A Gift or a Curse

Today is my 13th birthday. School just ended, and now it's the beginning of summer break. I was wondering if I could celebrate my birthday with my mother who is in the hospital. She’s been ill for a while now, and it's only getting worse. While I was walking to the hospital from school, I walked past a florist shop. I went in and bought my mother her favorite flower, dahlia. It was a 20 minute walk from the florist shop to the hospital, until I was told the bad news. My mom might not make it. I couldn’t believe it. My mother is all I have. I ran through the streets, cutting red lights, until I made it to the hospital and ran to my mother’s room. Once I got in I saw her face turning pale, and the doctors checking on her blood pressure to see if it’s ok. 

“Mama? It’s me Miguel,” I said. “I- I bought you your favorite flowers.”

“Miguelll?” She said, stretching out my name. 

“Yes Mama, it’s me.” 

“Oh Miguel!” She said, trying to get up from bed to give me a hug. 

“How are you feeling Mama?” I said, holding her hand while looking into her eyes.

I could see that the color in her eyes is diminishing, like she isn’t there. I was about to tear up. I can’t see my mother in this state. It was hard. I have no one else but her in my life. I thought this was going to be a great day since it's my birthday, but it doesn’t seem like it. I just hope that my mom will make it. I saw her primary care provider walking into her room.

“Hey wait!” I said.

“May I help you?” The doctor said.

“Um, do you think my mom will make it?”

“Well, I cannot say,” She said looking through my mother's window door. “But I’ll do my best to take care of her.”

“O-ok, thank you,” I said nervously.

“No problem!”

I remembered the times when I was eight years old, and my mother used to work in a clock shop where she makes clocks. I visited her store once and noticed that she was making a pocket watch, but then she hid it from me, I don’t know why. Maybe it’s a secret for someone.

I spent the night in the hospital, worried about my mother. Looking at her while she’s sleeping and coughing. The sun came up. I got ready for school. I kissed my mother on the head, and ran out of the hospital, passed by the florist shop, down to the bagel shop that's near my school, and bought myself a cream cheese bagel. Then I headed to class. The teacher noticed today was my birthday and threw a birthday party for me, but I wasn’t happy. I couldn’t be happy. My mother was my only concern. After school ended, I ran as fast as I could to be told that my mother had passed away. Her doctor came up to me and handed me a pocket watch that my mother wanted to give me. When I opened the pocket watch, there was a picture of me and my mother.