Just when Kate was about to switch on the television, her phone rang and it was her mother, informing her that she was at the reception area.

“Catch!” She tossed me the remote after hanging up. “My mom is downstairs,” she excitedly said.

That day was going to be my first day meeting Ms Gomez in person. Unlike her, I had an idea of what she looked like as her daughter had their pictures all over her room. The door opened and Kate walked in holding some grocery bags whilst chatting and laughing with her mother who followed in after her. The woman leaned on the cupboard and I quickly stood up and walked towards her to officially introduce myself.

“Oh there you are. Finally, you two get to meet in person,” Kate said as she was busy trying to see what was in those bags.

“Hello Ms Gomez!” I greeted with a huge sincere smile.

In that moment I realised that Ms Gomez was in fact more beautiful in person. She was a tall coloured lady in her early fifties. She had gorgeous light brown eyes and her short neatly cut hair was surely her crown. I tried scanning her from head to toe, but even before I could get to her waist, she abruptly bent over as if she was experiencing tremendous chest pain.

“Ms Gomez, are you alright?” I asked in deep concern.

“Mom!” Kate speedily jumped over to her mom who didn’t look good at all.

“Mom… what’s wrong?” she asked whilst holding her mother, but in a matter of seconds the woman closed her eyes and was stock-still.

“God, what is this now?” I soliloquised in confusion.

Kate slowly placed her mother on the floor and started sobbing loudly. Instantly, I snapped out of my intra-trauma moment and ran to my room to get my phone and dialled the ambulance.

To be honest, even I was aware that the information I was giving was more vague than useful and made no sense whatsoever. I mean, one minute the woman was fine, the next thing she was inertly laying on the ceramic floor. After a long trail of questions, I got off the phone and the paramedics were on their way.

I anxiously walked out of my room into the kitchen where Kate had buried her face in between her knees. I kneeled down next to her and reassured her that everything was going to be alright. I then stood up and went outside to get help from one of our neighbours while we waited for the ambulance. I managed to get Sue.

When we walked in we found the paramedics already there trying to revive Ms Gomez. After probably an hour, the two gentlemen told us that Ms Gomez was critical but stable, and that they think what she was suffering from was a panic attack. Shortly after, they took her on a stretcher and into the ambulance which we had to follow to hospital in Sue’s car.

A few hours later we were informed that Ms Gomez was awake and that she had requested to see Kate. Their conversation was quite brief, thus almost immediately we were driving out of the hospital gate to our complex. The drive was very tranquil and Kate was just staring out the window as if she was reminiscing about something. When we got to our complex, Sue said her goodbyes and we parted ways.

***

Tell us: What do you think happened to Kate’s mom?