Painful Memories

I was on an airplane. Soft, luscious clouds which were magnolia white floated in the vast blue sky. Sunlight flooded the airplane and I stretched happily. "Aaah! What a wonderful day!" I exclaimed. This was one of the best days of my life. I was going to Paris with my family! I would be able to see the Mona Lisa, the Eiffel Tower and best of all get the taste of French food!        As dreamy thoughts flooded my mind, I had a sinking feeling. I suddenly thought of my friend, Anna. She did not even have the chance to go on a holiday …        "Hi, everyone!" I shouted heartily. It was the last day of school. I couldn't wait. "Countdown!" I shouted. Anna, Susan and Jane chuckled. "Five, four, three, two, one!" Briing! The bell rang. Finally, school ended.        As we filed out of the classroom, Jane asked, "Are any of you going overseas this holiday? I am. I'll be going to Japan. The wonderful sushi … aahh!" Susan said, "Nice … But I'll be going to America. Furthermore, I'll be heading for Disneyland!" I smiled. Then I caught sight of Anna. Her face looked as delicate as ever, and her dark black curls bobbed up and down. She seemed her usual self but then, her chin started quivering and she was looking down at the floor. The chattering stopped. We all looked at Anna. She began sobbing.        I asked Anna, "What happened? Why are you sobbing?" There was a huge lump in my throat. I couldn't believe Anna was crying. What happened to the Anna we knew? She spoke up. "You are all very lucky to be able to go overseas during the holidays. After hearing what you all said, I couldn't help bursting into tears. My mother … she has leukemia …, "I stood rooted to the ground. Did I hear what Anna had just said? The silence was uncomfortable. I fingered my purple watch quietly. I gestured them to a nearby bench. There, we sat down with Anna and let her sob quietly.        The next day, we went to visit Anna's mother. Anna told us that her mother was very weak. We walked into the hospital. It was very, very quiet. I could almost hear myself breathing. We walked into the room. There, I saw Anna's mother. She seemed very weak and overcome with fatigue. Her lips were dry as crust and her eyes, lifeless. Anna's father was with her, clutching her hand. I knew that Anna was going through a very difficult time. It seemed like the sky had turned gloomy, and a curtain of rain was beating down hard on her. But, she didn't have a choice. She had to be strong ...        I went out of the room to get a cup of hot cocoa. I gave it to Anna and hugged her tightly. I wanted to warm her cold, stony body. We went into the room. Anna's mother looked worse than ever and she seemed to be having a hard time. The doctor came in. He asked Anna and her father to be prepared for the worse. Jane, Susan and I stayed with Anna throughout the ordeal she was facing. A few hours later, Anna's mother kicked the bucket. Anna turned pale. A million thoughts rushed through my mind as I clutched Anna. I felt really sorry for her. The sky had turned dark. Anna shuffled her feet and went out of the room. She cupped her face in her hands, and it was then that I realized how cold the night had become …        I fingered my purple watch. It was hours before the plane landed. I still couldn't believe Anna's mother had died. I knew that if Anna could, she would do anything to save her mother. At that moment, I felt a sense of sorrow and admiration for Anna. I will always be there for her …

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Written by Chen Yun Pri 5 Indiana, 2005 Zhangde PS