Returning Pride (12 page)

“
Well, well, what do we have here?” Kevin Williams said as he slammed his truck door. Allison could hear the slur in his words and knew that he was drunk.

Iian stood in front of her, his large shoulders shielding her from Kevin’s view, so she quickly zipped her jacket and buttoned her pants. Not caring if everything was in place, she started to pull on Iian’s hand, trying to get him to get back on the bike and get out of there quickly.

“Slutting around with a Jordan are we Allison?”

She knew Iian couldn’t have read his lips since he was standing to the side of the bright headlights blinding them.

The tension in Allison’s hands said more than the words Kevin had spoken. It took only a moment for Iian’s eyes to adjust to the light hitting him full force.

“Having another
free
night are you, Kevin?” Iian said. He planted his feet wide as Allison continued to pull on his arm.

“Shut up!” Kevin started to walk forward.

“Do you really want to do this now?” Iian asked calmly. Kevin stopped his forward motion.

Taking another look at Iian, he tossed the beer bottle he’d emptied over the cliff.

“
Can’t even come up here for a beer anymore,” he mumbled. Turning back to his truck, he waited until he was hidden behind the bright lights to say, “You’ll regret this you bitch… choosing him over me. I swear, you’ll regret this.”

She felt Iian vibrate, but still held his hand and quickly pulled him backwards. She didn’t know if he had read Kevin’s lips, but doubted it since she couldn’t even see his outline in the bright lights.

When his truck had disappeared down the road, she released a large breath.

“I’m sorry about that,” Iian said to her. “He’s had a thing out for me since middle school.” He was looking at her with such kindness, she didn’t want to tell him the whole story.

Shaking her head, she tried to smile at him. “I’d better get back home.”

Iian took his time going down the hill and she enjoyed the feel of him as she plastered herself against his back.

When they drove back up to the front of her house, she was just getting off the motorcycle when she heard the back door of her house slam shut. Jumping a little, she looked towards the back of the house in time to see a large, dark figure running away.

Iian was off the bike and beside her, wondering what had caused the trouble look. Looking to where she had, he saw nothing.

“What’s wrong?” He asked.

“
I thought I saw someone leaving out the back door,” she signed. He turned and looked again. This time, she felt his whole body tense beside her.

“Stay here,” he said and signed at the same time. Rushing towards the house, Allison saw then what she hadn’t before.

A slight glow was coming from the living room windows. She could see smoke coming from the kitchen window and smelled a distinct smell of something burning.

“
Mom? Mom?” She ran towards the place screaming, only to be yanked back by strong hands.

“Don’t!” Iian screamed.

“
My mom!” She turned back and signed to him.

Turning back around, Allison started to race towards the house again, only to be pulled up short once again by Iian.

“Iian! She’s in there! My Mom is in there!”

“Make the call.” He pushed his cell phone into her hands.

Removing his jacket, he rushed to the neighbor’s side-yard and dunked the light material in a bucket of water which sat in-between the houses. Looking back, he saw Ally standing and staring at the house as she talked into his phone.

Hopping the fence between the houses, he raced towards the back door. The glass was shattered and smoke was pouring out. He couldn’t see any flames, just smoke. Pulling the door wide, he stood back as the smoke billowed out. Pulling the wet jacket over his head, he took a deep breath and raced into the dark room.

Where was her mother? Where was Iian? She had watched him race towards the back of the house. Had it been five minutes ago? Was it just two seconds ago? Worry had time standing still. Thinking of her mother, she started to walk closer to the house that was engulfed in flames.

“Mom!” she screamed. Just then the living room window blew out and rained glass over her head. Covering her face and ears, she watched as her living room curtains caught fire.

“No! Mom! Iian!” At this point two of her neighbors had come out to see what all the shouting was about. Mrs. Evans rushed over to where she stood.

“Have you seen my mother?” she screamed.

“No, dear. I thought she was with you. Oh, dear, I hope she isn’t in that.”

