"Oh really? It's not surprising from the lord of idiots that you are," Joanna spat out to him.
"Do you really believe that you can fix your mess with your soiled money ? You want to tie the knot with me? Find another woman without dignity to uphold," she told him with contempt before ending up the call without notice.
For a good while, she was unable to let her anger go down. So eventually, she even thought about throwing her handset against the wall so as to spoil it. Only, when she was on the verge of doing so, she suddenly remembered that the mobile phone was very expensive and that she had worked hard for three good months to afford it. She therefore gave up on the silly attempt.
Joanna then looked at the time on her cell phone and was surprised by how late for the hospital she was. Indeed, twelve o' clock was about to ring and the young lady had still not left her bed. Whereas her mother being ill and under treatment at the city's general hospital, she had to get ready and bring the old woman her preferred lunch : a homemade hamburger of her lovely and unique daughter.
Quickly and despite her horrible pain from the bleeding between her legs after the tragedy of the day before, she jumped out of bed and staggered straight to the bathroom. But as she got closer to the shower, she slipped and nearly broke her bones.
Fortunately, as she fell, she reflexively grabbed onto the handle of the door. Which helped her stay on her legs. The unpleasant moment made her think again of the man at the root of her misfortune: Ben Madoff. Speaking out loud to herself, she began to slur, then got up and continued limping towards the shower.
Ultimately and despite all her pain, she reached the shower and bathed as fast as she could. Ten minutes later, she was through. She left the bathroom and ran to her wardrobe in the opposite side where beautiful outfits of different colors were perfectly arranged.
She dressed in her favorite pink silk robe that her mother had bought for her for finishing secondary school last year. Then she rushed out of the house to take a bus to the city's general hospital. . Damn ! As she was about to go on board the public vehicle, she remembered the hamburger she had to make and bring to her mother.
However, giving there was no longer time for it, she decided to buy one from one of the merchants near the bus stop.
She thus ran to Ali's burger shop, her mother's favorite burger maker and with an almost scolding tone, she ordered the young man behind the counter to hurry up and wrap up a maxi burger for her mother interned in the city's main health center.
Ali who knew Joanna very well and even more so her mother, one of his frequent customers, was saddened by the terrible news. He hastened to serve the young woman Joanna and told her to just go. The hamburger was offered for free. Ali sent thoughts and prayers for Joanna's ailing mother.
With that, the young maiden grabbed the lunch and went back to the bus stop as the bus 912 to the city's general hospital was coming.
"Thank God!" she exclaimed in relief before running towards the four-wheeler which was as usual crowded and all seats occupied. She went on board and leaned against one the poles.
Without further ado, the bus driver drove off immediately as the doors of the vehicle shut.
In around thirty minutes after a few stops, the bus arrived in downtown where the city's general hospital was located. Joanna went down and sprinted inside the majestic all white building. She crossed the reception hall at light speed and arrived to her mother's room.
However, as she passed the threshold of the door, she witnessed a scene that disturbed her enormously.
Three nurses dressed in light blue coats and chaired by a male doctor dressed in a green coat, were gathered around the patient's bed.
"Has mom's health condition deteriorated?" she asked herself spontaneously.
Joanna then attempted to go closer to the patient's bed but one of the nurses stepped forward and stopped her from progressing further.
"Miss Norton, for visitors are not allowed in Mrs. Norton's room. Not even you her dear child," the nurse, just a little older than her, told her while gently pushing her towards the exit.
Then out of a sudden, a female voice filled with anger stormed the room and shocked everyone.
"Cecilia, listen to me very well! If you want to pass away, do it fast ! And the soonest the better. Don't stay here too long and occupy a bed you are obviously unable to pay! Don't expect my husband to give you a penny for your medical expenses . I am personally making sure this time around he won't wire you a dime," the voice affirmed with authority.
"And this bastard daughter you maliciously conceived from him, we will never accept her as a Goldberg! Stop begging my husband! I am his sole and legitimate woman. You are a pathetic mistress and a simple one-night stand and nothing more," added the angry voice.
