The Jigsaw

The mind is such a delicate thing, I didn't realise until I met her. The girl with the long brown hair with golden streaks which glittered in the luminous sunlight, as she sat on the park bench and read her book I couldn't help but admire her from afar, the wind bristled gently through her hair as the petals off of the flowers began to take flight, I sat on the grassy bank studying her every move, the gentle flick of the page by her dainty fingertips, the graceful rolling of her eyes as she studied the words in her book.

My heart skipped a beat every moment I spent to look at her but there was more to this woman that met the eye, she was a jigsaw to most people who met her, but it was the people who didn't understand her not in the way a select few could.

I walked up to her slowly, my heart gaining speed as I approached her, my legs grew tiresome and my breathing struggled, she looked up to me and smiled ever so slightly "Hello John" she said happily

"Hiya Jubes" I replied nervously

"Are you okay?" She asked

There was always something please to about the way she spoke, I had known her for two years and I just had to come clean and just tell her exactly how she made me feel.

"Jubilee" I began "I..."

She looked at me kindly and smiled.

"I really like you Jubes and I was wondering if perhaps you'd like to go to a club with me." I asked anxiously

"Oh" she replied sighing deeply "I can't"

My heart sank "why?" I questioned

"I just can't it doesn't matter, you won't understand" she said sounding disappointed with me.

She stood up and I saw her walk away. I sat there on the bench alone, pondering why she never made plans with anyone.

****

I sat in my room that night just looking up at the stars, as I stared out into the empty street illuminated by the auspicious street lamps, my train of thoughts began to wonder back to Jubilee, I yearned to know what was wrong with her, and I wondered why she wouldn't tell me, however, I thought too soon as my phone began to buzz, I lifted it carefully from the window pane and flicked my lock screen open.

The text read: "Hey, John. I'm sorry about earlier, I sort of freaked out a bit, I can explain everything." Wondering what Jubilee meant I immediately texted back "Hey Jubes, it's no problem, when do you want to meet up?"

I pulled myself away from the mysteries and wonder from the stars and walked over towards my bed, I threw myself down on to it and placed my phone on my chest, with my right hand bent behind my head and my left leg bent upwards I waited patiently for Jubilee's reply.

I waited.

My fingers drummed my phone repeatedly as I tentatively awaited my instructions, I began to feel my eyes become drowsy as I battled to stay awake, as my eyes began to drift away I was jump started by the buzz of my phone, I quickly grabbed my phone and sat up.

The text read: "Great! Meet me by the park bench tomorrow at 10 sharp."

****

As I walked to the park my heart began to gain speed, my legs began to take control of themselves and I felt the urge to speed walk, only to my horror, I was to discover the unexpected.

I approached the park bench with caution as a young looking woman was slumped down on the floor leaning against the bench "Are you okay?" I shouted but the woman did not flinch or look up, as I moved closer I realised that the woman was Jubilee, panic fell over me with the weight of the situation.

I knelt down besides her and lifted her head, her face had drooped on the right side and her eyes looked vacant. "Jubilee!" I said in total shock, as she tried to talk back to me her words came out slurred like a baby learning to speak, I couldn't understand her words.

As I began to panic more her eyes began to fill with tears and she became agitated with herself, I dialled '999' as fast as I could and spoke nervously to the call directory person.

"Ambulence!" I demanded "Rosiefield park, hurry!" I instructed as I quickly pushed my phone back into my pocket, I dropped to my knees like a stone being thrown into still water.

****

As we got to the hospital, my heart quickened as doctors and nurses rushed to greet the paramedics, the doctors began mumbling jargon as Jubilee's eyes began to roll around in her head uncontrollabl, she began mumbling but nothing made sense.

The doctors buzzed around Jubilee as I sat in the waiting room nervously, no one would tell me anything and even when they did, it seemed as though they spoke in riddles, I waited for two hours before they would even let me go into the room to see her, a blonde haired nurse approached me and said calmly "she's asleep now, so she might not know you're here" 

"Okay." I replied itching to get into the room.

As I walked into the room, all I could hear was the subtle beeping from the heart monitor, I edged my way around the bed and slowly slumped myself into the old green chair which was perched near the bed, I looked at Jubilee's face, the colour had drained out of her, in all respects to her, she looked like an ill elderly woman.

I took her dainty hand and held it loosely, she was as cold as the winter breeze, I gently lifted her hand and softly kissed it, her cold hand pressed to my lips, I didn't want to let her go, but I had to, as I managed to prise myself away from her my body felt light and out of control, my body yearned to understand what she was going through, but I didn't think I would ever know what it was like.

As I opened the door to her room, I looked back towards her, lying still and not stirring 'you're better off resting' I thought to myself. 

****

"Hey Jubilee, how are things?" I typed nervously, as my phone informed me that the message had been sent, I couldn't help but remember the pain she was going through, I could still feel her fear as she grabbed onto me ever so slightly, I began to play my game as I awaited Jubilee's message, a couple of zombie rounds later my phone began to vibrate, I quickly paused my game and fumbled for my phone.

"Hey John..." read the text, rather than waste any more time texting her I decided to call her, as the phone rang my heart's speed began to fluctuate, but then regulated as she answered the phone.

