Problems of an Invisible Girl

Chapter 46

After what felt like hours, Zizi emerged from the guest room looking more tired than Rina had ever seen her before. Only then, looking at the exhausted wrinkled face did Rina realize how old Zizi had gotten and how easily she got tired.

It felt to Rina like they were exerting too much pressure on her but they didn't have another option. Zizi was their last resort, their lighthouse in the storm.

Seeing her wobbly enter into the kitchen Rina hurried towards her to help her settle down comfortably. Zizi gave her a gentle smile grateful for her dear Rina's guiding hand. Settling down Zizi sighed deeply ready for the onslaught of questions that were about to come.

"Is he alive? Will he be okay?" Caroline started asking even before Zizi had the chance to relax and rest from the exhausting healing process.

"He is alive. He will have to stay in bed and we will have to treat his wounds at least three times a day with my various remedies but he will be okay." Zizi said.

Seeing that Serena was preparing another barrage of questions Rina decided that she needed to take care of her great-grandmother before she collapsed from exhaustion. Jack would be okay but Zizi seemed to have overexerted herself and Rina couldn't stand to see her great-grandmother in such a state.

Her face was pale and there were bluish circles around her eyes. The same eyes that were usually full of energy and joy were lost and unfocused, tired.

"That's enough questioning. The most important thing is that he will be okay. Now Zizi needs her rest and you can ask her any additional questions later. For now, she needs to go and rest and we can take shifts looking in on Jack, I mean dad." Rina said sternly.

"That's not necessary, I will take care of my husband," Caroline stated.

The moment she said that she got up to go and see her husband, to take care of everything he needed, to be of some use. Most importantly, Caroline wanted to make sure that Zizi was telling the truth that her husband was alive.

The moment Caroline briskly left the kitchen for the guest room, Serena followed close behind and of course where she went Nat was bound to follow. Especially after he let her leave without him and was worried sick about her well being.

Although the kitchen emptied out, Rina still decided to take her grandmother into the bedroom where the old woman could lie comfortably on her own soft bad. The progress was slow since Zizi was barely able to move her feet but Rina was okay with that as long as she knew Zizi would have the time to rest and recuperate.

The moment Zizi lied down in her bed, she fell asleep and Rina lovingly pulled up the covers tucking Zizi in, the same way her great-grandmother used to tuck Rina in when she was a child. Kissing Zizi's wrinkled forehead, Rina quietly exited the room to go and check if there was anything that needed to be done while Zizi slept.

Even though Rina was very young when she saw Zizi the last time, she still remembered all of the different healing methods and how they were performed. Some people called that witchcraft but to Rina, it was a miracle that Zizi was able to do all that with some herbs and words that held in them more power than modern medicine.

She remembered that Zizi used to use everyday things and foods to do amazing things. Most of the things people never believed were truly done by her, but Rina knew better, she saw it all first hand.

As she entered the guest room, or the healing room as she liked to refer to it, she could see that Caroline and Serena were engaged in a silent debate in one corner of the room. Nat stood awkwardly in the middle of the room not wanting to interfere in the conversation but also unsure whether it was his place to be by Jack's side.

The moment he spotted Rina he hurried her way, relief obvious in his eyes. It looked to Rina as if he was a drowning man seeing land for the first time.

"Please help. They have been at it since we entered the room. I don't know what to do." Nat told her in a hushed whisper.

"What are they arguing about?" Rina asked.

She was perplexed while the two women who cared a lot about Jack would waste their time arguing instead of spending time by his side. It was incomprehensible to her that someone would choose that particular moment to argue. Quickly checking up on Jack and noting that he won't need any remedies in a few hours she refocused her attention on the two women.

"They both want to take care of Jack but Caroline won't allow Serena to do that," Nat said.

He said it matter-of-factly but Rina could see the truth. It was obvious to her that he was hoping that Caroline would take care of Jack so that Serena could have some much-needed rest and Rina couldn't help but agree, they all needed some rest after the days they had.

"Alright you two, listen up. This is my great-grandmother's house and while she is asleep, I am in charge. Caroline, you will take care of dad while the rest of us have some rest." Rina said.

She could see that Serena was about to object so she hurried on to finish her statement.

"After we rest for a bit, Serena will come take care of dad while you rest," Rina said.

Neither one of them looked happy about it but Rina was relieved to see that the authority in her voice worked and that they would listen to what she said. It was a surprise to Rina since no one ever listened to her like that before.

Was the invisible girl finally becoming visible? And not only that, but also respected by others?

It came as a shock to Rina to realize that it was exactly what was happening. Part of her, that wasn't terrified by everything that had happened was actually content, content that she was finally accepted, that her opinions mattered.

As the three of them left the guest room, Nat and Serena headed off to kitchen where Nat claimed the uncomfortable sofa while Serena got the nice bad while Rina headed for the bedroom. Although there were two beds available in the room, Rina gently settled next to Zizi.

It reminded her of her childhood, of those happy days when she would snuggle up to Zizi and make up stories to try to scare or delight her dear Zizi. In turn, Zizi would sometimes try to do the same or she would tell her about the old times, how it was before the technology and chemicals were all there was.

She loved listening to Zizi's whispered stories because it made her feel like she was stepping out in a whole different world. It had the same effect on her as the books did with the added bonus that she knew that it was all true. All of the stories were the recollections of what had happened in Zizi's youth.

Rina realized that not only had she missed Zizi, but she also missed the stories. She missed the warmth and familiarity of her great-grandmother, the joy and energy with which she told the tales and listen to Rina's not-so-well-made tales.

The thing about Zizi was that she always listened. For her, it was as if everything Rina had said was pure gold and Rina loved the attention Zizi gave her. Her father, well her adoptive father, and Zizi were the only people to ever make her feel like maybe she was someone worth knowing, someone interesting.

Now as she settled under the covers with the strong smell of herbs permeating every corner of the house and Zizi's quiet breathing, Rina felt like everything would be okay. She was happy. With those happy emotions filling her heart she fell into a deep slumber.