RIVER-Chapter-8-River goes home

RIVER
By Ruth M Garcia-Marmolejos
　
　
Chapter-8
River goes home

　
　
River was wheeled into the operating room, and Drone, Paulie, Andric, and Cachita waited in the waiting room. Hours seemed like years for Paulie and the rest.
Finally the doctor walked into the waiting room and said, “I have done what I could, I removed the blood clot, and all looks good. Now we have to wait another couple of days to remove the bandage and find out if River can see again. River will awaken soon, but it is best if he rest tonight. Drone decided that is was best for them to go home and rest too.
River woke up, and felt someone beside him. “Who is there?” River asked. “Ylang, is that you ? I can smell your perfume.”
“Yes, It’s me.“ Ylang said. “The surgery has been over. Cachita and everyone else went home to rest, the doctor said it would be best to let you sleep. My father drove me here to see you.” Holding River’s hand, Ylang kissed him on the cheek and said. “I have to go now, I will be back tomorrow. The doctor said that the he removed the blood clot and all looks good. The bandages will be taken off in a couple of days, then you will find out if you can see again . Rest I am going home now, father is waiting in the car.”
“Thank you for coming to be with me Ylang,” River said. “ I will see you when they take off the bandages, until tomorrow. The following day, Drone, Paulie, Andric and Cachita, went to visit River. The doctor went into the room and said “River, tomorrow I will remove the bandages, then you will be able to go home.”
Thank you doctor.” River said .“I can’t wait to see the results. Has any one seen Ylang?”
“You mean your mysterious friend” Paulie replied. “When are we going to meet her? She comes in when we are not here, maybe she does not want meet us. You said that she knows Cachita.”
“I don’t know anyone named Ylang.” Cachita said. “River cannot describe her, the only friend I know that is shy, is Yurania, but she never goes out, she has a complex and does not like people to see her. Yurania goes to school, then goes home.”
“Oh well, we will know tomorrow.” River said. Ylang will be here tomorrow I bet, then everyone will meet her and maybe I will see her. Then I will know her real name.”
The day finally arrived, when River would know if he has recovered his eyesight.
Drone, Cachita, Andric and Paulie were present. The doctor said “ River I am going to take the bandages off, keep your eyes closed until I tell you to open them”
The doctor slowly took of the bandages, then the cottons. “Slowly open your eyes River.” The doctor said.
River slowly opened his eyes. “Oh my God!” River cried. “I can’t see, I still can’t see.”
“Give it time River.” The doctor said. “You have been in the dark for many years. You have to take it easy and focus.”
River closed his eyes and slowly opened them again. This time he began to see blurry, then the images began to appear. “I can see, yes I can see.” River screamed.
“Are you sure?” Paulie asked with excitement. “Now you finally know what I look like ha, ha.”
Yes, let me look at all of you.“ River said. “Thank you doctor, thank you for giving me back my eyesight.” River looked around and noticed some one was missing. “Where is Ylang?” River asked. “She did not come today either, Maybe I will see her when I go home.”
River got up and began to walk, he looked outside the window, then ran out of the room, excited and jumping, looking around. He vaguely remembered the times he used to run around the house where his mother lives. “I want to go home and see my mother.” River said. “I want to see where I live, the cave, everything, I want to see everything.
River walked back to his room and got dressed. “Let’s go to your house Drone.” River said. “I want to see everything, then we can arrange to go home.” Cachita, by the way, you are a very beautiful girl, too pretty for Paulie, ha ha! I am just joking.”
“Thank you River.” Cachita said. “You are very handsome, now you can see my friends, the girls have all been drooling about you, and the guys are a little jealous, but they like having a friend like you.”
Andric went to get the car, River said good-bye to everyone, and they all left the hospital. River was amazed to see all the high buildings, the stores, the many people and cars, especially the bright sunlight.
