Grandma

“Leah, are you done?” I hear my mom calls as I get ready. I grab my sling bag and hurry downstairs.

“Okay ... I'm ready,” I say when I reach her.

“Well, let's go.” She walks out with me on her heels.

Taking out my iPod, I plug it into the speaker and start scrolling the playlist. I let it play at a low volume, I never like to listen to loud music while in the car, well scratch that, I don't like loud music, period.

“Do you think we can see her this time?” I ask mom as she drives us to the hospital. She looks at me and smiles before focusing back on the road.

“Yes, they called me yesterday, said that she has been showing progress and was very calms, so she can get visitors now,” she says enthusiastically, I nod and looking out the window.

“I hope so,” I say under my breath, just for me to hear.

Ever since I can remember, my grandma is always so out of it, it's like she's constantly lost somewhere. Sometimes she will just sit there and mumble to herself. Another time, she will look scared and act as if something, or rather someone, is after her.

She can be pretty aggressive sometimes, especially when I'm around. She tried to attack me once, I was nine at the time. If my dad wasn't there, I don't know what would have happened to me. they sent her to an insane asylum since then. She never gets better, and I start to think that she never will.

According to mom, grandma doesn't always like that, that she was once a very noblewoman. She was a beautiful, intelligent, and respected woman in her time. But then everything started to change and when grandpa dies she totally lost it and keep getting worse from there.

“Leah, we're here.” I can feel my mom shaking my shoulder, I look at her confused, “you fell asleep.” She smiles.

“Oh ... I didn't realize, sorry,” I say, rubbing my eyes.

“That's fine, do you want to come with me? Or are you rather wait in the car?” she asks.

I'll stay in the car, I want to say, but I know she needs me there.

“I'll go with you,” I say before unbuckling my seatbelt and follow after her.

“We're here to visit Mrs. Donovan, I've talked to Dr. Riley, and she said that she can have visitors,” mom says, the lady behind the desk smiles at us.

“Oh sure, Mrs. Donovan is doing so much better these past few weeks, let me ring her nurse to assist you.” She takes the phone and starts talking with someone on the other line. Mom looks at me and smiles, I can see the happiness radiated around her that makes me happy. It's been months since the last time she meets grandma and to finally able to see her mother must be great.

A moment letter a nurse comes to us and introduces herself as Stacy, she looks like in her early twenty. She has auburn hair and brown eyes. She leads us to the physical ward while chatting animatedly.

I rub my arms in seeking comfort as we walk in this long white hallway, my heart is pounding and I have this unseating feeling walking in such a quiet place. I never like it here, this place always gives me this weird feeling. We stop at the door with number 136, Stacy pulls out the lock and opens the door, we walk in behind her.

“Hello, Victoria, how are you on this fine day?” she talks excitedly.

I look at the figure sitting on the chair beside the window, rocking, and mumbling. Her hair is tied in a messy bun, her eyes do not focus on anything. She sometimes taps her arms and keeps murmuring Incoherently. I stay where I am, looking at the woman that I call grandma. It's sad to say that I never get a chance to know her, that she's no one but a stranger to me.

“Look who's coming to visit you?” Stacy smiles hoping to get some sort of reaction, but as always, she got nothing. It's like she doesn't even see or hear us. as if she's lost in her own world.

“Mom?” Mom comes closer to the rocking figure, she gets to her knees and takes her hand, “it's me, Amanda, do you remember?” Her voice is shaking, “I missed you.”

 I know she's crying by now. Mom is always getting emotional anytime we visit grandma, and I can't really blame her. I can't even begin to imagine being in her position.

Walking closer, I put my arm on her shoulder to give some support. She looks up at me and smiles, putting her arm on top of mine and squeeze it, she turns back to grandma, “look, Leah is here to see you too,” she tells her, faking excitement.

“Grandma,” I call out softly.

Her eyes snap up at me, the usually dull and empty eyes now looking at me with venom, it scares me how much hatred she reflects on her gray eyes.

She stands up slowly, making my mom stands as well and step back. Grandma doesn't even care about her, it is as if she doesn't even realize mom was there as she's only focussing her attention on me, she starts mumbling again. I don't know what she says as she walks towards me. Her mumbling gets louder as she got closer to me, pointing her shaking finger at me she starts to scream.

“She's devil... she's devil... she's devil!” She tries to attack me while screaming the same thing over and over.

Three men rushing inside holding her back before she gets to me. She tries to fight them and keeps glaring and screams at me. I got scared and run out, passing a few doctors that running in, probably to try to calm my grandma.

I got to the car only to remember I don't have the key. I start crying, ignoring the passerby looking at me like I'm crazy. I don't know how long I cry in this parking lot before my mom comes to me. I sit silently in the car on the way back, not wanting to talk about what just happened. My grandma hates me and I don't even know why.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***