I said mockingly while we both laughed.
I go running to the bathroom, I get into the shower I put the iPod with the music of Shaw Mendez and the theme ¨In my Blood¨; I stay there for at least half an hour. When I get out and dressing, I go to the kitchen. I see my sister almost finishing breakfast.
— Wow, I marvel at the way you wait, — I said mockingly.
— Of course, I waited, but every time you go into the bathroom, I have to wait half an hour, I don't think so. Besides, remember my condition, you idiot, — she said very euphorically.
—True, excuse me, it was only a joke, —I said as I sat down for breakfast.
How can one forget her condition, that never, after the accident, had to have her pancreas removed, otherwise she would die. Now she's insulin dependent for life. We both started laughing at a joke Ana made. I love my sister and she loves me. Since our parents died we have stayed together, I fought for them not to separate us. They had taken us to a relief house (foster home) after leaving the hospital and there they wanted to separate us as I was close to my 18th birthday and she was only 11 years old. At that time I was studying Chemical Engineering as my father was, at the University of Seville, I was one of the best students but I had to quit and get to work, I had to get ahead and take care of my sister Leah. Since that day, we never separated, until she decided to move to Madrid because it was closer to go to University. Now she is in her second year of medicine, she felt a vocation for that career when she saw the treatment the doctors gave her towards us and at that moment, she fell in love with the profession. I worked very hard so that she could reach her goal. In addition, today she is very grateful to me, but they are the sisters for if they do not support each other.
I say goodbye to her, take my purse and go to the elevator. I couldn't be late for work, today's crisis in Spain is fatal and I can't afford to lose the job I worked so hard to get. When the elevator arrives I press the button of the plant of the parking lot, to go in search of my beetle, as I affectionately say to him, it is not a so modern car but it wasn't a disaster either it, is a Volkswagen New Beetle of 2003. I quickly get into the car and get out like an arrow from there, and when I'm on the street I try to moderate the speed, but the driver inside me tries to get out. I am not bad driving when I was a girl my father took me to the casting of children, my sister, I always competed, and I always won. She'd start crying, and since I could not see her like that always in the last race let her win, if that accident had not happened today in addition to being a Chemical Engineer as my father would also have dedicated me to the world of racing.
When I arrived at the Orfeo cafeteria, parking in the car in the same place as always, it was almost eight o'clock in the morning, when I enter everything is very quiet, there was nobody, —Ostia that must have happened here, —I said to myself. On the way to the lockers and nothing, there was no one there either. I change my clothes and put on my uniform.
When I go out, I see James who likes me is a waiter and sometimes we worked at the bar or at the tables. He is an interesting man, very attractive but above all very kind and helpful, the bad thing is that he is gay, —James, good morning, —I said nicely while he turned around.
—Good morning, Isa, —he said. He's the only one who says that to me, even though I don't like having my name cut off, yet I leave him, - What are you doing here, should I be in the Chief's office," he said in a worried voice.
— What do you mean I'm here? I came to work, no!, —I said, —I don't understand you, because I have to be in the Chief's office, —I said while I didn't understand his question.
—Oh, Mama, what's going to form you, he asked us all to go to his office, — he said as he moved from one side to the other.
—Will you stop moving, please, you're driving me crazy, — I said as he stopped, —And why does he want to see us, —I said as he shrugged.
—Come on, let's not waste any more time, I only came to pick up one thing, — he said as he closed the door where the lockers were. —But girl, hurry up, — he said as he pulled me and we ran towards the office.
— What's going on, why did Jacob call this meeting, — I said to myself.
Jacob Black was the best childhood friend I had until we separated when we graduated from High School, and he wanted to study Business Perfection and today he is an excellent businessperson and I wanted to study chemical engineering until I quit. After four years we met again I was looking for work and I saw the ad where they needed a waitress, no matter if I had experience or not. I did the interview, but I didn't know I owned the place until two weeks after I started working here. At the time of the interview, he was on a trip. I'm very happy to see him. Just as if he is happy to see me, although at work we talk about you, as a sign of respect but outside of there, we call each other, at work nobody knows that we've known each other for years, but that didn't matter to us, but for a while now I see him acting strangely towards me.
When I entered the office, he who was talking at the time was silent, — Well, well, look who we have here, Miss Tardanza, — he said in the form of superiority and mockery.
—But what is wrong with Jake, —I said inside myself as I looked at him and said, —Sorry sir, I didn't know there was a meeting, —I said as he resumed the conversation.
He explained that today was a special day; it was February 14, — Wow! We're already on that date, —I said inside myself. I explained that maybe most couples choose restaurants, there are others, which might come by, and I wanted everything to be impeccable.
—What a roll, the one that touched us today, — I said very softly in James's ear.
—I'm sorry, miss, I don't know his name, — he said as they turned everything towards me.
—But it will be synic, I know you have to pretend, but you don't know my name, it's too fucking much, so following your game I answer, —Bella, sir,
—How I told you Miss Bella you would like to convey your opinion about this, — he said while he could not believe that he had listened to me.
—I have nothing to say, sir, — I said as I lowered my head.
—All right, but next time you want to talk, say it out loud so that we can all hear your opinion, — he said as he concluded the meeting.
