I woke up to some whispers, the smell notified me that I was at the clinic.
The clinic was family owned by the rubens.
I spent way too much time at the clinic with pete due to many injuries we sustained from our numerous shenanigans, the smell is forever locked in my memory. I turned my head to the direction of the whispers, a jolt of pain went through me.
The whispers came from armand and rosa 's conversation, They were seated to my right.
"Rosa?" two sets of eyes darted to my direction.
"Miss Arizona, how do you feel?" rosa asked
"Not so good, my head is throbbing like someone took an hammer to it"
"With the way you banged your skull on the floor, pretty much the same thing"
Rosa left the far seats she and armand sat on and came to sit on the chair at my bedside.
"Where were you looking that you didn't see the wet floor?" she gently touched my cheek.
"Wet floor?" I looked over at armand to see him sheepishly smiling, he lied to rosa.
"Or was it not a wet floor, did armand flood the whole house?"
"Flood the house?"
"Poor you, you don't even remember how you fell. Armand said he spilled some water on the floor while he was in a hurry, only God knew where he was goind to be that absent-minded and you slipped before he could come back to clean it"
"Ohh that was what happened?" I tilt my head at armand.
"Yes, I am sorry and I will make it up to you"
A smirk curved the corner of my lips upwards, armand squint at me in warning.
A physician and nurse came into the room, doctor Ruben is still as old as ever.
He was the second generation of doctors in their family.
He was once tall but now he is slightly bent with age. His balding grey hair is still clinging on to dear life as it always has.
His glasses still sat on his nose, his skin has more age spots on it than I remember but his authoritarian gaze still has the same intensity.
"Elizabeth, Elizabeth, fancy seeing you here. It has been a while" only a few call me Elizabeth, doctor ruben was among the few that does. Which is understandable, since he was the one who pulled me out of my mum's womb.
"Good afternoon doctor Ruben" he gave a nod and proceeded to examine me. He flash a light into my eyes, peered into them and switched it off.
The nurse passed some scans to him "Still as mule headed as ever" he muttered while checking the scan in his hands.
Armand snorted when he called me muleheaded.
"All thanks to how hard your noggin is, there was no serious damage to your brain. You can go home, some pain relievers will be prescribed for the soreness"
" oh thank God" rosa exclaimed happily
" But she will have to be arouse at intervals during the night, in case she developes a concussion. Not that she should but let's just be on the safe side"
" Should you still be practising?" I asked him.
" Has your grandfather set a retirement plan for me?"
He is still a cranky old man. A cough escaped armand, he was stifling his laughter. Rosa hid hers behind her hand.
"I am just concerned for your health, managing the clinic must be stressful"
"Worry about your damn self" he left the room in a fit, The nurse followed him.
" Stop looking for the doctor's trouble" rosa cautioned me without heat.
" what did I do wrong?"
"Old people don't like to hear that they are growing old" rosa explained
"Doctor ruben is just a old cranky man, I will know cause I have one as a grandfather"
She slaps my arm " Don't talk about sir Grahams in that manner" she stood up "since the doctor cleared you. Sit up so we can get going"
We stopped at the nurses section to collect the prescribed drugs. Doctor Ruben came out from his office and gave me a lollipop, his brown hands covered mine. He said "Roger is coming soon with his family, you won't have to see me for long"
"That would be a shame, who will give me lollipops when you go" I smiled at him.
" You are old enough to buy your own lollipop, you cheapstake" he grinned at me.
He leaned in and whispered "Take a lot of rest and enjoy the sunshine, you are too young for your eyes to be this bleak" he gave my hand a final warm squeeze and wobbled off.
" Let's get you home" rosa prompted
~~~~~~~~~
I was made to rest on the multi coloured divan with a handmade afghan draped over me.
We were at rosa's home, A very colourful dwelling that represents rosa warm and vibrant personality.
The walls of the living room were painted in different colours, the right side wall was painted turquoise blue, a bit darker than turquoise blue but rosa has declared it turquoise blue and so shall it be.
The opposite and the adjacent walls were painted lavender with stripes of rosa's turquoise blue.
The room was overwhelming for visitors at first sight, especially with the multiple picture frames, framed certificates of rosa's children accomplishments and paraphernalias. The purple colour matching seats and a play area filled with toys. She babysits part timely hence the toys.
Rosa has Mexican roots and it showed in her home.
The dinning area was separated from the living room with a beaded curtain.
The curtain has strangled me and pete a few times too many.
I got bored lying on the couch and decided to switched on my phone.
Jules has sent me some threats regarding my MIA from the bora bora vacation we planned. I have been avoiding her calls and she knew.
Deciding to be brave, I face timed her. She picked up on the first ring and the first image i saw was the insides of her nostrils before she adjusted the view.
"Hello stranger" she greets nonchalantly.
"Hi jules"
She gasped dramatically "You know my name, who would have thought!"
I smiled "How are you enjoying bora bora?"
"Don't you dare act polite Elizabeth Arizona Grahams"
She is furious " I am sorry?"
" Are you telling me or asking me?. You were supposed to meet me in bora bora six days ago!"
Had it being only six days? It felt like weeks.
"Then you sent a cryptic message about your grandfather calling and something along the lines of he might be dying. Didn't hear from you and I thought maybe he had died, to my surprise I saw the news of his newly commissioned hotel in Birmingham. It was a red carpet event and lo and behold, granddaddy was in suit and definitely ain't dead,What!"
Jules is a highly dramatic, extroverted individual. While talking to me, she has moved from where she sat previously to standing up and making gestures to accompany what she says, she is dexterous in nature.
"The event was totally high class and all the.... I cuts in and blurted out "I got engaged"
Her eyes widened in surprise "what!, you said the professor and you was just a stunt"
"Yes, It was a ruse to distract my grandfather but he went on and got me engaged to the first wealthy person he could snag"
"Really, so where are you?"
"I am hiding out at Appledore but he probably knows already"
"Oh boy, you can't get married yet. We just finished our masters, we need to live a life devoid of controlling men and academics for a while. What about our travel plans, your business idea. No! We can't let this happen"
"I might renounce my inheritance and travel to America"
"No need of drastic measures. I will come over to Appledore as soon as I land and we will come up with some ideas to dissuade your grandfather and your fiance. Have you met your fiance?"
"No but given my grandfather old age and prescribed glasses, I won't be surprised if he is a forty years old multi millionaire with port belly" I said grimly
Jules snorted with laughter "Sir Grahams might be old and wears double rimmed glasses but I don't think he will select a homely husband for you"
"If you say so"
"Putting your issue aside for now, let me tell you about this young man I met"
She proceeds to tell about her new lover and how her vacationing is going.
An hour later, we said our I loves you and byes and hung up.
My tummy grumbled, I barely had anything to eat since morning. I stood up to look outside and it was getting dark already.
In walks in armand and a lassie, they were talking animatedly. They had some dishes in their respective hands which they set down on the dinning table. The aroma of food made my tummy grumbled loudly, armand looked over to me and smiled.
"You are awake"
"I wasn't sleeping"
The girl squeaked and ran over to hug me "Arizona" it was Miriam, Rosa's daughter.
"Miriam, wow you almost as tall as me"
She released me "not quite but close" she was 5'5 and I am 5'9.
"It is a huge difference from the shortstop you were back then. Your mom told me about your boyfriend"
"Don't mind mom, He is just a friend. Let's go eat, after I will fill you in"
"Is he handsome?"
She looked over at Armand "not as handsome as Armand but he is easy on the eyes" she blushes
Another lady smitten by Armand. he smiled at her and I noticed he has a shirt on, how I missed that in the clinic is befuddling.