Reload

Chapter 3

Since I am in a good mood today I decide to turn around and see what this guy wants.

- You dropped your cellphone-

- Oh! Thanks- I start to examine my old cellphone to make sure that there are no scratches, I know that I have to buy a new one, but this little guy is so loyal and reliable, I am not ready to let him go. I smile at my phone while I keep staring down at it.

- A penny for your thoughts? - he says. Man I bet that I look so stupid right now, smiling at an inanimated object. I stare back at him, with no words coming out of my mouth.

Great. Speechless that's new to me and I don't like it at all.

-I am Jonathan, nice to meet you- he takes his right hand and tries to reach mine for a hand shake, I do the same. - Would you be so kind to tell me your name? or are you going to walk away like you did a few minutes ago?

What!? 

- Excuse me?- I say

-Don't get me wrong, You insinuating that I should go to check my eyes was kind of funny.

- Well, I was not joking. Thanks for handing me my phone really, Now I have to get going.-

I walk out of that conversation as quickly as I can, feeling more embarrased than ever by my harsh comments, something that i know for a fact, is that I have no filter regarding expressing how i feel if I dont like something I will say it, but usually is not like this. Since when my mouth and brain stop working simultaneously . I don't know what happened to me, actually I have never seen this Jonathan before in the hospital. I bet Karen already knows him, maybe he is one of the guys she was talking about, I have to admit he is handsome. I need to stop this now and focus on my dutties of the day, for now.

I am part of the volunteer service at the Texa's Children Hospital, a few years back something terrible happened to me and my family, my older brother and his wife lost their only son to a rare terminal disease. It was one of the most shocking things that I have ever experienced in my life, losing my nephew. He lasted in intensive care almost two months until his lungs were so swollen that put too much pressure in his heart, causing him a heart attack. Life is so precious, and sometimes we don't realize how gifted we are just by being healthy, since that day forward I promised myself to always to do something different, a good kind of different, that I would do more for others, do more for those kids who need somebody to hold their hand and tell them some cowboys and princess story just to make them forget about the pain. That's way I chose to be part of the "Patient Pals" program.

The Patient Pal program let us, the volunteers, to interact with the little patients while their parents are taking time to eat or go to take a shower or change, you have the chance to talk to them, to make them laugh, to read them some tails, I love it so much when I make them smile. Knowing that I am the reason behind  perfect white curve in their face makes this experience worth it even more.

There is a little boy called Jeremy, that had a heart transplant, the hospital needs a volunteer to accompany him today, I decided to offer myself. When I reach the door, wearing the light blue pants and shirt, I knock first.

- Come in-  A small voice says

- Hey, Jeremy. My name is Elizabeth but you can call me Lizzie, I am the volunteer that is going to accompany you today.

- Can I call you Eli? - He asks

- Sure, you know what? That sounds even better than Lizzie - I tell him, and Jeremy smiles, showing that he is missing both of his front upper teeth.

 -You are funny- he says

- Thanks, you seam to be a charming little guy. Tell me how old are you? 

- I am ten and a half

-  Wow ten and a half? You are a big boy!

- I know! that's what I keeping telling my mom but she says that I am her baby. I am big and strong, look at my missing teeth.

- Yes, I see them. What do you want to do today?

- Could you read me my favorite book?

- Your wish is my command, just tell me where is it and I will grab it and read it for you.

- I have it right here with me, see - He shows me the cover of the book, where a blonde boy is staring at the universe while standing in the moon.

-Thank you very much, now where do you want me to start? - I ask

- From the very beginning, my mom finished to read to me yesterday, but I want to listen to it again.

- Will do then - I say smiling at the little boy, who has already melted my heart.

I move the only chair in the room, to place it next to his bead, I sit down looking for the very first page and start reading out-loud for him:

"Once when I was six years old I saw a magnificent picture in a book, called True Stories from Nature about the primeval forest. It was a picture of a boa constrictor in the act of swallowing an animal. Here is a copy of the drawing "

In the book there is a printed image of a mouse trapped in a snake embrace, just about to get eaten by the animal. I decide show the picture to Jeremy, anyway he has read this book a thousand times so maybe the image wont shock him.  

- Poor snake - he says

What? I was not expecting that.

- What do you mean? - I ask

- Because the snake has to eat mice. So he wont be hungry and die, poor snake has to do that all the time, my mom is scared of mice. I don't like mice, Do you?

Well this kid knows about perspective.

- No, I don't like them. How many times your mom has read this book for you? - I ask

- Too many. But I like it. I feel that I can imagine a new world with it, keep going, please.- He says 

And I do as I am told. 

After two pages more I notice that Jeremy is closing his eyes so I stop and decide to quietly stand up and let the book rest on a table infront of his bed. 

When I look up, his eyes are wide open staring at me.

- Hey, are you okay ? - I ask him

- Yes

- Are you tired ? You can sleep some more.

- No. I was just... thinking.

- Oh... a penny for your thoughts? - I can't believe that I am repeating that stupid catch frace of that Jonathan guy, what's wrong with me. I mentally scowl myself until I catch Jeremy smiling.

- That's funny - he says while giggling

Thanks Jonathan something, I can't recall his last name.

- Would you tell me then? - I ask hoping to hear what he has to say.

He nods.

I sit next to him again, and wait for his words.

- I was thinking that... my heart... is different now.

Before I open my mouth to reply something to his innocent words he continues.

- My heart was sick and it's gone, now I have the heart of some other kid, just like me. What happened to the boy or girl, did he or she got a new heart just like me?

Oh god, For the second time today I am speechless. 

The Cast is: Amber Heard as Elizabeth ( When she dyed her hair dark brown), Emma Roberts as Grace, Jonathan Bennet as Jonathan Gregor, Blythe Danner as Karen, Thomas Robinson as Jeremy ( by the way Thomas Robinson is the cutest kid everrr)