Ten

The beds in the hospital room were filled with people holding on to life by their fingernails. Jada desperately wanted her grandfather out of this place, out of this oppressively hopeless atmosphere.

Sliding through the narrow aisles, she reached Papi’s side and held his hand. She was alone today. Chelsea accompanied her sometimes, but since Papi wasn’t her grandfather, she rarely came.

Looking at the frail man in the bed, she wondered how this had happened. Before her grandfather had been diagnosed with cancer, he’d been as healthy and energetic as men several years his junior.

Jada felt a lump in her throat at how still Papi was, but refused to let the tears fall. Instead, she produced a clean washcloth from her purse and gently wiped her stand-in father’s face and hands, talking to him all the while.

“Hey, Papi,” she said. “It’s Saturday afternoon. I just came from a lunch with Chelsea and some friends. We ate steak with rice and beans and tossed salad. It cost a fortune, but it was really good.”

Her grandfather didn’t even flinch.

“I felt a little weird eating such expensive food. If they’d given the money to me, I could have cooked some rice and beans and paid half the rent.” She chuckled dryly. “We’re going to have a problem taking care of bills this week, so I can’t stay long. I have to see what I can do to get an extension from our building manager, but I’ll be back. I promise.”

She searched in vain for a sign that he’d heard. Not a flutter of an eyelash, a crook of a finger, or a grunt escaped her grandfather’s lips. Jada sorrowfully traced the length of her his vein-filled hand, following each line like a map.  

Those fingers had climbed coconut trees and cut down mangos and limes for her to enjoy in the summer. Those feet had walked her to the school in the center of the village every day to make sure she arrived safely.

Her grandfather meant the world to her and no matter how dismal her circumstances, Jada could not give up on him. He would wake up. She just had to find the money so the hospital would help her.

After pressing a kiss to his leathery cheek, Jada walked to the administration ward to square away with the finance officer.

“Ms. Penner, your grandfather has been unresponsive for two months. It’s simply not financially prudent to keep him on the machines. Especially since you haven’t made a payment in weeks.”

“I understand that,” Jada said, trying not to let her emotions get the best of her. “This place is also a business and my grandfather is a client. I’m not trying to stiff the hospital or waste your time.”

“This isn’t just about money,” Ms. Tasha said, her straight brown hair pasted against her forehead like glue, “but there may be someone with a higher potential for recovery that won’t be able to get help because of your grandfather.”

The words pierced her deeply, but Jada refused to cow.

“I hear you, Ms. Tasha,” she said, straining to be patient. “But I will not pull the plug on my grandfather until I’ve exhausted every avenue. I’ll catch up on payments and then I’ll work on the money for surgery.”

“Jada—”

“There’s still a chance that the medicine will work on its own and he won’t need surgery anyway, so his potential for recovery isn’t as bad as it may seem.”

“Please, we’ve been patient, but you must face reality.”

“I’ve spent my life facing reality,” Jada said, her hands curling into fists. “This time, I want to believe that my reality can get better. I need it to get better. Please, just give me a little more time.”

The look in Tasha’s eyes softened. “We’ve all come to care about you here, Jada. Wouldn’t it be easier to let go of him now?”

“Thank you for your consideration,” she said, rising to her feet. “I have somewhere to be, but you’ll see me soon.”

Jada walked out of the hospital completely weighed down. There was ten dollars in her bank account and she wouldn’t be receiving her next paycheck from the bookstore until later in the month.

She played around with the thought of selling the car. Surely, it could fetch her at least eight hundred dollars. That could cover the rent and save them money on gas as well as insurance and maintenance.

 It was something Chelsea had insisted upon, but Jada could never bring herself to sell the vehicle. It belonged to Papi and she wanted to make sure it was still available to him when he woke up.

“But if I don’t sell it, I may be out of a house,” she mumbled. Inhaling a deep breath, Jada stopped at the door of the hospital.

All around her, people walked to and fro, some scurrying as if they had important business to attend to, some strolling under the bright shade of umbrellas. Busses chugged down the street and vendors sitting beneath colorful tents sold tacos, rice and beans and burgers.

Normally, their enticing aromas would call to her, but the lunch with Adam and Ethan sat heavy in her stomach. At least she had that to be thankful for.

Jada walked to the bus stop and boarded, leaning her head against the glass as she waited for the slow moving vehicle to pause in her neighborhood. When at last Chelsea’s apartment complex came into view, Jada hopped off and walked wearily up the stairs.

As soon as she opened the door, Chelsea jumped on her. “Can you believe it?”

“Get off!” Jada cried. “I’m not in the mood.”

Taken aback by her anger, Chelsea slid off Jada’s back, her expression growing concerned. “Is something wrong? Is Papi okay?”

“The finance people asked me to pull the plug.”

“What?”

“They say Papi has a low chance of recovery and the fact that I’m not paying on time doesn’t help either.”

“Those greedy, evil little…”

“It’s okay, Chelsea. They need to pay their own bills.” Jada changed her shoes at the door.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to see Manager Kang to ask for an extension.” She rolled her shoulders and closed her eyes, mentally preparing for the conversation. Their manager was tightfisted and matter-of-fact. They’d always prioritized rent in fear that his personality would offer no mercy.

