Writing prompt: TELL YOU WHAT
Provided by: I’m not sure who gave me this one, but I loved it! If it was you, just give me a shout-out, and I’ll link to you.
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Tell me a story, Ana says, like she says each night, tell me a story, Daddy.
Tell me that one about the squirrel and the tree, where the tree was not a tree, but a city where the squirrel became king. Or the time you met that black-maned lion on the way home, and got late for my swimming lesson.
I shake my head and smile, there isn’t enough time for stories.
There is all the family still to see her, each one to try and smile at that wee little face grown smaller in the last few months, the tubes and machines running through and into her tiny body. There is so little time.
I try to talk past the rock in my throat.
Then hold my hand and let’s travel, she says, and I remember her first injection last year. When she started crying , I said, “Ana-kins, hold my hand, and let’s travel. We’ll be off together on a plane to never-never land and that injection won’t touch you.”
I had lied, because today, her six-year-old hand is riddled with punctures, and a small needle still wages a losing battle.
I’ll get Mommy, I say.
Don’t go, Daddy, and don’t be afraid, just hold my hand and we’ll go to never-never land, okay?
Okay, I say, I’m right there with you.
Another lie. This time, when she’s really going, I can’t take the plane with her.
Tell you what, my Ana-bel.
Yes, Daddy?
I feel a story coming on… I’m going to tell you a story.
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Another great one! I’m in awe how you can keep going with such great work all through the challenge!
How the hell do you make us cry with barely 500 words on the screen?!! The scene plays out in our heads, crystal clear..
Beautiful and tragic tale. Fantastically written, as always.. 🙂
Lovely story. Nicely put. Thanks for dropping by my A to Z challenge for U (ukulele). There are step by step teaching posts on YouTube. You don’t have to do anything in public. Go for it. Good luck.
Absolutely brilliant. I loved this. *wipes tears*
You broke my heart. Very poetic.
Wow, how moving, it made me a bit misty eyed. Nice pacing in this.
Just to quickly assure everyone it is fiction. I have lost relatives to leukemia and cancer, so the details come from there, but never, thankfully a child. Of all the un-knowable riddles of God, a suffering child is the greatest one.
Thanks for your comments. I just took down what I saw in my head from beginning to end, not taking any credits at all for this one.
Aww, that’s a sad one. =)
I too hope it is fiction. What a sensitive and well-done piece. Such sweetness between the two of them. The dialogue is wonderful. You have a sensitive soul.
Lovely story. Breaks the heart lovely.
You made me mist up. Nice job, although I really, really hope this is fiction and not drawing from real life.
That gave me a chill. You did a wonderful job with this.
Hope you join us in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge Reflections Mega Post on Monday May 2nd.
Lee