Daddy was back. His familiar car pulled into the driveway, and I sprinted outside to meet him. He swooped me up in a big hug and nothing else in the world mattered. Not the bruises. Not the hunger. Not Mommy. And then we were leaving. Finally, we were getting away from Mommy like Daddy always promised we would. We were going to go start a new life; just me and Daddy. The sun kissed my bruised face and the wind whiped trough my hair as we sped away from our old lives. Thats when I woke up.
In the movies, the child would open their little eyes to ballons and get well cards and an over-emotional mother hugging and kissing them. Not me. I woke up to silence. Well, there was the annoying beeping of the machine I was hooked up to but other than that, it was nothing but silence. For some reason this really bothered me. Tears welled up in my eyes and threatened to spill over. It was like I could be dying, and no one would bother to say goodbye or sit with me until I was gone. No. Daddy would be here with me, but something was wrong. That's all; something happened. I know he wouldn't leave me. He would give his life for me. Just then a nurse walked in and started prodding with the machines.
"We can take this off now that you're awake." She said as she carefully took out my IV. I looked up at her, and she smiled. Her eyes were brown and pale blond hair was piled up carfully on top of her head. She looked like the kind of person who would make a good mom. She left then, and I was alone.
I wondered breifly where my mom was. I don't think she would have left because of the fact that she had to keep up her act. However, any mother that was honestly concerned about their child would be at least in the same room with them when they're in the hospital. It didn't matter. I could get by without her.
My doctor walked in then, followed by my mother. My mother was cleaned up a bit and had on a fresh set of clothes. She smiled worriedly, and rushed over to hold my hand that wasn't in a cast. I just looked at her. My doctor smiled at me, but for a second I saw something more in his eyes. Worry? Pain? I didn't know.
"Well Lily, the surgery went extremely well, and after your mother signs the release papers you are free to go. You need to stay out of school for at least a week though and we're sending home some pain medication." The doctor said while he scribbled on charts, and checked random things around me.
"Yes sir. " I said weakly. I didn't want to leave. I knew I was going to get it as soon as we left. My mother patted my head, and followed the doctor outside to sign the papers.
I sighed and looked out the window. A single bird was flying slowly in the sky, taking it's time, doing little flips and dives. I wish I could be like that bird. I could fly away from here and never even have to look back. No more pain. No more tears. No more nothing. The bird dived down slowly, and perched on the window sill. I smiled as it tilted it's head and began to sing. Suddenly, it stopped singing and flew away. I turned around. My mother was standing in the doorway.
"Let's go home, Lily." She said simply, with no emotion. She was probably tired of playing like she cared, but she couldn't get angry yet. I got out of the bed, sliding my ratty tenis shoes on and then followed her out of the room. As we walked down the hallway towards the exit door, nurses smiled and waved goodbye. My doctor even waved, too, but he didn't smile. His eyebrows were pulled together and he was frowning. I wondered what was wrong.
When we got in the car my mother threw the it in reverse, and started speeding the opposite way of home.
"Where are we going?" I asked smally, cringing once again into the door.
"The school, stupid." She said reaching over with one hand to grab the bag that held my medication. Using her elbows to drive, she opened the bottle and popped two of the pills into her mouth.
"The doctor said I couldn't go to school." I said staring at her in disbelief. She swerved in front of a red truck, and they honked loudly as she passed them.
"Does it look like I care?" She asked me. I shook my head, and looked out the window. Tears slowly ran down my cheeks. Where was Daddy?
We arrived at the school, and I slowly stepped out of the car. She was supposed to come inside and sign me in, since I was late, but instead she just sped away. I was alone, again. I walked up the concrete steps, and into the front office.
The woman who worked at the desk smiled at me and began to write me a tardy note.
"Name, please?" She asked, not looking up.
"Lily." I replied, wiping the last of the tears. I just had to make it through the day. The woman was real quiet after that and handed me my note with a small, worried smile. I took it and walked to my class.
Of course when I walked in the room it was silent. Why was it that when you most want to be ignored, people notice you? The other kids and the teacher asked about my arm , but I just stared at the front of the room until the bell rang for recess.
I walked outside and cringed at the blinding sunnlight pouring over my face. The sky was too bright, too happy. I felt it then. The stinging of tears in my eyes. I turned and ran quickly across the playground to an old tree that no one played around. Tears were streaming down my face. Blinded, I tripped and fell over a root. I just laid there for a moment, and then pulled myself up and sat against the tree crying. Where was Daddy? How could he leave me?
I was crying so hard I didn't hear the footsteps coming up behind me. He sat down carefully beside me and held my good hand. I looked at him, shocked, and noticed it was the boy that lived next to me that I had talked to the other night.
He didn't smile. He didn't give me a worried look. He didn't say anything. I appreciated that. He wasn't like the others. I cried for another twenty minutes and he still just sat there holding my hand. Eventually we heard the teachers calling everyone to come inside. He helped me up and looked me over for a second before saying anything.
"Everything will be okay." He said, not smiling, but not sadly. Then he took my hand and did the last thing I would have ever expected. He kissed me.
In my head I pictured myself pulling back and his lips touched my bruised mouth, but I didn't. I stood there and let him finish his quick little kiss, and then watched him as he ran over to the rest of the children who were lining up to go inside. I almost smiled. I licked my lips quickly as I walked over to the teachers. They tasted like honey suckle and fresh water. I thought about the kiss for a few seconds until I remembered my dad, and then the rest of the day consisted of nothingness.
