THE ALUMNI WHO LOVED ME

PTE

very well. “Well,I remember that I felt a very sharp pain in my heart side,plus a tremor too in my left arm.I tried to sit up that I could et my phone and make a call to you,Lucia,but then I started to struggle for breath. That’s all I remember.” She said and Adrian sighed. “Did anything happen before you started to feel that pain in your heart?” Adrian asked. “No not really. I was going to arrange the freshly baked bread in the display glass when I felt the tremor in my hand,and so I thought it was sign of tiredness and weakness,so I just sat in the chair.” Mom said. “Well the doctors said they’d run a test on you,Aunt Bea,so I’ll go get the doctors.” Soph said and walked out the door. “I told you that you need to reduce your workload. Everyday,you bake and sell bread and snacks,and because you have a lot of customers,you have to bake like almost three times a day. That in itself is stressful. I told you before to hire a part timer so that you would have time to rest.”Aunt Lucia said softly to her,and Mom smiled. “I already put up an Ad for a part timer on an online platform,and I’m hoping to receive an answer any time soon.” Mom said and Aunt Lucia nodded her head in approval. “Let me go home and get you something to eat,Bea. Let me head home,okay? Lorena,is there something you want me to get from your house?” Aunt Lucia asked and I shook my head. “No Aunt Lucia.Dinner would do. If you could help me pick my tote bag from the shop and do a proper lock up,I’ll appreciate that.” I said and she nodded.”Okay that’s fine. Adrian?” She asked Rian. “A change of clothes. Help ask Mariano to check in my room for the clothes,and equally my biology textbooks. It is on my reading table.” He said referring to Soph’s younger brother who was around his age. “Okay I’ll tell him. I’ll be back in an hour or two. Soph would stay here with you. Take care and be good,Bea.” Aunt Lucia said and then the door opened and in walked Soph with a doctor,while she signalled Soph that she was leaving,and with that she walked out of the ward and closed the door behind her. “Hello Mrs Beatriz. How do you feel?” The doctor asked and smiled at my mom.Mom returned the smile weakly.”Tired,but okay.” She replied. “That’s normal.I expect that. You have a very low blood count,Mrs Beatriz. Plus there is sign of severe dehydration in your system too. When was the last time you had vegetables in your diet?” She asked and Mom tried to remember. “Its been long,Doctor. Its mainly my daughter that prepares our meals,and I don’t remember when last I asked her to buy Vegetables.” Mom said. “Your blood count is really low,plus your heart rate shows that you have a high cholesterol level.You have to reduce your oil intake. That’s practically all that caused you to slump today.” The doctor said and closed her notepad. “So she can be discharged?” I asked.”Yes she can. Though I want to run a scan to be sure that she didn’t actually experience a partial stroke.” She said and then two nurses entered into the ward. “They would wheel you into the Laboratory. The test would not take too much of time,so you don’t have to worry about anything.Its painless too.” She said and Mom shook her head. “No,you do not need to wheel me to the laboratory.I can walk.” Mom said and tried to stop from the bed. One of the nurses rushed forward to assist her,and detached the syringe from her body. Mom staggered and I tried to help her stand,but she stood by herself and the nurses slowly led her out of the ward. Soph and I followed behind her slowly,while the nurses assisted her in walking despite her refusal. We got to the laboratory and they entered,while Soph,Adrian and I sat in the corridor in the hallway. It took about thirty minutes for them to be done with the test,So mom came out as soon as she was done. “Do rest in your ward,Mrs Sanchez. I’ll be with you shortly.” The doctor said and Mom nodded. We led mom to the ward,and tried to urge her to rest as the doctor had said,but she insisted on sitting up. “So tell me Lani,how’s your school like? Patrice,were you able to meet up with her?” Mom asked Soph and I. “NYU is extreme