Chapter 71

AMBER'S POV
'Are you not going to pick up?!" Carol's voice went an octave higher and I realized I had been staring at the phone as it kept on ringing. I still couldn't believe my mum was calling me after over 10 years of severing ties with me and her grandchildren. As I struggled to get my breathing under control, I involuntarily spiralled 10 years back in time.
***FLASHBACK***
'You're looking very pale these days, Amber. Are you sure you're alright?" Mum's voice sounded from outside the door of the bathroom as I struggled to hold down the puke that was threatening to spill. It had been going on for over two days and only in the morning.
'I'm fine, mum. It could be the weather" I hoped I sounded convincing enough as I answered her. It could really be the weather, winter did awful things to me but winter wasn't exactly here yet.
Mum sounded like she wanted to say something but then decided to let it go, 'Okay baby, take a deep breath okay? If it persists, we'll go see Doctor Rita tomorrow" she finally said and i heard footsteps leaving the hallway.
It was pointless arguing with my mum, she always had her way once she was fixed on something. It wouldn't hurt to see Doctor Rita anyways, I was also kind of worried. Wasn't this called morning sickness?
'Am, are you okay?" I heard mum's voice at the door again. Due to my constant nausea and dizzy spells, she had made me keep my door unlocked at all time.
'It wouldn't do to find you passed out on the floor when we are both in the same house" she had said when I tried to argue about the door rule. Apparently, dizzy spells most likely ended up with the person actually losing consciousness, my mum was never going to let that be the case.
Throwing up, eating too much and the dizzy spells became my new normal as the days went by. Mum was worried sick but the weather really did do awful things to me and besides, winter had finally decided to show up.
'I think you should take her to the hospital, Rosemary" Mrs Clark, the next door neighbor had advised my mum after I had one of my dizzy spells that actually ended up with me passing out in the room. Mum found me later cause apparently, i had gotten tired of leaving the door open.
'Hi, helloooo, can you hear me?" I blinked rapidly and tried to regain my composure as a hand waved in front of me continuously. Regaining awareness of my surrounding, I realized the phone had stopped ringing and a woman was standing in front of the counter with a trolley containing the items she had picked out from the store.
'Hi, I'm so sorry. I drifted for a bit there" She nodded in agreement and withdrew the hand she had previously been using to try to get my attention. It was very obvious I had drifted and she obviously had noticed also. Ignoring the voices in my head, I pointed to the card she had been stretching towards me in the other hand, 'Is that all you'll be getting?"
The woman gave me a sympathetic smile in a way to say she understood why I hadn't been paying attention. I returned the smile but I knew deep down that she had close to no idea why I had taken a trip into my head. It didn't even make sense to me, not one bit.
Looking at the card, she answered, 'I wanted to pay with cash but I realized I didn't have enough on me" she stopped and gave me a look but I nodded to show her I was following. She smiled and continued, 'I was wondering if I could pay with the cash and then complete it with the card. I also don't have enough on the card" she concluded.
It wasn't something we did normally at the store but I had an idea of what she must have been going through for her to ask of such a favor. Asides her shopping issues, I also had an idea of her financial problems, I was somehow in such a state too. It was only right for me to grant her request, it wasn't just right, it was human.
Waving goodbye to the customer, I decided to check my phone to confirm I had really seen my mum calls. It was there, boldly written on the iPhone screen, 6 missed calls from MUM. Anyone that had had their parent disown and throw them out because they got pregnant at 17 would understand why I had been too shocked to pick up the calls.
Carol had told me to close up early to go be with Melissa but I needed the distraction, so I stayed back a little bit. It wasn't like Melissa was alone, she had Daniel to take care of her. I had way too many thoughts on my mind and I needed to breathe and arrange them. But firstly, I decided to call to check up on her.
The noise was the first thing I heard as soon as the call connected, I was about to scold her going out after I had told her to rest when I heard Daniel calling out to her to get the order for table four. Even though I was annoyed, I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face, the woman had gone to the restaurant.
Scolding was done, a curfew for coming back home was issued and a promise which to be honest, sounded like a bribe was made and after five minutes of being my nest friend's mother, I placed the phone on the counter and heaved a huge sigh of relief.
Things weren't great with us due to all the happenings but at least they weren't as terrible as they used to be and things were finally starting to look up even if a huge part of my past had come rushing out of the blue like an unexpected tidal wave crashing on the beach.