Chapter 1
Below the normal human audible range, the sounds of organic tubes expanding to break away mucus from the lungs. Coughing and a compressor drown nearly drowns out the noise of a soft gasp of the patient and the violent rupturing of the bronchial walls in the aural landscape. The intense coughing filled the plastic mask with mucus before the caretaker turns the compressor off to signify the end of the treatment. She gently removes the mask from the young girl’s face and wipes her lips with a gentle cloth.
"There there, Miss Jolee. Easy does it." the redhead woman spoke in gentle tones towards the girl. The thirty-something maid takes nebulizer components into the bathroom to be cleaned as the young girl sat on the bed trying to regain her wits. The pain of the airways opening up and the jitteriness of the stimulants made Jolee feel temporarily awful despite improving lung function for the day. It was hardly desirable by Jolee, but it was the life of a Cystic Fibrosis patient.
"It could be me." the girl speaks towards her maid. "But these breathing treatments are worse than the last ones. My lungs feel so torn."
The maid simply smiles as she puts the equipment away and sets clothes on the bed before returning to face the young girl.
"Do you need any assistance, Miss Jolee?" the maid speaks kindly towards the girl, who smiles graciously.
“No, Amelia. You’ve been more than helpful.” Jolee stood up in her white nightgown. She runs her fingers through the white blouse and light blue skirt that are the summer/fall uniform for her new school. She knew the practicality of white in the hot Savannah summers, but she worries for her modesty in the mugginess.
"I’ll be telling your Papa y’all be down in a bit.," Amelia spoke before departing the room. Jolee nods, although she was apparently trying to figure out what Amelia had just said. Jolee was a recent transplant to Savannah, Georgia from Springfield, Massachusetts. She was still getting used to the way they spoke.
As Jolee puts on the clothes, she continues to view the surroundings of her large bedroom. Her Springfield apartment could fit in this space, which made her wonder what she would do. She didn’t try to complain about the French Colonial Accommodation her father got, but it was taking a little time to adjust. However, the transition was bearable with good people and being close to her dad. Loving support from friends and family were necessary when enduring her condition, which makes even breathing treatments and physical therapy bearable.
However, it also can take a toll on people. Her older siblings, Duncan and Amy, passed away years earlier and left an enormous scar on her mother’s emotions. It was difficult to gauge her father’s reactions since he buries himself into work, but her mother got more distant. If it weren’t for caretakers like Amelia, Jolee would feel utterly lost. It almost made her forget how she ended up in Savannah.
Her lung function took a turn for the worse in the spring of last year. She recalls seeing her father, mother, and Dr. Thompson. She remembers passing into the darkness and waking up a year later. Her father claims that she went into a coma. He took her to a research facility to try an experimental procedure to revitalize her lungs. She never heard of such a procedure, but she couldn’t question her father. After all, her lung capacity was far better than it was in that hospital. Additionally, she was afraid of what her mother would do if it had failed.
She runs down the stairs in her new outfit and a comfortable pair of pumps. Despite circumstances, Jolee is in good shape. Physical therapy improves her core strength and her lung functionality, which is essential to prolonging her life. It also provides reserves when her lungs don’t function optimally on some days.
The only thing that shocks her more than her recovery is her development. She is sixteen years old, but she doesn’t recall having breasts before the treatments. Additionally, she was barely five foot and under a hundred pounds, yet when she woke up, she was five foot seven and had a relatively curvy body. Her father told her that it was rest and nutrients that allowed her body to finally catch up. At least, she had her shoulder-length black hair and large frame glasses for consistency. She could only handle so much.
She enters the foyer to see pots of growing African Violets. Her mother tends to the flowers for therapy, but it seems to have a little visible effect. It is, however, still a beautiful sight when transitioning from the foyer to the kitchen.
She steps into a fantastic kitchen where the butler Nigel places plates of food on the table. Only an inch taller, Nigel is a local manservant of African-American heritage that her father hired to help with maintaining the house. As he pulls out a seat for the girl, she stands in shock for a moment. She is still getting used to people waiting on her, but at least, Amelia and Nigel were kind. She tries her best to treat them as well as they treat her.
"Best eat up, missus," he said in a jovial tone. "You’ll be wanten’ to make a good first impression at that fancy school of yours."
Jolee sits down at the table and surveys the other occupants. To her right, her mother, Shanae Witaszek, sits there blankly staring at her plate as she consumes her food. Once a lively woman, the mother resembles more of a shell than a spirit. Except modest aging, she looks like a spitting image of Jolee in a beautiful white perfect sundress. However, the similarities end there as the woman does emotionally resembles a haunting ghost.
To her left proves that the table might be suffering from bipolar disorder. Her father, Leonard Witaszek, is enjoying his meal while reviewing the newspaper. He was just less than six foot with a bald head, but his hazel eyes warmly gaze upon Jolee. He was a slender man with a mustache, but he looks stunning in his professional attire. As a leading biomechanical scientist for Almost Human, he had to look the part. Truth be told, though, his attitude spoke more casual than a business suit.
"Ahh, the first day of school. In August no less." Leo speaks vibrantly. "I heard Richard Strauss has an excellent math program for you to dig into."
Jolee did not know if it should frighten or excite her. It was no secret that she got her looks from her mother and her brains from her dad. She excels in math and science to the point she is ahead of her grade level but manages decent grades in other subjects. Her participation in AP Science and Math does provide a challenge, but it can also create social stigma with less socially mature individuals. After leaving her friends in Springfield, she wanted some appropriate age companions.
As they finish their breakfast and Amelia clears the table, Nigel walks forward towards Leo.
“I’ll be gettin’ the car ready for you, sir.”
Leo’s euphoric mood shifts when Nigel mentions the car. Since accepting the position at Almost Human, Inc. in Savannah, the company requires him to utilize a driver for insurance purposes. During in his early adulthood, he suffered head trauma from a car accident, which gave him a permanent double vision. Despite the compensation of the prism glasses, the company wants to protect its assets. The commute would make it difficult for him, which made Nigel a necessity. However, he did manage to swallow his pride before heading towards the foyer.
As Jolee follows, Amelia approaches with a backpack. The soft-featured woman never lost her smile as she saddles Jolee with the pack.
"I’ve made your favorite for lunch, Miss Jolee, Salmon Veggie Wrap," she speaks as she brushes the young girl’s skirt to ensure presentability.
"Amelia, you didn’t have to. A peanut butter sandwich would’ve been fine." Jolee spoke pleasantly. It was more than having servants that struck an odd feeling in Jolee. After her mother had started becoming distant, Jolee had to become more self-reliant, which gave her a little more independence. However, it could’ve pushed her body more than it could handle, which she suspect was the cause of the nasty turn last year. She was appreciative of their assistance, but more so of the loving care. They didn’t love her because they were paid, but rather because they grew fond of her.
"I’ll be seeing your first day be perfect, Miss," she spoke with a warm smile before shooing her along. "Shoo along. Wouldn’t be right to be late on your first day."
Jolee giggles as she moves towards the parked sedan. Outside was as decorative as the foyer with gardeners working on a group of Sabal Palmettos and Oak trees.
Growing up in New England, she feels this is a very odd combination, but apparently it is something that her mother desires. The brick pillars and wrought iron contains a broad expanse of grass, which she isn’t quite sure if anyone could mow it successfully in one day. She enters the Sedan after viewing the beautiful scene and leaves for Richard Strauss Prep School.