Karen's POV....
The taxi sped away from the Golf House, leaving its luxurious facade behind. Inside, the quiet was deafening. My mind raced, replaying the last few hours like a broken record. The hospital, Mom's accident, her promise to pick us up... every thought was a fresh stab.
It's my fault. If she hadn't come to get us, she wouldn't be in that coma. The guilt was a heavy stone in my stomach. How will I get the money for her surgery? She won't make it without it. I have to get the funds, somehow, anyhow. This desperate chant echoed in my head, drowning out everything else.
I was so lost in my sad thoughts that I didn't even notice the driver had stopped at our house. He had been waiting, patiently, for a full five minutes.
"Ma'am, are you okay?" A gentle tap on my shoulder....
I jumped, scared, then realized I was in a taxi. I looked out and saw our familiar house. I took a deep breath. "Oh, yes, I'm fine. Just thinking deeply, I guess."
The driver just sighed, a knowing sound.....
"Here's your payment, Sir... Thank you." I handed him the money.
"You're welcome," he said. "Just remember, don't worry too much. It will drain you. Believe everything will be fine."
"Thank you, sir... I really appreciate that." His words were a small comfort.
"You're welcome. Have a nice day."
"Same to you, Sir."
As soon as the cab pulled away, I practically bolted out and ran towards the house. Jason. Is he okay? My brother was my only focus now.
I burst through the door. Jenny was inside, setting out breakfast. She looked tired, but her eyes lit up with relief when she saw me. Then, her expression tightened.
"Hey girl... what's up? Where have you been? What happened?? You made us all worried." Jenny's questions came out in a rush.
"Can you relax, please?" I asked, holding up my hands. "I'll answer your questions. But first, where's Jason? Have you told him about yesterday?"
Jenny's shoulders slumped. "Jason is fine. He just went to get something from his room. And no, I haven't told him anything. He kept asking about you and your mom, but I changed the subject until he fell asleep. I wanted you to tell him."
My heart ached. Tell him what? How do I tell my little brother his world just shattered? "Honestly, Jenny, I don't know what to do. He's too young for this. I don't think he needs to know now. I'll tell him later."
"Are you sure about that, Karen?" Jenny's gaze was serious.
"Yeah... I think..." Before I could finish, a cheerful voice echoed from the stairs.
"Hey, Sis! Where have you been?? You made me worried!" Jason came bounding down. "We called you and Mom, but no one answered! Where is Mom? Did she come with you? Is she outside?"
My heart slammed against my ribs. Okay, Karen. Breathe. Lie. "Hey Jason, wait a second," I said, forcing a smile. "I'm fine, and Mom's fine."
"Then where is she?" he demanded.
"Ummm, Mom... Mom, right?" I stalled, desperately trying to think.
"Yes, Mom... where is she??" Jason insisted, his young face confused.
"Right... she went to visit a friend yesterday," I lied, the words feeling foreign and heavy on my tongue.
"Mom? A friend? Which friend? Mom never had a friend like that! What are you talking about?" He looked genuinely puzzled.
"Oh, you might not remember her," I quickly said, grasping at straws. "You were very young when she moved away. But she came back last week and invited Mom to stay with her for a while."
"What?? And Mom never told me?" His eyes widened, a flicker of hurt there.
"She wanted to, but something urgent happened, so she had to leave before she could tell you," I finished, feeling a pang of guilt with each fabricated detail.
"That's okay, can you call her for me? I want to talk to her." Jason just wanted to hear her voice.
"Call her??" Panic flared again.
"Yes, call her."
"Okay, but my phone has problems, so I can't call right now," I lied, avoiding his gaze.
"Then use Jenny's phone!" Jason pointed at her.
Jenny, seeing my silent plea, jumped in. "My phone died last night, so I can't use it! And I actually need to leave you guys. I have things to do, but I'll be back as soon as I can. I've already set up breakfast." She moved quickly towards the door.
"You're not eating with us?" Jason and I asked together.
"I'd love to, but I have to go home quickly. I'll be back when I'm done," Jenny explained.
"Okay, just take care of yourself," I said, so grateful for her.
"Sure, and please take care of yourself and my prince charming. Remember, everything will be alright," Jenny said, giving me a meaningful, reassuring look.
"Okay, Girl."
"Bye, My Prince," Jenny said to Jason.
"Bye, My Princess," Jason replied cheerfully.
After Jenny left, I turned to Jason, a heavy sigh escaping me. "Hey Jason, come and eat breakfast."
"Alright, but I need to talk to Mum first," he insisted.
"I promise I'll let you talk to her later," I said, trying to sound confident. "Come eat your breakfast before it gets cold."
"Alright, Sis." He finally gave in, but that little flicker of doubt was still in his eyes. The lies had started. And I had no idea how I was going to keep them going.