Baby Matthew was to be his name and he was the most gorgeous looking little baby boy I had ever seen.
He was quite tiny too, such a placid and quiet baby, that we hardly knew we had him. I would gladly help mum with the feeding and nappy changes, and of course I got to get extra cuddles when I did these things with Matthew, he loved a cuddle bless him and was such a good baby, for mum and dad.
I was a very proud Big Sister and anyone who asked me, friends included I would tell them how wonderful it was to be a big sister and have such a lovely and gorgeous little brother.
My brother came round to the idea of becoming a Big Brother, and even made more of an effort to do things with Matthew too when he wasn't studying or working or at Boys Brigade.
Dad was the proudest any dad would be, although he wasn't quite used to having a baby as it had always been just him and Nanny Mary, and he had never met his father.
It was quite chaotic for Mum as we had a new home and we were still settling in and making our house into a proper home.
Trixie guarded Matthew whenever he was in his pram or cot and even she was pleased with our new family addition.
We made friends with our neighbours, as we now lived in a square, we lived in one of the last houses on the corner of it.
Our neighbours opposite had a son and daughter, and mum and dad made firm friends with the parents, and I became great friends with the son and daughter.
Our other neighbours consisted of an Italian Family who lived next door to us, and the Currier Family who lived next door to them.
On the other side of the Square was a family with a daughter and son also, who lived next door to the neighbours that we had made friends with, their son suffered with Haemaphilia and so he had to be careful if he played out so as not to knock himself.
At the front end of the square were other various families, and most of us went to the same school, except I was still at a different Infant School for the moment, but all that was about to change, unbeknown to me and my family.
Matthew became quite a poorly baby, and mum and dad really weren't quite sure what was wrong with him, except that he seemed to suffer from problems with his little tummy and would often be in pain, creasing his little tiny legs up towards his tummy and often having a pained expression in his eyes.
He hardly ever cried or made a fuss, despite being ill, and honestly really was such a very good baby.
One day, mum had been busying herself in the kitchen, having nearly finished all her housework, mum checked the time and told me and my brother that Matthew hadnt stirred or cried for his lunchtime feed yet, and so she would just go and check on him to see if he was awake and ready for his next feed.
Andrew and I were sat at the kitchen table, I was colouring and drawing, as I enjoyed doing cartoon scripts that I made up myself from reading cartoon magazines, and my brother was finishing some homework he had which was due in the next day.
Dad was at work and Trixie was just laying in her bed dozing.
Suddenly I heard mum calling for Andrew to come upstairs quickly, and as Andrew hadn't heard the first time, because he still didn't hear too well with his new hearing aids and relied on the family to alert him to things or explain anything that he couldn't hear.
I looked at Andrew and got his attention by pulling on his arm sleeve, Andrew looked up and asked what I was trying to tell him, but, by this point mum sounded frantic and had started to shout louder and louder for my brother to hurry, so, before I even got to finish telling him, Andrew had heard mum shouting for him, from upstairs and shot out of his chair in the kitchen and up the stairs as quick as he could.
I followed and stood at the bottom of the stairs, wondering what on earth all the commotion was about, and I knew well enough not to get in the way in case Andrew was in trouble and about to be told off, which was what I thought was going to happen, sadly, how wrong I was.........
The moments that followed will stick in mine and my family's memory forever and none of us will ever forget what happened as long as we are alive.
Matthew really truly was a very much loved and wanted baby and he meant the world to each and every one of us. Our whole world as a Family was about to be turned completely upside down and be changed forever.
I couldn't see much at first, from where I was standing, I could hear frantic movement and mum sounding extremely distressed, and Andrew was saying that Matthew wasn't moving, to mum, who was making all manner of scary noises by now. Then I heard Andrew shout to mum, Matthew isn't moving and he looks a funny colour?!
Mum shouted even more and began to sound quite Hysterical by this point, and yelled for Andrew to move out of the way. Mum, then appeared at the top of the stairs looking deeply distraught and very upset, with Andrew standing right behind her.
As mum started to come down the stairs, she was shouting for help and pleading for someone to phone for an Ambulance.
I didn't understand what was happening at all, and it all seemed to be happening in very slow motion, as mum came down the stairs towards me with Matthew in her arms.
He wasn't moving at all, so my very first thought was that he was must be in a deep sleep and had just not woken up yet, so I could not understand why mum was shouting for help and Andrew was looking a very funny grey colour like he was in shock.
As mum reached the bottom of the stairs, I stepped back to let mum pass, looking at Matthew as she passed me.
Matthew was still not moving, his eyes were tightly closed and he had gone all floppy like a rag doll.
He also looked a strange colour and I really couldn't take in or understand what the hell was going on, and I started to get very scared and frightened, as Andrew rushed past me to phone for an ambulance.
The front door was flung open and somehow my brother had alerted our neighbours opposite so they appeared at the front door and Trixie was barking and so much was going on and everything was so frantic and frightening that I got very confused and started to cry.
Mum by now was beside herself, sobbing hysterically, and Andrew was crying too. Our neighbours told my brother to take me to our neighbours who lived next door whilst mum went to the hospital with Matthew.
So my brother took me next door, knocking loudly so they would hurry up and answer, then proceeded to try to explain that our little baby brother Matthew was sick, and needed help and could we come in whilst mum took him to the hospital?! As Andrew spoke he waved his arms about, all the while gasping between sobs, as he explained and I stood by his side whilst all this was happening.
I saw mum and Matthew who was wrapped in a blanket go off in the direction of the road near the square where we lived, and our kind Italian neighbours ushered us inside their home and led my brother and I through to the living room to sit down.
It was to be one of the worst and most Tragic Days of our Lives.....
YOU ARE READING
Apples of Life
Non-FictionAs a young girl I grew up in a household that was a 1 Parent Family with a Deaf Brother and a Hard Working often Harassed Mum, which often led to poignant, sad, happy and indeed some very funny moments of which helped to shape the core of our Family...
