Chipale chofewa chinadzaza nyumba yake ndikukanikizira zala zake, zomwe zimamupangitsa kumva ngati mapazi ake ali m'matumba apulasitiki oundana. Iye anayesa kuzungulira m’mbali mwa nyumbayo, koma mapazi ake anamira m’chipale chofeŵa chakuya. Zinali pafupifupi mpaka m'mawondo ake, ndipo mbali ya ubongo wake yomwe sinalembetse zizindikiro za opioid overdose inalembetsa kuchuluka kwa chipale chofewa.
Anasuntha, akujambula zizindikiro m'maganizo mwake. Sindidzuka ndipo sindiyankha mawu anga kapena kukhudza. Kodi kupuma pang'onopang'ono, kosakhazikika, kapena kuyimitsidwa? Kodi ophunzira anu ndi ochepa? Milomo yabuluu? Anamva thupi lake likunjenjemera chifukwa cha kuzizira. Milomo yake yomwe ingakhale ya buluu nyengo ino tsopano, koma angadziwe bwanji ngati ndi buluu chifukwa chakumwa mopitirira muyeso kapena kuzizira? Chipale chofewacho chinagwedezeka pansi pa mchira wa malaya ake ndikutsetsereka kumbuyo kwa thalauza lake. Anapitirizabe kusuntha, osanyalanyaza kupita patsogolo kwake kolemetsa, anapitirizabe kugwira zotsalira za maphunziro amene anaphunzira. Kugunda kwa mtima pang'onopang'ono? Kugunda kofooka? Kuzizira kunatsika msana wake, ndipo kunalibe kanthu kochita ndi cardigan yonyowa kumamatira pakhungu lake. Zoyenera kuchita ngati munthuyo sakupuma? Kodi ayenera kupatsidwa CPR kaye? Mphuno inalimba m’mimba mwake, ndipo mwadzidzidzi ubongo wake unali wopanda kanthu pa zonse zimene anaphunzira m’phunziroli. Nthambi za paini zinalendewera pansi ngati makatani ochindikala, kutsekereza kuona mwamunayo mkati mwake. Nthambiyo inali yopindika kwambiri kuposa mmene Nora ankaganizira chifukwa cha mtengowo, singano zake za paini zinali pa chipale chofewa, zomwe zinali zowunjikidwa ndi singano zobiriŵira zokakamira pansi ndi kulemera kwake.
Kupyolera mu nthambi zofedwa, iye akanakhoza kokha kuzindikira chithunzi chake, atagona pa thunthu lochindikala, mtima wake ukugunda kwambiri kotero kuti mapapu ake anathina. Pamene anali ndi zaka 9, anagweranso masana, n’kumataya zinyalala Lolemba lililonse. Panalibe chipale chofewa, koma kunali kozizira kwambiri kotero kuti mpweya unali waubweya ndi mpweya wake, ndipo anali wolunjika kwambiri moti sanazindikire Mario atagona mu udzu wofiirira, zombie kuchokera ku maloto ake owopsa. Anakuwa kwambiri moti galu wa neba uja anayamba kulira. Munapulumutsa moyo wake, achipatala adamuuza pambuyo pake.
Anakankhira kutali ziwalo zake zolimba ndipo adadzipeza akubisala pansi pa mtengo, akukankhira maganizo a Mario pambali kuti apange bokosi lomwe linali m'manja mwake ndi mwamuna pansi. Chipale chofewa m’malo obisaliramo chinali chosazama, ndipo m’masekondi ochepa chabe anali pafupi nacho, maganizo ake akungoti mbwee. Ikani anthu pamsana pawo. Chotsani chipangizocho m'bokosi ndikuchotsa pulasitiki. Zonse zimawoneka ngati zophweka ngati kuyimitsa chitsiru kuti asagwiritse ntchito ma opioid m'kalasi. Koma izi sizimaganizira za mvula yamkuntho yomwe inachitika kamodzi muzaka khumi kapena kuzizira kwa zala zanu kuti zigwire ngodya zazing'ono zapulasitiki za phukusi. Adatseka maso ake ndikupukusa mutu. Khalani pansi, Nora! Iye anapita patsogolo. Yang'anani kaye. Anagona modabwitsa, atatsamira tsinde la mtengo. Khungu la mchimwene wake linali lotuwa, milomo yake inali yabuluu, ndipo anali wotsimikiza kuti wafa. Mukadapanda kundipeza, iwo amati, ndikanakhala nditafa, ndipo kenako anatulutsa mawu achipongwe pabedi lake lachipatala. Sindikudziwa kuti ndikadatani popanda iwe Mapichesi.