Rushing forward, she ignored the warnings from her neighbors. Reaching the front door, she grabbed the door handle, her hand burning on the hot metal. Pulling it back, she removed her jacket and using it, tried the handle again. Pulling the door open, she ducked down as a plume of smoke poured out.

Screaming for her mother, she inched towards the door only to come up short against a small mound just inside the doorway. Grabbing a handful of her mother’s shirt, she yanked and pulled her to safety.

When she reached the end of the porch, Steve, another neighbor, lifted her mother up and carried her to safety. Seeing her neighbors surround her mother, she raced around the back of the house to find Iian.

The back door stood open and smoke was flowing from the dark hole. Knowing he couldn’t hear her, she raced into the burning house without a second thought. After all, he had rushed in after her mother. How could she let him be consumed by the fire?

Ducking down, she was only a few feet in when she felt his hand grab her. He yanked her off her feet, carting her over his shoulders as he marched back out the door.

“Damn it, Ally! I told you to stay put!” he said and then coughed a few times as he pulled her away from the heat. Looking at him, she saw that his clothes were steaming from being in the house too long.

“I’ve got my mother. She’s out.” She tried to sign, but her hand was hurting like crazy from where she had grabbed the door handle, so she had to speak instead of use sign language.

He reached to take her hand and pull her towards the front of the building, but came up short when she flinched away and held her hand close to her chest. Pulling her hand down to look at it, he saw deep red marks crossing her palm.

“You’re hurt!” He grabbed her arm and walked her to the front of the building. By now she could hear the fire trucks just down the street. When they came around the cornered the building, she could see her mother was sitting on Mrs. Evans’ front porch with blankets around her shoulders. Pulling free from Iian, she rushed over to her.

“
Mom!” She knelt beside her mother and took her hand. “Mom, are you alright?”

Her mother was coughing and had a glass of water in her hand. Allison saw that her hair was singed and her clothes were streaked black. Her mother’s eyes were red and she was blinking continuously, trying to clear them.

“Here, drink some more.” She helped her mother drink the water. Her hands were shaking and she felt like she couldn’t get her breath. She couldn’t bear to turn around and see what was going on behind her with the house.

Iian was beside her then. He saw the flashing lights of the fire trucks and looked back over at the house. It was a complete loss.

A
llison was sitting in the waiting room at Edgeview, again, with her burned hand close to her body to protect it. It had been cleaned, medicated, and wrapped up tight. Iian hadn’t left her side once since they’d arrived at the hospital. They were waiting on word from the doctor-on-staff about her mother’s condition. She’d ridden in the ambulance with her, talking to her the entire way. Her mother hadn’t said anything, just coughed and blinked her eyes.

When they had driven up, Iian’s motorcycle was parked by the doors, and he stood there holding his phone. He must have texted his sister and brother-in-law, because they had shown up within fifteen minutes. Aaron, dressed in a dark dinner jacket, had immediately gone to check on her mother.

Lacey was wearing a long flowing purple dress that was tight around her seven-month-pregnant belly. She quickly crossed the room, sat down next to her, and pulled her into a light hug. Then she noticed her burned hand and reached for it. Looking over the bandages, Allison noticed tears in her friend’s eyes.

“I’m so sorry about your house. How bad is your hand? How is your mother?”

“
My hand is fine, just slightly second-degree burning on my palm. My mother…” She paused and looked over at Iian, who was pacing the waiting room floor. His sister looked over at him and signed for him to sit down. He looked at Lacey and then looked at Allison and quickly walked over and sat next to her, pulling Allison’s good hand into his own.

Lacey smiled upon seeing the gesture.

“They haven’t told us anything about my mom yet. I rode in the ambulance with her, she was awake for the ride. I didn’t see any burns on her.” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “Her hair was singed, and her clothes were covered in soot. She was lying by the front door. Why was she just lying there? When I found her she, was out. Maybe she passed out?” She felt something clawing at her insides, “Maybe she fell and hit her head?” She knew she was babbling, but didn’t care. What if she’d gotten there a few minutes later? What if she hadn’t found her? A million scenarios started to play in her head.

