The Story of a Girl

This is the story of a girl. Her name was Nikia Lawrence. At one point in her life, she was the happiest girl in the world. Nancy, her mother, was the most caring woman in the world. Her joy was multiplied when she was 4 and Nola, her sister, was born. The first time she held Nola, who looked right at her and smiled, she knew that she had a friend for life.

They were known as N3. Nancy, Nikia, and Nola. They would go everywhere together. Nathaniel, her father, and yes, another “N”, was always at work. While he was the family bread winner, he didn’t spend too much time with the children. This made things very difficult when Nancy was diagnosed with cancer when Nikia was 10. No child should ever witness the death of a parent. This was the start of her downfall.

Nathaniel, or Nate, as he preferred to be called, could not handle the death of his wife. It sent him into a deep depression. He dug even harder into work. When he wasn’t at work, he was drinking. He wasn’t an abusive drunk. But he was withdrawn. He would often order meals to be delivered instead of cooking like he used to. He would come out of his room to grab a plate and go back to his room to eat. If they thought that he was hardly at home at first, it was even more so now. His biggest problem was how much the girls looked like their mother. He would see them and it would make him cry.

He did provide for them. He got food for them. He bought school supplies and clothing for them. But he didn’t spend time with them. He didn’t get them ready for school. He didn’t take them to the doctors. He didn’t even hug or kiss them. He wasn’t a father. He was only a provider.

So, at the age of 10, Nikia was getting her 6-year-old sister ready for school. Nikia was cooking breakfast and dinner for Nola. Nikia helped her sister with her homework. Nikia was raising Nola herself. For this, she started to hate her father. She preferred for him not to be home. She did not need him. He knew this and would stay away more because of it.

Nikia grew to be a very bright girl. She graduated from high school at the age of 16. She could have graduated at 14 but she felt that she still had more to learn. She could have gone on to college and become someone great. But who would be there for Nola. She was only 12 years old. Nate wasn’t going to do anything for them. So, she stayed home. She was there when Nola went to school. She was there when she came home. She loved her sister more than anything.

Nikia knew that she would eventually have to get a job. She wouldn’t be able to keep Nola company. So, she got Punjab, a German Shepard puppy. The 2 of them took care of Punjab making sure they kept him out of their father’s way. He didn’t even realize that they had a dog.

On Nikia’s 18th birthday, her father gave her a gift. This was strange since he had not done so since Nancy died. He handed her a card with a hundred-dollar bill and a note. The note was very simple. Only a few words:

“You have 7 days to get out. Take that mutt with you.”

He was kicking her out. He was no longer required by law to take care of her, and he had no desire to do so. He was never a real father anyway. Nikia was more than happy to leave. She gathered her things and left that very day. She was already planning on leaving and had a 2-bedroom apartment waiting for her. Included with her things, she took a rubber tree plant that she had nursed back to health, Punjab, and Nola. Nate never even gave any reason to believe that he missed her.

They were a little upset. Who could blame them? Although he wasn’t around much, their father was the only man in their life. Nikia tried dating. But she found out that most men were liars or jerks or both. For example, she learned that Mike was married. So was Greg. Randy wasn’t. But he had 3 other girlfriends and told each one that they were the only one. He promised to marry Nikia. He gave her a very nice ring. This was only after she said that she wouldn’t let a man stay with her unless they were married. That same day she saw him give a ring to Jill. His down-on-bended knee posture suggested that it was more than a gift. Heather befriended Nikia in a mutual hatred of Randy. But in reality, she just wanted the ring that Randy gave her. He put her up to it. He told her that he was never really interested in that child. Nikia developed a mistrust of people.

Time passed and the 2 sisters went on with their life. Nikia worked while Nola was at school. She worked as a teacher during the school year, and she found other jobs during the summer. Nola was almost as smart as Nikia. She, too, graduated early. With Nikia’s help, Nola was able to get a full scholarship to Law School. It wasn’t Harvard, but she would get a degree. But it never happened. When Nola was 19 years old, things started to take a turn for the worse.

It started with the rubber tree plant. Nikia took great pride in keeping that plant healthy. She loved that plant almost as much as she loved the dog. But she noticed that the leaves had started to fall off. They also started to turn brown. She couldn’t figure it out. That was until she saw the dog eating the plant. Punjab was attracted to the sap from the plant. It had a sweet taste to it. But this put the plant in shock from which it could not recover. Regardless of what she did, she couldn’t save the plant.

At about that same time, Punjab started to get sick. She didn’t have the money to take him to a VET. So, she started to read up on his symptoms. What she learned was shocking. The sap from the Rubber Tree Plant was toxic to dogs from which he did not recover. She buried the plant and the dog in the backyard.

Two of the three things that Nikia loved the most were no more. Yet, her misfortunes were not over. Nola walked into the house, one day, and fell to the floor. She was gasping for air and complaining about chest pains. She was rushed to the hospital and although the pain was in her right side, she was treated immediately for a heart attack.

