CORA
evidently
Cora does
get help
the monk
tending the amulet
and incense sales
inside the main hall
of the temple
and she doesn’t stop there
when she leads the monk
up the hill and through the fence break
and they find
me
unmoving
and the others
shaking
and slapping
me
unresponsive
she calls emergency
she calls Mom
she calls Dad
she calls emergency again
tells them to hurry!
then stays right by
me
unconscious
they say Cora told Shunta
she’d kill him if I died
they say it was the monk’s
immediate resuscitation efforts that saved me
they say Cora stayed right by me
talking at me nonstop
they say the ambulance didn’t arrive
until well after I’d regained consciousness
they say that Cora cursed at me
when my eyes started closing again
and they say that not until I was alert
and taking water at the hospital
and Mom had arrived
did Cora let herself cry
and let go of my arm
now moving