Free A New Life by Lucy Appadoo Page A

asked.
                  “I've got such a bad headache. My stomach's killing me too.”
                  “I'll get you a tablet.” He rose from the bed and headed towards the kitchen.
    As Roberto was leaving, Valeria suddenly felt a gush of blood pour out of her and the sheets  filled with it. She felt light-headed and was in and out of consciousness. A gentle hand tugged at her. “Valeria—Valeria, oh my God. You're bleeding.”
                  Valeria could barely hear Roberto as he rushed out of the room and called out to the others. She was barely conscious when he returned and carried her outside to his car.
                  “The baby,” Valeria said.
                  “Don't worry. Angela will stay here with her. We're taking you to the hospital.”
    Valeria felt dizzy and blacked out.
                  When she woke up, she realised she wasn't at home in her own bed, but in some other place filled with noise in the background. She heard scurrying feet and muffled voices, but didn't know where she was. What bed was she in? She was half-conscious when suddenly she noticed a woman beside her. She was wearing a white old nurse's hat, and looked angelic and surreal. She had never seen a woman look so lovingly powerful through her presence alone, and it evoked a strong feeling of rightness and love in her. This woman's energy was so strong, she could barely breathe. The woman approached and stroked Valeria on the face.
                  “ Povera ragazza ,” the woman said in Italian. She sat by her side for a few minutes, then left. Valeria found she couldn't speak. So this was what heaven was like. She must've been dead as she felt detached from her surroundings. Everything looked blurry around her, but she felt a sense of pure love inside her. If this was what heaven was like then it wasn't too bad. She was sure that Roberto would take good care of their daughter, Maria. They would be okay without her, and they had Angela to help. Besides, she knew that Roberto would find someone else to take her place. She wanted that for him. He deserved to have a loving, generous woman beside him.
                  Some time later, Valeria noticed another woman coming into the room, but this woman looked different. She was wearing a striped uniform but no funny looking hat. She remembered seeing the show The Flying Nun , and that woman she had seen previously wore the same kind of hat. Where was she now? Where did she go?
                  “How are you feeling, Valeria?” She realised the woman spoke to her in Italian.
                  “What?” Valeria was confused. “Where am I?” She suddenly felt different. She was more immersed in her surroundings.
                  “You're in hospital.”
                  She struggled to lift her body. “Why?”
                  “You were taken in by your husband. You were bleeding heavily. We managed to control the infection you caught after you had your baby. I think you were taken home too soon, and your body couldn't cope.” The nurse was checking her chart.
                  “So—so—I'm not dead? I'm not in heaven?”
                  The woman laughed. “No, you're not in heaven. You're very much alive—and I'll be your nurse for today.”
                  “But what about the other nurse that was here before? She was wearing an old nurse's hat, almost like a sun hat. She looked quite old too. Where is she?”
                  The nurse knit her brows. “I'm sorry, but there's no nurse here that looks like that.”
    The nurse left, and Valeria felt cold all over. What was going on here? She was sure the woman was real. Yet, there was that strange feeling of something unreal about her. Was she an angel reassuring her that she'd be fine? Valeria could've died, and maybe at that