Milomo ya bamboyo inali yabuluu ndipo maso ake anali otseka kuti asaone ana ake. Anaika zala ziwiri padzanja lake, koma kupeza kugunda kwake ndi nsonga zake zozizira kunkawoneka ngati ntchito yosatheka, choncho anaika mutu wake pachifuwa chake, osanyalanyaza ubweya wosakanikirana ndi malaya ake, fungo lonyowa mu nsalu. Mtima wake unali kugunda, koma pang’onopang’ono—pang’onopang’ono kwambiri, iye anaganiza—ndipo mpweya wake unamveka ngati mafunde osafika pagombe.
"Nora?" Iye sanatembenuke. Ngakhale panthawi ngati imeneyi, mawu a Frodo akadali odziwika, ndipo Nora ali kutali kwambiri ndi mgwirizano wake moti amadzimva ngati mlendo kwa iyemwini.
Sabata iliyonse, The Colorado Sun ndi Colorado Humanities & Center For The Book imakhala ndi gawo la buku la Colorado komanso kuyankhulana ndi wolemba. Sabata iliyonse, The Colorado Sun ndi Colorado Humanities & Center For The Book imakhala ndi gawo la buku la Colorado komanso kuyankhulana ndi wolemba. Werengani zambiri za The Colorado Sun ndi Colorado Humanities & Center For The Book zomwe zalembedwa pansipa. Mlungu uliwonse, The Colorado Sun ndi Colorado Humanities & Center For The Book amasindikiza kabuku ka Colorado ndi kuyankhulana ndi wolemba.Mlungu uliwonse, Colorado Sun ndi Colorado Center for the Humanities and Books amafalitsa zolemba za m'mabuku a Colorado ndi zoyankhulana ndi olemba. Onani zakale za SunLit pa coloradosun.com/sunlit.
“Ndikuganiza kuti munthuyu anamwa mowa mopitirira muyeso,” akutero, mano ake akugwedera, mawu ake ali chibwibwi. "Tiyenera kumusunga pamsana pake nthawi zonse."
Frado anachitadi zimenezo, ndipo Nora anayamikira kuti sanali yekha, ngakhale kuti anali ndi munthu wina amene ankadziwa bwino kuposa mmene angapulumutsire munthu ku mowa mopitirira muyeso. Kalasiyo inali yothandiza komanso yotsitsimula komanso yopumula, osati yeniyeni. Kunena zoona, kunali kununkha kwa udzu wolimba m’mawondo ake, kununkha kwa matumba a zinyalala mozungulira mozungulira, kukuwa kwa azakhali awo, ndi phokoso la nyali za ambulansi zikugwera pankhope ya mchimwene wakeyo.
Anasakasaka chikwamacho, tinthu ting'onoting'ono tapulasitiki titatuluka m'zala zake zonyowa mpaka kukuwa mokhumudwa. "Pancake!"
Anachilowetsa m'manja mwake, ndikuyika chala chachikulu pa pistoni ndi zala ziwiri mbali zonse za mphuno, zomwe zinkagwedezeka m'mwamba, ndikugwedeza minofu yake. Sanafune kuti mwamunayu afe. Osati pamene angachitepo kanthu kuti amupulumutse. Chifukwa chiyani ali pano, akufa yekha? Kodi ali ndi mkazi amene amamulira? mwana? Kodi akhalapo m’misewu ngati iyeyo, akumaona kuti n’kopanda ntchito kufunafuna wina m’dzenje limene likukula m’chifuwa chawo? Iye sangamulole kuti afe, koma akuwopa kuti kwachedwa.
Anakweza dzanja lake m'khosi mwake, ndikukweza mutu wake ndikulowetsa mphunoyo m'mphuno yake yakumanzere mpaka zala zake zidakhudza mphuno yake, kenako ndikukankhira pansi pa plunger.
SunLit ili ndi zolemba zatsopano kuchokera kwa olemba ena abwino kwambiri aku Colado zomwe sizongosangalatsa, komanso zimawunikira kuti ndife ndani monga gulu. Werengani zambiri.
Anamukoka pamapewa, Frodo anamukankhira kumbuyo, ndipo mwamsanga anamusuntha munthuyo kumbali yake, ndipo iye anaika dzanja lake pansi pamutu pake. Nora anayang'ana nkhope yake, kuyembekezera zizindikiro za zochita za mankhwala. Zitha kuchitika mofulumira, kapena zingatenge mphindi zochepa—anakumbukira mbali imeneyo. Thupi la Mario linagunda ngati nsomba pamene akufinya chifuwa chake mobwerezabwereza. Sanayankhe anali atafa.
