Only one thing was on her mind as she starred off into the glass still lake, her brother. He was twenty two seconds older, but acted years younger. Her mind drifted like a boat on an endless sea. The questions she held in her heart, could not be answered by any living soul. If only she could talk to him, tell him how much she loved him. But the world would have it another way. Fate gave her someone who loved her, who understood her, who shared her thoughts.
Then as quickly as a storm, he was sick and getting much worse. The doctors spread their lies like butter on toast. He was just another patient, another sick person coughing and taking up their valuable time. But he wasn’t, he was her only brother. A bit playful, and a tad immature, but that’ only because he loved to hear people laugh. Even in the sterile white rooms he told riddles. Even when his voice croaked and it hurt to laugh, he told jokes.
It was early in the morning, the dew drops clinging to every surface, when they left to visit him. That was when the phone rang, and father sped up. The cold wind whipped through the car frantically tearing the balloon in all directions. Father didn’t slow down. I was worried the balloon would fly away, but father kept driving.
The tires squeaked when we arrived at the hospital, and father didn’t bother locking the doors. He always locked the doors. He grabbed his daughters hand and pulled her along, her feet barely keeping up with his fast pace. She dug her fingers in, clinging tightly to his hand just to keep from tripping. They ran through the hallways and waited in the elevator. Then they ran through more hallways till they were at his room. Except there were more doctors than normal. Something was wrong.
This morning I awoke, expecting to give my brother a balloon but now I cling to the thin white string with all my strength. This morning I awoke a whole person, and now I am the shattered remnants of half a soul.
Mile 29 