62
There is a noise. I’m startled. It’s the phone.
I leap from the bed. I look at the time. It’s 5:28 in the morning.
Frightened, I run to answer. Any call at this hour can’t be good.
“Yes?”
“Honey . . . it’s me.”
My sister?
I’m gonna kill her! But then I hear her crying, and I’m terrified.
“What’s happened? What’s wrong?”
“I’m not doing well . . . not well at all. I’ve had a fight with Jesús. He left the house at nine o’clock last night and look what time it is and he hasn’t come home . . .”
She cries, and I try to calm her down.
“Where is Luz?”
“She has a sleepover at a friend’s house. Please, I need you to come over.”
“Of course . . . I’ll be right there.”
I hang up and sigh. My sister and her hysterics . . . Thank God it’s Saturday and I don’t have to go in to work. I think about Eric. Should I call him? It’s possible he’s awake, but in the end, I decide not to bother him. Knowing him, he’s probably still angry because of what happened yesterday. I quickly brush my teeth, wash my face, and put on a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and a jacket. It’s chilly.
I go down to the street and get my car. My sister doesn’t live far, but at that hour, it’s best not to walk. I turn on the radio and sing along as I drive. I see a parking space right in front of her building, so I stop and put the car in reverse; but when I look in the rearview mirror, another car speeds down the road and crashes into me.
Murmurs . . . I hear only murmurs.
My eyes are so heavy, I can’t open them. I don’t know where I am or what has happened. Then I remember the car coming toward me, and I’m aware I’ve been in an accident. The sound of sirens makes me open my eyes, and I discover I’m in an ambulance with two men looking at me, bloody gloves on their hands.
“Are you OK, miss?”
“Yes . . . no . . . I don’t know.”
“What is your name?”
“Judith.”
“Very well, Judith, don’t be afraid. Some guys who’d been drinking crashed into your car. We’re taking you to the hospital.”
“Is that my blood?”
One of the young paramedics nods.
“Don’t be afraid, but yes.”
“But it’s blood? From where?”
“From your lip and your nose. The airbag in your car didn’t work, and you hit yourself against the steering wheel. But don’t worry.”
Suddenly, I hear screams, and I can identify them immediately. My sister! I try to sit up so she can see me and know I’m OK, but I can’t. My neck hurts like hell.
“Please, that screaming woman is my sister. Could you let her through so she’ll calm down?”
“Of course. If you want, she can ride with you in the ambulance.”
Two seconds later, I see my sister in her blue terry-cloth robe. She’s pale. She sees me, and her screams now become howls of terror.
“Oh my God . . . ! Oh my God! Honey . . . what happened to you? Are you all right? This is all my fault! Oh my God . . . ! When I heard the sirens and saw the car . . . Oh God! If something happens to you, I’ll die!”
On seeing her condition, one of the paramedics says, “Your sister’s fine. A car hit her from behind, but she’s all right.”
“Raquel,” I whisper, in pain, “calm down, OK?”
She grabs my hand, and the ambulance takes off.
“Here’s my bag, and don’t call Papá,” I say when we get to the emergency room. “Don’t scare him, OK?”
Still crying, she agrees, and the paramedics carry me in on a stretcher. They do several neck and shoulder X-rays because I tell them that’s where I’m hurting. They also do a hundred other things. I’m tired, in pain, and I want to go home. But everything is slow . . . very slow.
When I’m finally released, I’m wearing a brace around my neck, I have a bruise on my forehead, and my lips are swollen. I’m surprised to see my sister, my brother-in-law, and Eric waiting for me.
The first one to rush to me is Eric. I can tell from the look on his face that he’s terrified. He hugs me gently and doesn’t say a word.
“Eric, I’m fine, love, really,” I finally say. My sister watches us; when Eric eventually lets me go, she starts crying again.
“Come on, come here and stop crying.”
Raquel hugs me and cries inconsolably.
“Are you OK?” asks my brother-in-law.
I smile as best I can.
“Yes, and please . . . do me a favor and stop arguing. One of these days, you’re going to kill me.”
