Four Weeks

Week One

The month of April began with the final traces of winter melting away in the trees. People were losing the thick winter coats for spring jackets and windbreakers. The buds were beginning to sprout, the snow was melting on the curb, and Lorna eagerly awaited the doctors as they approached. She couldn’t see them, but she could hear them speaking to her mother.

“We’re going to remove the dust shield and bandages now. We’re hoping your daughter will be able to see. Most likely there will be some adjustment, but once that’s cleared up...” she heard them murmur. Despite her mother’s uncertain reply, Lorna didn’t let it deter her. The surgery was six weeks ago - she was certain it had worked. It had to have worked! She spent hard-earned money on this surgery (more like charged it to a card - goodbye, excellent credit).

It was progressing, they had said. If they didn’t operate now, Lorna would go blind. Lorna didn’t like the idea of anything in her eyes, but nevertheless, she agreed to the surgery. There was a fifty-fifty chance it would work. To her, fifty-fifty was better than nothing. Her biggest fear was going blind. To never see the trees, the flowers, her friends, or her mother’s face again...it was too much to bear. The doctors slowly removed her bandages, the dust shields over her eyes. Lorna kept her eyes closed until she heard Dr. Winthrop proudly proclaim,

“All right, Lorna. You can open your eyes now.”

~

Week Two

Her vision was still slightly blurry. The doctors said it would take time and exposure to sunlight for her vision to finally clear. Lorna didn’t have to rely on her mother to guide her to the kitchen for a snack anymore. She could finally go to the bathroom by herself and take showers by herself, thank goodness. As much as she loved her mother, it was not easy relying on her to wash her adult daughter’s back without getting water in her bandages. Also, she could finally wash her hair! Going to bed with dirty hair was the last thing Lorna wanted, but they advised her not to get any water in her bandages during recovery. She was also thankful to wash her face again - her acne was getting ridiculous at one point.

Patsy, Harrison, and Nora visited her. It had been weeks, and they were eager to see her recovery. Lorna was thrilled to have some human interaction outside of her mother and her cat. They sat in the sunlit dining room sharing jokes, memories, and snacks. However, they all noticed the empty chair. 

“Where’s Elsie?” Lorna asked, her heart sinking.

All three of them looked at each other. Elsie and Lorna were always together. But ever since the surgery, Elsie had distanced herself. 

“W—well, Elsie wanted to come...but...” Patsy hesitated.

Harrison wasn’t one to mince words, “She isn’t coming. We asked, but she was too shifty.”

Lorna sighed. Elsie was always so sweet, so supportive. Why wouldn’t she try to support her now?

“She’s probably just stressed out. Work’s been really trying her patience.” Nora shrugged.

”I don’t get it.” Lorna’s voice sounded hollow in her own ears. “Why won’t Elsie see me?”

”She talks crap about you at work.” Harrison admitted. This earned a smack on his arm from Nora, who grumbled, “Harrison!”

”What?” Harrison retorted, “I’m not gonna lie to Lorna anymore. Elsie says she’s glad you left. You weren’t a good worker, she said. And every time we bring you up, she always asks how you are, but she’s...I dunno, I always thought she was fake.”

”We didn’t want to say anything.” Patsy admitted sadly, “We know how close you guys were.”

Lorna‘s fists were clenched on her lap so tightly her knuckles were white.

”...But why?” Lorna‘s lower lip quivered. Despite being an adult, she felt like that rejected kid in high school all over again. “We told each other everything...”

None of them could come up with an answer.

~

Week Three

Lorna sent a message to Elsie. It was long, to the point, and emotional, begging for answers. When Lorna saw Elsie had read it three days later, she waited patiently for a response. The following day, the sadness engulfed her, and Lorna sent one last pleading message. 

Please message me back. How’ve you been? I hear work has been super stressful. Has the boss been giving you crap again?

By the time Lorna saw ‘read’ the following day, anger filled her. 

She sent one final, furious message. 

Fine. Don’t talk to me. Some friend you are. I know you’ve been talking about me. You stupid bitch, she wrote. You’re fake, and I don’t need you in my life. I hate you.

Read 8:55pm. 

~

Week Four

It was when Lorna’s vision cleared, and when she was scrolling through her Facebook, that she saw it. A post made by Nora, a paragraph explaining why friends should always text each other when they’re home. Please always call your friends when you make it home. This is utterly heartbreaking. Rest in peace, Elsie. We love you.

It was an accident, she said. Elsie’s lace got caught between the train and the moving platform. It was just an accident, she kept saying. It wasn’t supposed to happen, she said. Elsie’s birthday was just a few days away. She was supposed to grow up and become a successful costume designer. She wasn’t supposed to be there. Their boss had raked on her, Nora said. She went out for some drinks after work. That was all. That was when it happened.

”I killed her.” Lorna had whispered to no one that night. She had closed her laptop, sat in the dark. It wasn’t good for her, the doctors said. You need as much light as possible.

Lorna knew her thoughts weren’t rational. However, her mother always used to tell her anger and resentment, if indulged enough, would lead to horrible things happening. She just wanted Elsie to hurt the way she did. She didn’t want this. She never wanted this.

The flowers were beginning to bloom, and Lorna was slowly regaining her sight. However, the world around her was suddenly very gray.