Chapter 5: Ghost of Lucinda
The silence between Harvey and I as we sat face to face in the sofa filled the living room of my apartment. Only the faint sound of the pouring rain can be heard. I waited for him to start the conversation but he simply won’t. Hence I gathered all the courage I have and started to continue the conversation that was cut when we were arguing on the street just before we got here.
“Harvey,”
“Car,”
We mentioned each other’s names in chorus. It seems like he also feels the need of a conversation as much as I do. I smiled at the thought.
“Go on Harvey. What is it?” I asked.
He opened his mouth to speak but he closed it again, seemingly in a great dilemma of saying or holding what’s on his mind. “I was just thinking,” At last he spoke. “I know this Psychiatrist, I think”
“Psychiatrist?” I blurted out. Interrupting whatever explanation he has been euphemizing in his head all along. “Are you saying I’m crazy?” I added, uncrossing my legs, nearly knocking off the huge porcelain vase of pink peonies as I swung my hand in the armrest. My eyebrows met and my forehead wrinkled with insult and disappointment with his words.
“No, Carmen it’s not what you think. There are a lot of cases like yours. Hallucinations and delirium are normal for surgery patients, you know that.” He said as he stood up and sat beside me. “You’re smart, you’re kind, you’re funny, you’re beautiful and a bit weird but Carmen, you’re not crazy. And I will never call you that.” He spoke with sincerity as I was again blessed with the opportunity to look at his beautiful dark eyes that swam with honesty and admiration.
“Harvey, I know about the post surgery hallucinations from anesthesia but If I’m actually seeing people and feeling them like solid at the same time then this is not just delirium, this is something worse.” My voice cracked with fear of what’s happening to me. Am I really going to be crazy? Or worse; am I already crazy?
“That’s why I want you to talk to a Psychiatrist, you need professional advice and medication if you might need it. You know you can’t ‘self-medicate’ cases like this.” He said as he held my hand.
I looked at our hands as our fingers intertwined. My eyes then averted from our hands and to his face. It was then that I wanted to ask the question that was bugging me for the entire time. “Why?” The word came out loud unintended.
“Why what?” He asked.
“Why are you helping me?” As a child I grew up knowing that help is a valuable thing that would cost you another disaster for one to pay back. I have been independent since I moved away from my parents which was years ago. And now a stranger wants to help me? This is completely new to me.
“Why would I not? Carmen, you know how much you mean to me. I will accompany you to all your sessions if you would allow me. I will talk to my dad and ask for help for all I care, you know I would do anything.” He said.
“You sound like you’re not really that close to your dad.” I changed the topic.
“We all have our daddy issues.” He spoke and smiled a very secretive smile. I kept my mouth shut wanting him to continue. After a few moments he decided to talk. “I’m really not a hundred percent positive about this but, I have this feeling that my dad didn’t really love my mom.” He said, successfully searching for words that would either euphemize or express what he truly feels.
I gave him a ‘why do you say so?’ kind of look and he actually gets it and answers me.
“I don’t know, I just feel that way. I mean, yes, he’s a good provider and all but there’s really something missing or at least lacking in the way he looks at her and treats me.” He said, as felt the utmost need to give him a hug.
“He loves both of you.” I said as I broke off the hug. “Maybe he just doesn’t know how to show it. We all have different ways of showing how we love others, right?”
With this he smiled. “And I thought I was the one helping you out with your problem. You’re really an amazing person.”
I was just about to thank him when we heard a knock on my door. I stood up to open it but he offered to do it so I remained seated. It was the building owner, Lady Brigit. I knew by the loud clanking of her heavy heals and slow paced walking. When the sound became louder and seemingly nearer, I turned to look at her and she wasn’t alone. Behind her was Miss Lucinda.
My eyes widen in shock and fear, now that I know Miss Lucinda doesn’t really exist. I averted my eyes to Harvey who instantly came into my aid. He blocked my view of the old Lady Brigit and Miss Lucinda and held my face with both his large, protective hands. “Are you seeing something again?” He whispered in to my right ear. I nodded.
“Miss Lucinda is here.” I whispered to his left cheek because I was not tall enough to reach his ear.
“It’s okay baby, relax. I’m here.” He said as he snaked his arm to my waist and held me tight. “What can we do for you ma’am?” He asked her as I was unable to talk.
Lady Brigit slowly made her way towards us and sat in the sofa, fidgeting the beads in one of my throw pillows. She had a seemingly anxious look towards me as Harvey held my limp hand with his free one.
“Carmen, I was just here to ask about what you told me this morning.” She spoke in a concerned tone that is very unusual for her. “You said Lucinda says ‘hi’ to me, am I not mistaken Carmen?” She asked and I was left to shake my head still unable to talk. Her eyes started to become watery. “Was she wearing a pearl necklace?” She asked.
