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"Why Do We Die, Mommy PDF
"Why Do We Die, Mommy PDF
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Her days were numbered. She knew it, her mom knew it and everyone else knew it too.
It had been six months since the doctors diagnosed that little girl Erica had a rare type
of cancer. Even though no one told her about the cancer, the frequent visits to the
hospital had wiped the smile from her pretty face.
Every week, it was the same routine for little Erica. Start the Saturday morning at half
past six, hop on the car and mom would drive her to the hospital for her weekly
checkup. The excruciating day would finally be over when her mom would buy her a tub
of ice cream to make her day. That was the only time little Erica smiled. "It is sooo
sweeeet" little Erica would chuckle tilting her face to one side with all her teeth beaming
out. It was almost as if the hospital visit never happened.
But that day was different. Her mom could see the change in her baby's eyes, a glow
that she had never seen before in two years. The little girl Erica was already awake
when her mom came to wake her up. She was playing with her toy, a bi-plane model
her dad had gifted her when she was just two years old. But now she is four and her
dad is long gone, just like she would eventually go.
The mom stood at the door watching her play, the kid had not touched her toys for
years. And suddenly she is playing and laughing, just like two years back. Memories
rushed in. Her husband coming home from work, the decorations for the kid's birthday,
friends and relatives on every corner of the house, the vacation in Hawaii, it all came
back and flooded her mind. But that was the past and it was no more. The house had
become silent and her life empty except for the kid she had. Her eyes welled up. She
should be strong, she should not cry in front of the kid. She wiped the tears and went to
her kid.
"How are you, honey? Is everything fine? Will you let me play with your toys", mom
asked with a warm smile.
"Yes, you be the pilot this time. Dad used to be the pilot" kid said innocently. For her,
dad was in the army and fighting the enemies abroad .
The mom and kid spent the time cuddling and playing. After a long time since her
husband died, she felt everything was fine. Then it was half past six and they had to go
to the hospital for her regular check up. The kid was dressed up even before the mom
was. She had somehow regained all her energy out of nowhere. The mom was happy,
she could feel that something good was happening in her life.
Saturday traffic had not started yet, she thought she could take the church road, maybe
she could even say a "Hail Mary" on the way. It was a very good day till then, and she
hoped the rest of the day would remain the same. As they crossed the church, mom
leaned forward and recited a Hail Mary in silence. But the kid's eyes were glued on to
something else. She saw a line of stones neatly arranged on a field of grass, it was so
vast that she had never seen anything of that sort before. The stones had beautiful
writing on them, some even had flowers kept in front of them. Amused by this, the kid
spluttered out the question mom had been dreading.
"What is that, mommy?" kid asked.
The mom thought for ten seconds, thinking about all the possible lies she could cook
up. But at the end, she decided to go ahead with the truth. "That is where people who
die go."
"But where? I cannot see anyone" kid said innocently.
Mom's eyes were welling up. Then she realised it is a truth the kid should come in
terms with, still she wondered how could she put this in words. "Honey, when people
die, we take them to the stone. Angels will walk down from the sky and take them up
into heaven"
"Heaven is up? Is it in the sky? Can we go there on a bi-plane?" Erica bombarded her
mom with more questions.
"I do not know,honey. I do not know." mom answered, trying to hide her tears.
She sped up the car to be as far away from the cemetery as possible. "Everything will
be fine.'' she told herself.
They completed the checkup as usual, the doctor however said the girl was looking
exceptionally well than before. Mom had felt the same thing in the morning. May be
everything was falling into place, may be her life was going to be better. She thanked
God for the change that had happened. They went to the usual ice cream place and
had the usual flavour. The kid was enjoying, taking as much time as possible to get the
most out of it and the mom watched her as if seeing her for the first time.
As they reached home, she tucked the kid into the bed and saw her drift off in her
sleep. She was happy for the wonderful day. Everything was perfect that day and she
slept peacefully.
Mom was woken up by the beam of sunlight filtered through the window. A bright
wonderful morning, she thought to herself. She was anxious to meet her kid that day,
she wanted to be sure the energy that the kid had got back was still lasting. She ran to
the other room to wake the kid up, only to find that the kid was not there.
"She must be downstairs playing with her bi-plane." she told herself while running
downstairs. She went to the living room expecting to see the kid playing with her toys,
still the kid was nowhere to be seen.
