" What have you done in your life that made you sick like this?"
I scolded him while washing the damp cloth in the bowl.
Auntie called me because she caught him looking pale and sweat dripping off him, only to find out he had a fever. It felt like I stood between them when she asked if I knew something about this after calling me a while ago. I just told her I would come by, so I let tend our class today if we have any.
" You shouldn't have come here. What if you have a class? "
He turns his back on me now?
" Don't move," I pulled him back.
I checked his temperature, and good thing, it's going back to normal, unlike what Auntie told me. But his voice shifts to being rough... Hoarse.
But Pete wants to follow what he wants and will do it in any way possible. He turned his side on me as he placed a fist in his mouth, coughing, dry, and holding the folded cloth above his head. I let him be if that's where he's comfortable to rest.
" I can't leave you alone. You barely say a word or... Move. I don't even know what to answer to Auntie," I said, still isn't leaving with my morning reprimand, " And my class? I don't think I have, or we have. Mark already forgot about me, he isn't replying. Classes should start by this hour--,"
I stopped myself when I watched his eyes peacefully intact. Right, he fell asleep. As much as I wanted to shake his shoulders, I guess he needed a rest. His eyes are telling the story of how much he works every night. His body turns dry, which could reap a single sheet of skin even though he's sweating.
I cloaked him with the blanket before leaving him in the room.
I grabbed a cup in the cabinet and made a cup of coffee. I'm not a fan of coffee or any caffeine, but my nerves were asking for it.
My phone beeped a notification, so I opened it to check it out.
Marky: Still no classes
Susan: wru
He sent his message 3 minutes ago, but he replied within a flash of a camera.
He sent me a picture of... Trees? Trees with clouds paste in a blue sky.
Marky: At our house
Marky: Where are you?
I was about to take a picture of the mug, but something came up in the room.
I slammed the door on the wall as I rushed towards the room, a cup is already rolling on the floor. I caught Pete unleashing rapid breaths as if someone was chasing him and he was running away.
I embraced him as I lay on the bed with his head on my lap. He was already paralyzed in his straight-body position.
He's having a nightmare.
" Shh, I'm here. Wake up, please? Pete? Hey! "
I'm already slapping his cheeks, but he won't open his eyes. What I did was I kept him between my arms while he tried to escape from my arms until he finally calmed down. He almost punches me, and he simply stops himself. I'll kick him if he does that.
I'm leaning on the wall while he's on my lap until we dozed off.
I WOKE UP WITH sun rays hitting my cheeks. I could also hear someone sipping beside my feet.
It was Pete, eating on the bed with a cup of water and a bowl of soup with him. I crawled to him, laying my stomach on the bed and hanging my mouth open.
" Give me," I asked, brushing my hair on the back.
He stopped feeding himself when he saw my mouth, " I have a cough, Sue,"
I didn't listen to him and devoured the spoon, " You will also take care of me, right?"
He didn't say any word and resumed eating, while I had a share with him. I'm hungry too and remembered haven't finished my coffee since I left it a while ago. And I guess he's eating here because it seems comfortable to eat in the bed.
" Did you cook it?"
" Mom is home,"
I nodded at him, " What time is it?"
He looked at the phone that was just in front of us while placing a fork full of noodles inside his mouth. I grabbed it, and it was nearly going to afternoon.
" I slept that long?" I said, yawning.
" She also bought you like this,"
" I don't need to share with you then,"
I crawled upright until I reached the door handle. Even before I got to close the door, he chased a sentence after me that sounds like he was demanding.
" Share also with me,"
" Eh," I answered before breaking the small opening left.
I caught Auntie outside the window, nurturing the plants with water.
" Hi, Auntie," I greeted her in the window. And I have a mischievous smile on my lips so it's like she let me be.
" It's on the table,"
I ran towards the table while reading Mark's last text in the morning. He almost sent me a dozen and all of those were left unread. I reply back at him as much as possible but when I open the lid, it made me shut the phone and place It back in my pocket.
I fan the smoke while getting a fork. Our favorite.
" Are you feeling alright?" I asked, resting first on my leg as I sat on the mattress.
" I think,"
It's started to cover a silence in between us. It's nothing new, we're eating and I know sometimes silence is with us, especially I'm eating our favorite noodles. I don't want any interruption.
