Thanks Gracie Sammy totally appreciates that

Chapter 5

“So he didn’t tell you how his Bapi died? Didn’t you find that strange?”

“I don’t ask personally questions Ben. Especially when it’s a family member who just died.” Samantha replied, squeezing her mug stressfully.

“So did you ever find out how he died?”

“No. His Bapi never got brought up again. But now I begin to wonder…”

“Wonder what?”

“If the same thing happened to him as everybody else.” She said quietly.

“What happened to everybody else?”

The response to this question was not a simple answer. Instead, Samantha began to tear up and she ducked her head, hiding her face. Benny waited for his sister to get under control again. It frightened him slightly to see her almost lose it at this question. What could have happened to Milo’s Bapi to make Samantha break down like this?

Looking for a way to distract her, Benny asked instead, “What did Gram and Bapi say when you came back soaking wet?”

Samantha snorted and wiped at her damp eyes. “Gram began fussing over me, saying I was going to catch the “pneumonia.” Bapi found it hilarious that a boy threw me in.”

“Dad would of found that funny too.” Benny chuckled.

“Yeah he would of.” Samantha smiled. “The days began to turn into weeks and the weeks turned into months. I told Milo I was coming back home to visit for the holidays and he told me to be careful on the trip over. I came home the day before Danny’s birthday. Then he asked me to take him to the hospital for his birthday present. Mum would of flipped if you hadn’t come out of the coma like that.”

“Why?” Benny was curious. Nobody really talked about what it was like when he was in his coma. So the curiosity got the better of him.

“Mum wouldn’t let him see you while you were in the hospital. I wasn’t supposed to take him, but he wanted it for his birthday.”

“Why wouldn’t mum let him see me?” Benny didn’t know what to make of this. He was a little upset that his mum banned his little brother from seeing him.

“After your accident, Danny kind of went mute on us. He wouldn’t talk to anybody. Mum sent him to counseling and everything but nobody got him to talk. He only talked to Jae and me for a long time. But even then he never said a lot. Your accident affected him more than you know.” She said slowly.

Benny looked away, ashamed. It was his fault that Danny was like that. If he had been paying attention that day, none of that would of happened.

“I know what your thinking. But if you don’t stop, I will hit you.” Samantha said seriously.

Benny turned back to her and found her staring hard at him. “What am I thinking?”

“You were thinking that was all your fault. It wasn’t your fault. And if you ever think it was your fault you went into a coma, so help me Benny.”

“Ok, ok!” Benny chuckled. He loved how feisty his sister could be sometimes. “So back to your story. You went back to Greece a few months later didn’t you?”

“Well yeah. I sent an owl to Gram and Milo the day you came…back. I told them both I would be staying awhile to be with you. Milo sent back an owl the same night and told me he was going to come. He found a hotel to stay in and was there for me in ways he didn’t even know.” Samantha said.

“He stayed out here until January with you?”

“No. He only stayed out here for two weeks, but we grew even closer. I knew so much about him, and he knew even more about me. I’ve never been so connected to somebody before.”

“Were you in love with him?”

”Not just yet. But I was close enough.”