Charlie's Story

CHARLIE'S STORY

Pauline Mah

...Getting up from the floor, I climbed back to my bed, and this is when I noticed that Sally was not alone. With a mouth full of jelly donuts, Sally shouted "Charlie! Are you OK?" Sally stifled a giggle and said to the man next to her "Phillie will you help Charlie get settled into his bed?" The man did as he was told and introduced himself to Charlie.

"Hello Sir. I understand I have you to thank for saving my fiance." With that statement, Phillie, as he was called by Sally moved toward Sally and put his arm around her.

Charlie, looking up at the balding man with glasses quietly said "Ginko?" Charlie didn't want to speak too loudly because he felt his memory coming back. Suddenly he saw a surge of images. He saw Sally talking about Dr. Ginko followed by her crying like a water fountain...and then Charlie saw Miles saying hello. Charlie was scared by his first flashback. He felt panicked and called out for Miles.

"Miles!"

"No. I'm Dr. Phillip Ginko. I thought for sure Sally would have mentioned me."

Ignoring Dr. Ginko, Charlie said to Sally "Sally, what happened to Miles?"

But before Sally could reply, Dr. ginko interrupted and firmly said "I will thank you not to trouble my Sally with such trifles. The man is dead and there is no sense talking about that now." Charlie looked at Sally and for once Sally didn't have anything to say.

In the midst of this awkward silence, Sally sniffled and said "It's too bad Miles can't make it to our wedding but I look forward to having you come as our guest of honour, if that's all right with you Phillie dear?"

"Yes, I would be very honored to have the man who saved my Sally to come to our wedding. And now if you'll excuse us we have a million things to do before the ceremony tomorrow."

"Yes, I wouldn't want to keep you from your affairs." replied Charlie. But mostly, Charlie was just trying to get them out of his room so he could get dressed and leave the hospital.

"Byee!" shrieked Sally.

When they were gone Charlie just breathed a sigh of relief and took a moment to think about poor Miles. Charlie was happy that he could remember Milees, his friend, but he was sorry about the loss. He now wondered whether he really did want his short term memory back. Maybe it was best if he didn't remember the train accident. When Charlie was dressed he looked in the mirror and saw that he desperately needed a shave. His whiskers were so overgrown that his face resembled a bear! As he was about to call the nurse for a razor he noticed a bunch of roses on a nearby table. the note read "Dear Charlie, I hope you get well soon. Love from Cassie." Charlie was stunned. His hands began to shake and he fell to his knees. This can't be the same Cassie, he thought to himself. Cassie is dead but I know no-one else by that name. Could this be what my dreams were trying to tell me? At that moment he saw a young woman walk through the door with a razor and a comb.

"The nurse said you might need these."

Charlie still in a state of shock from the flowers was now in a silent stupor for in front of his eyes was the image of the love he thought he would never see again.

"I'm glad to see that you are feeling better." said Cassie.

"You're dead!" were the only words Charlie could say. Cassie went down on her knees in front of Charlie so she could speak to him face to face. She explained that her disappearance in Africa was due to her being poisoned by an unknown insect. She was collecting samples for her research when she was stung by something that collapsed her body making her appear dead to her colleagues. Her colleagues ran off because the insects were beginning to swarm and they didn't want to meet the same fate. When she awoke she was in a jungle tribe under the care of Henry Morton Stanley. Fascinated by Stanley's work and unable to return home she stayed with Stanley and the tribe untill they were found by a group of British hunters. She journeyed for months and months with the British expedition untill they finally decided to go home but their ship was headed for Britain and not Canada.

"I only arrived to Calgary ten days ago. I know that everyone thought I was dead but I had no-way of contacting anyone untill my arrival in England. I'm sorry Charlie." With that statement Charlie burst into tears and said "Oh Cassie, Cassie... I thought you were dead...there's never been anyone else like you." Charlie reached out and hugged Cassie with all his might. Then he turned his head slightly toward her ear. he could feel her cascading hair tickle his cheek as he whispered "I love you."

"I love you too." replied Cassie.

All of a sudden, Sally came bursting through the door. "Charlie! Charlie! I have good news!" but before she said what it was Sally looked at Cassie and Charlie on the floor and said "Charlie, did you fall out of bed and really hurt yourself this time?"

"No, No Sally. I didn't fall out of bed. Come, tell us of your good news and then I will be glad to introduce you to Cassie." Charlie was now feeling in higher spirits and was indeed looking forward to some more good news.

"Alright then," said Sally. "I'm only telling you this because we have become such good friends and I trust that you will keep this a secret until after Phillie and I are married. I just received the test results and I'm pregnant!"

Just then Charlie experienced another flashback. "But Cassie, I thought you didn't know how to make babies?!?!"

"I didn't, but Miles showed me on the train just before we crashed. I told Phillie all about it and he was ecstatic. He loves the idea of being a father so tomorrow we'll have more than just a wedding to celebrate!" said an excited Sally.

Charlie's jaw dropped in astonishment. How could Miles do this, thought Charlie to himself. Then Charlie began to feel light headed. With all the excitment from Sally, Cassie and now Miles, Charlie fainted forward into the arms of Cassie.

The next morning Charlie was having breakvast with his Grandfather in the hospital. "Your fainting spell yesterday had a lot of people worried son. I hope you're not still thinking about going to Sally's wedding today."

"I have to go grandfather. Sally is the only one who can give me answers about the train accident and besides that, we've become friends." Charlie's traumatic experience has made him see that wretched Sally was really dearest Sally. "One other thing grandfather. Before I leave for the wedding, I would like to renew my wedding engagement to Cassie. How do you think I should do that?"

"Cassie has expressed the same desire but she was reluctant to discuss it because she didn't know if you would be ready for it." said grandfather.

"Cassie is my true love. Grandfather, I will always be ready for her."

"Well then Charlie, she is staying at the Blue Diamond Hotel. Whatever you plan for her should be done there. I suggest that you surprise her just like the way you asked her the first time. And son, as a proud grandfather I have a wedding gift that I have been waiting a long time to give you. The wedding gift is..."

On to Chapter 13

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