I come out of there very angry, I don't know what's going on with him, he's never treated me like that, not even in front of the employees, but for the last two weeks he's been reluctant to talk to me even when we're alone. I'm heading to the bar today it's my turn to be there. We are almost at the point of opening.
Everything was going on in a hectic way, the place was almost full, as Jacob predicted there were couples who wanted to spend Valentine's Day here, I was as crazy as one drink after another, but what couples wanted most was coffee with cream in the shape of a heart that only I could make.
When I feel the door open, my heart began to beat harder than normal, it seemed that it was going to come out, I see it coming in, with a pink shirt and over it a coat of the same color as the pants.— Wow, he looked good in those trousers fitted to his body, — he said inside me. She watched the panorama as she walked towards where I was.
—Hello Bella, — he said in a sweet voice.
—Hello Sam, and that's you around here, — I said in a nervous voice.
—Can't I visit my sweet bride, — he said with a mischievous smile.
—And since when have I had that sign, — I said while my cheeks were like the color of my red uniform.
—From today, —he said as he leaned towards me to kiss me on the lips.
— Wow! What a good kiss, — he said inside of me, —I couldn't make out anything but the whistle of the people. After his coat he took out a beautiful red rose and gave it to me, —Happy Valentine's Day, —he said with a big smile.
He, as always, so chivalrous and so romantic. All the girls stared at him, but he only had eyes for me.
—Thank you, — I said, while with the corner of my eye I could see how the girls who were there were envious. —Girls suffer because this man is mine, — I said to myself while this time I bowed and kissed him.
—Well, well, who we have around here, — said James as I drew back.
—James is Sam, Sam is James, —I said as they shook hands.
At that moment, James made a joke on Sam that he only made him look at me, while I laughed, not because of what James was doing to him, but because of the look on Sam's face when James did it and gave him a kiss on the cheek. —Let's go, James, stop joking. —I was telling James while he couldn't stand the laughter.
When James left with the order of two cream coffees, five lemon teas, and four beers, Sam stared at me, —I don't know what he thought was funny about that, —he said to me while another waiter asked me for another coffee for the table in front of the bar.
—What a thing, — he said while pretending to be innocent.
—Don't be beautiful, for you know what I'm talking about, — he said in an angry voice.
—That kiss on the cheek, — I said as I started laughing again when I remembered the kiss James gave Sam on the cheek. —I didn't know you were prejudiced, — he said as he stared at me.
—I'm not, but that took me by surprise, — he said while I explained that he always made that same joke to all the men he knew.
—I see you have a busy day, they usually are, — he told me.
Normally they are quiet days, sometimes one more than the other, but when they are dates like these they fill us up. I said as I reached for the beer accompanied by a plate of stuffed olives that he had asked me to kill the time.
While there was no order or account to settle in the box, I began to talk to Sam. Not if it was pure coincidence or fate things, that I met him since my sister Leah went to Madrid I felt very lonely, I was from work to home and vice versa, until one day, I came across him and began to roll by the cafeteria and we began to go out.
He made me laugh and forget all my problems, in that I feel the sonar mobile, it was my sister, and I answer, —What my sweet little sister says, —I said with a happy voice.
—Either you don't have much work or something happens to make you happy like that, — she said.
—If I have a lot of work, but it's true that I'm happy, you remember when I mentioned that boy that I ran into and we started to go out, —I said as I moved away from the bar and signaled James to take care of her.
—Yes, Sam, — she said as she nodded, —And... —she said, waiting for an answer.
—That from this moment on, I'm his girlfriend, — I said while I could feel a cry of joy from her.
—Congratulations, my sister, I hope this is worth it and not that stupid Alec who left you hanging alone because he didn't have any money, — she said.
When he mentioned Alec, I remember, that moment, it came to mind. We were very happy and in love, well only on my part because when she found out that I was a poor devil in sorrow she walked away from me. We were only together for a year, at that time I was studying at the University when the accident happened after that day, I've never seen him again. I hope it's not the same with Sam.
At that moment, I remembered that Leah had called me, and I asked her why she had called. — Fuck!, I had already forgotten, —she said happily. —You will know that I met someone today, he is handsome, more or less 27 years old, — she said as she described to me that boy and told me that she was in love with him.
But Leah is older than you, and they barely know each other, since you're already going to be in love with him. I said while I felt a silence on her part,
—Don't start with the plan, Mama, you're not, — she told me.
—But Leah..., —I said to her when she cut me and said to me —Neglect to take good care of me, okay, —she said so that I would calm down.
When I finished talking to her, I went back to the bar; I could see how uncomfortable Sam was because James didn't stop harassing him. I couldn't stand the laughter, I touched James's shoulder so that he could see that he was back, and at that moment I could see relief in Sam's eyes, it seemed that I was rescuing him from the clutches of the Ogre, which is James's case, I kept laughing.
—Don't worry, he won't eat you, — I said to him while he laughed too.
—You're taking a long time here, — he said while sipping his drink, —this was the second one.
—I don't know, —I said while he looked at me seriously.
—And you can't tell your boss to set you free, — he said while I felt Jacob's voice at that moment.
—Who should I set free and why, — said Jacob while the three of us didn't stare.