02

ADELINA felt relief from constantly inhaling that repugnant hospital smell of antiseptic and flowers and drugs for three weeks. How she managed to stay in there bed ridden for three years still came as a surprise to her. Just as the news that she had been in a coma for three long years. She had begun her in-patient therapy program at the hospital which mostly gave her the hump. Learning to eat, walk, talk, all over again got her exhausted. She had read on atrophy one time but never envisaged how frustrating it could actually be, until now. Frustrated would be an understatement to describe her feeling of vulnerability everyday. 

On the stipulations of the doctor, Tony, she ate vegetables and fruits. Never real food as she had demanded food from a nurse. It was very important she ate healthy as he informed that it would go a long way in ensuring a quick recovery. And since she had wanted nothing more than to leave that hospital, she reluctantly complied. 

By now, she could eat on her own and speak well enough. Although a few times, her speech had come out slurred. To some extent, she could also walk by herself, but only a short distance which meant she mostly had to move about in a wheel chair. 

Before her discharge day, Tony revealed that she would be needing a therapist who would see to her recovery for the while she was going to be at her parent’s house.

Adelina was the happiest when her mother told her she would be coming home. If she was being witty, leaving the hospital meant she was going to have to confront the incident of three years ago. Something she was determined to keep at bay. 

Simone Miller was the one to bring her home; her best friend since the third grade. They attended the same high school and both went to colleges' in the same city.

Inseparable as Lupe had labeled them years ago, they did everything and anything together ranging from causing mischief and getting punished. Together.

At some point, people envisaged that they were not identical twins as Simone was a tall blonde with the slender figure of a typical vogue magazine model. White pale skin tone, rose red heart shaped lips and large hazel eyes. Miss Photogenic as voted in a beauty pageantry she enrolled in when she was younger.

In contrast, Adelina was a fair heighted olive skinned woman who had auburn brown hair which she usually has trimmed up to her shoulders. With bow shaped lips and small brown eyes, she never found pageantry something she would venture into. Even if they were completely dissimilar in both character and physique, they were still dubbed as 'twin' despite Simone being a couple of years older than Adelina. 

The driver pulled over in the driveway and Adelina was wheeled out of the car irrespective of all her assurance that she could walk to the house which was not much of a distance from the driveway.

"You really did not have to wheel me in this thing. Look, it isn't even a great distance. I can make the walk," she whined for the umpteenth time which made Simone groan out in frustration.

"You seem to have forgotten me Adelina. When I am determined to make something happen, it always does. Now, you are going to stop whining because I won't let you walk and hurt yourself," she intoned with finality. 

Oh Adelina remembered her all too well. So, even when she complained about it, she knew it was pointless. She was just hoping to play the pity card with Simone. Miserable effort.

Her eyes wandered to Simone's hand on her shoulder, to her long index finger adorned in the vintage Edwardian ring. Her lips curled into a small smile. A lot had happened in the three years she was away. Although, this was one of the few things she suspected will definitely happen. It was only a matter of 'when?'

"I was wondering when you both will come to your senses to realize you were made for each other."

Simone chuckled following Adelina's eyes. "Well, Nicolás had always been a jerk to me when we were little. In a million years, I never imagined us getting married."

"I always knew," Adelina continued. "From your constant bickering every and any second of the day." She laughed. "You both were the perfect definition of drama."

Simone smiled ecstatically, rubbing her shoulders. At least Adelina's sense of humor was still intact.

"You have no idea how glad I am that you are here. My wedding just wouldn't feel right without you as my maid of honor." She patted her softly in the shoulder. "Welcome home Adelina."

Now, they were just a few steps away from the front porch of the three storey French Normandy mansion. She glanced around the house vindictively. How much she had missed this sight.

Simone drew open the double front door and wheeled Adelina into the mostly dark room. Except for a candle lit in the middle of what she suspected to be a cake, the living room was dark.

Just as she was about to ask where everyone had gone, the voices came out in a loud boom.

"Welcome Home!!!”

Then the lights came on, followed by the fall of balloons exactly where she sat and the huge banner up front that read, 'Welcome Home Adelina.'

She had startled. Knowing her family, she expected a sort of celebration when she returned. A party, quite the party. However, she was very grateful for this, for the familiar faces that greeted her. Her parents and brother, a few extended relatives and her cousin sister, Olivia, who was already a matured young lady by now compared to the last time she had seen her. 

Manuel came towards her with a small box, handing it to her.

"Welcome home Mijá."

He encircled her in a bear hug and when they pulled apart, he urged her to open up the box. When she did, her mouth dropped open. Typical of her father to present her with gifts like this. She had almost forgotten what it felt like.

"But Papá, I can't even drive in this state."

He shrugged his shoulders impassively. "You will soon."

Her face lit up with a beam. "Thank you Papá." 

