AncilI spent about two weeks in Washington with my mom before finally deciding to fly back to Trinidad to meet Kate. It was a long and horrendous flight but the thought of seeing Kate again made everything better.
When I got back to Trinidad around 2pm, I took a taxi then walked up the hill to the shelter. As I burst through the gate, I was instantly greeted by a football which hit the wall beside the gate almost smashing me in the face.
“Hard lucks there youth!” Timothy shouted. He was panting and sweating a whole lot signifying that the ball indeed came from his foot.
“It’s okay,” I said as I closed the gate behind me then started off inside towards the front galvanized area which was pretty quiet. Kate and Juliet sat on a table all by themselves and were scratching away at a coloring book. Kate looked so beautiful and I couldn’t help myself but smile as I saw her. I didn’t make my presence known for some time just to observe her for a while. She probably wouldn’t have noticed me standing there but Juliet saw me and Kate followed her eyes to me. She smiled as soon she laid eyes on me, got off the chair and came over to me. I pictured her running up and jumping on me like a dog who missed its owner but instead she gave me a big hug, which was good too.
“You’re back,” Kate said, stating the obvious.
“I told you I would,” I said with a smile.
“So-” Kate started.
“So…”
“How’s your son?” Kate asked.
My bubbly smiled collapsed at the question. I assumed that Kate would have already known about Samantha’s situation even though I hadn’t told her. I didn’t have any way of contacting Kate while I was back in Washington but I just assumed that she would have found out, somehow.
“You didn’t hear the news?” I asked.
“What news?”
I couldn’t say it. I would have had to eventually but I couldn’t find it in me to tell Kate that Samantha was dead. I just couldn’t.
Kate looked at me wide eyed and confused then repeated, “what news?”
I sighed heavily and was about to reveal the news but Kate caught on and concluded, “she’s dead.” I bent my head and sighed deeply again, then looked up into Kate’s eyes.
With wide opened eyes, she began to shake her head in disbelief. I could tell that she wanted to cry but she held it in. She was really good at holding back her tears.
“You can cry, it’s okay.” Without responding Kate made her way back to the table and sat down still looking shocked and despondent.
“Samantha was my best friend too. I understand how you feel but she’s in a better place,” I said.
“A better place?!” Kate seemed angry now. “How can she be in a better place? She didn’t die a saint.
I don’t know if there is any such thing as heaven or hell but if there is, she’s in hell right now, screaming for help, drowning in her own sins so don’t tell me that she’s in a better place. Don’t lie to me Ronald.” Kate banged the table, shocking Juliet and causing color pencils to fall to the floor.
“Don’t lie to me!”
“What’s wrong?” Juliet asked, concerned.
“Don’t lie to me!!” Kate’s anger quickly turned into a stream of tears.
I attempted to embrace her but she quickly shut me off. “No!!” She then stormed into the house leaving me behind with Juliet.
I stood there in awkward silence, not really sure how to react. I just sighed heavily and looked back at Timothy who was just standing behind me with his ball nestled below his arm.