But every time, I take a simple glance at him while pulling the noodles into my mouth. It's like ... he's thinking something and it's too deep that made him pause from eating.
" Are you okay? Is there something wrong?"
" Huh?"
At first, his forehead creased but when the realization struck, he got back to his senses and gave me a shake of his head.
" Tsk," I remove my leg underneath and change to an Indian seat, " What is it? You're thinking something and you aren't sharing it,"
" Nothing,"
" Is this about your work? You can like show an excuse letter that you're sick, it's no big deal after having a sick leave..." my suggestion seems didn't give him little help, " Okay, you want some noodles, right?--"
" That's yours,"
" --Just talk it out, and I'll give you, promise!" I said raising my hand together with the fork that gave him a little splash of soup on his face.
" Sue..."
" Pete?"
I remain my begging face until I heard a sigh from him, sounding bothered. Sooner or later, the noodles will run out from my cup if he doesn't open his mouth yet.
" I'm working and providing for us with my small income. And it somehow... paying off, right?"
" Yeah, yeah... " I answered, " You were able to rent a small apartment for both of you... Yo-you're being independent to yourself... Why? Are you doubting yourself? There's nothing--"
" I'm not, " he cut me off, " It's just that..."
" That?" my forehead started to fold.
" I... Can't watch her leave again. And I'm trying to stop her decision... And... Am I that cruel to stop her? "
With his words, it appears my shoulders dropped as the atmosphere changed between us, "She's leaving?... Is that why you look so worried?"
" Is that too obvious?"
" You looked like someone has died and it can be you because you already looked sick,"
He glares at me.
" And that's why people can easily sense only when you're having trouble. You just don't want to tell others," I continue as I take another bite of the food before saying a sentence again, " But seriously... I know you're just scared of what happened to Auntie and it might happen again. And if I were you, I would also do the same again."
" I shouldn't have dragged you in this. You aren't supposed to carry my problem,"
" It's fine, someone has already relied on you. Let yourself find someone whom you could rely on if you need a home to shelter... You can rely on me, that's not financially," I said, pointing the fork at me.
" You always shift to being serious when we talked something to like about this,"
" Of course, you might not swallow if I bring the Susan you knew," I let the fork float on the soup as I placed my arm on his shoulder, getting close to him, "Talk about it, I swear if you talked about it, whatever the problem is, everything will work out and eventually you'll understand each other. And if you're thinking you're being cruel, you're not, you just cared."
I watched him go silent as I take a sip of soup.
" Noodles?" I asked, placing my cup close to his.
He stick our container as an answer, so I placed noodles on him. And I pointed to the beef floating in his cup.
" I have nothing to do if you ever get sick," he warned, transferring almost all of the beef he have on mine.
" Come on just give me the beef already. You're the one who's going to take care of me, anyway," I sounded arrogant with my words.
" MOM!" I SURPRISE HER as I enter the front door.
I also have plastic with me that I take out at Pete's. It's supposed to be our dinner and I hope Mom hasn't gotten her dinner.
" I have our dinner,"
" You didn't go to school? "
My feet froze on my stand before reaching the kitchen. I turned at her, and her arms are all crossed above her chest, sitting on the couch with her legs also crossed over.
" Did Auntie tell you that?"
Her raised eyebrow is already enough to be an answer to my question. I continue marching down all through the table.
" There isn't any class yet, Mom, and Pete needs me. But if we do, I wear I'm gonna attend," I said, fixing the food I brought home.
" You're my daughter, Susannah,"
I almost dropped the plate I was placing after I let out a sigh. She's calling me by another name again. She sometimes does that.
" You're going to put others first and I guessed you're not going to any classes in two days now," I heard a chair was pulled on the first seat.
" You guessed to Susannah. I'm not Susannah, just Susan," I corrected, " Anyways. Aren't you glad I bring you a dinner that I also cook with Auntie? "
She gave me an upside-down smile, clearly not believing what I said, " You just can't accept that I can cook better than you, " I said holding my waist.
" Who did you learn from? Of course because of me! "
" Also because of Daddy, too!" I said, crossing my arms on my chest, " But why didn't you just build your bakery, Mom? You're way better at baking, and If you have, maybe today we have our own brand,"
" Why don't you sit down here and let's eat?"