Then she felt Iian’s hand tighten on hers and looked up at him.

Lacey jumped in. “Ally, you were there on time, you found her. She’s going to be alright. See, here’s Aaron.” They stood and watched Aaron walk across the room, his dinner jacket had been replaced with a white doctor’s coat.

“First off, let me assure you that your mother is fine. We’re moving her to a private room. She was very lucky and she has no burns. She does have a large gash on the back of her head, some bruises, and of course, smoke inhalation. We’ve got her on oxygen and have given her a local and some stitches for her wound.” He’d been signing all the while for Iian’s sake. When he stopped, he pulled his wife close to his side. “Come on, I’ll take you up to her room.”

Just as they were leaving the waiting room, Megan rushed into the lobby holding little Matthew’s hand; Todd was beside her holding their sleeping daughter.

Megan rushed over and hugged Allison. “How is she?”

“We’re just going to see her now. Can they come along?” Allison asked Aaron.

“I don’t see why not.” Everyone followed Aaron into the elevator, where Matthew quickly asked if he could push the button.

Aaron bent down and looked him directly in the face and said, “If you can find the number four, you can push that button for us.”

Matthew’s little face squished up as he looked at the numbered buttons. It took a few seconds, but then his little fingers hovered over the number four. Looking to his mother and getting a nod of encouragement, he pushed the button and they were on their way.

When they walked into the room, Allison noticed a few things. Her mother’s hair was standing up on end and the nurses were trying to draw blood. Her mother was fighting them and Allison rushed over to help. The oxygen mask had slipped up to cover one of her mother’s eyes. Aaron was by her side, helping hold her mother’s hands down.

“Mom, calm down. They just need to draw some blood. Hold still for the doctor.” Her mother was losing strength.

Allison saw it then; a large bruise that ran over her mother’s bicep. Holding her mother’s hand, she looked over at Aaron. He’d seen it, too.

“Allison?” Her mother blinked up at her several times and relaxed back onto the bed.

“Yes, Mom, I’m here. Doctor Stevens is just going to draw some blood.” Aaron walked over and took the needle from the nurse who looked like she’d been through a tornado. As she stepped aside to let him draw the blood, she righted her clothing and hair.

“I’ve had healthy children fight me with that much strength. I think your mother is in fine enough health.” She smiled as she took the vials from Aaron that were full of blood.

After getting the blood, Aaron said, “Mrs. Adams, I just want to check your arms and neck area, if that’s okay with you.”

Her mother sat still, and since her oxygen mask was in place again, nodded in agreement.

Allison was by his side, she saw the bruises and she especially saw when he mimicked how a man’s hand had placed them on her mother’s bicep.

“Very good. We’re going to let you get some rest. You just hit the button here,” he placed the call button pad by her hand, “if you need anything.”

Stepping back, Allison followed him into the hallway, where it appeared everyone else had settled while Allison and Aaron been fighting to draw blood.

“Allison,” Aaron started to say.

“Who did that to her?” Allison’s fists were clinched. “Those are bruises from a man’s hands.”

“I was just going to ask if there was someone else at the house tonight?”

She felt the world tilt. “I saw a man leaving,” she whispered. Iian was by her side then. “Oh my God. The cut on her head?”

“We’ll look into it. Now that I think there might be foul play, I’ll have to call the police.”

At one o’clock in the morning, Allison and the police had more questions than answers.

Her mother had been attacked. Hit over the head with one of her beloved crystal candle sticks most likely, and the fire had been started on purpose. The large can of gasoline had quickly been spotted in the kitchen area, or what used to be her kitchen. Her mother’s arms and back had been photographed, and the police were going to investigate to find out more.

