May: The bathroom, where ...
- In the first corridor, second door on the right.
May: Perfect, thank you.
I respond by speaking in a fast-paced manner and making my words pile up. I drift out of line at the speed of light.
- But it's on the other side ...
I pretend I hadn't heard anything, distancing myself several meters until I found a small hiding place behind one of the walls of the opposite corridor. I see how the line I was in moves forward until the person who speaks with the girl happens to be him. Unusually, I can hear most of his words.
Samuel: Will you send a nurse to room 7? I'm already leaving.
He says leaning on the white reception table, supporting his body with his elbows. The blonde haired young woman nods and places her hand on the phone keypad and says something by bringing her face close to the device. Finally he turns to Samuel again.
- Yes, calm down.
He thanks her and leaves the line, which is moving quickly as soon as he does. He walks straight into the hallway where I'm undercover and I start to think I'm lousy looking for hiding places. I stand back, leaning my back against the wall, as if it were a flat object glued to it, another of those informational posters that fill the walls and columns of this place. I hear footsteps approaching, and I am convinced that it is him, since this area is much more deserted than the previous one and it seems not to be visited frequently by other people who are not relatives of the patients.
I recognize his voice getting closer and closer and I swallow hard, closing my eyes and praying that he doesn't see me passing by. As I smell their unmistakable perfume passing in front of me, I open them again one by one. Surely if someone were to observe me from afar, they would burst out laughing at how ridiculous I must look from someone else's eyes. I look to the right end of the hall, where he is seen from behind, leaving with his cell phone pressed to his temple, while the low tone of his male voice is barely heard.
When the sliding doors open before my eyes, I notice that it has stopped raining and people walk with empty hands falling to their sides, instead of holding dozens of umbrellas above their heads. I take a few steps until I reach the edge of the sidewalk, whose damp ground creates a feeling of insecurity under my feet. I look both ways and see nothing. There was no use waiting a couple of minutes to get out. I cross at quick steps taking advantage of the red light that illuminates the traffic light. As soon as I approach the car, the driver comes out and opens the back door, closing it in the same way after seeing me already settled in the seat.
- The boy left and left long ago.
May: It doesn't matter anymore. Take me Home.
The man does not say a word and only limits himself to pointing his eyes at the road after having started the engine. The journey goes faster than I imagined and in less than five minutes I am already climbing the stairs emitting groans due to my wet clothes. The good thing about being home at this time is the complete silence that reigns thanks to the absence of all the members of the family: Dad works, Mom is in her cosmetic treatments and Oliver is in college.
After taking a warm shower, I roll onto the bed on my back, staring at the white ceiling, something I usually do almost every day to clear my head and rest my mind, even for a little while. My cell phone vibrates on the bed. I take it and display the notification of a new message on the glossy screen.
"And now what happened to you, sleepyhead?" - Mine.
"I'll explain later."
I answer, leaving the cell phone in its place and going back to bed. The day turns out to be dull and numbing. I get back to the typical family dinner where everyone seems to pretend to get along ... everyone except me. I don't say a word and leave as soon as my plate is empty. In my room, I make a call.
- I was getting tired of waiting for you to stop ignoring me.
He says on the other side in a complaining tone and I roll my eyes.
May: Who ignores you, silly? I just had a weird day.
Mía: And you didn't even think of telling me, right?
May (river): That's what I was calling you for. And ... I also need you to do me a favor.
The alarm goes off reminding me of the beginning of my boring everyday routine. He huffed, as always, and got out of bed. I come down about twenty minutes later, wearing black jeans and a gray striped pullover the same color as the pants. The usual backpack hangs from my shoulder, only this time it does not weigh, nor does it cost to lift it. It is completely empty and it is just trying to help me in the plan of pretending that I am doing the same thing that I do every morning.
We went to look for Mia, who, apparently, did not need to do the same as me since ... obviously no one would distrust a daughter as tender as her, whose correct attitudes do not even compare with the constant rebellions that characterize me in this life.
He gets into the car with a wide smile on his face, forcing me to wonder how he always manages to have that good mood in the middle of the night.
May: You know where to go.
I exclaim in an authoritarian and somewhat ignorant tone, addressing the driver. Mia shrugs and I let out a sigh, knowing that the direction of the trip doesn't even relate to the university.