The Falling Angel of Fire Part 8

Once her cell phone crashed onto the floor, her heart stopped beating. Her eyes widened and the cold from the floor crept through her bones, leg and up to her jaws, and suddenly... she froze.

Time stopped ticking and she barely moved, but her body spontaneously reacted. Her brain pushed her organs to work and her heart to start a pulse again, but it was too fast. She gasped. Her chest almost exploded. SHE MUST GET OUT!

"WHY?!" She sobbed. "Why?!" 


Her eyes searched for the sky, demanding a reason, but there was only silence -- no answer, no response, until finally she bowed down, helplessly. This is so cruel -- unfair.
 
Why is this had to happen?
Why?

Her tears fell out. Her shivering hands grasped her chest, trying to squeeze it to restrain an enormous pain inside. However, the pain was too strong. She lost it. She lost her strength. All she could do was resting on her shuddered knees -- crying for everything was too late.

She could never hear again her laughter,  her smile, and  her anger. Part of her  had gone and no one and nothing could ever replace it.

How could she? How could she not be there beside the person who needed her the most? What was the pain like? Was it hurt so badly?
 
Why it was so suddenly?

If they had not waved for goodbye, if she had taken the other way and changed her mind -- If she wasn't so stubborn-- this would not have happened, or at least she was there next to her when she was needed-- If only she wasn't that selfish.
 
However, it was too late… She could not turn back the time, no matter how bad she wanted to.
 
"Forgive me…"
 
 
Her tears fell like a rainfall, but the heat burned her face while those thoughts raced in her brain. 

She touched her forehead, holding back the fever. The surrounding ground was starting to shake until…

she could not hold on anymore. She staggered and fell  onto the floor.
 

***

Laying there for an hour that seemed like hours, she could feel the chill on her toes from the drops of the falling rain. It seemed as though they wanted to soothe her and to wake her up, but nothing… nothing could ever calm her soul. All she could think of was her mother's smile as she was leaning next to her on that warm and cozy afternoon, but even her image was slowly fading away.

"Don't worry, mom. I'm here with you." She whispered and reached out, trying to grab the images of her mother's hands. However, her mother wasn't there. She had already gone... 

She could not see her smiling face again, nor for her to say the words  she should have spoken to her: gratitude for all the love that her mother had given.
 

***

Faint footsteps in the rain drew her attentions away. It sounded faster and closer. Still, she was motionless. She thought that it was a pedestrian who forgot to bring an umbrella.

She was right.  The man did forget it and because of it, his uniform got soaked, his boot stepped on a puddle and there's no other thought in his mind beside a wish for the rain to subside. However, the rain was getting heavier and his vision became hazy. Some of the water had  seeped into his lower lip. It felt cold, but wait a minute!  Who's that? Was it his wife lying there? Why was she out here? And why she was lying down?  "Lila!!

She recognized his voice. Her body rose and soon, she stood with only her weak and shuddering knees.

 
She scurried towards him -- so fast, he nearly fell backward as she embraced him--  so strong that it made him stunned, looking at her burying her face into his chest. After a moment of shocks, his hands stroked her back, trying to fathom the reasons for her emotional turmoil. It was only this morning when he left her smiling, but now she wept uncontrollably in his arms.
  
"What's wrong, Lila? Why are you crying? What happened?"

With a squeaking sound as she pushed the sobs back down her throat, she cried: "Why didn't she tell me…Why? "

"What ? What she should say, Lila? Who's she?" 
 
"She's gone, Dave. She's gone …. My mother..."
 
Dave stunned. He could hear her clearly, but still... he could not believe it either.


***


After they went inside, he changed her clothes.  Her body shivered in cold. Her face seemed so … empty. He made her a cup of hot milk, but when he turned around, she had already curled up in the bed. 
 
As he sat on the side of the bed -- looking at her, the trace of tears was visible on her cheek that used to be blushed when she was smiling.  That night,  he could only see her sorrow as she closed her eyes and  mentioned "Mother"  several times.
 
 If only he could take away her sadness for his own was also torn into pieces seeing the tears on her face, but helpless as she was, he could not do anything to make them go away.
 
So .... he stroked her hair and wrapped his arms around her to make her feel comfort  and loved. Then carefully,  he kissed her on her forehead as his fingers wiped the tears away from her face. 

 
"I'm here, love. You're not alone…  I promise I will never leave you…"

The Falling Angel of Fire Part 7

 

When the clock struck for the ninth time, the lonely Unicorn was still dancing to celebrate the warmth of love that filled the room. Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating the face of her beloved daughter. Many years have passed, but for once, she felt she had done something right. Her heart had never felt so warm and peaceful. Even though Lila's eyes were still closed,  she was cherishing every second with her mother-- on the lap of the woman who once fought with death only to let her live.