Her heart was fine. But with her oxygen level slowly dropping, it wouldn’t be too long before her heart suffered. 3 days and a dozen tests and scans later, she was diagnosed with Pulmonary Vascular Separatum or PSV. PSV is rare and deadly, but it is treatable. But it is also very expensive, and most insurance does not cover it. Hers covered most of it. But “most” was not enough.

On June 5th, the last day of school. Nikia was given the option to teach summer school. She turned it down to spend time with her sister at the hospital. She had enough money in the bank to pay her bills for a few months. So, taking the summer off didn’t seem too bad. Thus, she would spend most of her time at the hospital with Nola. It was there that she met Joey Benedict.

Joey saw Nikia sitting by herself day after day in the family lounge. She would go there to have a quiet place to think. The key word was quiet. She did not feel like talking to anyone. But sometimes talking was just what the doctor would order.

“Hello.”, he said. “How is your sister doing today?”

Nikia gave him a look that said a lot. Why are you speaking to me. It took a moment, but she did muster up the strength to speak to this stranger. “She’s not getting any better.”, she said. “She’s stable. So, she’s not getting any worse. But not better.”

She really didn’t want to continue this conversation. Joey didn’t want to push it, but he didn't want to leave it there.

“My brother is recovering well. While I don’t know how you feel, I can understand you want some time alone.”

Joey walked back to the other side of the room and sat down. He sat there and watched her for a moment. He was only trying to be nice. But Nikia’s previous interactions with men left her with trust issues. On top of that, she was under a ton of stress. It’s been a few months now, and her savings were gone. Her sister was not getting better, and her bills were not getting paid. She was getting unemployment checks, but it was not enough. Most of her money was for personal items and gas back and forth to the hospital. She wasn’t even getting food for herself. That’s why she decided to stay there most of the time.

When Joey left for the night, Nikia was still there. She was there all night. She didn’t go home. He came back in the morning with breakfast. He had 3 plates. One for her, one for himself, and one for his brother. It was sausage, eggs, hash brown potatoes, and wheat toast. He placed a foam container next to her and said, “Good Morning.”

At first, she pushed the food away.

“I would like to tell you that I made it myself, but it came right from the hospital cafeteria. Don’t worry about it getting cold. There is a microwave over there.”

If it wasn’t for the fact that she hadn’t eaten in 2 days, and her stomach was growling, she wouldn’t have touched it. The food was delicious. Or at least she was hungry. When you’re hungry enough, anything will taste good. Whatever the case, she enjoyed it, and it made her smile.

“Thank you.”, she said

After she finished eating, she was more willing to talk.

“So, how is your brother doing?”

“He’s getting better. He should be able to go home in a few days.”

“What’s wrong with him? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“Ruptured Gall Bladder.”

“Sound’s painful.”

“Listening to him, I would say very.”

“Well, my sister isn’t getting any better. And I don’t think she will.”

“Why? What’s wrong with her?”

“Pulmonary something, something. They called it PVS for short. I don’t even know what it is.”

“Pulmonary Vascular Separatum!”

“Yes. That’s it. What is it.”

“Some of the veins in the lungs have pulled away from the lining. The lungs themselves are not getting the oxygen they need. This could cause the lungs to break down. It can be very painful. Medicine can treat the pain, but she’ll need surgery to fix the issue.”

“Well, whatever it is, they’re kicking her out tomorrow. Her insurance isn’t paying anymore. I’m going to home today to make sure I can take care of her.”

As she was talking, a patient walked in. He looked like Joey, but he was taller, darker, and handsome. But she wasn’t going to say it out loud.

“Nikia, this is my brother, Andrew.”

“Pleased to meet you.”, she says as she walks away. “Wait one moment.”, aid Andrew. “you know that you don't have to sleep in the Family Lounge. The hospital can give you a room.”

“That's good. But I’m going to spend one night at home.”

She went to go hug her sister and let her know that she was getting the house ready. She didn’t tell her that without surgery, her condition was fatal and that they were talking about hospice. But there was an even bigger problem.

When she got home, there was an eviction notice on her door. Her sister was being kicked out of the hospital, and in 10 days, neither of them would have a home to go to.

That night she had a dream. It was an expression of how she really felt. A song was playing in the background about a crying girl. She was the girl in the dream. She started to cry, and her tears became a puddle on the floor. It continued to grow until it filled the house. Still flowing, her tears became a river and soon filled the entire planet. The whole world drowned in her tears. She woke up and her pillow was soaked. Was it tears? Was it sweat? She never did find out. It wasn’t important.

She arrived at the hospital the next day and Joey had breakfast for her again. She sat down and gulped down the food. The two brothers were together. Andrew was wearing everyday street cloth. Joey was wearing the full doctor’s garb.

“Nikia”, he said, “I may have some good news for…”

“Good News.”, she cut him off. “What good news could you have. I just found out I’m being evicted. I don’t have a home to take my sister to. What good news can you have?”

