Patient.
That's all what I've been told since I was a kid.
Waiting patiently is what I do best but… not now. Not again.
The mirror in front of me looked nice. Broken and left some shards on my hand. Blood scattered around.
Could hear the heart pounding. But, amidst all that, the mouth was smiling. As if something tickles inside me. To make me laugh.
So, I did. Laugh.
But… Why does the heart feel so empty?
Where's the warmth?
Waking up after a few days and staying unconscious with the news I wanted to hear talking about me was not what I needed.
I'm… tired.
Isn't it enough to torture me with this suicidal thought, now I should think about how to live?
The houses. Ah yes. The burned house. Left nothing but ashes.
Silly me. Who would have thought that the arsonist was me all along?
On the day I woke up, the police came asking and as if I swallowed honey right to my throat, a lie was easy to be told.
"No sir, I don't know what happened. I was just trying to sleep that night when suddenly the house caught on fire." I said so nonchalantly as I ate bread ready to eat for patients.
I looked at the police. Act innocent and they just decided that an electric wire goes haywire. Oh well, not my problem but… right now is the problem.
The shard has been cleaned. The mirror in the bathroom also has been cleared out. The only thing left is me and this nosy neighbour in this tiny room.
Seeing her angry face just makes the mood foul. Can't that bitch go somewhere else to make a complaint about?
"Hey you little shit, don't you know that house was under my land? What do the actual pigs set on fire?"
Oh, so mad. Almost can see the smoke coming out from her head.
"How do I know? Didn't you know, Aunty Hush?" replied.
The eyes met but I only scoffed a bit. So tired dealing with this one particular aunty.
"You bitch! How dare you show that ungrateful side to me. After that mother of you died taking care of you lot, now you just destroyed it like that? Hah, you shouldn't have been born. What—"
"Can't you shut up, aunt? You're so loud." Cutting her words short.
The eyes rolled when she get up from the chair to point her hand at me. Furiously mad at me for interrupting her nagging.
"You're so fricking trash! Go to hell with your bitch mother then!"
Snapped.
Her voice is no longer loud. Heh, who can talk when their throats get choked?
She's really been on my nerves. Since the day I was a toddler until now, this pig here really has a mental problem.
What the hell did I do to make her so unsatisfactory with her own life to ruin others?
There's no smile for this woman. I just stared down at her struggling to breath with the hand flailing around trying to grab something.
But oh no, my hand has more strength than you do, aunt.
Wait, you're not my actual aunt, just a neighbour that is so busy with other people's business.
"Don't poke around where you don't belong, aunt."
I let go of her throat. Standing up after much struggle on the floor with her body doesn't move anymore. With my blood from undone bandage dripping to her face.
Don't worry, she just faint but… who says she can rest here?
Smirked. A thought crossed my mind.
Looking at her lying down with a few things from her bags scattered around brings much idea to the head.
"You're so useless, aunt."
————
Did you already figure it out?
What did I do to the aunt?
A… little roleplay I must say.
"Alishaaaa!"
Yeap, my name. Shouted by Aunty Hush. In my ward. On my bed. With a hand cuffed to the head bed. All covered with lipstick on her face. Not that she knows it yet.
Well, that's you got for ruining my day today.
I stood behind the door. Listening to her grumbling inside with a clacking sound. Trying to escape from the handcuffs made by her bag string.
The nurse and patient passing by only looked at me with a simple smile as I greeted them. Once, a concerned patient came asking what happened and I just lied through my teeth saying the aunt collapsed. Shock seeing me bleeding.
Now, I just deafen my ear to the aunt shouting. Ignoring all her curses and struggling to escape.
Bored out of mind hearing all that shouting, I just walked away from the room. I didn't care one bit about the looks I'm receiving from people here in the hallway.
I just keep walking. I walked and walked until I realised, I'm in front of the front desk counter on floor one. Ah, did I really go downstairs? With an elevator?
"Oh, aren't you a patient from the fire house accident? What are you doing here?"
