Black Diamond

Chapter one [Dark Clouds]

  "Alice....dad, dad's hospitalized". The voice came out broken and soaked in tears, accompanied with pain. Her breath heavy and slowed, bridged to my ears,her nails dancing with her teeth I imagined. To say,Beth have always been the naive character with little to say and much anxiety problem to deal with. Most in situations like this,she takes aid from her nails to ease her from her discomfort.
     My hands vertically twirled the Steer of the car, causing the grey phone to hit the rough rug close to my toes. The pointed edge of my red heels forced pressure on the panel beneath as I took a rough turned on the narrow road,the sound of can crashed snapped my ears . I stole a gaze through the outer mirror only to view the public trashcan dislocated from it position, vomiting it contents to the feet path.
   Guilts bound as I drove off,at my state of mind the thought of being a good citizen and law abiding evaded my right brain. Come to think of it if the town mayor had just used the fundings given to him in right possession then such accident would have been avoided,he rather be a rat and scoundrel all the benefit than  to purchase good and quality bins.
   Nevertheless I was at wrong.

He was fine this morning, what could have caused his sudden admission in the hospital?. My father Steven Black have always been a busy man,captive by principles and standards,devoted to his family and company. His family is his top priority then next his work.
   The car wheels dragged in the groomed grass in the hospital premises,caused it to deflect off it once perfect layouts. The red heels obeyed in silent as my feet chased through curvy stairs to the lobby and..my feet halted at the reception counter.
   My hazel eyes froze , cuffed by the bundle of bright colored wigs , attached to the small head that cried for help. The light skin nurse who reminded me of my grandma,she was also an addict to weird and silly attachments. Nothing wrong in that but as a critic I found it hard to go by and not stare my eyes out. Gladly I can walk away without voicing my thoughts out. For someone that was in a crises she sure stole my focused mind.

  "Which ward is Mr Steven Black admitted?" I asked,her eyes glued in her phone, bubble of gum popped out her lips. "Excuse me mis,but can you please tell me the ward Mr Black is admitted?". My tone raised with a hint of irritation with a second ignore from her. "You don't have to scream I can hear you" those blue eyes rolled , picking me from toes to head. 'oh no'..she didn't. I could easily put the bitch in her right senses but Christ on side I'd more important matters at hand, knowing me well I won't forget to return the favor. I'm not the type to lay off when am being provoked ,yet I did ,my father was more important I talked myself out of this one.

  "Ward three"  she told flipping her eyes back to her screen,"idiot" she muttered the word underneath her breath,'she'. It took all in me to resist the temptations to grab the bitch by her ugly attachments and throw her body to the reflected brown tiles and beat the hell out of her.
    With the indications,I was able to locate the ward. The crack sounds produced caught her attention.
  Her thick brown hair laid in her back,her black eyes looked at me as her hands rested on the man in the bed, being attached to drips.

   Mabel Black,a woman of natural beauty,her nor an extrovert or introvert. She had devoted her life to family,p quitted her years of experienced work life to raise her children and take care of her home and family.
In all my twenty-four years , I've watched the deep bond between my parents, they've a common understanding and mutual respect. Not once did we witness them in argument even if they did they sure concealed it within the walls of their room.
    Her hands rested on papa's hand,her eyes red and puffy,dark circles registered on her eye bags.
"Mom"
Stepped close to her,my hands cuddled her slim body that showed no ageing. "How did it happened?." A question I should have asked later but my curious mind just won't rest till it get what it wants.
  "I got a call from his secretary,he had an attack and was brought to the hospital. The doctor checked on him but said nothing" her precious tear rolled to her cheek ,used my thumb to dry every sight of it. "You don't have to worry,dad will be fine. He's a fighter" I assured my mom, picking a seat by her and dad's side.

  What could have caused his attack?. Dad have no health issues,he's a health cautious person. Always at the tail of his family to be like him and have regular check ups. A precaution man like him,there was no way he could have just gotten an attack,not without a cause. The guts in me felt a thing or two off.

  "He hasn't woken up sine he was admitted,am really getting worried. Alice go check in with the doctor,I haven't heard from him." Her red fingers danced on her lap, mom always does the dancing fingers when she's nervous and irritated. Same as Beth,to say she grabbed that part from mom.
"I'll go" my legs stumped out. Getting a direction from a gentle nurse I was in the presence of the doctor.

  "And you're?" the man in white questioned snooping through the papers which I presumed were reports and results of his patients. "His daughter, Alice,my name.." a dead silence after the awkward introduction. He pulled down his artificial support eyes and peeped at me the raise it to it once position. "Sir,can you please tell me more about my dad's condition?,what wrong with him?,why the sudden attack?, is he gonna be alright?". The questions randomly fired out.

  "One at a time child,am not going anywhere. I'll answer your questions but please ask in digit,am old and having problems with my hearings."          There was no doubt to his words,his hair and beard reflected his ages of knowledge. Sharp long veins laid on his forehead,his neck was all rough and wrinkle.  " Your father had an electrical malfunction in his heart, which caused an irregular heart beats disabling the blood vessels to pump blood to the heart." My widened eyes baffled around,an absent knowledge of a word he said. The shake of his head detailed he knew I didn't get a word he said to my understanding.
    "He must have encountered an huge trauma which led to him having an attack,now am afraid his state is..." his paused lips got my tiny eyes to expand out with worried expressions.

"Child don't give me those eyes, they're scary. My wife does the same when she need my credit card and trust me she's always giving me those eyes." My lips loosen to his words.
  "There,that the look I want to see". From his way of talking and choice of words, anyone could tell he was kind in heart ,he had empathy to his patients and the family members.
    " Now I know it hard but you got to be strong and take it in. Your mother is in there soaking her checks in tears,that why I could not reply the news to her or else we would have admitted her too. Your dad's in  vegetable state,the trauma experience caused him to suffer stroke. He is going to need much care and high pay cheques to the hospital fir his treatments". He told with a flip to another page of the document in his hands.

'Stroke'. How was I gonna tell mom about it?,that too without getting her to shade more tears. Strolling down the stairs, vibration buzz tickled on  my butt snapped me from worry land. Pulled out my phone to see Dora's call.
  "What's it Dora?" a dull question bridged out the tight lips. "What with your voice?, anyway forget that. Have you seen the news?,it in every news channel." Something in me knew the problems weren't just done. "What on the news?"
"It about your family,you probably should check it out".
 
Ending the call,my shirt legs ran through the way to the general room. In-patients sat entertaining their minds with cartoon, certain nurses must have recommended it.
  Grabbed the remote and switched to the city's famous news channel. My fingers crawled on my sink as my ears inject in the words of the reporter. My voice lost to the outrageous telecast.