I can still remember vividly the day a mother died, in fact it was my friend’s. Although she was not my relative, I was greatly affected by the news. Somehow, I felt a “connection” between me and my friend, Jake. Maybe, there was a possibility that we were brothers…….
.
“Jake! can we leave now? I am bored to death!” said John, a friend of mine, who was part of our group that suggested that we spend a picnic out at East Coast Beach. “Soon! Just some sandwiches and we are ready,” replied Jake. A few moments later, we were armed with sandwiches, muffins and others, and were heading down the beach ready to rule it.
.
A few of our members setup the mat on the lush green landscape, whereas we unpacked the food. Soon enough, we were ready to sink our teeth into homemade sandwiches and others of some sort. But then came a phone call for Jake that would turn this event around.
.
Suddenly, a loud ring pierced through the air and we all traced it back to Jake. Jake, embarrassingly stood up and walked away to answer the phone call. We ignored him and started wolfing down the sandwiches. Every sandwich eaten, released a temptation to eat twice the amount. A few minutes later, we had finished all of them and were quietly waiting for Jake’s return but it did not happen. Instead, I heard someone crying from a distance. I turned around and only to find Jake, with tears flowing freely down his cheeks, sitting next to an oak tree.
.
I slowly approached him and consoled him by patting his back. I asked him in my most caring voice “what has happened?” and in between sobs, he said “ I…..I received a call from the ….the hospital…..” he inhaled heavily, trying to swallow the huge amount of mucus stucked in his nose and continued..” They said that…that my…mo..mother has pa…passed away because of a car accident. “ With that, tears flowed down his cheeks more heavily, as if they were driven by a hurricane and he started breathing heavily. I continued patting his back to console him but it was no use, grief had over whelmed him.
.
We had no choice but to cancel the picnic and send him home. Our hearts were torn to shreds as we all headed home individually. Nothing was happy at all. On the day of his mother’s funeral, we were all invited to come. Invited, with hooks hung in our hearts as we saw Jake’s family being overwhelmed with grief. Our heads’ hung at our necks, hoping for nothing but to see Jake happy once again. But it seemed impossible.
.
On that day, our hearts were scarred dearly as we all saw grief itself, but in a form that could not be explained, it was just too overwhelming, just too powerful to control, it was the infinite amount of love between a parent to a child being converted into an infinite years of grief and regret. I just could not believe it, the power of love that could change our lives greatly, for love is what we must cherish……………..
.
“Jake! can we leave now? I am bored to death!” said John, a friend of mine, who was part of our group that suggested that we spend a picnic out at East Coast Beach. “Soon! Just some sandwiches and we are ready,” replied Jake. A few moments later, we were armed with sandwiches, muffins and others, and were heading down the beach ready to rule it.
.
A few of our members setup the mat on the lush green landscape, whereas we unpacked the food. Soon enough, we were ready to sink our teeth into homemade sandwiches and others of some sort. But then came a phone call for Jake that would turn this event around.
.
Suddenly, a loud ring pierced through the air and we all traced it back to Jake. Jake, embarrassingly stood up and walked away to answer the phone call. We ignored him and started wolfing down the sandwiches. Every sandwich eaten, released a temptation to eat twice the amount. A few minutes later, we had finished all of them and were quietly waiting for Jake’s return but it did not happen. Instead, I heard someone crying from a distance. I turned around and only to find Jake, with tears flowing freely down his cheeks, sitting next to an oak tree.
.
I slowly approached him and consoled him by patting his back. I asked him in my most caring voice “what has happened?” and in between sobs, he said “ I…..I received a call from the ….the hospital…..” he inhaled heavily, trying to swallow the huge amount of mucus stucked in his nose and continued..” They said that…that my…mo..mother has pa…passed away because of a car accident. “ With that, tears flowed down his cheeks more heavily, as if they were driven by a hurricane and he started breathing heavily. I continued patting his back to console him but it was no use, grief had over whelmed him.
.
We had no choice but to cancel the picnic and send him home. Our hearts were torn to shreds as we all headed home individually. Nothing was happy at all. On the day of his mother’s funeral, we were all invited to come. Invited, with hooks hung in our hearts as we saw Jake’s family being overwhelmed with grief. Our heads’ hung at our necks, hoping for nothing but to see Jake happy once again. But it seemed impossible.
.
On that day, our hearts were scarred dearly as we all saw grief itself, but in a form that could not be explained, it was just too overwhelming, just too powerful to control, it was the infinite amount of love between a parent to a child being converted into an infinite years of grief and regret. I just could not believe it, the power of love that could change our lives greatly, for love is what we must cherish……………..
.
By Bryan 18Aug08
