THE BLIND BILLIONAIRRE

ARRIVING IN ROME

Lisa's POV

I look out of the window and see Rome moving closer. I can't wait to get off the airplane to breathe some fresh air and to stretch my legs. We have been on the flight for several hours now. My little sister and I are on our way to Rome for our holiday. Looking at Lilani, I can't help but think about my parents.

The car accident claimed both of their lives one year ago after they came back from one of their friends' weddings. I remember when I got the call from the hospital informing me to go to the emergency room and changed both of our lives forever. Lilani is so young she needs our parents, when the tooth fairy comes to visit, she runs up to her mother and shouts, “Look the tooth fairy was here”. On her first day at school where they stand watching her when she fell in love and can't wait to see mom and tell her about the boy and the first heartbreak, mom would bring ice cream and say everything is going to be okay. Father, wants to break the boy's neck for hurting his little girl. But now she won't get to experience any of that. Lilani is only five years old and still doesn't understand why they don't come home every night.

I planned this vacation to Rome, hoping to take my sister's thoughts away from all the sadness, from the place that reminds her of our parents every day. I asked for three weeks leave of absence from the law firm I work at. My boss was kind enough to grand it to me. I planned this so we could go elsewhere on mom and dad's first death anniversary. After their death, I became like a mother to Lilani. I used all my savings to make this holiday possible. Now we have reached our destination. The lights flash above the seats, and they requested the passengers to fasten their seatbelts, as we will land at Leonardo da Vinci International Airport within minutes.

“We arrived”. I thought as we landed.

“Excuse me, Miss, but maybe I can be of help?” The air hostess says. “I notice you struggling to catch a taxi. Here, let me get one.” She continues and calls a taxicab. “Thank you so much,” I said to the air hostess.

Soon we are on our way to the hotel where we will be staying. The manager can speak English to my relief, and after we complete the formalities, a porter accompanies us to our suite, which is on the second floor.

“I think you should rest a little”, I suggest to Lilani when we are alone again. Lilani shakes her head up and down and move towards the bed I help my Lilani to bed. “Sleep tight, love you”. I said, kissing her on the forehead. I walk over to the window where the Tibert River flows by. I wish my parents were here with us. Turning around, I notice that Lilani is still sleeping. She will not wake up soon and decide to lie down for a while myself.

I woke up when I heard my sister sing. “Lisa…”, then knocking on the nightstand “do you want to build a snowman, come on, let's go and play,” Lilani giggles as she climbs on the bed.

“I'm awake, now stop singing” I laugh at my sisters' silliness and I feel Lilani on the bed.

“How are you feeling Lily?” I asked as she lay down in my arms.

“Better thank you, Lizzy, can we do something fun please”? She asked me.

“Yes, let's walk to the park,” I said after getting off the bed.

With the strap of my purse over my shoulder, the two of us leave the room. I can no longer wait to explore this place.

We walked around the corner, toward the Tiber River to the bridge. Here we stand for a while and watch as the water flows past through the city.

Then we stroll on to the Villa Borghese Gardens. “Let's get a bike,” I recommend.

“Yes, then we could eat something after that?” Lilani asked me.

“Okay, let's go grab a bicycle.” We walked over to where we can rent the bicycles. “Excuse me, I would like to hire two please.” I requested the man and give him the money.

Soon Lilani and I are on our way, riding through the garden.

“Let's rest for a while,” Lilani asked after we ride for half an hour.

“There is the fountain, where you can make a wish?” I proposed.

I take Lilani's hand and walked over to where a few people are standing, ready to flip a coin. “Here, have this coin,” I told Lilani. She takes it and closed her eyes.

Two guys come to stand some distance from me, staring at me from head to toe, and smirks. This caused my temper to flare.

But before I could say anything, Lilani shouts at them “Why are you looking at my sister like that, don't you know it's rude? She's not some meal you can eat! Stop staring at her!”

They look at Lilani surprised that she just talked to them that way, they glanced at me and step away. I smile at Lilani, and together we ride the bikes back and stroll back to the hotel.

“Let's go for dinner in the dining area”. I suggest.

I notice Lilani ate little, then she complained about a headache. “I have pain again”. Lilani tells me.

“Let's get you to bed,” I replied and lead her to our suite.

“Good night Lilani,” I said and kissed her on the head. She closed her eyes and falls asleep while I play with her hair just staring at her.

“She never complained about this before three weeks ago.”

That night I couldn't sleep. The room is different, the noises coming in from the window are strange.

It was past midnight when I fall asleep.

The next morning when I woke up, I noticed my sister missing from bed. I sit up and glanced around the room, only to find Lilani drawing at the table and smiling. “You seem better today,” I remark.

“It's because I don't have pain today Lizzy”, Lilani smiled a little unhappily.

“I'm glad you feel better,” I smiled along.

“So tell me, do you want to go on an outing this morning?”

“Yes, can we go to the park again please?” Lilani asked me with puppy eyes.

“Looks like she enjoyed the park yesterday.” I thought.

We got ready for our outing to the park.

The two of us walked around the garden when Lilani starts complaining about a headache again.

I picked her up and walked back to our room. “That's it, I'm taking you to the doctor,” I said in a stern voice.