Noticing my presence, one of the staff called me to go near the counter. As a good patient, I walk to them.
"Oh nothing, I just wondering how my neighbour come to visit me at this late hour." I say with a smile. Might as well gather information here.
"Your neighbour? Are perhaps mistaken her for a neighbour, she said she was your mother."
I'm stunned at places.
Mother? That disgusting greedy dirty woman is my mother? What a joke this late evening.
Silence a bit before I gave them a head shake.
"Nah, she's not my mom. My mother died ages ago, maybe there's a slipped up in my information." I explain slowly.
Seeing her shocked face makes me figure out that that woman came in with some tricks.
This hospital I'm in has a strict rule for visitors. That is, as long as a patient jotted down who can visit them, means only them. As for me, I wrote down my mother, who of course, was already dead.
Breaching this rule means they did a sloppy job. Well, so much for the only hospital in this city. I live in the countryside if you want to know. Just a faraway village with a great community.
"We are so sorry about that but ma'am, you should know that a dead person can't visit you, right?" She says with a look so done with life to me.
I shrugged at her words. Well, not that the hospital has rules on that.
"Anyway, have you heard any news about the fire accident? I heard from a police officer that visited me the other day that it's actually an arsonist who did that and not the short circuit." I whisper close to her. Acting like that is top secret.
"Really?" She gasps. I nod.
I glance at her co-worker who is busy listening to music through headphones before tapping the staff that's been talking to me right now.
"Yeah, the officer said, they don't know who did it but they know the culprit will do it again. Maybe it will strike your home tonight? Be careful, alright." I hush her.
Just hiding the smile that would love to show up seeing her scared expression before shaking her head.
"Ish, don't say that. We don't really have a good community in the village." says her with a hand rubbing the shoulder.
Oh. Her words intrigued me. My eyes wander to her chest, looking at the nametag on the upper uniform pocket. Umai.
Nice name.
"Hahaha, don't be scared. I'm sure nothing will happen. I just lied to you. We have no arsonist criminals here." I smirk at her before laughing a bit. She looks upset but just lets it slide with a shake.
I heard a sigh of relief from her. Well, that was quick.
"If you have nothing to do, how about you go to sleep now? Visitor hours will end soon. Want me to ask the security guard for help? I mean, your neighbour is still up there right?"
Aha, straight to business I see. I shake my head as I see her hand pick up the old telephone to make a call.
"Don't worry, she will be out soon."
As I said that, all the eyes at the hall here turn to look at an elevator. Beside the counter front desk.
Only a few steps away, standing there was a woman with a face full of red color with a ruined fashion bag at hand. Another hand pointed directly at me.
Me with my elbow on the counter and bored face looking at her.
"You— you insolent bitch!"
I think the hall here is too big. Big enough for her shrieking voice to echo through.
"What? You visit me without notice, making a fuss about other people's business, impersonating my mother and now what? A hired clown? Pftt."
I could hear a few people snicker with me. A few avoid eye contact and others just move on with their lives. Including the nurse staff behind the counter.
"Hah, I should have not cared about you at all, you ungrateful pig. No wonder you have that nasty attitude, it from the mother pig, huh," ramble Aunty Hush.
I just smile hearing that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever floats your boat.
"Now, now, my dearest aunt—"
"I'm not your fricking aunt!" Aunty Hush cut me and that irked me.
"Alright slowpoke aunt, would you kindly leave the premises today? The visitor hour is ending. You could call me to ask about my well-being, no?" With a smile on my face, I told her. Kindly as I've got nothing more to say.
"Gahh, just you wait you little shit. I will file a lawsuit on you." Feet stomped on the floor. She left with that red face of hers. I made sure her clothes were neat tho but I guess, she still doesn't know about that face paint, is she?
"Uh oh, what happened to her face? Did you do that patient Alisha?" Nurse Umai asked after a bit. Looking back and forth between the main door and me.
"Eh, who knows." I shrugged. Walking back to the ward.
It's not like I really have time to do that.