Miss Poppy and the Beast

Poppy Summers

I had a dream. A dream to become an astronaut. I wanted to explore the space in the universe, its celestial bodies, its secrets which were yet to be unraveled. I dreamt of touching the moon. Since I was child, every element in the sky fascinated me, especially the beauty of the moon. There was something about that big round floating object which pulled me towards it and made me gaze in the sky for hours. So clichéd, isn't it? 

My dad was an Astronomy professor in a public college and he could not hold his passion for astronomy to himself. Since my Mum had no interest in listening to his non-stop blabbering about the moon and stars, I was left behind to be the ultimate scapegoat of his talking. I remember when I was like five, after every dinner my Dad and I spent some time in the backyard and he showed me revolving planets and stars with his old aged telescope.

Initially, I wouldn't understand his words or whatever he was showing me with that long inclined object facing to the sky. His words sounded like an alien language to me. What do you expect from a five year old? But as the day passed by, it had become a routine for us after every dinner and slowly I deciphered what he said. He used to tell me everything about space and its celestial body and I listened to him with sheer interest. Finally he achieved to make me just like him, an obsessed maniac for astronomy. Maybe this whole astronomy thing runs in our blood.

I was a bright student and my grades were nothing to complain about. I was doing great in school, but not in my peer circle. Initially, my classmates used to invite me to play with them, but for some reason I started panting very quickly and got easily exhausted in games which included physical activity. After two or three such incidents I stopped playing with anyone to not experience such exhaustion. My rejection for playing with them made them think that I was being snobby. They started to bully me, so I kept my distance from them to save myself from high school drama. In my free time I was always either in the library drowning in some astronomy shit or gazing in the sky during lunch breaks. They called me a freak. I don't remember having a person who I can call a friend.  

In Spite of having a rough school life, I was still inside my happy bubble. I was happy to have supportive and loving parents. I was happy to uncover my passion at a very young age. At the mere age of eleven, I knew what I wanted from my life. I always thanked my dad from the bottom of my heart for helping me to discover my passion. I was thankful that he passed on his immense knowledge to me. But in this process he forgot to tell me that life can be so unpredictable. Everything doesn't go the way we want it to.

One day, when I was going back home from school, it started pouring down heavily. I had no umbrella with me. My house was a 10 minutes walk, so I thought of running to save myself from drenching. Such a stupid move it was when I knew my body was not used to it. After 2-3 minutes of running, my head spun and darkness clouded in front of my eyes and I fainted in the middle of the road. I had no idea how long I had passed out. When I opened my eyes, white paint of the hospital ceiling welcomed me. I saw my mother looking at me with red eyes. I knew she must have cried alot. Such a crybaby she was. I saw my father standing in the threshold of the hospital room with scrunched eyebrows, talking with a person with a long white lab coat. I wondered what they were talking about.

That day, all my dreams shattered into pieces when the doctor told us that I was suffering from Ventricular Septal Defect. In other words a hole in my heart, not small but a big one. Only treatment was open heart surgery. My parents were devastated. My mom cried the whole night. My father didn't cry but his dark circles didn't hide the fact that he was stressed and sad too.

Doctor strictly restricted me not to take any kind of stress  which may lead to hypertension. Mom and Dad prohibited me from any kind of heavy physical activity. They decided to homeschool me. It was not like I was a big fan of school. I was in fact quite relieved that I didn't have to face those bullies anymore. Only thing that I missed was the School Library.

Once a happy home suddenly became so grey and gloomy. We were not rich but a moderate family. My parents had savings but not enough for the surgery. It was hella expensive. My father started to work overtime to save money as he wanted my treatment to be done as soon as possible.

After one month I fainted again while climbing stairs. I was rushed to the hospital and my reports said that if no immediate operation was done, I might lose my life. My parents decided to put our home on a mortgage to the bank. My operation was scheduled the following next day. My parents  had to visit the bank for paper work and signatures since both of them had ownership of our house.

When I opened my eyes this time it was a little hazy, then slowly my vision became normal and I was again welcomed by the very familiar ceiling. Sound of machines beeping was vibrating in my ear. A doctor and nurse came to check on me. I got to know from them that my surgery was successful and I was unconscious for 3 days. But with the look on their faces I sensed that something was bothering them.

I wanted to ask my parents what it was. When I looked around, there was no sign of them. When I asked the doctor about their whereabouts, he gave me a pitiful look which didn't sit well in my weak heart. After much hesitation they revealed something which shook me from the core of myself.

I knew life was already cruel to me and I thought it can't be more cruel than this. But, I was so wrong. They told me,  a day after my operation mom and dad were going back home to collect some fresh clothes so they could stay with me in the hospital. But on the way their car collided with another car and the tragic accident took my parents away from me.

Never in my life have I thought that my loving parents would leave me, alone. Fighting with this whole world, alone. To survive, alone. Without having anyone who would look after me. All alone. I was confused, what pained me the most. The major surgery which I went through or the news of my parents death?

I was wrecked. I was shattered. I cried, I didn't know for how many days in the hospital bed. When I was still healing with the surgery scar in my chest, an invisible knife pierced through my heart, slashing it into pieces.

After another few days, I was discharged from the hospital. I was anxious to face the world alone. When a nurse was pushing my wheelchair my eyes darted towards a very familiar figure sitting in the hospital lobby waiting for me. Relief washed over me when I saw the faintly smiling face of Aunt Edina. I knew she was as shocked as me to know that her only sister was no more.  The place I called home was already under the possession of Bank, so I had nowhere else to go. I was homeless and an orphan all at once.

Aunt Edina came for my rescue and she took me in. So, I left my town with lots of memories and a few personal belongings which included my father's old telescope to live with her in Sicily.

She was a wonderful woman and a florist. Her husband had died a few years ago and didn't have any children. So she lived alone with her cocker spaniel until I joined her very small family.

She never let me feel the absence of my parents. She took my responsibility and bore the expenses for schooling and my graduation. Even though my parents had left me with few bonds, she never let me touch it. She advised me to save those assets for my future.

Maybe my heart was weak and the doctor had advised me to stay at home as much as possible but I have had enough of sitting in the home and doing nothing. I had to do something for my living. I couldn't suck anymore from my Aunt.

With my decent graduation grades, I got a job as a kindergarten teacher in a Prestigious Private School. My Aunt was too worried about me and it took me a lot of time to convince her. Finally she approved my job when she got to know that the school is near her Flower shop and she could visit me any time if something happens to me.

It has been three months since I started working there. Salary was more than enough for my living so I always try to save as much as I can for my supposed future, which Aunt Edina often talks about. I have already lost my passion once. I don't know what's there in my future but for now my only motto is to live my life as normal and as healthy as possible, just like other girls of my age. I wanted to make friends. I wanted to fall in love. I wanted to live my life without any regrets.