She continued to talk, but she was ranting. They couldn’t understand all that she was saying. The tears and cracking in her voice made it worse. They were shocked to learn of the eviction. This complicated things. But the news that they had was still good news.

“First of all,” he said, “I’m so sorry to hear that. The news that I have will lift your spirits some. We’ll deal with the rest shortly. I never really explained who I am. My name is Dr. Joey Matthews. Yes, I am a doctor. No, I don’t work at this hospital. I don’t work in this state. I work at a hospital in Chicago. I was able to talk to my team and we will treat your sister without charge. I was able to talk to some charity providers and we can get you some transportation there without charge. She can be air lifted as soon as tomorrow.”

She had no clue how to respond. Nobody had treated her this kindly since her mother died. Especially men. She didn’t know what to expect.

“Why are you doing this? Why are you being so nice to me? You don’t even know me.”

“I enjoy helping people. If I see someone in need and I have the ability to help them, I can’t leave them in a lurch. That would be wrong.”

They arrived at the University of Chicago Hospital and Nola was prepared for surgery almost right away. Apparently, Joey had more pull than he let on. Nikia was beside herself with joy. While Nola recovered, she was allowed to stay in an adjacent room. No need to sleep in the Family Lounge. She was happy, but she realized that this was temporary. What was going to happen when Nola was released? In walks Joey.

“Nikia”, he said, “I have more good news for you.”

“My sister is alive because of you. I could never repay you. What else can you do for me?”

“I don’t know how much you like Chicago, but I can get you a job right here at the hospital. It’s in the administration office and pays a little more than a teacher’s job. Also, if you want it, I have a place for you to live.”

This is when her trust issues come back. Most people only wanted to see what they could get from her. Why would someone give anything without asking for something in return. He bought her breakfast. He got her sister the treatment she needed. He got her a job and now he’s offering her a place to live. She didn’t trust him. What did he mean.

“Let me guess.”, she said. “It’s with you. That’s out of the question.”

“While I do think that you are beautiful, you’re not really my type. No offense. No, it’s a 2 flat apartment building. The 2nd floor apartment is for rent. It’s 3 bedrooms and 1 and a half bathrooms. It’s less than a mile from the hospital.”

They were able to move into the new apartment the same day Nikia started her new job. It was nice to be able to come home and sleep in a nice bed. Hospital beds and chairs were wreaking havoc on her back. With Nola nursed back to health, they felt that they could get on with their life. On her day off she got a visitor. It wasn’t Joey.

“Andrew,” she said. “What a surprise.”

“I just wanted to check in on you. How are you doing? How is your sister doing?”

“We’re both doing great. Joey actually got Nola a job at the hospital. They are both there now. He’s also helping her get her law degree. She wants to work in the legal department. They’ve been spending a lot of time together. I’m kind of happy for her.”

She said that she was happy, but she still had the saddest look on her face. She still looked as if she was crying inside. He took notice of this.

“That’s good to hear.”, he said. “I wanted to know if you wanted to go for a walk. This is a great area if you stop and take time to look at it.”

The city of Chicago always seems to have small events going on. There is always something to do to take your mind off of your troubles. He showed her these things. They walked slowly down the street talking about everything that was bothering her. She never had anyone that was there to listen to her. Joey was nice. But he wanted to fix everything. Sometimes you only need someone to listen.

While they were walking, it started to rain. Andrew took off his jacket and covered her head. They walked quickly back to the house. They stood on the porch and continued to talk. He learned a lot about her that day and she learned a lot about him. Something happened to her that had not happened in many years. She laughed. In the end he looked at his watch and said that he enjoyed the time the spent together but it was time for him to leave. He bent down and kissed her on the cheek. As he walked around the corner, she saw Joey and Nola kissing. She smiled.

The wedding was set for June 5th. Nikia had on a royal blue dress while her bridesmaids had light blue. Nola was wearing red while her bridesmaids wore pink. The double wedding was the most beautiful anyone had ever seen. To their surprise, Nate was there to give them both away. He hugged them both and had a big smile on his face. They can’t remember if they ever seen him smile.

Nikia and Andrew moved into a larger house. She got a new dog and a new Rubber Tree plant. The dog was named Lily St. Regis. She loved them both greatly. There was someone she grew to love more. She named her first daughter Nancy, after her mother.

Nola and Joey moved into a house across the street. It was identical to Nikia’s. Her dog was named Miss. Hannigan, and her daughter was Annie. Everyday, the 4 of them walked to work every day after dropping the girls off at school. Nikia and Andrew in the administrator’s office. Nola and Joey in the legal department. They were truly happy.

The 2 girls grew to be beautiful children. One day they were looking through old photo albums. The girls mention how sad their mothers looked in the old pictures.

“She do look sad in these photographs.”, said Joey.

“But I absolutely look her”, said Andrew, “When she smiles.”