Immortals

Chapter 2

"When are you coming home?" I spoke into my phone as I poured milk into my coffee.

"On Monday, I thought I already told you! Don't you ever listen to anything I say?" She replied sounding frustrated.

"I remember" I rolled my eyes at the TV as I sat down "I was just asking WHEN like Monday morning or Monday night or Monday evening..."

"Monday night, the company has me working out here like crazy" she sighed.

"Well make sure you take care of yourself, no job is worth getting ill over."

"I know but we need the money so..."

"Mmmm" a 'popular' topic of conversation.

"I mean if you could just get another job, it's not like the one you have takes up much of your time anyway, then I wouldn't have to-"

"We've been over this! I don't want another job. I'm happy with just having THIS one and it's not like I have any discernible skills to speak of and-"

"Well what about your trust fund?"

"No. I told you I was never going to take any of their money!"

"I know but-"

"No Yvonne! I won't use it and anyway we don't need any more money we make more than the average person and it's not like we're starving or anything and-"

"Yes, yes, yes I know we have all the things we need and things we don't blah blah blah! I've heard it all before."

"Then why do you feel the need to bring it up so much then?"

"Because Jon! Because I know YOU like living the SIMPLE life" she shouted sarcastically "but I for one LIKE having nice things!"

"But you DO have nice things!"

"Come on Jon being a palliative nurse isn't the best career I'm sure you can find a better job where you don't have to do anything! A job that people don't throw their nose up at! The neighbours think you're a bum!"

"Let them think that! Why do you care so much what they think! I don't!" I shouted through the phone.

"Yvonne?" I heard another male voice in the background.

"Who's that?" I asked.

"No one, I have to get back to work" and she hung up. I sat starring at the blank TV screen with the phone held up to my ear and my head began to spin. My thoughts ran around in circles, my emotions were all over the place and my head felt like it was about to explode. I had to get out of the apartment, I needed air. So I grabbed my keys and threw my bag over my shoulder, grabbed my bike lock and went to the one place I could always go.

I couldn't concentrate on anything which resulted in a number of near misses as I rode frantically to Lenox Hill. I was so distressed that I didn't even say hi to Bob, just ran into the elevator and pushed through the large wooden doors and into the room with the old man and all at once everything stopped and a wave of calm swept over me. I took a deep breath and my hands stopped shaking, the emotions evened out, my thoughts stopped bouncing around my head and a smile crept onto my face as I saw him. Laying there just as I'd left him the night before.

"Hey Valentine" I breathed out as I made my way to Valentine's bed side "how you been buddy?" I threw my things onto the chair at the side of the bed and took a quick peek at his face only to see the same thing I saw everyday which comforted me. "How do you do that?" I asked as I turned the radio on and turned back to him, checking all the old man's vitals "You always make me feel...normal" I shook my head and sat in the chair, putting my feet up on to the end of the bed.

"Man today has just been...crappy" I shook my head "I almost got run over like 10 times on my way here too!" I looked up to see that the drip needed refilling so I got up and went to get another bag and as I did I began to vent and the more I talked the angrier I got and the quicker and careless my movements became. Once I was done refilling everything I slumped into the chair and continued to tell Valentine about my suspicions trying to figure out what to do about my relationship and my family and just my life in general.

As if my morning hadn't gone badly enough my mother had called me and asked me to go over for dinner and I didn't know what to say, it had been years since I'd talked to her and strangely enough I missed her voice and wanted nothing more than to say yes and go back home but instead I said I would think about it. Now, as I talked to Valentine, I felt a tinge of guilt and wanted to call my mother back but of course I didn't. I just talked and talked and talked until I fell asleep.