Now I let you go

Untitled Part 4

Her grandmother was the first to arrive at the house and minutes later, when Sarah and her mother arrived, they were even more surprised to see that they were exhausted, and their grandmother was as if nothing had happened. That day she told them how when she was a child and played with her siblings, no one could catch her because she was always the fastest. Sarah was stuck remembering the past until her teacher's voice brought her back to reality. At the moment she did not know what was happening, but she felt nostalgia and to a certain extent pain knowing that this was something she could never live again. The rest of the day was spent imagining what could have been if the ending had been a different one.

The world was going on. When someone dies that person leaves and time stops for them, but for those of us who stay here the world goes on its course, the minutes and hours keep moving forward and the seasons keep changing. Mrs. Rachel and Sarah knew that, but it was still too early for their minds not to be stuck in the past for a few moments. There were times when Mrs. Rachel was cooking and then the smell of a certain species reminded her of her childhood when her mom was in the kitchen humming a Presley song cooking her favourite stew or times when Sarah was walking around the mall and saw the brand of clothes that her grandmother used to buy, Then came the memories of when she went shopping with her grandmother. They were small details, but the memory they brought left shivers all over their skin.

Sarah looked for a way to distract her mind, so she decided to take painting classes in the afternoons, she could choose piano or dance lessons, but painting was her first choice. The reason was, once again, the memory of the past. Her grandmother was a very creative person, she could make any kind of crafts, from porcelain to clay, in addition to being given drawing and oil painting. When Sarah was 13 years old her grandmother taught her to paint, that is one of her best memories. At first Sarah was nervous because she wanted to do it right the first time, but then her grandmother reassured her by telling her that if she made a mistake, it was only necessary to cover it with more paint. That day they painted a seascape, but Sarah learned more things unrelated to painting. She discovered that her grandmother's favourite animal were frogs and horses, she also told her about her dream of being a teacher, but she was born in a time when women's dreams were ignored, Sarah told her that she would have been the best teacher. They spent that afternoon talking and painting and, even when night came, they continued talking.

Her grandmother was a prepared person, she had read about science, fashion, history, art, even medical encyclopaedias and classics like Moby Dick, so talking to her was quite easy. With the life experience he had, it seemed like he had an answer and advice for every occasion. That was another thing they would miss, marking him when they needed help sewing a dress, repairing a broken piece of furniture, or healing a wound.

Soon the month progressed and, without realizing it, the summer was about to end. The air felt different, cooler, the Sun was setting on the horizon before. Sarah's school began to plan everything for the graduation that would be at the end of November, the room where it would take place, the photographer who would be in charge of capturing the moment and the theme of the dance. All the seniors were excited, the girls planning the dress they would wear, and the boys thinking about how to invite their partner to the dance. Sarah was infected by this euphoria for a moment, until she remembered the time she told her grandmother that she wanted her to accompany her and her grandmother, with a smile, promised her that she would be there. That would no longer be possible, and Sarah's attitude immediately changed to one of melancholy and she wished with all her strength that she had the power to change the past to prevent her grandmother from cancer and that she would continue to live for many more years.