Fly Like A Bird
1/1
10 years ago
“I want to do a bungee jump.” said Lily smiling. I grinned at her, it sounded like something she would do.
“That’s not very creative. You can do that when ever you want.” I said.
“Well what would you like to do before you die?” I never really thought about it. I’m fifteen. I’m too young to be thinking about death. Our whole school is obsessed with death at the moment. Since 9/11 happened everyone is being more cautious, asking questions in everyday conversations that wouldn’t necessarily come up if it hadn’t happened. For example, “How would you like to die?”, “When do you want to die?” and the one in this conversation “What do you want to do before you die?” To be very honest, there is nothing I want to do before I die. I looked at Lily and said the first thing that popped in to my head,
“I want to fly like a bird.”
“Pft!” she started to laugh, “Why don’t you just jump on a plane? You can do that when ever you want!”
I looked at her and laughed with her.
“Why are we even talking about this? We’re going to die old fogies! We will definitely get to do the things we want!” I said.
“You’re right Khanah.”
2 months ago
“I’m sorry, Miss Bell.” I looked at the doctor in disbelief. “You have cervical cancer. It’s too late to have Chemotherapy now. Your health will slowly deteriorate-“
“Please. No more. I’m twenty five. How could this happen now?” My eyes were starting to water.
The doctor looked at me solemnly,
“I don’t know. The cancer can be inherited.”
“What do you mean you don’t know?” I cried, “How long have I had this cancer?”
“You’ve had the cancer for about six months. That is why it is now incurable.”
Tears started to cascade down my cheeks. I can’t die. What about my friends and family? I can’t leave them. Why? Why? Why?
“How long do you think I will have?” I choked out.
“About three months? Maybe less. It is impossible to set a date.”
“O-okay” I stood up. “Is it okay to leave now?”
The doctor nodded. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“What! Oh my god. Khanah! I refuse to believe it. You can’t die!” Lily was crying and hugging me so tightly it hurt. Everyone in the room was shocked. I looked over her shoulder and smiled weakly at my friends behind her. I knew their shock because I was feeling it myself. I’m not going to let reality in. I refuse to break down and spend my last days in sadness. I will live life to the fullest.
“Khanah?”
“Yes?”
“Do you remember when we were 15 and you said that you wanted to fly like a bird before you died?” I looked at her in surprise. How could she remember that?!
“Yes. What about it?”
“Well, it’s just that you never got to do it. Perhaps you will in the afterlife.”
“Don’t say such silly things. I never really wanted to. I was joking.” It would be nice though, to do it before I died.
Now
The view in front of me is one to remember. The whole of London is sitting there; London Bridge and the River Thames in the distance, next to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. It’s beautiful. The city I grew up in and the city I’m going to die in. This was the life. Everything I ever loved was right in front of me. Okay, maybe my family and friends weren’t here but I had already given them my goodbyes, whether they knew it or not.
I am stood on top of the building I was born in, and I’m about to die here too. I always wondered how I would die. I guess it’s one of those questions everyone ponders at some time in their life. I’ve been pondering it for two months. If you knew me, you would know that I’m going to die from illness. I refuse to.
The wind whistles around me and flutters the piece of cardboard I have gripped in my hand. I set it down at my feet. Making sure the wind won’t blow it away. I step back and look at it. I smile and laugh.
‘I’m flying like a bird.’
I look up and run to the edge of the roof top ready to jump. A flock of birds fly past me and I spread my wings and take flight.
“I want to do a bungee jump.” said Lily smiling. I grinned at her, it sounded like something she would do.
“That’s not very creative. You can do that when ever you want.” I said.
“Well what would you like to do before you die?” I never really thought about it. I’m fifteen. I’m too young to be thinking about death. Our whole school is obsessed with death at the moment. Since 9/11 happened everyone is being more cautious, asking questions in everyday conversations that wouldn’t necessarily come up if it hadn’t happened. For example, “How would you like to die?”, “When do you want to die?” and the one in this conversation “What do you want to do before you die?” To be very honest, there is nothing I want to do before I die. I looked at Lily and said the first thing that popped in to my head,
“I want to fly like a bird.”
“Pft!” she started to laugh, “Why don’t you just jump on a plane? You can do that when ever you want!”
I looked at her and laughed with her.
“Why are we even talking about this? We’re going to die old fogies! We will definitely get to do the things we want!” I said.
“You’re right Khanah.”
2 months ago
“I’m sorry, Miss Bell.” I looked at the doctor in disbelief. “You have cervical cancer. It’s too late to have Chemotherapy now. Your health will slowly deteriorate-“
“Please. No more. I’m twenty five. How could this happen now?” My eyes were starting to water.
The doctor looked at me solemnly,
“I don’t know. The cancer can be inherited.”
“What do you mean you don’t know?” I cried, “How long have I had this cancer?”
“You’ve had the cancer for about six months. That is why it is now incurable.”
Tears started to cascade down my cheeks. I can’t die. What about my friends and family? I can’t leave them. Why? Why? Why?
“How long do you think I will have?” I choked out.
“About three months? Maybe less. It is impossible to set a date.”
“O-okay” I stood up. “Is it okay to leave now?”
The doctor nodded. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“What! Oh my god. Khanah! I refuse to believe it. You can’t die!” Lily was crying and hugging me so tightly it hurt. Everyone in the room was shocked. I looked over her shoulder and smiled weakly at my friends behind her. I knew their shock because I was feeling it myself. I’m not going to let reality in. I refuse to break down and spend my last days in sadness. I will live life to the fullest.
“Khanah?”
“Yes?”
“Do you remember when we were 15 and you said that you wanted to fly like a bird before you died?” I looked at her in surprise. How could she remember that?!
“Yes. What about it?”
“Well, it’s just that you never got to do it. Perhaps you will in the afterlife.”
“Don’t say such silly things. I never really wanted to. I was joking.” It would be nice though, to do it before I died.
Now
The view in front of me is one to remember. The whole of London is sitting there; London Bridge and the River Thames in the distance, next to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. It’s beautiful. The city I grew up in and the city I’m going to die in. This was the life. Everything I ever loved was right in front of me. Okay, maybe my family and friends weren’t here but I had already given them my goodbyes, whether they knew it or not.
I am stood on top of the building I was born in, and I’m about to die here too. I always wondered how I would die. I guess it’s one of those questions everyone ponders at some time in their life. I’ve been pondering it for two months. If you knew me, you would know that I’m going to die from illness. I refuse to.
The wind whistles around me and flutters the piece of cardboard I have gripped in my hand. I set it down at my feet. Making sure the wind won’t blow it away. I step back and look at it. I smile and laugh.
‘I’m flying like a bird.’
I look up and run to the edge of the roof top ready to jump. A flock of birds fly past me and I spread my wings and take flight.
♠ ♠ ♠
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