Sweet Burden (15 page)

When her alarm went off in the morning, she sensed someone sitting on her bed next to her. She reached over turning the alarm off and opened her eyes.

“Obi?” she mumbled wiping her eyes until her mother’s form came into view.

“Obi? Who is Obi dear?” Regina asked.

Hitomi sighed and rolled over facing the wall. “No one.”

“Doesn’t sound like ‘no one’.”

“Mom, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Alright sweetie, but if you ever do you know you can talk to me about anything.” Regina lightly stroked Hitomi’s hair. “I have to go to the hospital, but I should be home around dinner time. Okay?”

“Um hm.”

Regina left the room and Hitomi heard the car pull out of the driveway. She pulled the comforter up over her and groaned, not wanting to get out of the bed. The pains in her chest were dull today but she hadn’t had a good night sleep in five days. The snooze alarm went off and she reached over smacking the clock.

After crawling out of bed, she got ready for school and headed downstairs. She went into the kitchen to grab something to eat when she heard a loud bang from the front porch. The sound made her jump and she turned around heading for the front door. Hitomi was just about to open the door when there was a scratching sound, as if fingernails were being scraped across the wooden porch.

Hurriedly she went back into the living room to look out the window. She pushed back one of the curtains and peered outside. Hitomi glanced down across the porch and saw a figure lying by the door.  She gasped and ran back over to the door. She pulled it open and her heart felt like it jumped into her throat.

“Obi!”

Obi lay on the porch curled into a fetal position. Wearing only a pair of faded jeans, she immediately noticed blood smears covering his body and stained across his jeans. He was completely motionless and sickly pale.

“Obi?” she knelt down beside him and put her hand on his shoulder giving him a little shake. Still he did not move and she became more frantic. “Obi, you have to wake up?” She shook him harder and then pulled her hand back. Blood stained her fingers and she leaned over him to peer at his back. “Oh my…” She covered her mouth with her hand as tears welled in her eyes. Obi’s back was completely in shreds. His skin was torn in every direction, blood seeping from every tear.

“Obi, please wake up,” Hitomi reached over and moved his hair away from his face. “C’mon you have to open your eyes,” her voice pleaded. She shook his body harder as the tears started trailing down her face. “Please Obi.”

Her chest tightened and she started uncontrollably sobbing. She rested his head on her lap as her tears dripped from her chin onto his face. “You have to open your eyes…you have to open your eyes,” she repeated stroking the side of his face. She squeezed her eyes shut as she leaned over him. She didn’t know what to do, her mind overrun with hysterical thoughts and emotions. He couldn’t be dead. They had such a limited time together. There was so much she didn’t know about him and so much she wanted to learn.

“Obi,” she whispered as her lips trembled. “You can’t leave me.”

****

Hitomi’s tears slid down her face turning into bright illuminated drops. The drops twinkled as if made of liquid gold and dripped onto Obi’s face. One single tear shimmered across his cheek and trailed down to his lips disappearing between them. Obi’s face began to flush as the tears’ glow faded.

****

She held his face between her hands and leaned down pressing her forehead to his. His skin was warming.

Suddenly Obi’s body shook and he started coughing. Hitomi pulled back and opened her eyes. His skin was becoming flushed with color again and he let out another cough.

“Obi?” Hitomi whispered hopeful. His body shivered and he let out a groan. “Obi, stay still. You’re injured.”

His eyes fluttered open and he focused on her face. “Hitomi…” he mumbled and then his back arched and he grimaced.

“You’re alive.”

Obi winced again and then reached his hand up to her face, resting his palm against her cheek. “Why are you crying?”

“I thought you were dead.” Hitomi sniffled.

“You were crying for me?” Obi questioned.

Hitomi didn’t say anything and she took his hand from her face, squeezing it in between her hands. “We should get you inside. Can you get up?”

Obi pulled his hand away and braced himself sitting up. He gritted his teeth together withholding any screech of pain. His hands closed into angry fists. “How did I get here?”

“I don’t know,” she shrugged and wiped her face. “Let me help you.” She took a hold of his arm, but he immediately pulled it away.

“I’ll be fine,” he huffed and slowly struggled up to his feet as she stood too. His feet staggered and he fell against the house. He leaned his shoulder against the house by the front door as he tried to catch his breath. His nostrils flared with anger.

