Cocaine Princess here.Time never went soooo slow as it did on Friday. I woke up early and could not stop looking at the clock. My doctor was scheduled to arrive at 4:30pm. I questioned 'A' why the appointment was so late in the afternoon? 'That's the time his secretary gave me and before you ask I did request a morning appointment, he was all booked. It was either 4:30 today or Monday at 2pm.' 'What time is it now?' I asked. 'A little after 9,' she replied looking at her watch.
'What time is it now?' I asked again. '9:05. If you keep asking the time it's only going to make it go slower,' A said back. 'It's too long for me.' 'You went through twenty four days, you can't wait seven hours?' 'No,' I answered. During my boredom I worked out some numbers. The total number of days I was inside the house was 24 days which breaks down to 576 hours or 27,360 minutes. 'The last four pox have crusted over, look,' I said showing 'A' my arm. 'Can I sit on the patio? I think my eyes may need some adjusting to the outside light.' 'You haven't been living in darkness.' 'Sort of I have. You know the doctor's going to give me the green light.' Again she said no. Never in my life have I ever heard anyone say so many No's to me. 'I'm dying here. My hair, my skin, my nails need fresh air, please?' I begged. (My nail polish and cuticles were a total mess) Valentina suggested I try bribing her. I told her it was useless. 'Everyone has a price Princess. Your sister must want something,' she said. I knew 'A' wasn't going to fall for it but decided to give it a try anyways. I offered to buy her or give her whatever she wanted in exchange for just ten quick minutes in the garden. And what do you know there was something she wanted. 'Name it and it's yours,' I stated. Fresh air here I come! 'All I want is to see you healthy and well again and that comes from listening to me.' That is what she wanted from me, co-operation.
TWO HOURS LATER
I was eating an apple cinnamon filled donut in front of the TV. I thought if I pelted it at 'A' it may rid some of the frustration that was locked up inside me. My arm was in position to aim and fire! (I wasn't really going to throw it. I would never harm or hurt her) 'A' was sitting at the kitchen table looking over a list of names of all the new students she will be teaching next month. She looked up at me. 'What do you think you're doing?' 'Nothing,' I said putting my arm down and taking a bite. 'Alright, alright,' she said. 'Alright I can go outside?' I asked. 'You're going to have to stop asking me that question because I'm going to keep giving you the same answer. Even I was getting sick of asking it. 'There's something I want to give you,' she stated backing out of the chair. 'I was going to wait until later but if I give it to you now maybe it'll keep your mind off the time.' She left the kitchen, went upstairs and returned with two gifts bags and sat next to me. 'I know it wasn't easy for you being ill and having to be cooped up in the house for so long, and I know you were thinking I was controlling you too hard.' 'Nah,' I replied. 'Not even a little bit?' she questioned. She had a skeptical look on her face. 'It was more like you were treating me as some poor, little, helpless girl who didn't know how to look after herself.' 'You were helpless, what choice did I have? You didn't want me calling the doctor and when I did you were ready to defy him by going out. Your health would have been compromised.' 'You really believed I would have gone out?' I questioned. 'Yes I do,' she answered. 'I couldn't even get out of bed for the first week,' I said back. 'But your determination is quite strong. When you really want something I know you don't let anything stand in your way until you get it,'. 'You know what, I wish to change my answer. I did think you were being controlling and you were being bossy. Telling me what I can and can't eat. I can't go outside or do this or do that. Don't move. Stay in bed. Stop scratching with the hanger.' 'I only said those things because I was trying to keep you in one piece,' she replied back. 'See, you just proved my point!' I stated. 'When you look at me you don't see me as an adult.' 'Do I or have I ever criticized or complained about any aspect of your life, from your choice of friends to your lifestyle, and not including the last twenty four days have I ever stopped you from doing the things you want to do or from going wherever it is you want to go?' 'No,' I answered. 'That's because I do see you as an adult. I've never once interfered in your business but that doesn't mean I'm going to turn my back or ignore you when I know you're in need of help. If the shoe was on the other foot and I was the one who got sick would you look after me?' 'Without question of course I would,' I replied. 'Then why did it bother you having me look after you this one single time? If I was controlling it was because I've never seen you get so sick before and it scared me. Do you know how painful it was for me?' 