The Falling Angel of Fire Part 6

 

As she opened her luggage and put her clothes onto the bed, a smile decorated her face. A box of gift was laid  on the bed, next to clothes neatly folded. She saved it for someone whom she loved the most, although that someone might not have realized it. At least, she's finally here: far from Sunset Valley and her luxurious villa which surrounded by marbles sculptures and finest paintings. Compare to it, the place she was staying appear more like a shack. Even though, she must admit, sometimes, she only exaggerated things. Actually, a few meters away, there were three sculptures stood in the corner, made by her son-in-law. Of course, those sculptures were not perfect as works of art, but beautiful enough to decorate the house and the main thing was: she was finally home, so close to her only child.

The Falling Angel of Fire Part 5

She never thought that the day would come like a cloudburst falling unexpectedly and uninvited into one point in her life. Everything became blurred. She kept denying for she could only believe it if her eyes witnessed it.

"It was a dream, it must have been...". She whispered as she looked through the dewy window by the falling rain. Her mind caught tranquility by playing tricks on her vision and brought the figure she was desperately eager to touch. However, after the sound of thunder awakened her conscious thoughts, the figure soon disappeared and made her realize that everything was real.

***

Twinbrook, 9:00 a.m.
"Lila, what are you doing?"
"I'm helping you. I am putting out the fire."
"But you are off duty now."
"I know,  but I don't care. No one can stop me."



Lila stood beside her husband, unprotected, with  extinguisher on her hands. Instead of listening to him, she kept  squeezing the lever handle. She knew as well as everyone did that it was a foolish thing to do, but she could not sit and  watch the neighbor's house got burned.



"Back away, Lila! You may get hurt!"
"Let me do it, Dave....  for the last time!"

The heat was getting worse, and she came closer to the fire. Dave stopped and looked at his wife. He could not keep his focus when she stood beside him without any personal protective gear. She must leave the place immediately, before things got worse.

"Go back, Lila! Don't be a fool!"


"Lila!!" Dave shouted and pulled her away.


With that last yelling, he managed to make a distance between her and the fire. But unaware to him, Lila rushed off to the front door to help a woman getting out of her house.



She knew must go inside before the fire reached the living room. Unfortunately, the door was being locked, and the woman was deeply drowned in panic to grab the key. Lila had to open it by force.





"Ma'am! Get out of there!"
"But.! My house... … fire..."
"It's okay. It's safe now." Lila reached the woman's hands.

"Mrs. Sargeant, there's still a fire in the basement. It's very dangerous here. You should go outside now!"


Upon hearing her, the woman  ran outside.

Her pale face shone. Finally, she was completely safe  without any wounds on her skin. But, after she had reached  the stairs to the front yard, her face turned  blue again. "My husband... my husband is still in the basement!!"


Dave heard her. Sleek and agile like a gymnast, he ran into the house. Inside, he tried to break down the door that  led to the ground floor. First kick, nothing happened; second kick, dust fell on the floor;  at the third kick, he knelt on the ground, holding his ankles.


But, he tried it again. He grabbed an axe and swung it to the door's padlock.



After a couple of strikes and a strong kick, finally the door opened.



His sprained foot knocked against the door harshly, and when it landed on the floor, he felt the awful pain on his ankles. Without wasting a moment, he immediately ran into the basement.

***
"Lila!" Dave said when he had rescued Bobby Sargeant out of the house.

"What were you trying to do? You know how dangerous it was."


"I know.  Thanks for worrying me."

She held him closer. He could only sigh, knowing how easy it was for her to divert his attention away from the matter.

"Lila, you were  brave, but if anything happened to you, I could not forgive myself. Could you imagine how I am going to live without you? That was... stupid." His tone was a bit harsh and made her realize a mix of anger and worries within.

"I know..." She smiled like a spoiled child, hugging him tighter.

"No! You don't know. If you knew, you wouldn't do that." He loosened up her hug. "Lila! I don't want to lose you." His lips became hardened and flat. He tried to avoid the thought about the worst possible outcome that could have happened. He had been there before, and he did not want it to happen again to her.

On the contrary,  after hearing her husband's words,  flowers grew in her thoughts. She was paralyzed  for hearing such affectionate words. A tingle lurked in her stomach.




"I won't die that easily..." She chuckled. "And I could not live without you either." She lifted up her feet, pressing her lips against his. But, she leaned a bit  forward, and  made him lose his balance.

"Aargh."




"Honey, what's wrong?" She quickly held his shoulder. She bent over, looking up to see his face.

