THE ADVOCATE

JUDY

Judy had walked out of her office surprised to see that Gwen was gone. She asked her secretary where her visitor went .

'she just left a couple of minutes ago'

Dashing to the elevator, she wondered what would have made Gwen leave. The elevator seemed to be taking forever to get to the ground floor. She didn't know why, but she just felt this urgency to look for Gwen. The security guy downstairs told her that Gwen had walked out of the building in quite a hurry. Soon she was standing in the streets looking as confused as a lost puppy. She didn't know whether to go left or right. Her mind told her go left so she went left.

Fortunately that part of the street wasn't  so busy so people would have seen Gwen. So she began asking questions and for about quarter of an hour she still hadn't found Gwen. She decided to keep asking until a junkie lying on a street bench told her that he saw a mousy looking girl walking down the street talking to herself. She hadn't even finished getting directions from the junkie when out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone clutching her chest on the ground.

It was Gwen! She ran over to her side... it looked like she was having another asthma attack. Fortunately, there was a cab parked across the street. the cab man helped her put Gwen in the cab and in minutes they were on their way to the emergency. The hospital they went to was just five minutes away and immediately they got to the ER the nurses there started to revive Gwen because she had passed out in the cab. Once Gwen was stable, Judy called her office and asked her secretary to cancel all her appointments for that day and ask the office assistant to bring her coat along with her hand bag to the hospital at lunch-break.

Sitting by Gwen's bed, she said a prayer of thanks. She didn't know why, but from the first day she had met Gwen, she felt a connection to her. Like they shared something... Now she was by her bed side and didn't understand why she cared so much.

'Where am I?'

'Ssh. You are in the hospital. You had one of your asthma attacks and you passed out. You'll be fine . just try to relax.'

'How come you are here with me?' she looked around frantically trying to sit up.

'Gwen, just lie down you will be just fine. You are in the hospital because you had a bout of asthma attack. Don't try to sit up, you need to lie down because of your drip.'

' I'm fine.' she lay back on her bed looking at the ceiling as she spoke her next words. 'Why did you come looking for me? Thank you for coming to my rescue but at that moment, I just wanted to let go and just be at peace.'

'You came to my office to see me and then all of a sudden you disappeared. I really can't explain it but I just felt this urgent need to look for you. I just followed my instincts and thank God I found you just in time. How are you Gwen? I mean how are you inside?'

She placed her hand on Gwen's chest as she spoke. She looked at her face and saw the tears as they fell silently. She moved to wipe the tears but Gwen pushed her hand away so she held on to her hand instead.

'He can take your tears away. He can give you a new life. He loves you.'

'Judy, I need a cigarette. I want one now like my life depends on it, so if you really need to do me a favor, get me one!'

''Gwen, I am here for you. I will not get you the cigarettes but until you get back on your feet, I am here for you. Do you need me to call any of your family member ?'

'Why are you being so nice?' she removed her hand from Judy s'. You don't know me! Whats in it for you? Did he send you to me? Did he ask you to come and soften me up so that he can keep using me? I don't know why you are here but all I want is a box of cigarettes and for you to leave afterwards!'

'I don't know what you are talking about...who are you talking about?'

'Never mind. I just want to be left alone.'

'OK. I understand.  I need to go back to the office to sort out some things, then I'll be back first thing in the morning to see you.'

' I don't care about where you are going , all I need is a box of cigarettes!'. she shouted back . Suddenly she started to remove her drip and her face mask.' I am leaving this place. I am going home'

'Gwen stop! you'll harm yourself. ' Judy was trying to restrain her now.

'Leave me alone!'

They were struggling now. Judy yelled for a nurse, when the nurse saw the scene, she rushed out to get a doctor and soon Gwen was sedated. Seeing that all was settled for the time being, Judy left the hospital feeling emotionally drained.


Her whole life hadn't been rosy too. When she was eighteen, her parents had told her that she was adopted. She remembered that when they told her she was not their biological daughter, she felt naked. It was as if she had no identity and for a while, she was angry. She wasn't angry with her foster parents but she was angry because all her life she had been living with a sense of who she thought she was. The thought that her mother had given her away at birth always brought angry tears to her eyes.  Six years after, she decided to look for the woman who had given her away. She made it just in time for her funeral. At her grave side that day, She wept like she had known the stranger in the coffin all her life. She wept because she had wasted six years being angry with her mother. Time went by in a haze that day. She left the grave side heart broken  and with no answers.

She was so engrossed in her recollection that she bumped headlong  into someone in front of her.

'I'm so sorry. '

'Its OK. are you alright?' the person asked.

Gathering herself together with another apology on her lips, she looked up into the face of whom she had bumped into. He looked so familiar. She could see that he was just as surprised too. Recognition came like a shock! It was the guy she met on the bus from early that morning.












































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