Short Stories (English/Tagalog)

"The Box"

There was once a story of a little girl, her name was Amanda. Now Amanda wasn't normal like any other child because she was born sick. Her mother died while giving birth to her, the doctor said the sickness of the child also grew with the mother thus caused her death.

Amanda is now 10 years old and blessed to still be alive with her rare condition. She cannot walk nor breath well. If you would enter her room, it would look like a clinic due to all her medicines.

One morning.

-Amanda's POV-

I woke up feeling the sunlight burn through my eyes, I was in an uncomfortable position, due to the fact I can't move my legs to ease the pain. I looked up at the ceiling, tears filling my eyes. I can't stop crying once in awhile because of my situation. My room was dim, the curtains covered every inch of the room except one window where I can clearly see the grass outside and children my age playing. I sat down on my bed, still feeling weak.  

Forcing a smile on my face and looking at the picture of God across the bed.

"Amanda, lay down." Quickly I heard the voice of my nurse coming to me. She layed me down once again and gave me my morning meds.  

I sat back down when the nurse left my room. Opened the drawer next to my bed and got my mother's old diary. It was my past time.  

I would see pictures of her and her friends, memories, and being with dad. She also wrote words of wisdom for me to read. My father told me that they knew I was sick when I was only 5 months in my mother's belly. She had the option to drop me to save herself but she never did. She told dad, I was still a gift from above so no matter what happened my father had to raise me.

We aren't rich, my father has a decent job just enough to feed us both and buy my meds. I feel so bad everyday knowing he had to always take care of me that much.

Suddenly my vision started to get blurry, I felt dizzy and heard a beep on and on again. I tried screaming for help as my head and whole body dropped to my bed. I saw shadows of people entering my room but suddenly I collapsed.

I had a dream, a figure of a tall lady wearing all white, she was standing near a tree. Her eyes focused only on the sky, she had golden hair and her eyes looked so much mine. Blue like the sea. Her lips so pink. She looked so happy, I walked to her. As I came closer she looked at me with a pleased look on her face.

"You ready my darling?" 

Then I woke up. 

I saw my dad next to my bed, sleeping while my nurse was sleeping on a chair across the room.  

I wanted to call my dad but I just felt so weak, I slowly tried to reach for his hand and tapped it. In a matter of seconds he woke up, I know he is tired by the bags under his eyes.

"Amanda?" As dad reached for my hand.

"You should sleep dad, you're tired" Forcing a smile on my face. He kissed my forehead before heading off.

"I'll be in the other room if you need me." He said. I nodded.

As soon as my nurse woke up. I needed to ask her a favor.

"Can you please buy me a medium box and some gold wrapping paper?" Using my now weak voice.

She agreed and went out. I looked out on the window and saw how happy children were, they were playing all different kinds of games like tag or kick ball, some were even flying kites. How I always wondered what that would feel like. I sighed in depression, knowing that would never happen.  

Thinking about my recent dream, can it be a sign from above? From mom? These things ran through my brain the whole afternoon. I fear the worse maybe near.