'Painful for you? I'm the one who was in pain,' I reminded her. 'Emotional pain is nothing compared to physical pain. You're the only living reminder I have left of mom. What would I have done if your illness took a turn for the worse?' I paused for a moment and replied, 'I may have to double check with Valentina's daddy but according to the will if anything happens to me, the house, the cars, jewelry and everything else gets put in your name. I don't believe my clothes are included but you can have them if you want but I doubt anything is going to fit you. Just promise you won't go donating them to Goodwill. Preserve them all otherwise I'll come back as a ghost and haunt you for the rest of your life. And don't worry Valentina's daddy will keep a good eye on you.' Oh boy my sister did not take that kindly nor did she find it amusing. I meant it as a joke. Now that I think back it was a morbid thing for me to say. I lost count how many times she made me take back what I said, probably as many times she said the word 'no' to me. Maybe even more. After I did she handed me the first gift bag. Inside was a medium sized white rectangular shaped box. On the lid written in gold, script lettering, Marciano. I knew right away what was inside. Marciano was the store I last shopped in before my not feeling well cut it short. I removed the lid and inside was the dress wrapped in light blue tissue paper. 'The dress!' I exclaimed taking it out of the box. I stood up, gave my sister a big hug and held the dress up against me. 'When did you go to the mall?' 'I didn't,' A replied. 'I know how much you wanted it so I called the store up the very next day and asked if they could hold the black and white dress on the mannequin. After I said your name, they said your measurements were on file and offered to have the dress delivered.' 'When was it delivered?' 'Two days later.' 'Two days later and you're just giving it to me now?' I asked. 'You were too sick to enjoy it before,' A replied. 'Maybe if you had given it earlier it would have helped speed up my recovery.' Inside the second bag was another gift box. It was pink colored and plain. There was no marking or store name to give me an indication what might be inside. I opened the lid and a big smile came over my face, even bigger than when I saw the dress. 'You're always waiting for the movie to play on the M-Channel. Now you can watch it whenever you want.' 'It was the DVD of the movie Stardust and along with it another DVD, Take That, Beautiful World DVD Concert Tour. (The group's full length concert recorded live in London England, 2007. Take That is the music group who sings the most wonderful song, Rule The World. It plays towards the end of the film)
What a spectacular and illustrated performance. I watched it a couple of times (I have yet to watch the other songs or even the entire concert) before watching the movie. Previously Wild Orchid was my favorite film. It's now been bumped to number two. Stardust has taken top lead.
The clock finally struck 4pm. But waiting for 4:30 to arrive was the longest 30 minutes and of course doctors never arrive on time. 4:30 in doctor time really means 5:10, that's what time he showed up. I was in no mood for small talk. I figured he'd see the pox had finally crusted over and say, you're no longer contagious and leave. What did he do instead? Checked my heart, blood pressure and pulse. 'Your pulse is high again. How have you been feeling the past week?' he asked. 'Agitated,' I answered. 'It's always hardest waiting near the end,' he said and then began to babble on about something. I don't know what about because I was screaming in my mind, green light, green light, green light! I pretended I was paying attention by smiling and nodding my head. After a couple of minutes I saw my sister's mouth move. 'Did you hear what the doctor just said?' she asked. 'You're free of the chicken pox.' 'I'm free of the chicken pox? You're giving me the green light,' I said looking at the doctor. 'Green light. You are officially free of the chicken pox. All you have to worry about now is shingles.' 'Shingles?' I asked. 'A virus that breaks out after a chicken pox infection. It occurs in adults 60 years of age and over. Nothing to worry about yet.' So why is he telling me this now I asked myself?
When he left I didn't know what to do. My feet felt stuck like they were in cement. You know how sometimes you wait and wait for something to happen and finally when it does you don't know how to react? That's what happened to me. It took a couple of minutes for it to finally sink in. I went onto the patio and inhaled deeply several times before walking around the garden. The weather was perfect, hot and humid. The hideous creature with four legs could have jumped up on me licking my face and I wouldn't have cared. I felt beyond relieved. I was so happy. Not being able to leave the house for almost a month was not easy......
To be Continued...
XOXOXOXO,
Cocaine Princess
