A Time for Life

Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO

Alyssa's point of view

The dress tightened around my waist up and fell down to the bottom of my legs, a slit cut on the left leg stopping mid-thigh. The dress was truly beautiful. The neck of the dress was shaped in a V that fell down to the top of my cleavage.

"That's the one. We're getting you that one." Perla stared admiringly at the fancy black dress as I took my steps out of the changing room.

"I don't know. It's a bit tight around the waist area," I said self-consciously while grabbing my hips.

"Don't be ridiculous. With your body you could pull off anything. You're so hot I would do you, and you know how picky I am." I laughed, but wasn't surprised. Perla was a woman who spoke her mind. Not that there's anything wrong with that. At least it gave her the ability to not take any shit, which is exactly why we're friends. We're like one person in two bodies.

Perla was stunning. Her mum being Filipino and her dad American gave her the naturally tanned look with a beautiful thick layer of black hair, although she often dyed and cut it. As much as I loved her wave of black hair she insisted that the brown hair made her feel better and completed her look and no more was needed to be said.

She grabbed my hand, raised it and gave me a twirl. The hem of the dress lifted and spun with me elegantly. She then let go of me then laughed. I smiled at my reflection, but that quickly fell flat.

I shook my head. "I can't afford this, Pearl."

She rolled her eyes. "Well obviously I'll pay for it." Perla was wealthy enough to feed the starving in Africa for a year.

"No, Perla, you know I don't take your money." I began to protest but of course was interrupted.

"Think of it more like an early birthday gift."

"My birthday's not for 6 months."

"Like I said, early birthday gift. Now take that dress off so I can pay for it." She gently led me to the direction of my cubicle and closed the door. I sighed but couldn't help but smile.

Perla was one hell of a girl.

* * *

After dropping Perla at her mansion-like house I went straight to the hospital.

Walking past the familiar face of the receptionist and up the elevator to floor 11, then walking to room 22, I found my mother lying, as still as a corpse and as pale as a ghost, on the death bed of the hospital. The room was dim, matching the mood of anyone who walks in. Not only the lighting but the walls were grey and paint peeled at a few corners.

The air always seemed thicker. Every time I walked in it was as if I something was stopping me from getting the full oxygen I needed in my lungs. It was like the room was subtly screaming get out! You shouldn't be here. Leave and never come back. I did do that several times. I left. And for weeks didn't come back. I just couldn't. It wasn't until a talk from Perla did I realize my mistake. My mother needs me more then I need her. "Suck it up, Alyssa. Your mother is dying and you leaving her is not going to make anything better," Perla told me. It was then that I knew you couldn't run away from your own fear. Your own sadness. Your own mind.

Next to her, holding her still hand, was my brother. "Leo." He didn't jump or even move as I expected him to, he kept his head down, staring at our mother's hand until I walked beside him and took a seat on a chair next to him.

Two years and eight months ago our mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. It took her a long time to do anything about it. She had this crazy idea that with belief of God and good spirit she would be able to cure herself. She went to therapy and got rid of her demons. Next she went to a special place that would cure anybody's aura, no matter how sick or sad that aura or person was. The man, supposedly cleansed her and killed the bad spirit she held within. Next was meditation, then church everyday until eventually it hurt her just standing.

Being the stubborn self she is, it took us hours, days, for us to convince her to go to the hospital where they could cure her for real. Only when we got there they told us that it would be too late for her if we didn't pay the price to give her surgery, soon. Unfortunately we used up all the money we had just sending her in the ambulance and a place to stay at the hospital.

"She's been asleep for over thirteen hours straight." He finally looked up and met my eye, "she's getting worse, Al."

I told him the same thing I told dad, "everything will be okay, Leo. Promise."

He sighed, a sigh so sad I heard the angels sing his sad song. "Sure hope so." He then grabbed my hand and kissed the finger tips. I leaned in to hug him from side on. How long we stayed in that position for, I don't know.

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Second chapter! Sorry it's quite short! Chapters in this story probably wont be very long..

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