Khungu la mwamuna limaoneka imvi. Anamva kuwawa nsagwada, zomwe sanazinyalanyaze podikirira, kuzizira komanso ...
Frado anangogwedeza mutu, natulutsa foni yake mthumba ndikulowetsa manambala. Inde, moni, izi ndi ...
Panthawiyo, bamboyo anakhala tsonga, maso ake anali ofiira, khungu lake linali lotuwa, koma osati imvi monga poyamba, ndipo buluu pa milomo yake anasowa. Adagwetsa foni m'manja mwa Frodo. Anatera pa chipale chofewa. “Ayi, palibe chipatala. Ndili bwino, ndili bwino.
Anadzikankhira m’mwamba mpaka mawondo ake anagwedera ndipo manja ake ali pansi, ngati kuti angagwe. Manja a Nora ali otambasulidwa koma akuyandama mumlengalenga, osakhudzana kwathunthu ndi mwamunayo, koma okonzeka kumuthandiza ngati ayamba kugwa. Frodo anatenga foni ndikuyang'ana Nora, ngati akudikirira chisankho chake.
“Lewis, pa? Ndikuganiza kuti munaledzeretsa. Ndakusowa…” Anayamba kunjenjemera mwamphamvu, adrenaline ikutuluka mwa iye, ndikusiya minofu yoziziritsidwa ndi mphepo ndi khungu lachita dzanzi ngati bulangeti lonyowa. Ikani izo pa iye.
Lewis anayang’ana kwa iye, kenaka anatembenuka ngati kuti akuyang’ana malowo: Frodo, foni, chipale chofeŵa, khadi lake la laibulale, ndi ndalama ya dola yokulungidwa pafupi ndi thumba lapulasitiki pansi. Pang'ono ndi pang'ono, anagwira bilu ndi thumba ndikulowetsa m'thumba mwake, kenako anakhala pazidendene, akusisita nkhope yake ndi dzanja limodzi.
Nora anayang’ana m’thumba mwake, akudabwa kumuona akuteteza chinthu chimene chinatsala pang’ono kumupha, ndipo anamva nseru. Iye anaphethira. "Bwana, muyenera kuyesedwa ndi achipatala kuti muwonetsetse kuti muli bwino. Mankhwalawa akatha, mutha kumwa mopitirira muyeso. Ndipo tiyenera kukuchotsani ku chimfine” - kuzunza thupi lake ndi kunjenjemera - adagwiritsa ntchito. Anamukumbatira, kuyesera kumutenthetsa. Chovala chimene anachiika pamapewa chinali chofunda kwambiri, ndipo anapuma fungo la maapulo ndi munthu wina wa m’nkhalango. Ananjenjemera, kuthokoza kuti mpweya wozizirawo unapumira, ndipo adawona kuti Frado, wopanda chovala, wayima pa iye ndi foni m'khutu.
“Anamupatsa chinachake m’mphuno. Inde. Anadzuka, atakhala ndikuyankhula. Zonse zili bwino”.
Frodo adatulutsa foni m'khutu. “Sanapeze aliyense woti abwere kwa ife panthawiyi. Misewu inatsekedwa ndipo panali ngozi zazikulu paliponse. Iwo anati mloleni iye alowe ndi kumuyang’anira.”
Lewis anaimirira, koma anatsamira kwambiri mtengo. Nora anaona manja ake—makanda okhuthala, khungu la m’manja mwake litang’ambika ndiponso lolimba—ndipo chifuwa chake chinayamba kuwawa poganiza kuti chiyenera kumupweteka kwambiri.
"Ili ndi cc-offee, tt-ea ndi chokoleti yotentha," akutero kudzera pamilomo yadzanzi. Anakumbukira tsiku la sabata yatha pamene anapita kuchimbudzi. Momwe adagonera pansi ndikuyang'ana maso ake, ngati kuti kulibe ngati samatha kumuwona, ngati kuti ndi wosawoneka. “Kuno kukuzizira kwambiri, Lewis. Ndikhoza kugwiritsa ntchito chinachake chofunda. Ha, ndi inu?
