" Scarlet... where's she?– I must find her now, please " His voice kept echoing and re-echoing the same words over and over while Camilla and Celia adjusted him back into his bed. After which they blatantly chose to ignore his questions– With a heavy heart, Camilla cried as she fought back silent tears which threatened to tore her apart.
" Why are you being careless now, Caleb?– you just had surgery for God's sake!" Camilla drummed home her point but the former just pressed on his earlier request.
" Scarlet...please, let me see her, mum" He cried.
Turning halfway towards Celia, who stared on with a thorn heart, Camilla ordered.
" Go get the doctor... Tell him he's awake, Huh?" Celia instinctively nodded and spontaneously took leave of them.
"... You need to rest now and keep calm– the doctor will soon be here, okay?" She said the moment her gaze returned to his pale face.
" Someone, say something, please... Why do you keep ignoring the question!!." He howled in rage which brought Celia to an abrupt halt and Camilla flinched– his jaw clenched and eyes dancing with unshed tears. Celia involuntarily glanced back at her mother and brother.
" Where's Scarlet and how is she doing?". His voice trembled and Camilla shuddered – her tongue felt stuck. " Why are you not saying anything, mum?– Is she alright? Talk to me, please."
Camilla's knees suddenly felt numb at his words as sorrow shot down on her like a swarm of bees. Silent tears rolled down her eyes and she staggered to the floor.
" Mum...! " They both called and Celia raced to her aid. " Mum?– mum, are you okay?" She asked, catching her midway but Camilla was just drenched in tears not uttering a word. The sorrow in Celia's heart also burst like a broken dam at this point~ she couldn't hold back any longer.
" What's going on, Celia... why are you both like this?" Caleb's contorted and thoughtful gaze registered his misery.
" I'm so sorry, Honey... mommy is sorry."
" What for, mum?– What did you do?" He asked on an impulse.
" I'm...w– we... lost her~ Scarlet died in the accident." Celia instinctively added. He froze and his eyes flickered– for a moment, he remained speechless; his lips twitched but no words came out no matter the effort he made. Everything felt like a nightmare.
" She couldn't make it, Caleb, and your legs... they're no longer as good as it was." Camilla wept. As awareness rushed in, he trembled in sobs, and the tears which blurred his vision tore down his very soul.
" No...this can't be!– I must find her now " He cried. Briskly, as if possessed, he pulled off the cover over him and tried getting off but fell off to the floor due to his now " useless" legs.
" Caleb!! " Celia and Camilla went over to his aid– where he laid, crying. Camilla held him up in her embrace and they cried over each other's shoulder.
" Tell me, it's a lie~ Please." He moaned.
" I wish I could say that rather, dear." She answered in sobs.
***********
The days after the accident was a total turn of events for Caleb. The company's management was left under Drake's care since Caleb just kept to himself, not interested in anything at all.
He spent every passing second, minute, hour, day, night, and week locked up in his room, clenched on Scarlet's portrait – barely going out or talking to people as he waited for her burial day which was set in two months; October 31.
He developed the habit of talking to himself or the portrait most often and this got his parents and sisters worried.
" Is he going to remain this way forever?" Celine asked one night after dinner when she was helping Camilla with some documents at the library.
This instinctively threw her into a long thoughtful silence as she reflected on her daughter's concerns. She'd never thought that lengthy of Caleb's change– maybe after Scarlet's funeral, he might overcome the shock which she thought might be the cause. But what if he does~ what if situations rather worsen? she shuddered to think of that but either way, she must find another remedy to it. Her thoughts stretched.
" Let's be positive about this, Celine– you know the company needs him as much as we do. Huh?"
" But, mum... don't you think situations are already hopeless?– Caleb is now a new person altogether. A total stranger we don't even know...there's no point in being positive about this, mum."
" Don't talk like that, Celine." Celia rebuked from the doorpost. She had heard their conversation all along when she walked in without their notice.
"... I know Caleb is a strong person with just our little support, love, and care, I believe he'll soon bounce back. Remember the doctor said the situation of his legs might be temporary– a therapy could do the magic too, you know."
" I guess you're right, Celia. I agree with you – let's find him a therapist thereafter. What do you say?" Camilla asked, her eyes fixed on Celine.
" Well, if you guys think so... then, I'll say we should go for it."
THE LAWSONS
" Yes, Kareen... the ballet competition is on 31st October– I just received the mail from Mrs. Valery. Just a few minutes ago." She said as she flung her hourglass figure off the bed. Her back spontaneously leaned over the mini swing in the room– her long ebony curly hair, bounced over her shoulders.
" It's clear I'm the lead dancer and not Shirley."
" You don't say! " a feminine voice exclaimed over the phone. " I'm so happy for you… It just means you did great at the auditions. She's such a show-off."
Kareen added and she chuckled. " Enough, Kare– it's not good rejoicing over one's defeat. What I need now is more practice which I doubt if I could even get the time for. 31st October is just here and this is such a huge competition which I can't afford to lose."
" Your dad's death anniversary is on 31 October, Pearl. " A voice called from the doorway which deftly brought her gaze to the intruder.
" Mum." She mumbled and whispered over the phone. " Let's talk later, Kareen– mum is here."
" Okay, bye... See you at the Latin dance class tomorrow." With that, the line went dead.