Dark Clouds

"Alice...dad, dad's is hospitalize". The voice came out broken and soaked in tears, accompanied with pain, her breathe heavy and slowed bridged to my ears, her nails dancing with her teeth I imagined . To say Beth have always been the naive character with little to say and much anxiety problems to deal with, must situations like this she takes aid from her nails to ease her from her discomfort. My hands vertically twirled the steer of the car, causing the gray phone to hit the rough rug close to my toes. The pointed edge of my red heels forced pressure on the panel beneath as I took a rough turn on the narrow road, the sound of can crash snapped my ears. I stole a gaze through the outer mirror only to view the public trashcan dislocated from it position, vomiting it contents to the feet path.

Guilts bound as I drove off, at my state of mind the thoughts of being a good citizen and law abiding evaded my right brain. Come to think of it if the town mayor had just used the funds given to him in the right distributions then such accident would have been avoided, he rather be a scoundrel than to provide good quality bins.

Nevertheless I was at wrong.

He was fine this morning, what cold have caused his sudden admission in the hospital?. My father Steven Black have always been a busy man, captive by principles and standards, devoted to his family and company. His family is his top priority then next his work.

The car wheels dragged in the groomed grass in the hospital premises, caused it to deflect off it once perfect layout. The red heels obeyed in silence as my feet chased through the curvy stairs to the plain lobby and..., my feet halted at the reception counter. My hazel eyes cuffed by the bundle of bright colored wigs ,attached to the small head that that cried for help. The light skin nurse whom reminded me of my begone grandma, she was also an addict to weird and silly attachments. Nothing wrong with that but as critic I found it hard to go by and not stare my eyes out. It always an amusement to me to see others that find comfort in those things, I'd tried it once but it wasn't as easing as they presented it to be. Gladly I can walk away without voicing thoughts . For someone that was in crises she sure stole my focused mind.

"Hi, could you please tell me which ward is Mr. Steven Black admitted?" I asked ,her eyes glued in her phone, bubble of gum popped out her painted lips.

"Miss, please tell me the ward Mr. black is admitted" she popped pout a big bubble producing a loud crash, intentionally giving the ghost scene. "I just want you to tell me the ward Mr. Black is admitted" I raised my voice from the constant irritation from her ignorance and lack of professionalism. "You don't have to scream I can I hear you" those fake blue eyes rolled ,picking me from toes to head. 'oh no she didn't' I could easily put the bitch in her right senses but count her lucky stars I'd more important matters at hand, knowing me well I won't forget to the favor. I'm not the type to lay off when am being provoked, yet I did, 'my father was more important ' I talked myself out of it.

"Ward three" she told flipping her eyes back to her screen "idiot" she muttered the word underneath her breathe, 'she just' I paused my legs with a quick turn to glare at the ugly witch. It took all in me to resist the temptation to grab the bitch by her ugly attachments and throw her body on the reflected brown tiles and beat the hell out of her.

With the indications I was able to locate the ward. The crack sounds of the door caught her attention. Her thick brown hair laid perfectly on her back , distributing a scene of flowery beauty, those black eyes directed it gaze to my direction ,her hands rested on the man in the bed attached to drips.

Mabel Black, a woman of natural beauty, her nor an extrovert or introvert. She devoted her life to family, quitting her years of experienced work life to raise her children and take care of her home and family. In all my twenty-four years I've watched the deep bond between my parents, they had a mutual understanding and respect for each other. Not once did I witness them in an argument even if they did have one they sure concealed it within the walls of their room.

Her eyes puffed and red with dark circles on the bags that had swollen. "Mom" I stepped close to her , my hands cuddled her slim body that showed no aging. "How did it happened?" a question I should have asked later lit out, my curious mind just won't rest till it get what it wants.

"I got a call from his secretary, he had an attack and was brought to the hospital. The doctor checked on him but said nothing" her precious tears rolled to her cheek, i used my thumb to dry every sight of it. ''you don't have to worry ,dad will be fine. He's a fighter" I assured my her when deep down even I was scared and worried, I could console her and tell the word she wanted to hear but who was going to do the same for me. I picked a seat next to her and dad.

'what could have caused the attack?, dad have no health issues, he's a cautious man' the questions popped through my mind, wanting to figure the cause. He'd always been on our tail to be like him in having regular check ups. A precaution man like him there was no way he could have just gotten a sudden attack not without a causer, the guts in me felt a thing or two off.

"He hasn't woken up since he was admitted, am really getting worried. Alice go check in with the doctor, I haven't heard from him''. Her red fingers danced on her lap, mom always does the dancing fingers when she's nervous or irritated. Same as Beth, to say she grabbed that part from mom.

"I'll go" my legs stumped out. With the direction from a gentle nurse I was in the presence of the doctor.

"And you are?'' the man in white questioned, snooping through the papers which I presumed were reports and test results of his patients. "His daughter, Alice, my name" a dead silence after the awkward introduction. He pulled down his artificial support eyes and peeped at me the raise it to it once position. "sir can you please tell me more about my dad's condition?, what's wrong with him?, why the sudden attack?, is he gonna be alright?" the questions randomly fired out.

"One at a time child, am not going anywhere .I'll answer your questions but please ask in digit, am old and having problems with my hearing'' there was no doubt to his words, his hair and beard reflected his ages of knowledge. Long sharp veins laid on his forehead with rough and wrinkle neck. "Your father had an electrical malfunction in his heart which caused irregular heart beats disabling the blood vessels to pump blood to the heart" my eyes widened in baffled ,an absent knowledge to a word he said.

The shake of his head detailed he knew I got not a word he said to my understanding.

"He must have encountered a huge trauma which led to him having an attack, now am afraid his state is..." his paused lips got my tiny eyes to extend with worried expressions.

"Child don't give me those eyes, they're scary. My wife does the same when she needs my credit card and trust me she's always giving me those eyes." my lips loosen to his words, "there, that's the look I want to see". From his way of talking and chose of words anyone could tell he was kind in heart ,he had empathy to his patients and the family members.

"Now I know it hard but you got to be strong and take it in .Your mother is in there soaking her cheeks in tears ,that's why I could not rely the news to her or else the I would have admitted her too. He's in a vegetable state the trauma experience caused him to suffer stroke. He is going to need both emotional and financial support''. He told with a flip to another page of the document in his hands.

'Stroke' how was I gonna tell mom?, that too without getting he to shade more tears?.

Strolling down the stairs, the vibrated buzz snapped me from worry land. I pulled out my phone to see Dora's call. ''what's it Dora?' a dull tone bridged out the tight lips.

"What with your voice?, anyway forget that. Have you seen the news?, it on every news channel'' something in me knew the problems weren't just done.

"What on the news?''

"It about your family ,you probably should check it out"

Ending the call, my short legs ran through the path to the general room. In-patients sat entertaining their minds with cartoon, certain nurses must have recommended it, I stole the remote off the small table and switched to the city's famous news channel. The edge of my nails crawled deep in my skin as my ears injected the words of the reporter, my voice lost to the outrageous telecast.