Maso ake ankaoneka kuti ali pa thalauza lake lomwe linali litanyowa komanso nsapato zofowoka, komabe sanamuyang'ane. Kutopa kwakukulu kunali ndi mizere ikuluikulu pamasaya ake, ndipo kumbuyo kwake Nora ankaona kuti chinachake chikusokonekera.
Pamutu pawo panamveka mkokomo waukulu, kenako mluzu, ndipo chapafupi ndi mtengo umene anasonkhanawo, nthambi yaikulu inagwa pansi. Nora sanakhulupirire zimene anaona.
Anagwedeza mutu ndikutembenukira kwa Lewis. “Chonde, Lewis, bwera nafe. Chonde?" Iye anamva kusimidwa kozimiririka m'mawu ake. Anasimidwa chifukwa ankadziwa kuti sangamusiye apa kuti azizizira kwambiri, koma sankadziwa momwe angamulowetse popanda kuvulaza aliyense. Iye anali akuganiza kale za mchimwene wake. Momwe anali asanamuwone kwa zaka zambiri ndipo amangomva za iye mwa apo ndi apo. Manja ake anapinda nkhonya. Akadayenera kulora Lewis kuti alowe. Nthawiyi adayesetsa kuti mawu ake asamveke. - Pali khofi. Kodi sizingakhale zabwino kukhala ndi zakumwa zotentha tsopano?
Lewis adawasiya, natembenuka, ndipo kwa mphindi imodzi mtima wake udagunda, adaganiza kuti akuchoka, koma adayima ndipo adawoneka kuti wasintha malingaliro. “Chabwino,” iye anatero.
Nora anatulutsa mpweya, kutulutsa kutentha kwakanthawi. - Chabwino, Lewis. Chabwino, tiyeni tizipita, chabwino? Ine ngakhale kulonjeza ine sindidzakupatsani inu latsopano laibulale khadi.
Frodo anafwenthera, ndipo Nora anaona mapewa a munthuyo akukwera ndi kugwa. Kuusa moyo? kuseka? Palibe kanthu. Zonse zomwe ankasamala zinali kumupeza.
Frodo anatsogolera njira ndipo anayenda pang'onopang'ono kuchoka pansi pa mtengo kupita ku chipale chofewa kwambiri, mphepo ikuwomba zipsera zonyowa m'maso ndi mkamwa ndipo sanawone kalikonse koma zoyera mpaka anafika ku laibulale. Nora analowa ndipo anapeza kuti gehena yonse yawonongedwa.
"Nora!" Marlene anayima pa desiki la Nora, dzanja lake likugwira Jasmine. “Ndakuuzani, mtsikanayu si wabwino.
Nora akufuna kuti Lewis akhazikike mtima pansi, kenako anakhala pampando, n’kuvula nsapato zake za labala n’kumwetsa tiyi wotentha. Sanafune kuthana ndi Marlene. Koma mtsikanayo adawoneka wokwiya komanso wamantha, ndipo kwa kanthawi Nora adadziwona akugwada pa udzu - ndi misozi pamasaya ake, pakamwa pake anapotoza - kuyang'ana Mario akuchoka pa machira. Anakukuta mano, ndipo lero, osati koyamba, amayembekezera Charlie. Amadziwa kulankhula ndi Marlene.
Nora anawayandikira, maso ake ali pa gogoyo. Pamene ankayankhula, mawu ake ankamveka ozizira. "Chotsani dzanja lanu pa iye, Marlene. Nthawi yomweyo.
Marlene adayang'ana mtsikanayo ndikubwerera, ndikumumasula, mwachiwonekere adadabwa kuti adagwira dzanja lake. "O, koma adaba bukulo, Nora. “Ndimadziŵa kuti samachita zinthu zabwino, amagwiritsira ntchito mankhwala osokoneza bongo m’laibulale, amalankhula pa telefoni, amavala zipewa,” iye anatero, ngati kuti analingalira kuti kuchita zimenezi kunali kolakwa, koma osati kutengeka mtima.
Nthawi yomweyo magetsi ankangoyaka mobwerezabwereza, ndipo mafoni onse omwe anali m’chipindamo ankalira mokuwa kwambiri. Marlene analumpha mmwamba.
Frodo anatenga foni. “Ili ndi chenjezo lanyengo. Mvula yamkuntho ndi yamphamvu ndipo misewu ndi yoipa kwambiri. Aliyense akulangizidwa kukhala komwe ali. ”
Marlene anapita pawindo ndikuyang'ana kunja. “Ndakuuzani,” iye anatero, mawu ake aakulu ndi ofowoka kuposa mphamvu za chilengedwe zimene Nora ankadziwa. "Monga mvula yamkuntho ya 2003, yoyipa kwambiri."
