10. Choking me

It's Monday and I skipped school because Uncle Raj is leaving for India. He has a flight at night. So I thought I would send some gifts to everyone with him. I asked Kristina if she could accompany me to the shopping mall and she agreed happily.

I knocked at Uncle Raj's door. I want to tell him before I step out for shopping.

"Yes," he replied.

"I'm going out for a few hours with Kristina. I will make sure to come back as soon as possible."

"It's okay, I have to take this business call anyway."

"Then I will come back before you know it."

I waved him bye and left with Kristina in a car. The psychiatrist made me overcome my fear of traveling in a car. I can sit in a car if it's a trusted driver. So Kristina drove the car herself without the driver.

I felt really good, coming out shopping with Kristina, and the fact that I'm purchasing everything for mama's family made my heart swell with happiness.

 I'm very happy with the gifts I bought for everyone. Kristina offered to pay but I didn't let her and used Mama's card because that would make her soul happy.

After finishing the shopping, we saw that the escalator is under repair and the staff who are working there requested us to use a nearby elevator.

I stepped into the elevator with Kristina. There is also another couple in their 30's there. Once the elevator door closed, my anxiety levels rose.

I started sweating profusely, my heart rate began to speed up, and so did my breathing. I felt dizzy and had an urge to vomit. I felt lightheaded all of a sudden.

I clutched my head between my hands. I felt as if the elevator walls are closing on me...someone choking me so hard that I can't breathe.

"What happened Amy? Are you okay?" Kristina asked with a concerned voice.

"I...I ca.. can't b b breathe." I told her.

She immediately pressed the button to stop the elevator on the next floor. The couple next to us, helped her to get me out. She took me to the ice cream shop near the elevator with few tables and made me sit on one of the chairs.

I'm gasping out for air.. with sweat flowing down my face. The man went and brought a bottle of water. Kristina made me drink the water. And the lady with us held my shoulders for giving me support. Kristina asked me to take deep breaths.

Kristina thanked the couple for helping us. I'm trying to inhale more air and my body is still shaking. Kristina went a few feet away from me and made a call. I could feel my whole body shivering.

After a while, I felt normal again. I turned to see Kristina's concerned face for me, there is sweat forming on her forehead.

"You scared me, Amy. How are you feeling now? And what happened suddenly?" She bombarded me with questions.

"I'm feeling fine now. Don't worry Kristina. And I don't know what happened, I felt like the walls of the elevator are closing around me and I'm not able to breathe. My heart turned so heavy."

She mopped away the perspiration with the back of her hand in relief.

"But still let's go to the hospital and speak with your doctor. Just to be on the safe side."

"No, I'm completely fine now, there is no need to go to the hospital now."

My breathing is back to normal and my body is not shivering and I have my uncle waiting for me. I even have to wrap the gifts before giving him.

"Mom, what happened? Why were you crying? You scared the hell out of me" asked Jason walking into the ice cream parlor with concern written on his face.

"Amy got so scared in the elevator, she was unable to breathe. We have to take her to the hospital now!"

"Relax mom, Look she is fine now. Look at the way she is gobbling her ice cream. " He said, eyeing my double scoop cookies and cream ice cream.

I need ice cream to calm down my nerves. Can't a girl eat her ice cream in peace!!

Kristina glared at him. Which made him agree eventually to take me to the hospital.

"Okay, okay let's go to the hospital."

"Let's go in my car, we can send a driver later to pick your car mom," Jason said throwing his keys in the air and catching them.

Kristina walked before me. Jason took all the shopping bags from her hands.

"There should be a good enough reason for this visit to the doctor. Or else you are going to experience the same symptoms when I'm going to choke you" he murmured in my ears.

I glared back at him. He is such an insensitive asshole!

"What? I left my date in the middle and came running here." He gave me an innocent look.

I stuck my tongue out to him and went forward to go walk with Kristina. This time we took the stairs instead.

Doctor Nicholson after listening to everything that happened. He asked me if I ever felt this way before in elevators or closed spaces. But this is the first time I have experienced something like this.

"I think because of the accident, you are claustrophobic or this can be post-traumatic stress disorder. Sometimes it will cure on its own or with some medication but sometimes it can be long term."

Oh my God!

Then I'm never getting into elevators. Then should I take stairs all my life?

"Don't worry, I will prescribe you some medicines for you if you feel this way in the future take them." The doctor continued seeing Kristina's worried expression. He gave his prescription and asked me to always carry the medicine with me just to be safe.

"I would recommend you to avoid small enclosed spaces where there isn't much natural sunlight or air" He added. We thanked him and left.

After dropping us home, Jason went back to God knows where maybe back to resume his date with Jessica.

"Please don't tell any of this to Uncle Raj. He may get worried unnecessarily" I told Kristina stepping into the giant living room. She smiled at me back in acknowledgment.

I took the gifts to Uncle Raj's room after wrapping them. He declined them first, but he accepted after I insisted. He finished his packing and left for the airport. I promised him that I will make a Skype call whenever possible.

When I'm going back to the room after waving Uncle Raj goodbye, Ryan dragged me to his room.

"I have something important to tell you." He said with a serious look.

"What?"

"Last night, I'm about to go downstairs and heard your Uncle talking with my parents. I think something is off. I mean really off"

"Stop talking in riddles and tell me properly so that I can understand."

"I felt thirsty around midnight and seeing that there is no water by the bedside, I was about to go downstairs and heard them talking."

*******

Peter "Thank you for letting Amy stay with us."

Raj "I only accepted it because Rob wanted Amy to stay with you. But I'm not going to agree to the other half of what he wished for, and I don't want Amy to know that, Her future will be her wish and her choice but not by some will."

Peter "I know, I agree it will be a secret to Amy till she turns 18. And thank you for hiding the fact that Limelight Interiors is at a Loss. I don't think she can bear to see her father's company in the loss." 

Raj "I know you will take good care of Limelight Interiors. And .."

Peter "What are you doing so late at night Ryan? Go back to your bed." Peter shouted.

******

"And I came back to my room." I thought to ask Mom about it but felt I should tell you first. What do you think?

So only half the contract is known to me and even dad's company is at a loss that's a lot of information to process.

"I think they are hiding something from me. But maybe that's for my own good. If they both decided to put me in the dark till I turned 18 then maybe it's something I can't handle or I'm not ready now to face it. So don't ask your mom."

Dad made the will. So I'm sure it is something about my own good.

Even though I acted like it didn't but it aid bother me, that they are keeping half of my dad's will secret from me and on top of that Dad's company is facing loss but I'm sure Peter will handle it.

I can trust Peter, Kristina, and Uncle Raj, even though I have known my Uncle for hardly a few days I know that he loves me immensely, it's just the cultural difference and the fact that he is from an orthodox background.

Days passed by, I'm busy with school, assignments, and having fun with Ryan and Sophie, and after having my cast removed from my arm we did go for games and bowling a lot like before.

And don't forget the idiot whose only goal is to make my life miserable. He had hidden 12 alarm clocks in my room, that I have to wake up every 10minutes to switch off.

He even coated cleaning sponge with my ffavoritehazelnut spread and gave it to me saying it's a vanilla cake with hazelnut spread, And me being a fan of hazelnut spread believed him and tried to eat it.

The only reason he was alive bwas ecause he didn't dare to give me a used cleaning sponge!!

I took my vengeance on him, I added green food coloring to his toothpaste ,and even dyed his dirty blonde hair purple while he was sleeping. It's washable or else he would have killed me. Now I'm just anxious about how he is going to get back at me for his purple hair.

Should I add hot sauce to his bodywash? Or swap his room freshener for shrimp scent?