Painful Smiles

All his life, people did things for him because of his father’s money. This was the first instance of someone helping him without being paid anything upfront.

And also, his father had said, after realizing his suicide attempt, that he would be taking him to France soon to help him forget the event of his mother’s death. He didn’t like the idea not even one bit.

He would have still be coming to the headquarters of Bleu Cristal company and meet with all those nasty workers again. Even his very few school friends there at America.

Also, he wouldn’t be meeting his life saver anytime soon. He’d be staying in France for a long time.

Mrs. Peniel came into his room holding his lunch. ‘She’s pretty, right?’ she grinned. Michael rolled his eyes.

‘Its sad you’ll have to finish grade school at France. Sadly, I’ll be away from my sister during that time’ she gasped.

She brightened up, ‘Well, you’ll have a chance of moving into a new environment. And did your life saver like those dolls you sent?’.

Michael smiled and nodded.

On the contrary, his actual life saver, Claudia had just finished crying. She wiped her tears and glared at the black teddy in front if her. She hated it. With passion.

It wasn’t entirely black, it had blue and red in some places. She wanted to burn it up or cut it to pieces.

Just then, a thought came to her mind.

‘Mark’.

Quickly she took her teddy, noiselessly wore her black boots and sneaked out of her room. Her parents were at the neighbor’s house. Clara was in her room having ‘tea with Barbie and friends’. How great! At least in this occasion.

With some little money she had, she boarded a taxi all the way to the hospital.

Mark was her greatest possession. Though he too preferred staying around Clara but at least, he didn’t ignore her and gave her listening ears all the time.

When she got there, she had the same problem her parents had had. Where was Mark’s ward?

She searched every room in the hospital. She found him at Ward 87. That’s was far. She knocked and Mark’s mom opened. ‘Hello, Mrs. Beatrice’ Claudia greeted.

‘Oh, hello, Claudina’ Mrs. Beatrice.

She always loved calling Claudia, Claudina and Clara, Clarina. There was no special reason why. ‘Hey Mark’ Claudia waved.

‘Hey’ he answered with eyes glued to the teddy in his hands. She noticed and placed it in his bed. She knew he liked teddies.

Weird for a twelve year old boy but he liked it. ‘Get well soon’ she wished. He beamed fondling the teddy, ‘Thanks, is Clara coming?’.

Claudia’s countenance changed but she forced a smile. ‘Maybe, I came on my own’ she said lowly so Mrs. Beatrice wouldn’t hear her and ask her why. ‘Oh, wow, you’ve grown up’ Mark teased her. ‘Sure, I have. And I’ll be coming back to get you’re a get well soon card. All patients would need it’ she smiled.

They were yet to know about her ordeal with the ‘crazy nurse’. ‘Oh, thank you dear’ Mrs. Beatrice smiled.

Claudia left shortly an shopped her way back to the house. She had forgotten that she sneaked out of the house and slammed the door loudly. ‘Claudia?!’ her father called.

‘Oh dear’ she froze. Her parents were back. Clara stood at the stairs holding the pink teddy. ‘We’ve been looking for you? Where’d you go?’.

Clara inclined her ears was that worry in Clara’s time. The little witch was worried for her? ‘Claudia!’ her mother was now behind her.

She was scolded. Which was normal. Even confined to her room. Despite the fact that she told them were exactly she went, it didn’t seem to make her punishments lighter!

She still had to go take a picture of Mark with her camera in order to make a ‘Get a well card’ for him.

‘For Mark? I’ll go get a picture’ Clara offered. Her mother nodded, ‘Clara would go you go sleep in your room’ she pointed to Claudia’s room. Claudia signed, Mark would finally get to see the Clara he had been asking of.

****

Finally, he was being discharged from the hospital. He had tried making friends from few of the kids at the hospital but he didn’t make much progress.

A particular girl, Annie, had tried talking to him but she stammered a lot. He had very low patience for such. He tried not to be rude to her and left her presence.

He had another friend who talked about nothing but Marvel movies and DC comics, he liked the guy though, his name was Matt.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

He had never tried making friends before but now he tried, it wasn’t so hard. The girl’s advice was really helpful. He wished he could meet her in person.

‘Heading to France now!’ Mrs. Peniel announced when he came closer to her. He frowned, yeah right.

He walked quickly heading to his car. He would forget everything about America, it would be hard but he would forget. He soon got tired of walking and cursed hi ward for being so far. His nanny was trying to hide him so far deep into a hospital.

Passing through Ward 117, Michael saw something very familiar. ‘Wait, that teddy…’ he went back to the ward and saw a boy his age fondling the black teddy he had gifted his life saver.

Was that toy very popular or somehow his nanny missed things up? He was sure his life saver was a girl. And she had been discharged earlier.

‘Isn’t that the one you bought, I saw you mail it to a her!’ he said to Mrs. Peniel. ‘Yes, that is the one and I mailed it to a her but…’

Michael stomped into the room glaring angrily at the boy. Mrs. Peniel followed swallowing her remaining words. The boy’s mother abruptly got up from her chair and gazed confused at Michael.

‘Where’d you pick that toy from!’ Michael roared. His emerald eyes emitted hatred.