"Ericaaa, where are you?", she screamed at the top of her voice, but heard no reply.
She ran out, running across the neighborhood calling out for her kid. She had not the
wildest idea where her kid could be, how could she disappear just like that. There didn't
seem to be any kind of disturbance in the kids room, if anything , the blanket was neatly
folded and kept on the bed.
She took out her phone and called the emergency help number, perhaps they might be
able to help her. She told the operator her kid's condition and the fact that she is
missing now.
She hung up, took her car keys and ran to the car. She thought, if the kid had left the
home on her own, she shouldn't be very far. She drove through each lane looking for
her kid and calling out "Ericaaa", but no response.
She finally found her sleeping under a tree in the cemetery. Mom thought of her
childhood when she used to be scared to even look towards the cemetery and here it
was, a small kid sleeping in a cemetery.
She informed the emergency that the kid has been found, she felt relieved. She woke
her and took her in her arms to leave.
"Let's wait for some more time, mommy. Please." kid pleaded.
"Why did you run away from home dear. I was worried about you. Don't ever do it.
Ever.” mom said with a mix of anger and happiness. "Now, lets go"
"Please.", kid pleaded, her eyes welling up.
"Why dear? What do you want to see here?"mom asked
"I am waiting for the angels, I want to see them", kid said suddenly smiling.
"They will not come now dear. They will only come to take the dead. Come, lets go."
mom said trying to get her home.
"Why do people die, mommy?" , kid asked with a flavor of curiosity.
"That's how God keeps everything in order. When God loves someone so much he
calls them up so that they can have a better life in heaven." mom explained. Seeing the
quizzical look on the kids face, mom continued.
"Do you remember watching that show about the ice melting everywhere because of
the heat? God did not do it. Do you remember the video of a group of tourists killing a
lonely polar bear? God didn't do it. Do you see that beggar over there, God didn't make
him a beggar." mom said as the kid interjected.
"Then who did?" kid asked.
"We did. The humans did. But not all humans were responsible for that. God wants to
save those humans and that's why God call them up. To save humans from humans
and there deeds." mom said
"So when people die, we should be happy, right?" kid asked innocently.
"Yes dear. Yes" She hugged the kid and tears rolling down her cheek. " He call the
ones he loves the most"
Kids eyes brightened up when she heard it, almost as if she was excited by the whole
concept. Mom was relieved though, she felt as if she has answered her perfectly and
the kid will come home finally.
"Shall we go honey?"mom asked expectedly.
"Yessss. For ice creaaammm." kid chuckled.
Thus they went to the restaurant, had a tub of her favourite blueberry ice cream and the
kid was happy as ever. They left for the home, watched some TV and went to sleep,
happier than ever.
Next day, the mom woke up with a smile, looking forward for a wonderful day with the
kid. She had become fun and energetic in less than a week. She went to her room, she
was expecting the kid to be up and playing.
"I hope she is at home" She joked to herself.
But the kid was in the bed, still sleeping under the blanket, completely peaceful in her
dreams perhaps. Mom went near and sat beside her, she was soaking-in all the
cuteness of her little face. She glided her fingers through her hair as she removed the
hair from her face and as unexpected as it was, the kid was cold, stone cold.
Something was terribly wrong, mom tried to wake the kid up but she wouldn't wake up.
It never takes more than a nod to wake her up, this felt like the unexpected has
happened. She cursed God for giving her hope and taking it back. She wished she
never hoped her child was getting better. It was the calm before the storm, she sobbed
uncontrollably.
She kept cursing until the truth sank into her. She called her neighbors and everything
was arranged for the burial. Everyone from the town was there to see the kid, they all
wore the gloomy look on their face. Mom felt her kid wouldn't approve of this. The kid
was excited by the thought of angels coming and God calling his special people.
When everyone was present, she rose for the toast and said, " She died a happy girl.
Let us not ruin this special moment with our gloomy faces. God call the ones he loves
the most and she knew it too. She wouldn't like your pity, she was a brave kid."
Even though all she had left was the empty home and umpteen memories of her child
and husband, the mom never cried again. She believed, if she cried she would be lying
to her child. For the mom, the kid was in good hands and that's all she cared. And the
mom lived happily ever after.
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Later, she adopted 5 kids affected by cancer. She now stays with them and spends
most of her time with these kids.
By Jo