It has been six days since I woke up and a week since I got here. The doctor has cleared me and Nurse Pelli finally left yesterday. She was so nice to me and shared her experiences as a nurse with me. Some hilarious, some pleasant and others were just straight out of horror movies.
As for where I am, I know now that this is not one of Levi's houses. In fact, this house belongs to one Mr Elrod. There are no pictures of him anywhere though, no personal effects of him in any of the rooms. Yes, I have been snooping. Anybody in my position would do the same. It is not everyday you have an accident and come to after five days in another man's house. I have been to every room in this house. Except two. And it is because their doors are always locked.
Miss Tammy, the assistant assigned to me is an absolute darling. She is an older woman full of life and always bustling with energy. Unlike Janet who is younger, barely pays me any mind unless necessary and moves very noiselessly around the house, Miss Tammy is very free and loud. She is always ready to help and made me feel very welcome in this house. She also did not hesitate to call me Sam when I asked her to. But, she has been very tight lipped about the house and its owner. All I know about this Mr Elrod is that he owns this house and the doctor and Nurse Pelli thought he is my husband.
I don't know what to think or if I am even safe here. I know now that this man saved my life and I have not had any cause to look over my shoulders or fear for my life. I know my life is not in any impending danger. But I really need to leave and get back to the life I know before all my plans go to shit. But how? I don't know where we are or if I'm still even in the city I know. I don't know this place. I would have used google maps but I don't have my phone and Miss Tammy said she does not have it either. It honestly probably got lost during the accident.
"Sam darling, can you help me with the sugar." Miss Tammy says pointing to one of the cabinets. I reach for the container and pass it to her. I told her that I want her chocolate chip cookies. She has a special way of baking it, I have never tasted anything quite like it before. I once told her that if she wants to, she can build a total empire baking these cookies. She smiled and said she had never wanted to be a business owner and she is quite content with her life.
"What time does Mr Elrod get back from work?" I ask for the nth time since I woke up. Miss Tammy shakes her head as she grabs the tray off the kitchen island and walk over to the other end of the kitchen to place it in the oven. I take the spatula she used to stir the cookie batter and run my finger over it to get the leftover batter so I can lick it.
"Sam, I have told you, he had indefinite work hours."
"I just need to thank him and go back to my life. I am married you know. This has been extremely nice and all but I need to leave."
"I understand baby." She says nothing more and starts to clean up. Her phone dings and she checks it, texting whoever it is back before dropping it and carrying on with cleaning.
When she's done, she takes her phone and calls out to one of the staff passing by and whispers to him. He nods and leaves and she comes back to the kitchen. We make small talk while waiting for the cookies to finish baking. She tells me about her children and her latest grand baby and shows me the pictures her daughter shared with her. Miss Tammy is a proud mother of three and she talks about them to anyone that cares to listen.
I ask when she is going to visit and she says very soon. She also FaceTimes her last child in university and makes me talk to her too. Her daughter compliments my hair and I laugh because her mum also complimented my hair the first time I met her. My hair has never been complimented before I met these two. Miss Tammy even offered to help me braid it but I rejected her offer.
After fifteen minutes, she ends the call, leaves her phone on the kitchen island and goes to remove the cookies from the oven. Her phone dings again and lights up with a message as she sets the tray down and I catch some words from the message.
"…away… the door…" I wonder what that was about. But I guess it is from the Mr Elrod.
Miss Tammy plates the cookies, leave out the tray snd baking paper and suggests that we go up to the music room. Another thing about Miss Tammy is that she is a wonderful piano player. Is there anything this woman cannot do?
On our way up, she tells another one of the staff to clean up the kitchen. Now, that is strange because Miss Tammy never leaves the kitchen messy and never tells anyone to clean up after her. She cleans up after herself.
"Let's go, dear." Wait was that message about me? To get me away from the door? But why?
We go up to the music room but Miss Tammy doesn't play the piano. Instead she talks to me as I munch on her heavenly cookies. After ten minutes, I am done and she takes my plate. When she comes back up, I tell her that I am tired and I need to take a nap. I leave that music room and instead of going to my room, I take a detour and go towards where I remember those two locked rooms to be. As I am getting closer, I hear a voice. That must be Mr Elrod. I slow my pace and start walking on my tippy toes. I walk slowly and silently towards where the voice is coming from. It is muffled but it gets clearer as I get closer
"… need to know, now leave."
I know that voice. It was the one I heard in the hospital when I was still very out of it. That voice is the most pleasant thing I have heard in my life. I reach the door and it is closed. I look through the key hole and I can't see anything. Then I hear another voice. Oh? There are two people in the room.
"So what are you going to do now?" That voice sounds awfully familiar. To confirm my suspicion, I gather courage and put my hand on the knob. If this door is locked, I don't know what I will do.
I hear Mr Elrod start to reply the person, "I really don't…" I open the door and my eyes widens.