Windy Tales

3

The second time I came to you was when I truly needed you. My treatment was starting and I was scared.

"What's wrong?" You asked me in your soft, angelic voice.

"I read my reports." I told you, my voice weak and my lower lip trembling.

You pulled me into a hug. "Don't be scared. It's okay. Cancer can't hurt you." You consoled me.
"Tell me what the reports said."

I sighed. "I have high grade Ependymomas which is why I have been vomiting, poor coordination, difficulty walking, weakness and a never ending headache. And it's just getting worse. It's growing very quickly. My radiation therapy starts soon. And then, there will be chemotherapy and there might be a surgery, too. I have a pediatric neuro-oncologist, a neurologist and a pediatric radiation therapist. And it's going to hurt so much. And I'm going to die!" I sobbed.

"Shhh." You comforted me. "It's going to be difficult but you'll get through it easily. You're so strong, Victoria. And you're brave. You'll beat cancer. Just hold on and keep going. Don't give up. Trust the doctors. And everything will be alright."

You were so sweet to me. You sang to me and your voice was so amazing, I didn't want you to stop. I swayed along with you as if I was a wheat stalk.

"You are so beautiful." You suddenly told me.

"No, I'm not." I complained. "I have a horrible scar on my chin."

"I believe the scar has an amusing backstory." You said. "Tell me about it."

I smiled. "I was playing in the corn field a few miles away. There's a boy called Henry who lives there. Henry told me to get two apples. One for myself and one for him. He's a nasty fellow, asking a girl to climb a tree and bring him an apple. I climbed up the apple tree and when I was perched on the branch, it started shaking. I plucked the apples and threw them to Henry who caught them. That's when the branch snapped and I fell down. Henry left me bleeding in the field so I had to run home to aunt Janet. I got stitches for it. Aunt Janet told me never to play with him again so I didn't."

"That's good." You laughed. "You're an obedient girl."

"Yeah, my teacher says so too. But I won't be going back to school because I'm too busy with treatment."

"And once that you're fine and well, you'll go back to school..."

"Yes." I smiled. "Uncle Mathew said I'll go back to school when I'm okay."

So after talking about school, I went home for dinner.

◇ She fell more and more in love with wind and it loved her too. ◇