For the Love of a Patriot || 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮 ✔️ [#wattys 2018]

17 | Focus

~Focus~
~H.E.R.~

(Play throughout whole chapter)

•••

The definition of heartbreak was overall what I had been feeling throughout the past few weeks. Overwhelmed with alarming amounts of distress.

Immediately, she was admitted into the hospital. She fought hard, knowing there was no recovery, only slowing it down. She was a brain surgeon, she always thought she knew better.

The stages of the cancer began to reveal themselves. The amount of memory loss was insane and her health was rapidly deteriorating. There was no more stability in our family, not at the moment.

The first time she forgot who I was I had a small break down in the bathroom of the hospital. Since then, every time I went to visit her, I started by introducing myself again and again so maybe she would remember me next time.

She never did.

She always remarked every time that I seemed like a nice young woman and that I reminded her of her daughter who was four--Genesis. She had no recollection of her two other daughters, not even Camille who was Genesis' twin sister, and not me, though I was born four years after them.

She remembered Christopher and Genesis. She could never remember Devon, Camille, or Me.

Steve sometimes drove me to the hospital, but I never wanted him to come in. I wanted to spare him the family heartache. Mostly mine.

I hit my head against the stupid golden block in front of me.

I could tell it alarmed Bruce next to me because he softly touched my shoulder. "Rachel we can take a break if you--"

"I'm fine." I replied dully.

He didn't ask me anymore.

I lifted my head and sighed. "The stone refers to an someone named Oya...an African Goddess. There are some words though, I can't translate. There are no English, African or Arabic translations for them. Chibiwe a lakandela." I said, setting down my clip board and removing my glasses. "It sounds a little like Xhosa, but at this point I've been able to translate almost everything on here completely but this. It's like this for a reason. It's a summoning." I took my hair down from the clipped updo it was in and set my hands in my lap.

I looked like shit. I hadn't done my hair with care in about two weeks, I had bags under my eyes, and my cheeks had lost all of their color.
I hadn't slept in days.