I looked at Miss Lucinda who’s leaning against the window and smiling at me, seemingly telling me to calm down. I nodded to answer Lady Brigit’s question. It was then that the old lady started wailing and she was almost running out of breath. Harvey came to stroke the poor old lady’s back.
“Tell her to stop crying.” Miss Lucinda said.
“She says you should stop crying.” I found my voice again as both Harvey and Lady Brigit looked at me in shock.
“And tell her to redecorate the halls and the lobby. I find it really shabby. Oh Oh and tell her to put our portrait in the lobby, so everybody would remember us as our young selves and not the old hags with no taste of design.”
“And she also says you need to redecorate and place your portrait with her on the lobby.” I told lady Brigit.
“Oh Lucinda, I will, I promise.” Lady Brigit raised her voice, seemingly making sure that Lucinda hears. With this, Lucinda vanishes in thin wisps of air. “The redecoration was her last request before she died in December of 1999. After her death I was devastated and unable to manage the business as much as before when we were still partners. Is she still here now?” She asked.
“No, Lady Brigit. She disappeared. I… I think she has already found peace when you promised to fulfill her last wish.”
“Thank you, Thank you Carmen for letting me know and for helping my sister find the peace that she has been waiting for all these years.” Lady Brigit stood up and messed up my hair as Harvey and I led her outside the door. “Oh and Carmen, from now onwards, your rent is free. And he can come here whenever he wants. I like him.” She patted Harvey’s back quite forcefully and walked down the hall, making a phone call.
“I’m really glad you won’t be seeing the ghost of Lucinda again. Maybe you won’t be needing the Psychiatrist anymore.” Harvey said.
“Yeah I hope so, so far she’s the only ghost I’ve been seeing ever since that surgery.” It was then that it hit me. This might not be a simple hallucination caused by anesthesia. If the ghost of Lucinda is real then something terribly wrong might have happened in the hospital. Have I crossed the veil when I was at that operating table? “Harvey I need to go back to the hospital.”
“Sure, I’ll drive you there. But why?”
“I need to see your dad.”
*
We entered the hospital and went straight through the reading room of the radiology department where Dr. Milton was reading my post operative x-ray images.
“Son, what are you doing here?” Dr. Milton said as Harvey gave way to me. The moment he sees me, he told the three Post Graduate Interns to step outside for a moment.
“Is something the matter Miss Scotch? You know you really have to be in bed right now. You need a day or two of complete bed rest with bathroom privilege only and you can’t be walking around the…”
“Let’s cut with the medical crap dad. She told me she requested a Conscious Sedation. Why did she fall asleep?” Harvey cut him off as he was looking into a file beside the keyboard.
“Okay okay son, Carmen sweetheart, let’s all take a seat.” We did what we’re told and he started talking. “Carmen, I know you have requested for a conscious sedation but then the team is used to having general anesthesia for an appendectomy so they proceeded without my asking me for details. I know, I know it’s negligence and I should have told them earlier but it was only the moment that I saw them give you the general anesthesia dose that I remembered and then you were really hard to knock off. Oh darling you wouldn’t just doze off so they added the dose and then you fell asleep.” He explained.
“Then how would you explain this flat line?” Harvey tossed a paper to his dad and I stood up to look at it. Shocked at what I saw my knees went weak and I was left to sit right back on the chair.
“I died for almost a minute.” I whispered like I was making myself believe that I really did.
“Technically it was 49 seconds.” Dr Milton said and it was just irritating in epic proportions. I was about to nag and yell and tell him to talk to my lawyers but I realized, he’s still Harvey’s dad. “Miss Scotch, you really don’t need to worry, we had it under control so please, in behalf of the medical team that had you in the table. I give you our sincere apologies.” He spoke in embarrassment that he has to say this in front of his son.
“Dr. Milton, I’m just really scared. But I’m alive now and I’m fine, that’s all that matters.” The saint in me speaks as the devil in me is tied in a chair with duck tapes on her mouth.
“Actually dad, she’s not. Just now she was seeing the ghost of her apartment owner. Do you have an explanation to that?” Harvey either seems to like tormenting his dad or demanding for my rights.
“Are you two positive about this?”
“Yes, dad and I was there.”
“Carmen is this true? Who is it?” Dr. Milton wanted first hand information.
“She was my Land Lady’s sister. Lucinda.”
We left the hospital with Dr. Milton’s jaw dropped with disbelief. We also told him to keep this a secret and he pledged his silence. Harvey dropped me off my apartment.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to help you with anything in your apartment?” He asked as I get off the car and close the car door of his silver convertible.
“I’ll be fine, the ghost of Lucinda won’t be around anymore.” I giggled at my own words, and how awkward and creepy they sound. He watched me get inside the lobby and we both waved goodbye.
Sorry for the long wait. Please do vote and comment if you liked it. Take Care, and God Bless. :*