Life on Banana Street
Feelin Crappy
I stood there knowing what to do, but not able to. “Don’t just stand there Addie! Call an ambulance!” I ran downstairs and called the ambulance and they took Joey a few minutes later. Billie came down slowly after they had take him away.
“Billie! What happened?”
“I don’t know. I just heard coughing so I went in there and he wasn’t breathing.” I jumped in his arms, not knowing what would happen to our child.
“Joey, is so small and fragile. I don’t know what’s going to happen, Bill.”
“Me either,” he rubbed my back, trying to comfort me when really he needed to be comforted. He felt so guilty of witnessing it. “Come on, we can’t just stay here.” I have been to the hospital too many times. But we went anyway. Days went by, and his tiny body was still in surgery, going through operation after operation. Tre and Claudia came and gave us flowers. Why do we need flowers? Oh well, it made us feel better as they stayed with us. I called Kate, but she’s on her honeymoon and wishes she could be here. Finally, later that day, Billie and I were pacing around the waiting room and the doctor came to speak to us. Please don’t say he’s dead. Please don’t say he’s dead.
“Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong?”
“Yes?”
“I’m very glad to say that we were able to revive little Joseph.” I immediately hugged Billie and started crying.
“Is there anything else, doc?”
“I’m afraid so. Joseph is not conscious right now, he’s barely alive, so we need to do many more operations on him to make sure he’s functioning correctly.” Billie held me tighter and wiped away my tears. We left later that day and I felt worse than Joey. How could this happen to him? What have I done to upset God? When we got home, I couldn’t bear to open the door. I didn’t have the energy to, so I just sat on the porch crying, sobbing, weeping. Billie sat next to me and kissed my cheek. “It’s ok, Addie. He’ll be fine. Don’t worry.” He said that several times, but I never felt any better. How could I when my child is barely alive and has a 50/50 chance of surviving? I couldn’t stand the pain. Billie helped me up and held me around him so I wouldn’t fall. He was my hero for being so strong in a time of need.
“Billie, I don’t want to lose him.”
“I don’t either, but we have to stay strong. He needs our hope, Ads.” I was holding on to him and I didn’t want to let go.
“Never let go, Billie, never let go.”
“Never.” He was holding me tighter and sat me down on the couch, making me feel better. I was freaking out, there was no way I could just sit at home.
“Be back later,” I said, chopped up.
“Uh un!” He said, taking away the keys. “You’re staying here with me until they call us. He’s going to be fine.” He kissed my forehead.
“I guess you’re right, but I can’t help but to think that he’s not going to be ok.”
“Billie! What happened?”
“I don’t know. I just heard coughing so I went in there and he wasn’t breathing.” I jumped in his arms, not knowing what would happen to our child.
“Joey, is so small and fragile. I don’t know what’s going to happen, Bill.”
“Me either,” he rubbed my back, trying to comfort me when really he needed to be comforted. He felt so guilty of witnessing it. “Come on, we can’t just stay here.” I have been to the hospital too many times. But we went anyway. Days went by, and his tiny body was still in surgery, going through operation after operation. Tre and Claudia came and gave us flowers. Why do we need flowers? Oh well, it made us feel better as they stayed with us. I called Kate, but she’s on her honeymoon and wishes she could be here. Finally, later that day, Billie and I were pacing around the waiting room and the doctor came to speak to us. Please don’t say he’s dead. Please don’t say he’s dead.
“Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong?”
“Yes?”
“I’m very glad to say that we were able to revive little Joseph.” I immediately hugged Billie and started crying.
“Is there anything else, doc?”
“I’m afraid so. Joseph is not conscious right now, he’s barely alive, so we need to do many more operations on him to make sure he’s functioning correctly.” Billie held me tighter and wiped away my tears. We left later that day and I felt worse than Joey. How could this happen to him? What have I done to upset God? When we got home, I couldn’t bear to open the door. I didn’t have the energy to, so I just sat on the porch crying, sobbing, weeping. Billie sat next to me and kissed my cheek. “It’s ok, Addie. He’ll be fine. Don’t worry.” He said that several times, but I never felt any better. How could I when my child is barely alive and has a 50/50 chance of surviving? I couldn’t stand the pain. Billie helped me up and held me around him so I wouldn’t fall. He was my hero for being so strong in a time of need.
“Billie, I don’t want to lose him.”
“I don’t either, but we have to stay strong. He needs our hope, Ads.” I was holding on to him and I didn’t want to let go.
“Never let go, Billie, never let go.”
“Never.” He was holding me tighter and sat me down on the couch, making me feel better. I was freaking out, there was no way I could just sit at home.
“Be back later,” I said, chopped up.
“Uh un!” He said, taking away the keys. “You’re staying here with me until they call us. He’s going to be fine.” He kissed my forehead.
“I guess you’re right, but I can’t help but to think that he’s not going to be ok.”