Chapter 9
Daniel’s tinnitus was severe; he staggered back several steps, nearly collapsing onto the muddy grass.
His eyes stared blankly at the river, lost and unsure of where to go.
Immediately, he called his rowdy friends, urging them to arrange a rescue as quickly as possible.
“I’m by the Hudson River. Get everyone over here and find her for me, right now!”
He refused to believe Gabriella could die so inexplicably.
She wasn’t meant to die; how could she possibly be lying at the bottom of this river!
Jerome wanted to cry, but found he couldn’t; instead, a wave of unpredictable panic washed over him.
He had never imagined his mother would leave him, vanish from his life. Even when he yelled at her, smashed the toys she bought, dumped all the food she spent an afternoon cooking into the trash, and ignored her for Cynthia, she never abandoned him.
But now, everything was different.
“No, I want to find Mom-”
If his mother was in the water, then he would go into the water to find her!
Chapter 9
288 Vouchers
Jerome scrambled on all fours to the riverbank’s shallows, plunging forward heedlessly as the mud and sand swallowed his legs.
Daniel was still in a daze, but when he looked up and saw half of his son’s body already submerged, he rushed over in terror and dragged him out of the river.
“Jerome, what are you doing! This water is so deep–are you trying to die? I don’t have time to discipline you right now!”
Jerome wailed, his limbs flailing wildly in the air: “I want to find Mom! Mom hasn’t come back yet! I want Mom, ahhh-”
Daniel was stunned by his son’s cries. Jerome’s lower half was soaked, but he still wanted to go into the water and pull his mother out.
“Daddy will find Mom, okay? Be good and wait, please?”
Jerome sat on the ground, still crying; he couldn’t wait another second.
The fear of losing his mother consumed him completely.
Daniel settled his son and asked the police to comfort him, then walked into the water himself.
The river at midnight was bone–chillingly cold, as if it could pierce his flesh. He couldn’t help but wonder if Gabriella had even a one percent chance of surviving in such conditions.
How terrified must she have been in that second when she fell into the river and was swallowed by the waves? Was she calling his name for help?
And what was he doing at that moment? He hadn’t been there to protect her; instead, he was in the hospital room, slicing fruit for Cynthia,
Chapter 9
288 Vouchers
wiping her body, telling her jokes to make her laugh.
འདའ་འ ེ ་ ་ ་ ་ ་ ་ ་ ་ ་ ་ ་ ་ ་ ་
In the past, he thought there was nothing wrong with this. After all, he liked Cynthia more than Gabriella, and giving Cynthia more love and attention seemed right. As for Gabriella, he couldn’t give her anything
more.
But was that really true? Was he truly blameless?
It felt as if an invisible hand was gripping his chest tightly. Daniel shuddered violently, blood streaming from his nose down to his lips, yet he felt no pain.
By now, the river water had reached his shoulders, but he was completely unaware.
Maybe if he went a little further, he would find Gabriella.
So he took another step forward, while people on the shore screamed desperately: “Daniel, don’t go any further! Stay where you are!”
The police quickly sprang into action, pulling Daniel from the center of the river back to the shore.
Daniel gasped for air, suddenly realizing he had almost lost his life.