When they arrived home, River closed his eyes to remember where everything was, then opened them, and ran across the yard. All of a sudden he saw a huge black bear and yelled. “Bear, are you Bear? Come here Bear.”
Both River and Bear ran toward each other, hugging and playing. River was overwhelmed being able to see again. Everyone went in the house, and had dinner.
“I will be back in a little while.” River said. “I am going for a walk.”
Paulie knew where his friend was going, but did not say anything.”
River went to the tree and sat down the bench, hoping that Ylang would appear. “I can’t understand, why Ylang did not go to the hospital” River said to himself. “There has to be a good reason, Maybe she felt sorry for me while I was blind, and knowing that I would be able to see again, she thinks I wont need her any more.”
“No, River that is not why I did not go.” Ylang said. Please do not turn around, I do not want you to see what I look like.”
River was glad to hear Ylang’s voice, did not turn around and said. “ Please Ylang, I do not care what you look like, I just want to see you, and hug you.”
River turned around, but Ylang had disappeared.
River went to the house and asked Drone to take him home. “I want to see mother.” River said. I want her to know that I got my eyesight back. I am sure she is worried about me.”
Drone agreed to take River home. “I am kind of missing the mountains.” Drone said. “We can go first thing in the morning I am taking Bear back with us, he might be missing his home too.”
Everyone woke up early in the morning, packed their things and put them in the truck Andric uses when they go shopping, and to carry big loads. . River hugged Cachita and Andric, said good-bye to everyone and got into the Truck. Paulie said good-bye to everyone, hugged Andric, then gave Cachita a kiss and said. “Don’t worry Cachita, I am coming back soon, will you wait for me?”
“Yes Paulie, I will wait for you.” Cachita said. “Don’t be away long, I will miss you a lot.” Paulie and Cachita hugged each other. Drone hugged Cachita and Andric, and said, “We will be back. Take care of yourselves.”
Paulie opened the back door and Bear got in the truck. Paulie got in the back of the truck with River and Drone sat in the front.
Andric dropped everyone near the entrance to the forest. Drone led everyone to the cave, took a torch from the wall in the cave, lit it, and everyone walked until they arrived at the other side of the cave. Drone turned the torch off and put it, on the wall, next to the cave opening. This time River saw where he was going. When River was near the house where their home was, he saw his mother in the porch, sitting on the rocker. Yamarah saw River walking toward her and she ran to him. Mother and son embraced each other, and River said. ”Mother, you are as beautiful as the last time I saw you. I never forgot your beautiful smile.”
“You can see?” Yamarah asked with a surprised look. “You got your eyesight back? The doctors was able to help you?”
“Yes Mother, I can see. ”River replied. Drone took me to the hospital and the doctor operated on me. I had a clot of some kind in the veins in the eyes, that was caused by the fall I had when I was little. I will explain later. Drone paid for everything.”
“River, I am going home.” Paulie said. “I know my parents miss me and I miss them too. I will see you tomorrow, bye everybody.”
“I have to go home too.” Drone said “ I want to see the mountains and I know Bear wants to go home too. I will come back tomorrow, good-bye everyone.”
“Thank you Drone’ Yamarah said. “ I do not know how I can ever repay you for all that you have done. Please come and have dinner with us tomorrow. We can talk more. I know you must all be tired. Good-bye.”
Drone and Paulie left, and River hugged Nano and Marcela whom he loved and treated them like his grandparents. River went for a walk, he remembered the flowers, the animals, and everything around him, Yamarah watched with delight as her son was running, She was thankful to God, for giving River his eyesight back.
River went back inside the house, and told Yamarah, Nano and Marcela, everything that happened in the city, and who Drone was. River spoke about his surgery, how Drone got rich, , how different city life was, the people he met, then everyone went to bed.
The next day Paulie went to visit River and said “Ok now we can go fishing, now you can see the fish.”
River and Paulie went fishing and when they returned, Drone was sitting in the front porch talking with Yamarah.
What is going to happen next?
Stay tuned for Chapter 9