Under the Shade of an Old Mango Tree

Chapter 20: Not Wanting to Wake Up

"Wake up, Lena!" urged a familiar impatient shrill voice. The owner of that voice was tapping her pillow—and wasn't being gentle about it. It was her mother. And the tapping was getting on her nerves. But with great determination, Lena kept her eyes closed.

"Let her sleep, Tita!" countered a voice thick with annoyance. It was her cousin Bianca. "For crying out loud, she just had an accident and was in a coma for two days. Can't you just leave her alone?"

"Yeah, Tita, let her rest. Leave her alone," another cousin, Kuya Brian, chimed in.

"Stop tapping that pillow, Livia," a firm voice directed Lena's mother. It was Tita Martha, Ate Anna and Bianca's mother.

Lena's mother crossed her arms and frowned.

"You're ganging up on me and you are spoiling her!" she accused her sister, nieces, and nephew.

"Spoiling her?" a steely voice, menacingly calm, challenged her. "You do realize that she could have died. Could you at least pretend to show some concern?"

Lena's mother was speechless for only moments before she addressed her relatives in her signature haughty manner.

"Concern? I'm her mother. You don't get to question how I deal with her!" She nearly screamed.

"Her mother?" The owner of the steely voice smirked.

Lena eventually realized that it was Tito George. His smirk was practically audible.

Yehey! The Avengers are here, Lena thought.

Tita Martha sighed loudly.

"She's still sleep—"

"No, she's not!" Lena's mother countered petulantly.

"Then she obviously doesn't want to talk to you," Tito George pointed out.

Lena's mother glared at him. Tito George was as expressionless as ever. Lena's cousins surrounded her bed, while Tita Martha poised her index finger on the nurse call button.

Finally, Lena's mother stomped her foot and marched out of the room.

Lena's cousins breathed out a sigh of relief.

"You can open your eyes now, Lena," Tita Martha announced.

Lena did open her eyes. She yawned and stretched her arms and then sat up.

"I'm so sorry about that," she apologized. "I didn't mean to make it awkward between you and her." She pursed her lips while twiddling her fingers.

"Awkward?" Tito George echoed. "We're beyond awkward with both your parents."

Bianca and Kuya Brian nodded. Then Bianca pulled the overbed tray while Kuya Brian went to the coffee table to get Lena's breakfast.

Tito George smiled at Lena and then walked to the sofa and sat. Tita Martha pulled a chair and sat next to the bed. She squeezed Lena's hand.

"You can stay with us, Lena," she said. "You can stay with us for as long as you want."

"Yeah, Ate Lena," Bianca seconded. "It'll be fun—us three together."

Kuya Brian rolled his eyes as he placed a boxed meal on the overbed tray.

"That would be catastrophic," he teased. He then set down a carton of orange juice, a bottle of water, and some napkins.

"What do you say, Lena?" Tita Martha asked expectantly.

Lena nodded with enthusiasm and gratitude. Tita Martha turned toward her husband.

"She agreed, hon," she told him.

Tito George smiled as he nodded.

"Now," Tita Martha said, "have your breakfast—well, brunch. The doctor will check up on you again and hopefully we'll get you discharged this afternoon."

"We already had brunch—I mean, breakfast," Bianca told her when Lena held up the boxed meal to offer it.

"Shouldn't you brush your teeth first?" Kuya Brian asked as Lena spooned up some rice, egg, and veggies.

"Oh, Brian!" Tita Martha chided him.