Ada's Night

Joseph St. Park Psychiatric Hospital

RING!

The screeching sound of my alarm shouting out to wake me up for the start of the day. I stretch both of my arms and forcefully open one of my eyes out of pure exhaustion, witnessing pure brightness of the sun passing through my window next to my bed.

I forcefully pulled myself into a sitting position on the edge of the bed and yawned for the 2nd time, "Leila!" I called out. "You're bus is coming!"

After a few minutes with no change making me assume Leila hasn't even woken up, I stand up and head my way into the kitchen. As I arrive in the kitchen, I pulled a pan from one of the bottom cabinets and set it on the active flame stove.

"Leila!" Again no answer coming from the little girl.

"Ugh"

I turned off the stove and walked my way towards Leila's room in annoyance, tried to twist the doorknob to open but realized her door is locked. "Leila!" I gently knocked on the door. "Leila wake up, you're bus will be here in 15 minutes!"

After a couple of seconds, I knocked on the door again.

"Leila?"

No answer.

With each knock I've made, the feeling of uncertainty grew. "Leila I know you would be awake by now what are you doing?"

Now my feeling is replaced with fear, "Leila!" 

I stopped knocking and banged on the door but not hard enough to alarm her, "Leila come out right now!"

All of the sudden I felt a tap on my shoulder and my heart stopped beating out of pure fear as I turned around, wide eyed, almost had a heart attack at the moment but instantly relieved to see Leila laughing and all dressed up in her uniform for school. "Silly! I'm here!" she chuckles.

I put my hand over my chest and breathe carefully and calming myself after the misunderstanding moment. "Leila go to the kitchen right now, we're eating pancakes"

She nodded and skipped her way towards the kitchen as I followed with her. I pulled the pan again and set it on the stove. Pulling the top cabinets to get pancake mix and mixed it with milk as a result came as creamy lather batter.

Leila sits on the dining chair and crosses her arms out of boredom and asks, "Which hospital do you think they'll take Cairo in?"

After she asked the forbidden question which I hoped I would avoid thinking, I tried to keep my cool by putting the batter into the pan which lets out a satisfying sizzle and answered, "I don't know Leila, there are things I don't know as well" 

I look up at the clock which tells me to go faster because now Leila has seven minutes to go to the bus stop in front of our neighborhood. I flip fast and turned up the stove on maximum volume, leaving the pancake raw inside but placed it on the plate anyway, "Leila, inside is raw but it won't over power the taste so just drizzle it with syrup and take it with you to school"