Chapter 3

Chapter 3

S**t, it’s 5:45. Why have I woken up before my alarm clock? It never happens. I never leave my bed until the alarm has ringed at least 3 times. It seems rain is about to start and cold day is ahead. I do want to call Nikki and ask her how she is and I need to talk to my best friend but if she has slept in the hospital the last thing I want to do is wake her up at this hour. The only thing I need right now is a shower and coffee. This semester has made me a coffee lover. Never used to like coffee as much as do now. It may have happened because of the late night studies and the urge not to sleep and wake up early in the morning. My shift starts in less than an hour and I head to work. Everyone is sleepy but the clients have taken place in the tables. I am ashamed to admit myself for hoping to see Jonathan today. What is wrong with me? I do not like what I feel. It’s not that I feel something because there are no rational reasons to do it, but his manners, look and what he is professionally have made me obsessive. Shut down the thoughts and start working. Need to stay focused not to cause another incident as the last one. Not in the mood to hear in this cold morning Jim’s critics and shouts, and definitely not in the mood to trip again and spill coffee to another suited client. Nikki calls. Impatiently I go to the bathroom and answer the phone.

-Em hello, I have news and couldn’t wait for the evening to share it with you.

-Hey what’s up? How was your night? How is Luke’s mom?

-She is fine now. Luke is less stressed thank god. I need to tell you something. But don’t cry out.

-Oh, this is great news. Cry out? Don’t scare me. Shoot.

-Em, I … Luke actually proposed. I can feel her excitement in every word. This is amazing. I knew it was going to happen but not so soon.

-Yaaay Nikki. I am so glad for you two. Wooow! So he finally made the move.

-Yes Em, I am beyond excited.

-But how? Where? How was it?

-Well, we were waiting for the doctor with test results and suddenly he was on his knees. I frowned. What was he doing? But then he said: Nicole Clark I love you. These past few days have made me realize  that life is short and I cannot waste any more time without knowing that you will be mine forever and ever. I don’t want to waste anymore seconds. I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?

I was shocked. He proposed me on the hospital hall. And for sure the answer was a yes. Not so romantic as a location but my heart was pounding so hard and tears were floating as a river.

-Nikki I have no words. We have to celebrate your engagement, of course after Luke’s mother will recover herself.

-Yes Em, I can’t wait. We need to celebrate, to go out and have some fun. These days have been rough for both of us, but also I need you. Haven’t talked heart to heart to my best friend and I miss you.

-I miss you too. We will make it up. I am very happy for you guys. Did you call your parents?

-No I didn’t.

-Nicole do it now. They will be thrilled. I have to go because I locked myself in the bathroom and Jim will be furious.

-I forgot you were at work. Sorry I am jumping from happiness. See you tonight.

-Yes can’t wait to meet you. I have to go. See you love. Bye.

Reviews

[Laura Lynn]

Spilling the coffee seems to be a huge mistake, once I went on a date with a Palestinian and he spilled coffee on the floor of my car I was driving. I don't know if it was a mistake. I'm not sure what he meant sometimes because I didn't know half of the languages he did and I thought being from Israel he knew something more about God than I did. I like this "spilt coffee" image and that it threads the chapters 1-3 together...at least it is not spilled milk! I used to see the spelling spilled ---->spilt which is from the German heritage way of pronunciation. I used to be thought of as acceptable in some lexicons/dictionaries but they have changed the dictionaries a little since, esp. Webster's I am noticing. I did not realize how different Webster's and American Heritage, and Oxford were. Now we also have all the online versions too.

I did not realize that people would be spending the night in the hospital. They slept in the hospital or they were awake and working there; the way the shifts work...interesting.

Well, there is a lot in here to work with. I guess you are using this material and might want to use some of these scenes reworking them. Although one professor once told me that he liked to write a thing, then toss it aside, then see what he remembered of what he had written before as though he had lost the original manuscript. I did not like that idea of that when I first heard him say it, but since collecting memories for a handful of years I see the goodness or benefit of it.