Joanna was stunned and for a while the world around her seemed not to exist. Then she heard her mother's shaky voice.
"Mrs Goldberg, I never thought I was bothering Mr. Goldberg. But in any case, Joanna is of his blood although she bears the name of her deceased stepfather. After I'm gone from this so wicked world, her real father, is the only one she can rely on..." declared her poor mother with anxiety as illness was weakening her.
"Oh! So now you want to introduce yourself as a victim? If you care so much about your dear daughter, you better take her to hell with you. Anyway, a mistress's daughter will probably become a mistress too. And like you, she will stir trouble in married couples by getting illegitimate children with the husbands. Is that that kind future you want for her? I guess no but it's inevitable for her," the voice asserted with a cruelty like no other towards Joanna's terminally ill mother.
In a desperate attempt to obtain clemency from the cold Mrs. Goldberg, Cecilia grabbed the fancy mature woman by the end of her gray long sleeve light cotton made shirt that was decorated with five carats of diamonds.
"Let me be! Don't lay your dirty hands on my expensive garment! It's a Mark Domingo 87 that I'm wearing please, I can't give you this privilege Mrs. the walking dead," said the imposing lady followed by a fake laughter that broke Joanna's tiny heart into thousand pieces.
Important drops of sweat and tears then appeared on the young woman's face. The temperature of her body sore and tons of interrogations were raising in her mind but the one that tormented her the most was why did the nurses and even the chief doctor stay there passively ? Why did they allow that Mrs. Goldberg humiliate a patient who happened to be her mother Cecilia Norton?
How could they look down the patient's safety to such an extent and disregard ethical rules and their medical oath?
Extremely furious, Joanna shoved the nurse blocking her way and ran towards her mother's sickbed.
At the same time, Cecilia's voice resonated in the room once again.
"God forbid, Mrs. Goldberg, Joanna will never become what you prophecy because I am not a mistress myself. I never planned of ruining your marriage with Mr. Goldberg or the marriage of anyone else," the sick woman defended herself.
Then, although on a drip, she jumped off her bed before kneeling and grabbing Mrs. Goldberg by her left leg, begging her in tears not to block her only child to get the support of her biological dad Mr. Goldberg.
"I only ask one thing of you, Mrs. Goldberg. Please promise to allow your husband to show love to my daughter from time to time and in return I..."
Joanna's mother's words got stuck in her throat as she was getting weaker and weaker.
It was then that Joanna finally got to her mother's position with the hamburger in her right hand but that was already cold.
She looked at her mother without saying a word as the latter was almost on all fours like a little pet, and she was struck with great sadness. She began to shed even more tears than a few moments ago and stopped only when her loved one heaved her head and their eyes bumped into each other.
Joanna placed the hamburger on the stool near the bed, then with the back of her hands, she quickly wiped away her tears which were beginning to flow abundantly. At the same time, her mother rose up and quickly went back on her bed, as if nothing was going on.
It must be said that the two women had the same strong character and that the main quality they shared in common was pride. So if for Joanna, it was out of the question that her mother would see her sobbing and especially in public, it was just as out of the question for her mother that her offspring would see her begging in such a dishonorable way.
Now back to her sickbed, Cecila looked away. She managed by all means to avoid any direct eye contact with her grown-up child.
And between the two women them was standing confidently and with an air of superiority Mrs. Goldberg while displaying a contemptuous smile. She talked first to Cecilia.
"Why don't you come back here and hold my divine leg one more time? If you would hold it a little longer, or even wipe my shoes.with your hair, I might consider to let your daughter work as a maid in our house," she told Cecilia.
Joanna chose to look at the roof instead. Very embarrassed by Mrs. Goldberg's proposal, she didn't even answer her.
Mrs. Goldberg then turned towards Joanna.
"Don't be vex, and don't be sad either. Your mother is a hooker and husband stealer who ruins people's families. What kind of dignity do you expect from her? If I wasn't careful, she would have taken my husband from me. She deserves to per..."
Bang!
Joanna gave a mighty slap to Mrs. Goldberg who brutally swallowed her tongue.