The Boy with 100 Days

Day 1

            I was in shock after his first few words, “I’m sorry, I am so sorry…but there is nothing else we can do. He has around 100 days left to live.” I couldn’t believe it. I looked out to my family. My mother had started to cry, my father was trying to comfort her. I just laid there for the next few moments. It felt like hours really. My parents finally came into the room and sat next to me. My mothers’ spoke softly, but they were loud, and clear. They were the first sounds of the beginning of the end, “We love you so, so much Alex.” She clasped my hand in hers.

            Many people wish they would know how long they have left to live. Unfortunately knowing also saddens you. It makes you wish you had a longer amount of time, makes you regret most things you have done, and makes you paranoid of how time is flying. My name is Alex, I am 16, and I have Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the human form of the mad cow disease.

            We went home, all was quiet. It was 9:07 AM. My mother m. I ate reluctantly as did the rest of us. We made my favorite meal, eggs and bacon. I sat there, slowly eating, quiet, as the sound of complete depressing silence engulfed us. After breakfast my father got out a journal and told me “One of the symptoms is memory loss.” He handed me it. “I figured it would be best if you wrote down what happens from now on.”  He put his hand on my upper-back for a few moments then went to sit next to my mother to comfort her. I went to my room and began to pace.

            I thought about Liz for an hour, how I should tell her…thinking how she would react, how to comfort her if she gets upset. While I was thinking, she called me. I picked up my phone and she said, “Hey Alex what’s up?”

             “Oh you know…um…stuff." I replied falling into my bean bag.

            She laughed and said “I’m serious! What are you up to?”  There was a difficult pause. “Hello? Alex?”

             “I um…I’m dying, I have Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and I only have a few months left to live...” There was another long pause. I kind of let it all go too harsh. “Hello?”

            “I’m still here...” She replied. “You're joking right? How could this happen? You’re my best friend…you can’t just die like that! Please tell me this is some cruel joke!” I was speechless, but I heard her sobbing through the phone.  “Alex, please! Tell me you’re joking!”

            “I’m sorry Liz, I’m not kidding.” I picked up my journal. “I think it would be better if we talked in person.”

            “Yeah, I guess…come over to my house.” She replied sadly. I told my parents I was going to go talk to her, and they let me go. I rode my bike down the street to her house and she was sitting on the porch waiting for me.

            We talked for a few hours. I tried to comfort her as best I could, and I could tell she was holding back most of her pain. Liz is beautiful, she has been my friend since Elementary School, and I have liked her since Middle School, and here we are…High School. She has bright brown hair, and amazing brown eyes, with a smile that could make anybody feel safe and secure. If only she was smiling then. She had to leave to her brother’s baseball game, so I went home. I looked at the journal, picked it up, and started this. Hopefully tomorrow goes better. Who am I kidding, I’m dying.