"It's okay. It's nothing." He turned away, but "Damn!" He bit his lips. No matter how hard he tried to conceal it, it was already too late, she had already knelt down on the floor.



"Which one hurts?" asked Lila.
"The... the right one."
"Honey,  I think you should sit now."

She removed his shoes and carefully examined his foot. It was going to be hurt, but she must do this to know  which ligament had been hurt or torn. She tried to do it gently, but he spontaneously clenched his teeth.

"I think it's still in Grade one. Few days and it will be okay. We should get  ice and bandage. I am going to get them."

"Wait, Lila..." Dave stopped her from taking another step to the kitchen to grab ice.

"Back there you said 'for the last time'. What did you mean? Is there anything you haven't said? Did they....?"

"No, they didn't, at least hasn't." She smiled. "I was going to tell you about it. I've received a letter from the Chief. Looks like, I will be off duty until next week, or at least until the Council reaches a consensus about the effectiveness of the policy. The Chief asked me and you to wait. He personally wrote that I should not give up on this, and that I should tell you about it."

He did not know to feel glad or not to hear it, but... "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. " She chuckled. "It's funny that he asked you not to give up when, in fact, it was me who he would give up on."

"Actually..." He slowly rose up from the sofa and stood with his sore foot. "I have something to discuss with you. I have sent the  papers to the Chief, but he …"

"Sent the papers?"


"I know...I know you would not agree with it, but it's the only way. They would keep you here. I will apply for a job at another fire station. Both of us will still be working as  firefighters."



"But...  Dave, I thought we have agreed on this. We should have talked about it before you make a decision like this."



"I- I don't want you to lose everything you have achieved here. Even if I stay, I will not be happy here."

Dave almost tripped. He realized that he should have talked about it sooner. "Lila, I just want you to have what you wanted. It would not make any big difference. I know I should have talked about it, even though  I was confused  of leaving you here. I believe you can do the job, but no matter how I tried, I would be worried of your safety. I thought you wanted this job so.... so I decided to leave the department. I'm sorry."

His words sunk into her brain. She finally understood his reasons. If they were standing on the floor of their own living room instead of the Sargeant's, she would have probably kissed him and hugged him tenderly.

"Dave, it's okay, but I do hope that you will talk to me before you decide anything,  and you should not be saying sorry. I know you did it because of me. Thanks for being supportive, but to leave your job is not what I wanted. I want you to keep it, no matter what. Besides," Her voice softened. "I could not stand to be far away from you if you decided to work in Sunset Valley."


Dave felt woozy in a sudden. Intentionally or not, she had led his blue eyes into hers, made him  completely paralyze within seconds. He almost forgot about the awful pain on his ankle and even forgot about his helmet when he tried to kiss her on her forehead.



"Dave, you're still wearing your helmet."
" I forgot." He chortled.
"Lila, you're beautiful. My fearless Lady who's able to put out the blazing fire. You are, undoubtedly, my angel of fire." He flattered her with beautiful words, "But, you should have seen your face when you were angry, and... since you are wearing red, I am going to buy you horns."



He laughed. Of course, Lila did not buy it.



"It wasn't funny, Dave." She said with her arms akimbo, threatening him with a crafty grin. "Want to feel more on your ankle from this devil?"

He cleared his throat. "Okay, I will stop. Could we continue this at home? My ankle felt like something had  broken. I need attentions.. and love."

Lila smiled, getting his signals. "We should go home  to take care of your foot, but can you walk?"

"A help wouldn't hurt." He winked. Actually, he could walk, as long as he did it slowly. However, it's not every day he could get extra attentions like this.

"Dave." She said, before he put his arms around her shoulder.



"I forgot. We will have a company tonight. My..."
"Don't tell me. Your mother, right?"
"Yes, my mother." Lila was a bit surprised  to know  he could actually read her mind. "I - I don't get it. She'd - she'd  never been there for me and suddenly she visited here, drowning all her attentions towards me, my life, you. It's ... weird."

"Baby, maybe she has changed."
"Perhaps, anyway, she's going to stay with us for a few days."
"S- Stay?!"

"Why ? Do you mind about it?"
"Eh, no, of course not...."
"You seem  so nervous, Dave." She narrowed her eyes and watched him closely.

"Nervous? Nah …" He shrugged. "I am just thinking maybe, maybe  I have to put the sculptures in the living room and... the sink! I remember that I have to fix the sink, toilet, and...closet and... " He rambled and his face turned yellow, knowing how much lists he had to do to prepare for her mother's coming. When Lila stared at him, a smile perched on his face, but it felt awkward. Lila must have known that it was a fake.


"It's okay, my mom won't bite."

Dave only bit his lips hearing that.


To be Continued