Meet Me Where the Oak Tree Grows novel Chapter 10

Ms. Costa once told me I had a lovely name. Jonah, now that's a nice name too. His parents must have really loved him.

The day I was born, my mom asked my dad to come up with a name. Feeling a bit impatient, he glanced at a little stream by the fields and said, "Let's call her Lana." And my mom just went along with it.

It wasn't until I met Ms. Lana that I realized I actually I had a lovely name.

The sounds around me slowly dimmed. The meds kicked in, and I drifted back to sleep. When I woke up again, it was already afternoon.

"Hold it there for a bit. Don’t let it bleed," the nurse said after finishing the last IV drip. She removed the needle and nodded at Jonah, who was standing nearby.

Jonah grabbed a chair and sat down, pressing his rough fingers onto the bandage on my hand. Just the right amount of pressure.

I tried to pull my hand back, about to say I could handle it. But my throat was dry and scratchy, my voice barely a croak.

He held my hand steady and offered me a paper cup from the bedside. "Take it easy, your throat sounds like it’s been through a war."

I couldn't argue with that. Taking the cup with my left hand, I sipped a bit. The water was just right—sweet and warm. It’s sugared water. I blinked slowly, savouring the sweetness before swallowing.

It was just the two of us in the room, and I wasn’t sure what to say. So I just nursed the water, sipping slowly.

After a while, Jonah checked the time and let go of my hand. "We'll get you an X-ray later, just to check your ears."

I shook my head instinctively. The money in my piggy bank barely covered the IV. More tests would be too pricey; I couldn’t swing it.