"Hello?" Jubilee said quietly, she sounded as though she had just been woken up,

"Hi Jubes how are you feeling?" I asked carefully

"I'm okay, I guess." she gasped

"Still struggling for air?" I questioned

"Yeah." she confirmed

"Can I come over?" I replied, my heart beating quickly in my chest as my palm began to get sweaty, I could hear Jubilee gasping for air as I waited for her answer, it seemed like she was taking forever, an exaggeration on my part only I just wanted to see her and look after her, it didn't seem like much to ask for, I thought to myself.

"Sure, see you soon John, bye." she said daintily as the phone became silent.

Rushing, I grabbed the keys to my Dads convertible and jumped in, I turned the key and the car engine roared to life, soon enough I was on the road to freedom, music blasting out from my speakers, the wind rustling through my quite long brown hair, I was free.

Driving was always my way of freedom, nothing felt better than when I was behind the wheel of a car, the engine roars sang to me like black birds sing in the morning, this was my calling in life and I absolutely loved every moment of it, driving was the best thing anyone could have ever invented, after twenty minutes of driving I pulled into Jubilee's long driveway and then came to a halt.

I got out of the car and walked up to Jubilee's front door, I knocked then waited, I turned to face the front of the garden, the trees were blowing gracefully in the wind and the sun tickled the tops of the roofs of the houses from across the street, as I looked out into the road admiringly I heard the lock of the door jult open, as I turned around a small woman looked up to me and gave me a sweet smile.

"Hello Johnathan" said the lady as she moved out of the way to allow me to step inside.

"Hello Mrs. Summers" I replied happily "Where's Jubes?" I enquired

"She's just upstairs, I think she's awake" she said slowly

"Okay" I replied taking a step up the stairs.

I reached Jubilee's door and I knocked on to it gently, I waited a few moments before I heard her tell me to go through, as I opened the door I was confronted by Jubilee's baby blue bedroom, I looked across to her bed and she lay there still again, her face was back to normal and she seemed to have gotten some colour back on her face.

"Hiya Jubes" I greeted, sitting down on the bottom of her face

she looked back at me and smiled slighty, she lifted her right hand and swept her fringe out of her face, she pushed herself up but snarled in pain.

"How are you?" I reiterated from the previous conversation I had held with her,

"Okay, I guess" she replied slowly, her words still slured "What happened?" she asked me, I could still see the fear in her eyes as her beautiful blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight as she studied me carefully.

"Don't you remember?" I asked

"Remember what?" she questioned, her voice sounding confused

"You was in the park, and you needed me to see you because there was something you wanted to talk to me about something, does this ring any bells?" I asked again, I could feel myself becoming more concerned about her, my heart slowed along side my breathing as  I could feel her becoming more distressed as I spoke to her.

"Why? Why was I in the park? I... I can't erm.. I can't.. Oh what's the word?" She began, speaking to herself, she looked back at me, with a sad expression emerging on her face

"Go on" I urged "You know this" I could feel the atmosphere surrounding the room change as she struggled to understand what she was trying to say, something in her eyes changed as she seemed to become more aggravated and even more upset, I felt as though my presence was making things worse but I wanted to stay, I needed to make sure she was okay.

"Remember!" she exclaimed remembering the phrase she was searching for "Why was I in the park?" she reiterated gasping for breath "I can't remember why?" she said again.

Her face had turned red and her eyes looked strained as she was constantly having a battle with herself.

"Jubilee, do you want to talk about it?" I asked her calmly

As she looked at me, I could see her eyes welling up with tears, she sucked in her tears as she desperately tried to keep her tears at bay, she grabbed onto the bed sheets and rocked herself, the more she rocked the more she looked like she was going to cry, I placed my hand upon her arm and tried to comfort her.

"It hurts so much!" she declared "My head feels as though it is going to give way any moment, the pins and needles won't go away and I... I can't..." she began growling as she fought harder to think of the word she wanted to say "I can't deal with this anymore, everytime this happens it gets worse and worse. I'm so tired, I'd rather have anxiety that this" she cried, as she spoke my heart beated slower, my ears pricked up as I listened intensively, a tear rolled down her cheek. "Hemiplegic Migraine's suck balls!" she cried.

****

I never did understand what was meant by Hemiplegic Migraine, when ever it was mentioned Jubilee would flinch at the sound, she always looked so fragile and very timid, she became very ill she found it hard to get the motivation to get out of bed, and go and see her friends, most of the time her friends had to go to her house, because of the volume of people that visited her, so her parents made the basement her new bedroom, they laid down a fresh new carpet, they placed a double bed by the newly wallpapered wall, they put a large flat screen television on the wall and they brought her the new PlayStation so that she had lots of activities to do.

****

I walked into Jubilee's newly furbished room, as I strolled down the stairs I saw her sitting down on her bed reading her favourite book, "Hey Jubes, you liking your new room?" I asked her cheerfully

"Yeah, it's great" she said happily the first time in a long time I saw her smile, she looked like she was coming out of her shell again.

"Want to play Call Of Duty: Black Ops?  bet I can out live you on zombies" I challenged

"Bugger off!" she exclaimed "I can kick your arse any day!"

She grabbed her PlayStation controller and turned on the PlayStation, "Let's go!" she shouted

I jumped on to her bed and grabbed the second controller, I looked at her, her hair was thrown back into a messy bun, she had no make up on and her eyes looked focused, she looked beautiful even though her skin looked as pale as the white walls, she was perfect to me.

****