Following this was a bunch of other presents Adelina had to spend half an hour unraveling. When she was done, she made her way to the dining table where assorted treats had been dished out.

Her eyes popped. Real food.

Without wasting even a second, she grabbed a plate and served herself a couple of 'empanadas' which she delved right into almost immediately. 

"Should you be eating that?" Olivia emerged from behind her, with her eyes squinted in concern. 

"No, she shouldn't," came Simone's voice.

She raised a brow at Adelina, snatching the plate from her palms before handing her a bowl of charred salad.

"This is what she should be eating," she gestured to Olivia who was already laughing at the scenery that had just played out.

"Somethings never change," she remarked, recalling how Simone used to always chide Adelina and tease her about everything and anything, make sure she took her drugs whenever she was sick and practically slept at her place every Halloween night like she used to when they were younger. Adelina described her as 'a little too much' but she loved the fact that Simone always looked out for her.

Adelina on the other hand, heaved a sigh. She managed to take a forkful of the salad before setting the bowl down. Not at her welcome party was she going to torture herself with this 'hell' in disguise of a meal.

Both Olivia and Simone drew out a chair from the table and got comfortable in it. No sooner had all three of them started to laugh at each other's mention.

"So Olivia, I hear you are in your senior year," Adelina changed the course of the conversation from the teases they had been throwing her way. 

"Yes," she replied rather unenthusiastically. "I just hate the fact that it has to be in a school in El Salvador." 

Manuel Delgado was one to send his children to their homeland for high school. According to him, it ensures they never forget their root. It was the same with Nicolás and Adelina. Simone even had to school there as well because she did not want to get separated from Adelina.

"If it makes you feel any better, I graduated high school there as well."

"Yeah," Simone nodded. "Me too. It is pretty fun there. Do you not like it?" 

Olivia shrugged. "It's not that I do not like El Salvador. You see, Papá was supposed to send me there three years back. But with everything that happened at the time, he resigned to enroll me in a high school closer to home. I had gotten so accustomed with everything. I was even going to run for Student Body President this year, and all of a sudden, he is shipping me to a boarding school in El Salvador. It sucks." She concluded with a grim.

Adelina smiled knowingly. "You could still run for Student Body President over there."

"I know, I know," she attested. "It is just going to be really hard. You know, I am new and all. I don't have the popularity I had back here. And then there are the popular kids over there." She shrugged again. "I don't think it is something I want to do anymore."

Simone patted her in the back. "Whatever makes you happy dear."

She looked at her skeptically. "Really?" 

Adelina didn't fail to notice this.

"Let me guess, she threatened to fly to Salvador and deal with anyone that tries to bully you?"

Olivia's mouth opened in surprise. "How accurate!"

Manuel and Lupe were watching them converse and laugh heartily and at some point, tears brimmed in Lupe's eyes. He pulled her to his chest.

"It's very real Mi amor. Our daughter is back."

A bead of tear dropped down her left cheek. Seeing all three of them together, smiling and laughing, filled her with unimaginable joy she had not felt in years. And seeing Adelina reminded her of how close she was to losing her daughter.

"I still can't help but wonder about that night. I really want to know what happened that night Manuel."

He huffed. "I do too."

"What got our Adelina so intoxicated and all messed up with swollen eyes from crying? When I think back to that day, it breaks my heart. I want her to talk to me. Tell me when something or someone is bothering her. I don't care if she thinks she has out grown that."

"I understand how you feel Miel. But remember what the doctor said? We mustn't expose her to overwhelming emotions right now," he recalled and Lupe shook her head in understanding.

Something happened that night which has left Lupe wondering for years. She only hoped that when she finally confronts Adelina about it, she wouldn't shrug off the question as she always does whenever she tries to have those kind of conversations with her.

Adelina approached them with a huge smile on her face. Her face was glowing compared to how it had been in the hospital. Although her skin was still somewhat pale and she looked quite lean, she was still very much curvy and beautiful. And her smile still held that sensational aura. 

"Are you enjoying yourself, Mijá?" Lupe asked, going over to wheel her closer to where she had been sitting.

"Yes Mamá, thank you so much for this. It is exactly how I wanted it."

Manuel chuckled. "You know, I wanted to make it big, trust me." They both laughed at this. "But on second thought, decided to save the grand celebration for your twenty-ninth birthday. And no Mijá, you cannot refuse that."

Adelina smiled, nodding in surrender. "I won't." She glanced around the room before saying, "I noticed Nicolás left early."

"Oh yes," her father affirmed. "He had some business dealings to finish with the McCurby's."

Adelina's expression went still at the mention of that name. She dreaded hearing it the entire evening, even when she knew it was quite unavoidable. Luckily for her, she hadn't seen the one face she needed not get even a glimpse of and nobody had mentioned him much to her relief. At least, until now.