A Little Angel

by Rachel Loi (5 Cekap) 2009 Even if I wake up on the wrong side of the bed that very day, you will still see a little smile on my face. You may not know it, but smiling to someone may brighten up their day. An accident happened to me four years ago and my life was changed. Just because of a little angel .. I was walking to school one day and was already 10 minutes late. I did not want to have a bad record so I crossed a busy road without looking first at the left and right. As a result, I was knocked down by an oncoming pick-up truck. The next thing I knew I was waking up painfully on the hospital bed. I never made to school that day. I woke up because I heard someone crying beside me. It sounded so much like my mother so I turned my head and opened my eyes. I was confused and scared when all I could see was pitch black a total darkness. I called out to my mother and sure enough my mother was beside me and she hugged me to calm me down. I could feel that she had been crying as her whole body was shaking. I asked her what was going on and she broke the bad news to me. I had lost my eye sight in that accident. I was so shocked and I screamed and cried in horror. I felt my whole life crumbled and I had no reason to live on. I wanted to go home and locked myself up in the room. With love and care, my mother told me that I had to stay in the hospital to wait for a donor and for the doctors to examine my condition. I was too shocked to accept my fate. I could not believe what was happening and I had never felt this lonely before. Since that day, I never talked to anyone. My family, friends, teachers and relatives would come to visit me, to comfort me, but all I did was kept quiet. Just thinking about all that had happened made me cry one day on my hospital bed. Suddenly, I heard little footsteps walking towards me. I felt a small hand touching my face. Then she said, Dont cry. Smile. Youll get well soon. Ill be your friend. I stopped crying immediately and reached out my hands to touch the face of the little girl. She had small eyes, a cute, button nose and a sharp chin. The girl was 7 years old and she told me that her name was Renee. Renee reached out her small hands and wiped the tears off my face. You should smile more often. You are very pretty. Dont cry. I never cried. I am always smiling, said Renee. I smiled a little and heard her giggle. Later, my nurse told me that Renee was a little cute girl who always had a little smile on her face. She would come into my hospital ward every single day and would play with me. She was always cheerful. We became good friends and would tell each other everything. Even though she was still young, she was a great friend to talk to. I became more sensitive to my surroundings. Renee told me that she had a brain tumour and she had already been in the hospital for more than 3 months. She would laugh and giggle when she told me about her experience in the hospital. It really amazed me. I had lost my eye sight but Renee had a brain tumour and yet she was still so cheerful. I learnt to be grateful for all that I had as the saying goes, I was angry when I had no shoes, until I met a man with no feet. One day, my mother came running into my hospital ward and shouted with joy. She hugged and kissed me and said that someone had agreed to donate a pair of eyes to me. I, too, was overjoyed. I said my goodbyes as I was pushed into the surgery room. I wanted to tell Renee the good news but I could not find her anywhere. Eight hours of transplant and surgery.

I was finally able to see with the doctors help. I ran to my mum and hugged her, realising that my mum and dad had lost so much weight. I ran back to my hospital ward, expecting to see little Renee waiting for me and with a smile on her face. However, the ward was empty. As I walked to my bed, I saw a letter with a little girls handwriting, Dear Rachel. I knew instantly that it was from Renee and I quickly opened her letter. It wrote, Dear Rachel, this is the first time I get to write a letter to someone. Mummy tells me that I will be going to sleep soon and dream for a very long time. Isnt it cool? You have been my best friend and I love you as my older sister. Mummy and daddy told me that every good person will go to a better place. So we all agreed on giving you my eyes. Take care of them for me, ok? I love you and dont forget to smile! Lots of love, Renee. Tears flooded my eyes and I cried uncontrollably. As I looked up, I saw Renees parents standing at the doorway. I walked up to them and hugged them. I said Thank you and told them that they had been wonderful parents to Renee. Renees mum told me that she had passed on the day before my surgery. And once again we all cried in each others arms. Renees dad stopped us and said, This is not what Renee had wanted. She said that we should always smile and love those who are around us. We dried our tears and thought of Renee. Renees funeral was held on the next day. I attended the funeral with my family. I walked up to her coffin and saw her lying peacefully there with a little smile on her face. She looked as if she was sleeping. There was a huge picture of her, hanging on the wall. In the picture she was giving one of her best smiles. And indeed, her smile was as sweet as how I pictured it in my mind when I lost my eye sight. Everyone was touched by her story and there was not a dry eye that day. Her smile had made me a whole new person. She had taught me to treasure those who are around us. Since then, I have learnt to appreciate my life even more. Imagine, a young girl at the age of 7 had made me realised this. *** As I walked into my classroom, I was eager to greet my friends with a smile on my face. I know that having the ability to smile is a gift from God. Recalling all the memories brings tears to my eyes. I will always carry part of Renee with me wherever I go. Deep down in my heart, I know that God has given her a place in heaven and she will always be the little angel to help me shine throughout my life.