House Divided Read Online Free PDF Page B

morning call. I was beginning to feel the
effects of a just a few hours of sleep. Unfortunately, hospitals are the worst
places to sleep. I’d just started to nod off when they wheeled my aunt back in.
I sat up and sleepily smiled at the cantankerous old bird.
    “You look like hell, Ella Lu. Go to the
house and get some rest,” she said lovingly.
    “I love you too, Aunt Lu. I’m fine, and
I’ll just get a hotel room nearby tonight.”
    “That’s nonsense, child. You can just stay
at the house.”
    I was surprised she wanted me to go to her
house. I hadn’t been there since I was eighteen-years-old, and I wasn’t sure if
that was a good idea.
    “We’ll see,” is all I committed to.
    I sat next to her again. “So, tell me what
happened.”
    “Doris just overreacted is all. I had a
little pain and some shortness of breath and the next thing I know I’m being
whisked away in an ambulance against my wishes, and the fools wouldn’t even
take me to Kaysville General.”
    I knew I shouldn’t be laughing, but she
was a riot. I’m sure those paramedics got an earful.
    “Well, you have to be tired too. Why don’t
you try and get some rest until we get your results back. Do you want me to get
you anything?” I asked.
    “Yes, I need you to send for my cosmetics
and my satin pajamas. If they think I’m wearing this ridiculous article of
clothing during my stay here, they have another thing coming.”
    I smirked. “Anything else?”
    She grabbed my hand. “Yes, I want you to
call my lawyer.”
    “Why?”
    She squeezed my hand and looked at me with
those eyes of hers. “Because it’s time.”

Chapter Two
     
    I knew what she meant. She’d been trying
for years to place me on her accounts and to sign over a large portion of her
wealth to me, including the house. I never wanted her money. It never brought
her any happiness, except that it meant she could give me anything I ever
wanted and then some. I had my own money anyway. But more importantly, she
wanted me to have power of attorney, just in case. I didn’t want to think about
the just in case.
    I called Doris and had her bring my Aunt
Lu’s “necessities” to the hospital. And, begrudgingly, I called Mr. Howard, my aunt’s
attorney. Apparently he made hospital room calls.
    By late afternoon, we got some test
results back. She did indeed have a heart attack, and she had two blocked
arteries that would require angioplasty. She wasn’t happy about that. She
wanted second and third opinions. I eventually got her to listen to reason, but
she refused to have any procedures done until we had met with Mr. Howard and I
was on her accounts and the power of attorney was in place. I couldn’t get her
to budge on that, so I agreed. She was blackmailing me with her health.
    I was exhausted by the time evening rolled
around. I couldn’t keep from yawning.
    “Ella Lu, go to the house and get some
sleep.”
    “I’m just going to get a hotel room.”
    “Ella Lu, it’s time to face your past,
sugar.”
    “You told me to leave and never come
back.” That came out more childish than I intended.
    She touched my face with her hand that was
hooked to an I.V. “Ella Lu, don’t you ever tell anyone I said this, but I was
wrong. I thought you would be able to move on and be happy.”
    “I’m happy, Aunt Lu.”
    “For the most part you are, but I don’t
think you’ll ever be truly happy until you move on from that Jackson boy.”
    “I’ve moved on, Aunt Lu!”
    “No sugar, you moved away.”
    I didn’t want to talk about this, and I
wanted to say, “Just like you moved on from his daddy?” but I wouldn’t sass my aunt
like that, especially in her condition. It was my own dang fault anyway. If I
would have just followed the rules, I wouldn’t have anybody I needed to get
over.
    “Fine, I’ll go to the house. Do you want
me to bring anything back with me in the morning?”
    “No, just make sure you dress up for our
meeting with my lawyer here in the