Discharge Day
A smile crept on my face when I saw Delphia walking into the reception area. I had my bags and medication with me.
"Hi mom." I greeted her with a smile.
"Hi, are you ready?"
I nodded then she walked over to the receptionist. A nurse came up to us with papers in her hand.
"Good day Mrs Raidon. Here are her discharge papers. Just need you to sign here." The nurse said, handing Delphia the papers and a pen.
She signed them then handed her back the papers.
"Thank you so much, you've helped my daughter in more ways than you can imagine." Delphia said to the nurse.
I pulled a face because Delphia is not one to be fake or maybe she wasn't being fake, but neither was she one to be so polite either.
We said our goodbyes then made our way to the car.
Elin was seated in the front seat. She's always sitting in the front seat when mom drives.
"Mom can I sit in the front?" I asked her as she opened her door.
"Elin is sitting there." She said getting into the car.
"Exactly. Get in." Elin said smiling.
"But you're always shot gunning." I grumbled, opening the door.
Elin laughed, "Firstly don't I have my own car and you found me here."
"Both of you get in the back." Delphia said.
Elin and I looked at her, "In the back Elin." She added.
Elin got out the car and got in the back seat with me. I laughed at her as she just sat in the back with her arms folded against her chest.
"Just know when you're in my car, you'll be sitting at the back." Elin stated
"I'm sorry sis." I jokingly said. I know she's not serious about that but even if she was, I didn't take her seriously...at all.
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I walked into my room and my curtains and windows were open. I dropped my bags and medication on the floor and began closing the windows and curtains.
There was a gift bag on my bed but as I was about to take it, Elin barged into the room.
"Please tell me you opened the windows." Elin said, staring at me.
I remained silent and shifted uncomfortably under her gaze.
"No! We're not doing this. OPEN THE DAMN WINDOWS DELILAH!" She yelled at me.
She began furiously opening my curtains and windows. What's wrong with the way I like my room?
"Don't yell at me. This is my room if you've forgotten."
She just rolled her eyes, "I got you a gift." She smiled, handing me the gift bag that was on my bed.
I looked at her suspiciously as I took the gift bag from her. I reached into the bag and pulled out a vibrator.
"Elin what the hell?!" I threw the empty gift bag on the bed and examined the vibrator in my hand.
""What? You don't like it? I thought you would because I caught you maturbating the other day"
"I wasn't masturbating." I said in disgust.
"Dee you're back!" Johnson appeared at the door. I quickly hid the vibrator behind my back.
Johnson ran to me and gave me a hug. I started panicking and I threw the vibrator onto the bed. That was a stupid action.
"Who got you a gift?" He asked, looking at the empty gift bag. The vibrator layed next to the gift bag and I mentally cussed at myself.
"Elin." I quickly said
He looked at Elin and smiled, "That's nice of you. What did you get her?"
I shook my head at Elin. She can't do this to me right now.
"A vibrator."
"A toy that vibrates? Can you also buy me one?"
"Yes...No" Elin and I said at the same time.
"It's not for kids." I added.
"Oh. Can I see it?"
"No." I said, quickly taking the vibrator and putting it back in the gift bag.
"Okay." Johnson sadly said then walked out the room.
I sighed, "You should've just showed him." Elin said.
"No Elin, he is a child."
"Well he's upset now."
I nodded. It heartbreaking seeing him sad or upset, "We can have a movie marathon of his favourite shows with snacks, cool drinks, sweets." I said. That always cheers him up.
"You better hope mom doesn't catch us or I'm beating your ass." Elin stated
I laughed nervously because if Delphia were to catch us, we wouldn't hear the end of it.
***************************
A month later
"Happy birthday to you, ha-"
"-stop." I said, cutting Elin off from her terrible singing.
"I know, I was just messing with you." She laughed.
"Any plans?"
"Nope. Just going to school then coming back and drowning in homework like I've been doing for the past month." I groaned.
"You did miss almost a year of school."
"Yeah but still, mom just hates seeing me happy."
"Happiness and mom should never be in the same sentence. Ever." Elin said and we bursted out in laughter because she was right.
"Aye, don't let her hear you say that." Dad laughed, coming into the room.
"Happy birthday kid."
"Thanx dad. Where's Johnson?"
"He's getting a lecture about how important breakfast is. He doesn't have much of an appetite this morning."
I furrowed, "That's strange, he never misses breakfast."
"Yeah, I know hes more open to talking to you guys, can you do me a favour and find out what's going on with him?"
"Sure." Elin said.
"Thanx guys." He said leaving the room.
************************
It's been a couple of days since my birthday and Johnson has been very distant. He's always in his room, he barely eats, he doesn't smile as much and he isn't his bubbly, happy self. Elin and I have tried having a conversation with him but he always walks away from us.
We were seated at the dining table eating dinner.
"You're showing symptoms of depression. What's going on?" Delphia asked Johnson.
"Nothing." He simply mumbled.
Delphia opened her mouth to say something but closed it again. She stood up then walked out of the room. I think she just retreated instead of lashing out at him, and I'm glad she chose to do so.
"You talk to your sisters okay?" Dad said to Johnson.
Johnson remained silent. His gaze fixated on his untouched food. Dad just looked at us then walked out the room.
"I sometimes feel unloved." Johnson said looking at us.
"Unloved by who?" Elin asked.
"Everyone."
"What do you mean?" I asked him.
"I know you guys love me but I don't feel it sometimes. It sometimes feels like you're forced to love me because you're my family." He said softly.
"Look at me." Elin said to him. He slowly looked to her.
"You are loved by us, so so much. There's no one out there that can love you as much as we do." She said.
Wait what?
"Mom, dad, Delilah and I love you and we show that every single day. You're our brother, the youngest in the family. You're like our little baby, our precious gift." He started smiling.
"See, there's a smile. Do you believe what I'm saying?" She asked him
He nodded, "Yes. I love you guys."
"We love you too." We said to him giving him a hug.
"Please don't tell mom but I'm taking my food to my room." He said happily.
We just smiled at him as he walked out of the room.
"He just needed a little reminder. I'm glad he's able to open up to us. I think it's the lack of affection. We need to give him more affection seeing that he doesn't get any from Delphia"
"Yeah, we would've went on to believe that he has depression" I stated
"Yeah. Mom believes he does."
"Well we need to correct her." I said.