Destiny Calls

Chapter 2

Dakota looked up at the dreary gray concrete complex, wishing she didn’t have to come here by herself. If her parents had survived a fatal car crash several years ago, she wouldn’t be here alone. The couple had been coming home from the theater late one evening when a semi jackknifed into their car, killing them instantly. Shortly after their deaths, her parents’ employer-paid medical coverage had been terminated.

Dakota had been left in charge of her eight-year-old sister, Danielle, who had Down syndrome, after their guardian/ grandparents had both passed away three years ago, her grandfather dying first. Everything had fallen solely on Dakota’s shoulders, just as the young woman had turned twenty-one. She was sixteen years older than Danielle.

Danni now resided at the Center of the Courageous Heart, a renowned specialized facility in Carson that treated a variety of complications arising from Down. Medicare and Medicaid paid for a good portion of Danielle’s care. Because Dakota had insisted on a private facility for the child, she was responsible for all medical services the government agencies didn’t cover.

Dakota stopped outside Danielle’s door and said a silent prayer, asking God to keep her anxiety-free. She visited her sister practically every day, but she was overly tired this Friday evening. Working and going to school took a toll on her, but she didn’t want her adorable sibling to feel any negative vibes from her. The place was as cheerful as the staff could possibly make it, but there were times when an air of gloom presided.

Just in case Danielle was napping, Dakota quietly stepped into the private room, looking straight ahead at the double bed. Her heart instantly leaped for joy. Danielle was awake and her face was lit up with the same brighter-than-gold smile she always wore for her kin. These were the kinds of moments that took away Dakota’s breath.

“Kota,” Danielle cried, opening her arms wide.

Scooping up Danielle into her arms, Dakota gave her a huge hug, receiving in return loving embraces and jubilant kisses. This sweet, warm child was superaffectionate. If Danni hugged or kissed someone, they knew she had handed out a little chunk of her loving heart. Dakota didn’t believe her sister would ever run out of the pieces of her authentic self she exuberantly shared with others.

Dakota smiled at Danielle, lodging into her sweet little arms the brown teddy bear gift she’d brought along. Danni had quite a collection of stuffed toys and she loved each one. However, she did have a favorite: Daisy Dolly, a freckle-faced, red-haired rag doll had been Danielle’s companion for years.

“Thank you, Kota.” Kissing and hugging the bear, Danielle held it close.

Although Danielle had Down syndrome at birth, some of the more serious physical complications hadn’t appeared until she was nearly four years old. Then all of a sudden, Danielle got sick more frequently, her health compromised to the point where she eventually required constant skilled nursing care. Home health-care nurses cared for Danni at home as long as it had been possible. Then the younger girl started to need the kind of professional assistance the older sibling was hardly equipped to provide.

Danielle called out Dakota’s name again, pointing at the cabinet where the DVDs were kept. “Happy Feet,” she exclaimed, giggling softly.

Dakota retrieved the movie, smiling as Danielle took the disk from her hand and inserted it into the DVD player. Dedicated professionals worked hard to help her be as independent as possible. She attended school within the facility, also participating in field trips and other special events when her health permitted.

“Can I have an orange soda, too?” Danielle spoke well. Although she sometimes had difficulty with pronunciation of complex words, she was able to communicate effectively. It was rare for her to not get her point across. Danielle was learning American Sign Language and Dakota had taken the class, too. It felt good to spend that kind of time with her sister.

Danielle hit the play button. As Dakota lay down beside her sister, sharing the same pillow, she held her hand. The siblings had seen the movie umpteen times, but neither one had tired of it. It made them laugh hysterically.

Once Happy Feet concluded, Danielle expressed a desire to play cards, the game of War. Dakota retrieved a deck of cards from the nightstand drawer. She then positioned the portable table across the bed. The two sisters played numerous board games, but Dakota never just allowed Danielle to win. She had to earn the winning spot in every matchup.

Dakota smoothed back Danielle’s thick brown hair. It was soft and wavy in texture, much like hers. “Do you want a snack before we start?”

Danielle looked thoughtful. “Tuna sandwich and chips, please, Kota?”

Rewarding Danielle for her polite request, Dakota tenderly kissed her forehead. Using the red-tipped call button, she summoned the nursing station. When the desk clerk came over the loudspeaker, the food order was placed. “A tuna sandwich with lots of mayo, potato chips and an orange soda, please.” Although all the regular staff members knew Danielle’s likes and dislikes, Dakota always made sure she clearly expressed her sister’s desires in case a new employee or a temp responded.

While Dakota and Danielle waited for the meal, they began the fun card game. Dakota let Danielle shuffle the cards.

“My card is bigger.” Danielle clapped, laughing.

Two more cards were slapped down on the table.

“I win again,” Danielle said happily.

Dakota wrinkled her nose. “My card is going to beat yours this time,” she said, placing the card face up on the table. “See! I told you.”

Danielle looked as happy to see Dakota win as when she won.

Her favorite card was the queen of spades. Dakota had no clue why Danielle liked that particular card so much. The competitive little girl would always sigh hard when the black queen was trumped by her sister with a king or ace. Whenever Dakota was dealt the queen of spades, Danielle didn’t seem to mind. She loved her big sister and looked at her as a best friend.

Departing was hard for both sisters a couple of hours later. Whenever possible, Dakota waited until Danielle drifted off to sleep before she’d leave. The visits were normally done in two-to-three hour increments, but at times they lasted longer. Dakota also tried her best to take Danielle outside the facility for a full day at least one weekend day a month when she was physically up to the challenge.