Hitomi wanted to reach out and help him. “What can I do?” she asked somewhat helplessly.

“Go inside and stay there.”

“What about you? Your back…”

“My back will heal. I can’t stay here.”

“Don’t even think you’re leaving. You are hurt and you need to rest,” Hitomi stated.

“Hitomi…”

“No Obi. I am not going to let you go back out there so don’t argue with me.” She moved next to him and put his arm around her neck so she could help support him. She could see Obi’s irritation on his face, but she ignored it and they slowly moved into the house. Hitomi slammed the door with her foot and they shuffled over to the bottom of the stairs.

“Where are we going?” Obi mumbled.

“Up to my room. You can lay down on the bed and rest.”

She felt Obi’s body tense, but ignored it and started moving up the stairs. He pulled himself up the stairs with the handrail, trying not to put much weight on her. She knew that he was in terrible pain but was trying to put on a brave face. They stumbled down the hall and then stopped outside her bedroom. Obi seemed apprehensive to go any further and he leaned against the door frame.

“This is my room,” she said as she looked up at him. He didn’t look at her but gave a nod surveying the room. Seeing him looking so weak made her insides ache. “Let’s get you over to the bed.”

“I can do it myself.” He removed his arm from around her and took a deep breath.

“Let me help you.”

“I don’t need your help!” he snapped.

Hitomi moved away from him and stepped behind him. She stared at his back. She couldn’t even begin to count the lashes. She turned away from him. “I should call my mom. You need to go the hospital.”

“No hospitals.” He pushed himself from the door frame and started across the room.  She walked behind him over to the bed and he sat down. She pulled the covers back.

“What can I do?” She bit at her bottom lip as there was a car horn outside.

He lowered his head into his hands. “Nothing,” he mumbled.

She let out a sigh. “I’ll be right back.” Hitomi rushed out of the room and downstairs. Bradley was waiting in the driveway. She grabbed her coat and went outside, quickly getting into the passenger side.

“Good morning,” Bradley smiled.

“Hi. Um, I’m sorry you came all the way over here. I’m not feeling well so I’m going to stay home today.”

“Is everything alright?” he asked concerned.

“Yah. I just need a day in bed.” She immediately thought about Obi lying in her bed.

“Okay. Are you still going to come to the dance?”

She wanted to roll her eyes, but she just gave him a slight nod. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” She practically jumped out of the car and hurried back inside.

She wanted to immediately go upstairs, but she figured she’d give him a few minutes to get settled and she needed a few minutes to compose herself. She was thrilled that Obi had returned, but scared about what had happened to him.

Hitomi made some tea and carried two mugs upstairs. She stopped outside her room and peeked around the doorway. Obi had lain down on the bed on his stomach. She stared at his muscular body completely torn apart.

“Obi?” she whispered as she walked into the room.

“Hmm?”

“I brought you some tea.” She moved over to the bed having to turn her eyes to the floor unable to tolerate looking at his skin anymore. Placing the mug on the nightstand, she knelt down on the floor beside his face. “What happened to you?”

“I told you I was in some trouble.” He stared at her for a minute and then turned his head away pushing his arms under the pillows.

“Who did this?”

“Hitomi, just leave me alone.”

“Obi, why won’t you just tell me what happened? Your back…”

“It’ll heal. Just go away.”

“I want to help you,” she muttered unwilling to leave him. “Why won’t you let me help you? Because I’m not going to leave you…”

“I don’t want you to see me like this!” Obi barked.

She was taken aback by his outburst. She pursed her lips determined not to take his tone personally. “It’s too late for that.” She sipped her tea and then set it next to the other mug. Hitomi’s pulse continued to race as she reached up resting her hand on his shoulder. “Will you look at me?” she asked needing to see his face.

He let out a deep breath and slowly turned his head back towards her. “What?”

“Tell me what I can do to help you.”

“I just need time to heal.”

“Let me at least clean up your back for you. You’re covered in blood.”

“Sorry about your sheets.” He lowered his eyes from her.

“I’m not concerned about my sheets,” she rolled her eyes and got up from the floor. “I’ll be right back.” She left the room and returned minutes later with a bowl of warm water, a cloth, bandages and ointment. She pulled a chair over to the bed and sat down next to him. Placing the bowl down on the chair, she wet the cloth in the water. Hitomi rung out the cloth and held her hand over his back.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” she whispered.