Mphepo ndi chipale chofewa zinagunda mazenera, magetsi anazima ndipo mithunzi inadzaza ngodya za laibulale yakale ngati nkhungu. Zokumbukira za namondwe wakale zimafalikira ndi kusintha kwa kuwala. Chinkamveka mlengalenga mozungulira iye, kuvina ndi mantha ndi mantha omwe adakhala nawo bwenzi lake lodziwika bwino, mchimwene wake kunja, ali yekha ndikuvutika, ndipo palibe chimene akanachita.
"Agogo anga akufuna kudziwa ngati ndingakhale pano mpaka atabwera kudzanditenga?" Molly anayang'ana cham'mbali kwa Marlene, akukukuta mano. “Sikuti ndimafuna kukacheza kulikonse pafupi ndi iye, koma kuti bambo anga ali kunja kwa tauni ndipo sindikufuna kuti agogo abwere kuno. Saona bwino kwambiri.”
Nora ankayamikira anthu amene ankakhala nawo pafupi. Jasmine anagwedeza chingwe cha thukuta lake, kulikokera mbali imodzi ndikulikokera ku inayo. Mtsikanayo ankawoneka wosapitirira zaka khumi ndi zisanu, ndipo mwina anali ndi manyazi, ngati mwana wachinyamata, pamaso pa akuluakulu ambiri osawadziwa, makamaka omwe amamuimba mlandu wakuba, ndipo wina wodzaza minga pakhomo lopapatiza limanunkha. Lewis anatsetsereka pansi, atatsamira m’mbuyo pa chimango, atatopa. Adaseka ndikumuyang'ana Nora. "Ndikuganiza unati pakhala khofi."
Frodo anatsamira Lewis, mikono inadutsa pachifuwa chake, ndipo anayang'ana Nora ndi mawu omwe sanamvetse. Tsitsi lake labulauni linali lonyowa ndipo kumwetulira kwake kunali kofunda pamene maso awo anakumana.
Pa zenera, Marlene ankawoneka kuti wasokonezeka maganizo pamene ankayang'ana pa chipale chofewa. Iye anati: “Ndinakumba kwa masiku atatu motsatizana ndisanapeze galimoto yanga. “Pasanathe mlungu umodzi magetsi azima, ndinafunika kusungunula chipale chofewa kuti ndipeze madzi.”
Mkuntho waposachedwapa ndi chiyambi chabe. Chotsatira chinali kuchira kowawa ndi kubwereranso, chiyembekezo ndi kusowa pokhala, ndi mchimwene wake wa Nora m'zidutswa ting'onoting'ono, kenaka mzidutswa zazikulu, ngati nyumba yomwe ikugwa ndi nthawi. Mkuntho umenewu si wosiyana, monga Mario anavulala kwinakwake yekha ndipo Nora akhoza kuchitapo kanthu.
Anayang'ana kwa Lewis, manja ake akusunthira uku ndi uku pazibakera ngati kuti kumverera kwangobwerera kwa iwo. Kusiyana kokha ndi mkuntho uwu ndikuti ndi monga Lewis, Marlene ndi Jasmine omwe amafunikira malo otetezeka. Ndicho chimene iye angakhoze kuwapatsa iwo, ndicho chimene iye angakhoze kuchita.
Nora anamwetulira, akuwomba m’manja, nati, “Kodi pali malo abwino oti atsekerepo kuposa laibulale?”
Melissa Payne ndi mlembi wogulitsidwa kwambiri wa Zinsinsi za Mwala Wotayika, Memory Drifting Memories, ndi A Night With Multiple Endings. Buku lake lomwe likubwera ndi The Light in the Forest. Melissa amakhala kumunsi kwa mapiri a Rocky ndi mwamuna wake ndi ana atatu, mongorel wochezeka komanso mphaka waphokoso kwambiri. Kuti mudziwe zambiri, pitani ku www.melissapayneauthor.com kapena mumupeze pa Instagram @melissapayne_writes.
Woweruzayo akukhulupirira kuti zomwe Senator wa State a Pete Lee adayimba mlandu adakumana nazo chifukwa cha zolakwika zomwe zidaperekedwa ku khothi lalikulu.
Ahmad Al Aliwi Alyssa akuthandizidwabe ku State Psychiatric Hospital, osati ku ...
Nthawi yotumiza: Oct-22-2022