“You don’t have to.”

“Well, do you have the money for rent?” Jada snapped. “Let’s talk later. I’ll be right back.”

“Hey,” Chelsea grabbed her arm, “listen to me. While you were at Papi’s, I went to see Manager Kang myself. He told me our rent had already been paid.”

“What?”

Chelsea laughed. “Some lady called this morning and asked for his bank account. He said we’re covered for three months.”

“Three months?” Jada calculated in her head. “Who would put down that kind of cash for us? Wait a minute! Chelsea, you didn’t try to sell yourself again, did you?”

“I have never ‘sold myself’,” Chelsea defended, “and no, it wasn’t me. Who do you think it is?”

Adam’s face popped into mind. Confusion wrapped around her and she sank into the sofa, trying to understand the kind of generosity that he had offered to her and Chelsea.

It didn’t make a lick of sense.

“Why? Why would he do this?”

“How would I know? I just… don’t think he meant for us to find out. Manager Kang said the call came this morning from a woman. We would have never thought of Adam if we didn’t know about his secretary. Plus, Adam told the mechanic not to tell you he had paid for your truck.”

“When you put it that way—”

“Right? He’s like our own secret guardian leprechaun.”

“Leprechaun?”

“I was going to say guardian angel, but they don’t have that kind of cash.”

Jada shook her head. “I should call him.”

“Invite him over for dinner. We can make something to show our appreciation.”

Jada eyed her cousin. “He obviously doesn’t want a relationship with us. Why else would he have done all that in secret? I’m just going to thank him and leave him alone.”

“Oh, come on. That’s no fun. He put a good chunk of money down for us. A meal is nothing in comparison.” When Chelsea saw Jada wavering, she prompted. “He could just say no. What’s the harm?”

“Okay,” Jada agreed. “I’ll do it.”

***

Adam shifted as Jada thanked him over the phone. He hadn’t meant for the cousins to discover his involvement and though Jada couldn’t see him, his cheeks reddened from her excessive praise.

He gripped the phone tighter. “It was really nothing.”

“It was everything,” she said, her tone quiet and sincere. “I didn’t expect it and I’m not quite sure why you did it…”

It was an open-ended question, but the truth was Adam wasn’t quite sure himself. Early this morning, he’d come into the office unable to get Jada out of his head. By taking care of her affairs for her, h’d hoped his concern would lesson.

“Well,” Jada continued when he said nothing, “Chelsea and I would like to invite you to a meal at our place.”

“Really, you don’t have to do that.”

“We want to,” she said and tacked on. “I want to. You can bring Ethan and even your secretary if you want. Are you free tomorrow? You don’t work on Sundays, do you?”

He did, though not from the office. Judging from the hope in Jada’s voice, he couldn’t say no to her. Adam nodded before realizing that she couldn’t see him.

“I’ll be there.”

“You’ll ask the others too?”

“I will.”

“Great,” she said. “Well, see you then. Don’t work too hard today.”

“Thank you.”

They hung up and Adam stared at his cell phone. His heart leaped and he realized that the feeling he was experiencing was excitement. Tamping down on the emotion, he swung his chair and faced the computer.

The code before him failed to make sense and his thoughts were drawn to the woman who had put Winston in his place at lunch. Having someone believe in him that much, after knowing him for such a short amount of time, was strangely moving.

He had seen Jada go to bat for her family. Had seen her determination when she’d spoken about fixing temporary problems with permanent solutions. But he had never expected to be on the receiving end of her protection.

“Mr. Lockwood,” Brenda knocked on the door, disturbing his thoughts. His secretary wore a bright orange, African themed shirt. Her hair was frizzier than normal and stuck out every which way.

“Uh, yes, Brenda?”

“I sent you an email for the AINSTAIN presentation. Is there anything else you need before I go?”

“No,” he waved her away, “thank you, Brenda.”

“Yes, sir.” She ducked out of sight. Suddenly recalling Jada’s invitation, Adam called her back.

“Wait!”

“Yes?”

He cleared his throat. “The young lady I met last night is inviting us for a meal tomorrow.”

“What?” Brenda’s eyes bugged. “Sir?”

“I’m attending and I was hoping you would too.”

“Mr. Lockwood… you’re not developing a relationship with an escort, are you?”

“It’s not a relationship, Brenda. It’s just a meal.”

Brenda seemed anything but convinced. “Don’t fall for it, sir. You may not know since you’re new to Belize, but those kinds of girls see a white man, and especially one they think has a lot of money, and they do anything to trap him.”

“She’s not like that.”

“Sir, I don’t want to see you get hurt or used.”

“Tell you what, why don’t you come tomorrow and judge her for yourself?”

Brenda humphed. “Don’t think I won’t.” She scampered off, mumbling about gold diggers and prostitutes.

Adam winced, hoping for Jada’s sake that Brenda’s preconceived notions didn’t ruin her nice gesture.