A new school year came faster than a hurricane, but Aviana was happy
to be back to classes, even if she felt so far behind her peers; She started
first just in the afternoon, since she was still so tired all the time, and
when she felt stronger and could wake up earlier, she incrementally made
each day longer until she was back to a full day of learning - only -
Aviana noticed that she couldn't keep up with her rambunctious peers;
It was first showing when they would run laps around the playground,
chase footballs and soccer balls through the fields, and she would just
lay down on a bench where she floated in and out of sleep the entire
recess; Then it was obvious when everyone would be excited for gym
class but Aviana would ask if she could sit out and read instead, and she
was always allowed to do so; But the final straw, the thing that made sure
that she knew that she wasn't like everyone else no matter how hard
she was trying was when they were at a school assembly for a guest
speaker, the auditorium was so warm and everyone was so close and
everyone smelled so strong and - Aviana tried to make it to her teacher
so she could ask to be taken to the school nurse, but when she got on
her feet to walk down the aisle to get to her teacher, everything became
so blurry and dark, and it just kept getting darker and darker, until she
could feel herself falling; Again, Aviana woke up in a hospital when
she hadn't been in one when her eyes were last open; and it wasn't
her parents with her, but her teacher with the school principal; Aviana
took measured breaths, asking "Are my parents on their way?"
Her teacher nodded her head, "Your dad is coming back from his
meeting that was out of town, and your mom is almost done with
your grandma's doctor appointment," which was stuff she forgot was
happening; Aviana relaxed and rolled her head back, expecting
silence, but they let her know more, "Your mom called and asked if
your sister - Brynn - could come sit with you. She'll be here any
minute now," and that seemed like a made-up possibility - could
it really be that easy? Could her parents really call and make that
request? She supposed that cancer could make people agree to loads
of things that ordinarily would not be permitted; Just as they said, Brynn
walked through the door in a huff with her school bag and sweat
making her hair stick to her forehead - but she smiles so big when she
sees Aviana in her bed with her eyes open - "I didn't finish lunch - do you
want my fruit snacks? Do you need something to drink?" Having
her sister's familiar face is comforting, and she nods to both questions
because she is hungry and she is thirsty; Once she's set up with
the bedside tray, Brynn asks everyone what happened, and when it
is all said and done, Aviana coos, "It is embarrassing to be so weak,"
which Brynn hates, "No, you're strong. Anyone who laughs at what
happened - that person is weak because they don't have a full heart,"
the perspective is nice, it is new, but it is comforting, and Aviana agrees:
Should anyone make fun of her for fainting then they aren't a person,
they're just a mean, soulless troll with no regard for anyone but themselves.
YOU ARE READING
terminal
PoetryThis is an epic poem that tells the tale of Aviana - the middle sister in her family of five who is diagnosed with cancer at just six years of age. It will be a raw telling of how terminal illness wreaks havoc in the lives of those touched by it whe...