Stay

Ch 11

Tren's POV

Seeing my grandpa was devastating, I never thought that his time was so soon. He couldn't talk, couldn't eat, couldn't sleep. He use to be so active, playing football with me in our yard. I wish he was able to meet Maya, but she couldn't come. Me and my mum stayed in his hospital room from morning to evening each day. My mum was torn, broken. She reminded me of Maya at the moment. I missed her. Texting her every night wasn't the same. I always wondered how school was for her. I've just been so caught up with making sure grandfather gets better. He's not going to die...he-he can't. I won't allow it. I did tell him about Maya, he smiled. He would often moan, that was his way of communicating. My mum cried so much, I would hug her and tell her it's okay, although it wasn't.

During our time in London we stayed in a hotel. Mum on one bed and me on the other. I often fell asleep to the sound of her cry.

I took out my phone and decided to call Maya.

"Hello?" It wasn't Maya who answered.

"Maya..."

"Maya's not home Tren, it's her mother." That made me feel alittle better.

"Oh, hi Ms. Wu. When will she be home?"

"She went over Stephanie's to sleep over and apparently forgot her phone." I cursed under my breathe.

"Can you tell her to call me?"

"Will do."

The feeling of Maya not being near me was so unusual. Like a whole in my heart. I faintly remember my old girlfriend Clara, back when we were 14; she wasn't more than a friend who called me her boyfriend. Maya's the first I've wanted to call my girlfriend. Being here in England isn't where I wanted to be, nor does she want me here. Nobody in my life has experienced this much hate, so much disrespect just because of skin color. Her rare smile is on every face. I needed to go back.

"Tren..." My mum stormed in with a tomato red face. "Your grandfather."

I swallowed, what seemed like, my heart. He passed. Unsuccessful at holding back tears, my mum came to hug me. I missed him already. Grandfather.

***

"I'm really sorry for your loss." I've heard from many people at the funeral. My whole family was there. It wasn't big, but enough. Seeing my grandfather in the casket was horrifying, he's gone. I was particularly close to my one cousin called Devin. We missed each other.

"So how's America?" She asked.

"It's alright I suppose..."

"Just alright?" She was curious.

"I mean, I've met alot of nice people."

"Anyone in particular?" Her eyebrows raised, hoping to get an answer.

"There's this one girl."

"Who..."

"Maya. She's unbelievable. But different." Confusion struck her. "She's not like any other girl. Maya's fragile. She's a target to bullies."

"What made you like her then?"

A smile crossed my face, showing my dimples. "Everything."

"Awe Tre!" She playfully shoved me. We spent the next 20 minutes just catching up.

"I'll miss you dad...forever." Those were my mum's last words to grandfather before shutting the casket forever. Alot of sympathetic people attempted to comfort my mum, but it was no use. She was a wreck.

***

Feeling in my pocket for my phone that just vibrated, mum stayed spread out on her bed weeping.