Attending church regularly at the facility chapel also occurred. Once the religious services were over, they’d go to a local park, with a beautiful lake, and paddleboats. The girls had a blast rowing across the lake. When Danielle grew tired, Dakota had to do the work alone, but she didn’t mind one iota. A variety of sandwiches, fruits, cookies, chips and drinks were brought along on the outings, neatly packed away in a small cooler. But boating and a picnic didn’t hold a candle to Danielle’s love of dance and music.

Mona Cassidy, a professional dance instructor, didn’t charge Dakota one red cent for lessons for Danni. What she earned off students at her private dance studio made pro bono cases affordable. It was a gracious gift. Mona, in fact, taught dance to several of the kids residing at the center. She had also offered Dakota lessons so she could tap-dance with Danielle. The sisters had fun making up easy dance routines to do together.

Danielle also loved to sing and play guitar. No formal lessons for her yet, but she had been given a secondhand instrument she loved to sit and strum away on, a present from one of the nurses. Music seemed to be in the girl’s blood. It was amazing to watch how she easily got into rhythm with any kind of music. She could change gears in a minute, her tiny body moving to whatever beat she heard.

Dakota entered her apartment and immediately dropped down on the sofa and stretched out. She looked up at the ceiling, thinking about her pleasant visit with Danielle. Rarely were the visits unpleasant. The little girl had so much love inside her and loved giving it away. Dakota recalled her parents saying they had to give love away to keep it.

Even though she always tried hard not to think about it, Dakota wondered what it might’ve been like for the family had Sonya and Thomas survived. The warm and loving couple had doted on each other and their two girls. Thomas had been a good father and his girls had meant everything to him. He had referred to them as his precious blossoms from God.

Explaining to Danielle what tragedy had befallen their parents was the most difficult and worst task Dakota had ever taken on. She shook her head from side to side, trying to stave off the horrific memories.

The phone rang, causing Dakota to groan softly. During her times of bittersweet reflection she didn’t like to talk on the phone. The frequent calls she received from the health facility didn’t give her the luxury of ignoring the phone. She checked the caller ID. Ethan.

“Did I call at a bad time?” Ethan asked.

“You didn’t. I’m stretched out on the sofa and reflecting on some things. What’re you up to?”

“I was into some deep thinking, too, thoughts about you. Do you roller-skate?”

She laughed. “Yeah, but I haven’t skated in a long while. I was pretty good at it. Are we talking about roller-skating or in-line?”

Ethan chuckled. “Plain old roller-skating.”

Dakota had fun conjuring up an image of sophisticated Ethan on skates. “It’s really been a long time. Hopefully it’d be just like riding a bike, something we don’t forget how to do.”

“How about joining my friends and me this evening at On Four Wheels, a roller rink located in my neighborhood? I’d like to introduce you to the folks I hang out with.”

“Are you willing to risk total embarrassment? Like I said, I haven’t skated in years. You could spend the entire evening picking me up off the floor.”

Ethan grinned broadly. “I’d love to play your hero.” He’d have to get used to his sudden desire to be gallant. A hero, he wasn’t. “Whether you’re on your feet or falling on your sweet bottom, I won’t be embarrassed. I can pick you up around six-thirty.”

Dakota laughed. “I haven’t agreed yet, but if I do, I’ll just meet you there. And thanks for saying I won’t embarrass you. But if I fall on my butt, I’ll feel enough shame for us both.” She glanced at her watch, knowing she really did want to be with him.

Ethan decided not to question her comment about meeting him at the rink, but it had aroused his curiosity. “Come on, now. Be a good sport. If you prefer not to skate, you don’t have to. But I’d still like you to be a part of my evening.”

“You’ve just made the offer more tempting. I’ll seriously consider the skating part, but you can count me in as a spectator for now. Thanks for thinking of me. Care to tell me a bit about your friends and what I should expect?”

“A little worried about my buddies perhaps?” Ethan queried.

“Just want to know if I should worry or not.”

“I understand perfectly. My friends are great. You can expect genuine, down-to-earth folks who all care about each other. In some capacity, we’re all employed by the California education systems. Everyone is single and close to becoming thirty. We all hang out regularly. I can assure you everyone is friendly.”

“Sounds like a great start to the evening. I’ll see you at the rink, Ethan.”

“I can hardly wait. See you there.”

As Dakota hung up the receiver, she thought about meeting Ethan’s friends. Even though they’d dated only a short time, he hadn’t gone into any great detail about his buddies. She was curious about them. He’d said they were great, so she wondered why he hadn’t told her more about them before now.

Perhaps he hadn’t said much for the same reason I hadn’t mentioned Danielle.

It was just too soon for Ethan to meet her sister. From what she knew about the dating game, couples meeting family members didn’t come prematurely. When it did happen, it was normally after a couple’s relationship had turned serious.

The thought of what to wear entered Dakota’s mind. Jeans were more appropriate, just in case, she considered. Even if she had been a pretty good skater in her youth, she shouldn’t count on that. In fact, she couldn’t recall the last time she’d been roller-skating.

Dakota remembered her first boyfriend and skating partner, Anthony Qualls, as she rifled through her closet. He had hurt her feelings during her junior year in high school, when he’d been stolen away by the pretty and vivacious Jasmine Walters.

Well, no one could’ve stolen him away had he really been mine.

Anthony had gotten a big payback. Less than two months later Jasmine had ended up leaving him for the buff football captain.

Justice had prevailed.

Dakota gave a fleeting thought to all the people she’d lost in one way or another, which were attributed to many of her fears. Boyfriends and girlfriends would come and go, but the loss of parents and grandparents was incomparable.