“I’m sorry. It’s all my fault,” says Jesús.
I let go of my sister and take my brother-in-law by the arm.
“Don’t be foolish. These things happen and that’s that. Now you haven’t called my dad, right?”
My sister shakes her head. I’m grateful.
When we leave the hospital, my sister and brother-in-law insist on taking me to their house. Eric insists I go back with him to the hotel. I finally make my stand.
“I want to go home; don’t you get it?”
Eric looks over at my sister.
“I’ll take her home and stay with her.”
Raquel nods. “Rest. After dinner, I’ll come by your house, and then we’ll call Papá.”
When my sister and her husband leave, Eric’s car drives up. Seeing the state I’m in, Tomás quickly leaps out to open the door.
“Are you all right, miss?”
“Yes, don’t worry, Tomás. It’s not as bad as it looks.”
Once inside, I close my eyes and lean back in the seat. I’m in pain and very tired. Eric gives me a kiss on the forehead. I open my eyes.
“Is your headache better?”
“Yes, love. Don’t worry about that, or about anything. The only thing that matters now is you. Just you.”
His words and the tenderness in his voice tell me yesterday’s argument is forgotten. I smile and touch his face.
“Did my sister call you?”
He takes my hand and kisses it.
“I sent you a message, and she called me back.” He brings his forehead close to mine. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a bigger scare, love. When your sister called me, crying . . . all I could understand was ‘Judith . . . ambulance . . . accident . . .’ I thought I was going to die.”
“You’re exaggerating.”
“No, I’m not exaggerating. I love you, and I don’t want anything to happen to you. The time waiting to see you has been horrible. Disconcerting. If I hadn’t sent you away, none of this would have happened.”
“Eric, this is not your fault at all.”
“I feel absolutely terrible.” When he sees me sigh, he gives me a delicate little kiss on my lips. “Are you OK?”
“Yes . . .” I try to smile.
His lips begin to curve, but he’s much too tense.
“From now on, I’ll take care of you.”
That afternoon, after I’ve rested all morning, my sister and brother-in-law come over with my niece and a whole mess of food. My sister puts it away in the fridge and gives Eric instructions. He just stands there and says yes, although I know he’s not following any of it.
After we call my father and explain what happened, I finally relax. In spite of his initial fright, after talking with me, with my sister, and with Eric, he’s much calmer. My sister and Jesús are chatting in the kitchen. Eric is watching a basketball game on TV, which surprises me, because I didn’t realize he likes basketball. My niece, Luz, is seated between us.
“Are you my auntie’s boyfriend?”
Eric looks at her.
“Yes.”
“And are you going to marry her?”
“Well, we haven’t talked about it,” he responds, clearly surprised.
“And why haven’t you talked about it?”
“Because we haven’t.”
“Why not?”
“Maybe someday.”
“Don’t you want to marry her?”
Eric stares at her.
“All right, Luz . . . I’ll talk it over with her.”
“When?”
“I don’t know. Maybe when she gets well. What do you think?”
“Great! You want to be my uncle?”
“Sure.”
“Why?”
Eric is starting to get exasperated. My niece can be quite exasperating. I decide to rescue him.
“Luz, do you want to go to my room to watch cartoons?”
Luz’s face changes. She smiles and dashes off to my room.
“Thank you, love,” says Eric, grinning.
“You’re welcome.”
That night, when Eric and I are finally alone in my apartment, he takes complete care of me. He has a notebook in which he jots down what medications I have to take and when. I’m surprised at how exacting he can be when it comes to patient care. He makes no reference to our argument, for which I’m grateful. When we go to bed, he gives me a kiss on the lips.
“Rest, love. I’ll take care of absolutely everything.”
On Monday, when Eric goes to work, my sister comes over to relieve him. At eleven o’clock, I get a text on my cell. It’s Miguel: I just found out you’re Eric Zimmerman’s girlfriend. You fox, you sure pulled the wool over my eyes! You have to tell me all about it. Kiss, get well.
When I put the cell down, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.