Maple

Ch17

Maple    

I spent the next few days in hospital. Even after Megan was released, Dr. Lisa insisted I stay until my head bandage comes off. She also asked me to call my grandmother, though I refused.

For almost five months now, exactly a year after the accident, grandmother and I had not been on good terms. It's mostly one sided from me. She calls and leaves messages, but I never reply. It was partly because I couldn't forgive myself yet, for killing her only daughter, but mostly it was because I couldn't forgive her yet.

I was at home a week after the accident. I had taken a lot of days off of school, so even though it was the weekend

, I was catching up with the schoolwork that David and Max had delivered to me. Winter break was getting closer, meaning end of semester exams were just around the corner. With everything that had happened in the last few weeks, I had hardly done any studying.

I was almost done when there was a knock on my door. I wondered who it could be as I made my way to the door. I looked through the peephole and was glad to see David on the other side. I quickly threw the door open.

"Hi!" I greeted "What are you doing here?"

"Hey Maple," he smiled "I'm sorry I came without calling, I just have soon good news."

"Oh? Well, how about you come in and tell me. It's freezing out here."

I led him into my small apartment and into the kitchen. I couldn't help but feel a little nervous. I never had a friend over in this apartment, especially not a guy.

"How about you sit down and I'll get us some hot chocolate or something" I invited, gesturing to the two-person table, which was the only place to sit in the apartment, other than the balcony.

"It's fine, you don't have to" he tried, but I cut him off.

"I'm making some whether you want any or not, so you can sit down and wait."

He sighed resignedly and sat on one of the two chairs as I went about the cramped kitchen preparing the drinks. I was glad I had bought milk just before going out to the cinema, so I had some at hand.

"So…" I began "what did you want to tell me?"

His face broke into a smile.

"I took your advice and talked it out with my mom"

"Really? How did it go?"

"Much better than I had anticipated. Thank you, really. If you hadn't said that to me back then, I would never have talked to her" he said gratefully. I sighed happily and shook my head.

"What are you talking about? I didn't do anything" I placed the two mugs on the table and sat across from him. "Now tell me exactly what happened!"

David

I smiled at her enthusiasm and recalled to her what happened. Yesterday, I woke up extra early to catch her before she left for work. I had decided that enough was enough. She was working herself to the bone, and ever since he promotion, I've been seeing her less and less. I caught her just before she walked out the door.

"I need to talk to you" I had said "It's really important."

"Well I'm sure it can wait until I come home"

"No, it can't!" I had put my foot down until she finally stepped back inside and closed the door.

"Mom, are you happy?" I had asked her.

"Why would you ask that? Of course I'm happy! As long as you have the best education, then I am happy."

"Even if it means never seeing each other?"

"David, we'll talk about this tonight, I have to go."

"Mom, listen to me! What do you know about me? Do you even ask what I want? Maybe I don't need to go to the best private school to feel happy."

"I just don't want you to lead the same life as me"

"And what's wrong with your life?" I had asked. "Ever since Dad died, you just became a workaholic. I wake up in the morning and you're already gone, I come home from school and you're nowhere to be seen. You come home as late as 9 sometimes, and you're tired and you don't have the time to talk."

"Now, you can't blame me for that! I'm just trying to give you the best life I can!"

"But you're not! Having the best education doesn't mean I have the best life. The best life would have you in it. At least for a few more hours a day, or weekends. You're the only person I know that still has work and meetings on weekends."

"Are you sure that's what you want David?"

"If you move me to public school, you could drop your part-time job and just stick to the magazine editorial business."

"I could never do that!" She had shaken her head. "That would be unfair to you."

"What would be unfair to me is never seeing you. I love you Mom. I know it's hard to be a single parent, and I know you miss Dad, so do I, but drowning yourself in work won't fix anything."

"How about I take the week-end off and we do something?"

"Well, that could be a start."

I finished my narrative and looked to Maple, trying to gauge her reaction. She looked a little surprised.

"You yelled at her, and she didn't get mad?"

"I didn't mean to, it was in the heat of the moment."

"Well, I'm glad it all worked out" she smiled. "What are you going to do together?"

"I don't know. Maybe we'll go out for lunch, we haven't done that for a long time."

"That would be nice. I'm going to visit Alex tomorrow. This is the longest period of time that I hadn't seen him."

"You are a very caring sister, you know that?" I said, drinking the last of the hot chocolate.

"Thanks," she replied "would you like some more."

"No, I'm fine. Anyway, I should get going, I don't want to keep my mother waiting."

She smiled and we both got up and made our way out of the kitchen. As we passed by her bedroom, her cell phone rang from inside.

"Just a moment" she said and skipped over to her bedside table to check who it was. On top of the table were two pictures, one with Maple as a kid on the lap of an elderly man, probably her grandfather, the other was of her family. It was strange to see her brother smiling and standing normally, looking straight at the camera. I thought of the boy in the hospital bed, but I couldn't think of them as the same person.

Maple checked her phone, but didn't answer. Instead, she put it down and made for the door.

"Aren't you going to answer?" I asked, wondering if she was holding back because of me.

"I refuse to speak to my grandmother" she stated. We made it to the door and she opened, allowing me to step outside.

"Thank you for listening to me and for the hot chocolate"

"No problem, thank you for coming" she replied. "Come any time, alright?"

"Hey, um, Maple, I know that this is none of my business" I started "and I don't even know what's going on, but maybe you should take your own advice and talk it out before it's too late."

I nodded as a goodbye and made my way to the stairwell. After a moment, I heard Maple close the door.