“Go and take a bath.”

A few minutes later I heard something in the bathroom and became worried and went to investigate. As soon as I entered, I found my sister on the floor unconscious.

Shocked, I kneeled beside her and sighed aloud, relieved when I realized she still had a pulse.

I will have to call a doctor immediately. I got up to call the manager. “Please help me we need to get a doctor for my sister” I request in English.

“I will phone a doctor right away,” The manager said and hung up p.

While I was sponging my sister's face with a damp cloth, the hotel manager knocked on the door and walked into the room, at my invitation.

“I called doctor Rossi,” He informed me.

I put the damp cloth on the bedside table, “Thank you so much for calling the doctor, Mr. Romano.” I said. Thankfully he can speak English. Just as the manager wanted to leave I stopped him.

“Wait, how will the doctor and I communicate? Does he speak English?” I suddenly asked worriedly.

“You do not have to worry about the doctor, Signorina,” The manager assured.

“The doctor can speak English very well.”

“I honestly don't know how to thank you for your help, Mr. Romano,” I said gratefully.

“I just hope this isn't serious.”

“I understand, Signorina. I'll be in my office if you need my help,” The manager said. “Meanwhile, I hope your sister will recover quickly.” With that words, the manager leaves the room and leaves me alone again.

I have no idea why she's unconscious. I gently stroke the pale face of my sister. “I hope it's nothing serious”. I whispered.

Tears well up in my eyes, but I quickly wiped them with the back of my hand. “I need to be strong,” I told myself.

Just then there's a knock on the door. I quickly got up and opened the door.

“I'm Dr. Rossi, and you're the patient's mother?” I heard the doctor ask in English with a heavy Italian accent.

“I'm Lisa Saunders, her older sister doctor Rossi,” I said standing aside to let him in. He walked over to where Lilani lay. The doctor examines Lilani, “How is her health, Miss Saunders?” He asked me.

“As far as I know excellent, doctor. She had just started complaining about the headache a few weeks ago, but I thought it was because she was missing out on her parents”. I told him truthfully.

“I told her to get ready so that I can take her to a doctor and found her on the bathroom floor in this unconscious.”

The doctor struggles for almost fifteen minutes to bring Lilani around, “Your sister will have to be admitted to the hospital, Miss Saunders,” The doctor announces as he carefully placed his stethoscope in his suitcase.

“Your sister is in a coma, not just unconscious.” The words shocked me.

“Is .... my sister's condition serious, Doctor?” I asked with a lump in my throat.

The doctor looked at me with sadness in his eyes, “Yes, I fear your sister's condition is serious, Miss. But exactly how serious, I do not know. I will get an ambulance to come immediately”

I suddenly become concerned about her, after the doctor's departure, I quickly got an overnight bag for her.

Just as I was done with the ambulance stopped in front of the hotel. The paramedic helped Lilani and asked, “Do you want to ride with your sister, Miss?” I nodded and followed them to the waiting ambulance.

I have been waiting all night for the doctors to come out with some news about Lilani.

I can't even ask one of the nurses, I can only flip through the magazines, and look at the pictures, while I'm constantly thinking about my sister.

Dr. Rossi finally makes his appearance at the waiting room door.

I quickly stand up from the chair, walked towards him, “Doctor, do you know what's wrong with my sister? Is she still in a coma?”

The doctor looked at me, then, “Your sister is still in a coma, Miss Saunders, and I'm afraid her condition is critical. She will most likely have to get surgery. But we will only know for sure tomorrow after the brain specialist has studied the X-ray plates again. You see, the plates showed a tumor on the brain.”

I suddenly looked at the doctor as if he had just grown two heads.

“Thank you, doctor,” I said and leave the hospital.

I can't believe that this is happening to us. How will I pay for the surgery? I didn't budget for medical expenses such as an operation. Thinking about all this I finally arrived at the hotel. I quickly went to my room to think about this situation.

The next morning I woke up early to get ready to go to the hospital. I wait for the doctor and after what feels like forever the doctor finally comes over to me, “Good morning, Miss Saunders, please follow me.” I heard him say.

I quickly followed the doctor to a room.

Dr. Rossi introduced me to the brain specialist, and I become tense.

“Please sit down, Miss Saunders.” He invited me to sit down and begin to speak.

“Unfortunately, the result of my examination isn't good, Signorina. The signorina will have to get an operation as soon as possible, her life depends on it“ He started to explain everything about the operation, but I don't understand all the medical terms he uses.

“Your parents will have to be notified about the operation immediately, Signorina. The operation can only be postponed for a few days.”

“I'm sorry doctor, but my parents died in a car accident a year ago. I'm her legal guardian.” I told the doctor.

“I'm sorry to hear about your family.” The doctor replied.

“We need your answer by tonight so that we can make the necessary arrangements.” Doctor Rossi informed me.

I thanked the doctor and walked out of the hospital towards the park.

I'm thinking about the operation that my sister needs that I don't notice the old man sitting near me.

The thought that I would also lose my sister breaks my heart. I wish our parents were here to tell me what to do.

I'm lost in my sorrow that I don't notice the man watching me.