Life Lines

25: Happy Birthday, Vada

Chapter Twenty-Five

When I woke up Saturday morning, the first thing I saw was a cupcake. It sat on my nightstand, looking at me with multicolored sprinkles. My mouth turned up in a half smile when I thought back to the fight Chris and Schylar were having over sprinkles in the doctor's office. Part of me wondered if it was them.

But the purple and white swirled candle that stood erect in the pink frosting told me exactly who it was.

Mostly because the candle was lit and it looked like it was only burning for a few moments, like someone knew when I'd wake up. The light of the flame stood completely still, standing as tall as the candle itself. The whole thing was beautiful really. I wanted nothing more than to blow it out, making my birthday wish and eat the damn thing. I was hungry, ok? I know a masterpiece such as that cupcake shouldn't be devoured but stared at. However, it felt like my stomach was about to eat itself alive.

It was all overshadowed, however, as my vision grew clouded and my whole left side was lit on fire. I thought I could handle it at first, even though I didn't know what it was. After all I was my father's daughter and hiding how much pain I was in had been easy for the past couple of days. Hell, for most of my life. But this...this was just pain on an entirely different level.

I curled my hand in my purple/yellow/teal plaid comforter and squeezed my eyes closed. This couldn't last forever. It was just temporary and it would be over in a few moments.

Then a few moments passed and the pain, well, lets just say that it became centralized. Right where my lines were. Which just happened to be 75% of my left side. So yeah, it didn't get better. I kept thinking this must be how cows felt when they were being branded. They were held down by rough cowboys while another guy pressed a red hot brand to your hackles.

When my hearing cut out, I started to worry. There wasn't much to hear that early in the morning other than the sound of both my father's and Schylar's soft synchronized snoring. But that sound was drowned out by a high pitched buzzing noise. Worst sound ever, by the way.

The thoughts of the cows were shoved away as I remembered something. Of course it was of Cecil. Most of my childhood memories consisted of him. Why that would be surprising to anyone, I wouldn't know. But this was one memory I tried to forget, time and again.

It was the look on his face when he slipped into the death sleep. It was a look of desperation and fear. One that could tell anyone who looked that he didn't want this. Not any of it. I was the only one who saw it though as I was alone with him when it happened.

Maybe five minutes after that, his parents came back into the room. His mother dropped the tray his birthday breakfast sat on. I still remember the sound of the glass and ceramic of the dishes hitting the hardwood floor and shattering. I still remember repeating his name over and over again, not sounding panicked or worried because he always woke up. It was no big deal, nothing to worry about. It may take a few minutes but he always woke up.

But not that time.

His mother became hysterical, crying and sobbing relentlessly while shaking him to wake up. Both my father and his came in to see what was happening. While his dad called out for Wilson and trying to get his wife to stop, mine was left trying to usher me out of the room.

I went, not wanting to cause a scene but I remember later, when I got the call from his mother that he was dead, I wished I had stayed. That I had caused a scene. That I had done something besides obediently walking out of that room.

It was my birthday after all and everyone knows you're supposed to get everything you want on your birthday. And that year, I wanted nothing more than for everything to be a horrible joke. That it was just a prank he was pulling on me. I half expected him to jump out of the pantry, which was right by the phone, and yell 'Surprise! Happy Birthday Tally!' but it didn't happen. The kitchen remained silent and just like it was now, a high pitched buzzing filled my ears.