Gunfire and Butterflies

The Lemonade Stand: Lisa(mom)

   Th cords dangling out of her make me cry.  Blake lies still as the dead, but she is alive.  She has been like this for 3 days now and I'm scared that she'll never wake up.  I wonder what happens inside her head when she lays there.  Her brother is in here, yet whenever he doesn't get to play with his sister he just cries.  I cry everyday on top of her.

   At home all her friends are calling her cellphone wondering where she has been.  I always answer and tell them that she is unavailable right now and if you want to visit her she's in the hospital.  They'll always ask why, but I hang up and my eyes start to tear up.  Some of her friends come with flowers to my home and place them in her room.

   James cries all the time in his room or he'll occupy himself playing by himself.  He rarely talks to me anymore.  Some nights instead of sleeping in his room he ends up curled up and sleeping in his sister's room.  I'm wondering if he understands that his sister is in a coma.  "Mama when will Sissy wake up?  She has been sleeping a long time was she just tired?"

   "Yes honey" I would always reply and tell him not to tell anyone at school and put him on the bus.  I cried when he was gone I only cried because the bills in front of me.  I can't pay for them what am I going to do.  These bills are a couple thousand dollars and I don't have a job yet.  One of Blake friends came over after school and asked if he could set up a lemonade stand.  Of course I told him he could and watched from the window.  He set up a sign which I had no idea what it said on it, but it had attracted at least a dozen people over in a heartbeat.

   He promised lemonade and he kept that promise, yet people were handing him twenty to thirty dollars for lemonade.  I walked out there and was about to tell him that his prices were way too much.  "No there not a single lemonade is $2.00 each.

   "Then why are people handing you twenty dollar bills and you don't give them change?" 

   Then I saw as he answered so kindly. "Well miss you see Blake is in the hospital and well we all know you can't pay for it so we're helping."  He smiled.  I got down on my knees and cried.  I didn't care who came by and stared.  I got up wiped away my tears and hugged him.  "Also miss there are at least thirty other people finding something to do to help you out."

   "Thank you." 

The sign read 'Please donate for the young girl in a coma from the attack last Saturday.  Donate and you will receive a free lemonade.  Thank you for your time.'