SANTA MARIA HIGH (COMPLETED)

Part Two: 3

When the doctor on call at the School Clinic saw the girl and heard the story of her sleep walking and delirium, he already had an idea in his mind. Her pulse was rapid, her blood pressure, elevated and she was reading close to 39 Celsius on the thermometer—her fever was severe.

He had ordered for an MP (malaria parasite microscopy) and widal reaction while the girl who also looked pale and dehydrated was placed on plain dextrose infusion, she was given 50mg diclofenac intramuscular.

The results came double positive for Malaria, and for mild typhoid infection. He commenced treatment immediately.

After about three hours during which a nurse was standby trying to allay the girl's fears. Hope finally drifted to sleep.

Hope went back in time in her dreams. Not to any good day, there was no telling which experience was worse, being confronted by shadows whispering words in hollowed out voices or watching mother die. She remembered that day and even in her sleep it made her cry. She was looking at the pale thin woman on the bed and somehow she had known, she tried to deny it then but from the look in the woman's eye, mother herself had known. The smile that it was all finally ending, with the tears of leaving her family behind wasn't lost on the little girl.

She had been reading the king James to mother who was an avid reader. That evening, mother had asked her to pull the blinds and let the sun in. It was a round orange sun sinking across the sky, the clouds glowed from gold to grey, it was beautiful. Mother never looked away from the window until...

"in the beginning god created the heaven and the earth." She began from the first verse of Genesis. Hope wasn't big on anything religion though it was never really up to her to have any opinion about God or whatever. God made mother happy, there's always an euphoric smile on her phase when Hope reads a favorite verse, that same smile was on her face as Hope continued, "and the earth was without form and void..."

"...and darkness was upon the face of the deep..." mother and daughter spoke as one. Hope watched from the eyes of her past self as mother smiled, "...and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." Then just as abruptly as she began, she became quiet and sullen. Hope reached to adjust he bed spread and instantly, Mrs. Mark latched onto her hand with such force it startled Hope and she would have pulled away if she could. "Mother." She called. But Mrs. Mark wasn't looking at her, her eyes were locked on Hope. As weird as it might sound even then, Hope felt that mother wasn't just looking at her but through her. Mrs. Mark released her, her lips were moving, murmuring. She looked away at the sun then back at Hope, "the darkness... the shadows will come Hope..." she said reaching for Hope's hand again but this time gently, she looked frightened, "...but don't lose hope, resist the devil and he will flee... be the light..." a tear streaked down her eyes, "Oh Hope!" her voice was hoarse voice quivered, tears stained her eyes, "promise me you will resist, promise me." She cried. "remember your Hope, when they come," she said, "when you rule, set them free, set them free...promise me!"

Hope was crying before she knew it, not for the pain on her wrist. She was confused and frightened. Mother wasn't making sense. "I promise!" she said. And that seem to allay the fears of the ill woman.

"...the light shine in darkness, and darkness comprehended it not." Mrs. Mark released her, "good," she said between breath, "good..." that was the last thing she said. She went silent, while Hope rubbed her wrist, still stunned.

When Mrs. Mark finally slept that night, it was the last final sleep of death. She left the way she wanted, not in the hospital constantly assaulted by chemotherapy that seem to make her sick that cancer ever could, Mrs. Mark left on her own terms.

****

Hope was crying. She was aware that she was crying, and just as aware that she had been dreaming.

When her eyes opened she was back to the present in the female ward of Santa Maria High clinic, tears clouded her eye. A face swam in the mist of her sight, someone dabbed her face, the face she saw was that of Aunty Alice, "I'm here." She said, patting Hope's hand.

"Mum," Hope croaked.

"Shhhh, my dear." Aunty Alice said, "you'll be okay. Just go back to sleep."

Hope obeyed, she went back to sleep. To yet another dream of an incidence she thought was a dream, she had met her Father or the shadow that looked like him, he had lead her down to the school, then she had been surrounded by shadows, all around, hollow darkness sucking the life from the air, filling her with dread. They were whispering to her mind in hoarse phantom voices that seems more interested in calling names than saying anything else.

"Louise Junior..."

"Anthony Laurence."

Anthony was the only one in the list yet to be dead. She knew that. She knew what it meant.