Her mother’s eyes were red and swollen shut for the most part. Allison sat by her side all evening, only leaving the room to talk with the police or Aaron. Iian sat quietly in the corner of the room. When the room would quiet down, they would talk using sign language to talk to each other as her mother slept. She was grateful to have him stay. Last time she’d spent an all-nighter in one of these rooms, she’d had a miserable time by herself.

They talked about the town, about her art, about her stay in California. Then she’d asked questions about the restaurant, about cooking, and anything else that popped into her head. He was doing a great job of taking her mind off the fact that all she had left in the world was her mother and the clothes on her back.

She dreaded going through town and seeing the shell of what used to be her family home, knowing everything was gone. She tried hard to focus on what she had left.

By the next morning, Allison was longing for a hot shower. Her hair and clothing smelled of smoke. Her eyes were burning, dry, and itchy. She’d gotten about two hours of sleep, but desperately wished for more.

Iian walked back into the room with two full plates of breakfast from the cafeteria. What she wanted the most was the large cup of coffee he’d balanced on top of the styrofoam containers. Her mother had been in and out of sleep most of the night. Currently, she was sitting up in the hospital bed enjoying a hot breakfast. She was watching the news and ate her food like she had no cares in the world.

“
It’s so nice to get away every now and then” her mother had told her when the staff had delivered her breakfast. She wished she could look at life with such wonderment herself.

Less than an hour after breakfast, Megan and Lacey walked in with two large bouquets of flowers. Several more vases of flowers had been delivered earlier that morning. The room was quickly filling up and smelled like a flower garden.

Lacey sat next to her mother, talking quietly to her while Megan sat on the couch next to Iian. Iian hadn’t left, and she was sure he smelled as bad as she did. Yet he looked fresh as if he’d just arrived there after a great night’s sleep and a hot shower.

“So, I’ve decided. You’re moving in.” Megan held up a bright red key chain. The silver key dangling on it caught the light.

“What?” She didn’t think her mind was that tired, but she wasn’t quite understanding what Megan was talking about.

“I’ve given you the honeymoon suite. It’s yours indefinitely.” Then it hit her. Megan’s cabins. She had five of them that she rented out for her bed and breakfast business.

Allison had done paintings of all the cabins and the main house several years ago for her. The honeymoon suite, which Megan called it, was the largest cabin with two rooms, a large bathroom, its own kitchen and living room area. And the cabin was just a quick walk from the beach.

“I couldn’t possibly,” she got no further than that.

“You wouldn’t dare turn this away. Not after everything you’ve done for me.” Allison could see tears starting to form in her friends eyes. “I won’t take no for an answer.” She put the key into her hands.

“I’ve brought you a change of clothes. If you want, why don’t you go in the bathroom there and shower and change. It can’t be comfortable sitting around in the same smoky clothes all night,” Lacey said, as she sat by Mrs. Adams’ side.

Looking between the two, Allison wondered what she’d ever do without her friends.

“I… Thank you.” Tears threatened the back of her eyes. Quickly standing up she took the large bag from Lacey and retreated into the privacy of the bathroom.

When she came out, her mother was asleep and the room was empty except for Megan, who sat reading a book on the couch.

“Aaron and Lacey had some things to take care of. Todd has the children with him if you want to go home and get some rest. I’ll stay here for a few hours with your mother. Mary is going to stop by in a few hours to take over. I think there is a list going around of everyone who has volunteered to sit with your mom. You needn’t worry about her for the rest of the day.”

“I can’t thank you enough for letting me stay in your cabin. I hadn’t thought that far ahead.”

“Don’t worry about it. That’s what we do for family.” Megan smiled over at her. “We’ve filled up the kitchen, so there’s plenty of food. Go on, get some rest. Oh, I almost forgot,” Megan reached into her purse and pulled out a set of keys. “We found them on the front porch last night, so we drove your car over this morning for you. It’s parked in the West lot, right up front.”

She’d been so good about holding everything inside, but when she reached her car it all came out. Resting her head on the steering wheel, she cried until she couldn’t cry anymore.