Give Me Wings by Joy Redmond

Author:Joy Redmond [Redmond, Joy]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2013-06-17T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

Carnikko squirmed, shifting the top half of her body, and was amazed at how well she could maneuver in her cast. She squeezed her hands, then spread them wide. She had to get them limber so she could push the wheelchair down the hall, burst through the door, and yell, “Hi, Mama! Hi, Evan! I love ya this much.”

It seemed as if it was taking an eternity for an aide to return with a wheelchair, so she grabbed the buzzer, pushed the button in the center, and held it firmly. “The aide can fuss if she wants to. I don’t care,” she mumbled.

Finally, she heard the door creak, saw it open, and she craned her neck, expecting to see a wheelchair coming through the door. Instead, she saw Aunt Lou and Aunt Bell.

Carnikko was surprised, but she said excitedly, “The aide’s gone to get me a wheelchair. I’m gonna go see Mama and Evan. Ya wanna come with me?” Aunt Lou looked toward the ceiling and sighed as Carnikko continued, “Well, do you wanna come or not?”

Aunt Lou took Carnikko’s hand, looked her straight in the eyes, and said softly, but firmly, “You can’t go see Mama and Evan, honey.” She paused as she swallowed hard, then added, “I’m sorry—” Then her voice trailed off as if words had suddenly failed her.

“Yes, I can. An aide’s gettinꞌ a wheelchair right now,” Carnikko countered. “The nurse said I could get out of my room and go see ꞌem!”

Aunt Lou’s voice quivered as she said, “Your mama’s in heaven, honey.”

Carnikko frowned, then said, “No, she ain’t. She’s just down the hall in another room.”

“No, Carnikko,” Aunt Lou said, shaking her head sadly. “I know you were told she was in the hospital, but she’s not. She’s in heaven, sweetheart.”

Carnikko was sure her heart was trying to jump out of her chest as she stammered, “I—I don’t understand. Are ya tryin' to tell me that Mama is—Mama is dead?”

“Yes, honey. That’s what we’re trying to tell you,” Aunt Lou replied softly.

Carnikko looked at Aunt Bell, who was wiping a tear from her cheek, and pleaded. “Aunt Bell, tell me it ain’t true. Mama’s just down the hall, right?”

Aunt Bell said nothing. She just shook her head silently, more tears running down her face.

“No! No!” Carnikko screamed, her head rolling back and forth on the pillow with each word.

“Carnikko, please stop screaming,” Aunt Lou said.

Her eyes flashing, Carnikko looked at her aunts and said, “Yer lyin' to me. Mama can’t be dead.” Then she paused, as if afraid to ask the next question. “Where’s Evan?”

Her hand over her mouth, as if she wished she could stop the words from escaping her lips, Aunt Bell whispered, “Evan’s in heaven too.”

In shock and disbelief, Carnikko buried her head in her pillow. How long she remained in that position she didn’t know, but when she finally looked up again, Aunt Bell was gone.

Aunt Lou reached out and took Carnikko’s trembling hand. “Your mama and Evan both

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