Sixty eight

CHAPTER 68

SANTIAGO

Not everyone gets to see life flashing before their very eyes, for me I was getting the chance to see it twice.

Pictures and images, vividly raced through my optical gaze. I saw it all at once, the van, being pushed through the hallway of the hospital and her face—Glenn

This is most definitely a kind of nightmare, but what dream would leave so many conscious pictures and Images on a man's bare soul?

Call it fear, call it whatever. At this moment I could feel my heart racing heavily as all I could hear was the pitching scream of my name "Santiago!"

I couldn't tell who the voice belonged to but it was most definitely familiar, it had a grip on my soul, so much that it wasn't willing to let go.

I could feel every synapse snapping in my brain, as shards of memories filled up every bit of my mind till I could feel myself drowning in a pool of thoughts.

Who am I?

Where is this place?

My mind was filled up with these questions as I was almost going blank, rhetorical questions I had no answers with at the moment.

All I could hear were quick steps approaching where I was.

"Santiago?" I could hear the same voice in my mind again.

My eyes fluttered, as I could feel what felt like a drop of tear that wasn't mine on my chin.

The panic in her voice and as evident, like someone watching what you hold so dearly dying.

Her face was blurry when I opened my eyes, all I could give was a smile, nothing more as I muttered the name Glenn this time filled with memories as my eyes closed.

I must had passed out in the mall, but

When I next opened my eyes, there were two things I saw: There was an unfamiliar woman beside me donning white and the sign of a cross on a box with red.

Was this heaven?

The woman that had been half reclining next to me, had my wrist in her hand as she took my pulse.

There was a whiff of alcohol in the air and a cotton wool stained with blood—my blood.

When she tried touching my head, I flinched.

“Does it hurt?” she asked.

“A little,” I said, not wanting to act like I was feeling pain In front of her.

The woman who had been kneeling behind me stood and dusted the earth from her knees. "He would be fine?"

She stepped aside and Glenn's beautiful figure appeared from behind her.

"Gle—"

The rest of the name was drowned In a cry of agonizing as I felt a sharp pain in my head.

Glenn was right there beside me with my head against her chest.

"Don't force it , you are going to fine now… "

It looked like she got a lot to say, but instead chose silence.

I wanted her to speak, wanted her to tell me why she had left my house that night, there were a lot of things I wanted to say to her but as it is —I step at a time or should I say one thought at a time.

"Is there anything more?" She asked.

"All he needs is some aspirin and everything would be alright."

"Where is he going to stay tonight?" The question was asked by another woman, the third in the room.

"I would take him home?"

*****

What home was she referring to?

I had faint memories of the motel and Martha, there were also the memories of the homeless man that had been on the bench with me prior to this time, but I was less concerned about all of that at the moment.

All that filled my mind was how the word home sounded so enchanting on her lips.

I sat pressed up against the inside of the car door that looked too small for three, we all looked crumbled In the doctor car.

When she had offered to drop Glenn halfway she seemed so very much excited.

It was bent slightly in the Volkswagen car model, as we drove through the dark street of Downtown quite slowly.

The car ran into a bump and my head collided with the roof of the car.

"Ouch."

Glenn had her arm around me in what looked to be a protective gesture. It reminded me what it meant to be cared for by a tender lover—

"Sorry about that, Santiago. Didn't see the bump on time, I should have averted it quickly — Are you fine? ,” The doctor said to me from the driver’s seat, without turning around.

I had no idea how to respond to her, tell her I was feeling more pain?

Instead of answering, I muttered a thanks and turned to Glenn and asked, "Am I bleeding again?”

She looked at me with a softness that was completely different from the way anyone had or previously done, I could see that tenderness again in her eyes that I

had seen earlier, when she was back at the mall.

"Not bleeding, are you fine?" She asked.

"Yeah, I am." I answered with a smile.

We headed into the dark roads and it was only then I decided to ask . "Where do you want to stay?"

“We are just ten minutes away. ” she answered.

"That is pretty close then." I relaxed into her outstretched arms and she nestled closer.

I sat closer to her and could feel the heat from her body a little bit more, as I did I could feel the heat from her and in a way it sparked off feeling's from my soul.

As it did, I was feeling some of my strength coming back into my body.

Or maybe I was just willing my strength to come back.

The ten minute trip felt blissful, with both of us snuggling into each other, if there was certainly any moment I wanted to last forever it was this.

"Glenn?"

She turned to face me.

"Thank you." I muttered after a sigh.