The Crazy Life Of Brynleigh Ellison

Chapter 1

07/08/22. 4:52am

TW/ Talk about Cancer.

When I woke up this morning, I thought that today would be just like every other day, I couldn't have been more wrong.
This is how my day started.
I got out of bed and brushed my teeth, I then went for a shower, got dressed and straightened my hair.
I went downstairs and my mum had cooked breakfast, waffles, my favourite.
Once I finished, I washed my plate and me and my mum sat down and watched a movie.
The weather was nice outside, so we went to the beach, no one was there which was great, it was just me, my mum, and the cool breeze in my hair.
Once it started to get dark and the breeze was getting chilly, we decided to head home.
Every few seconds my mum would stop what she was doing and hold her chest as if she was in pain.
I knew my mum was acting weird but I didn't think anything of it, until she collapsed.
I was up the stairs when she fell, all I heard was a bang and like always I thought she dropped something.
"Mum are you okay?" I had called down.
"Mum?!" I shouted confused why she hadn't answered, I thought she hadn't heard me so I paused my movie and went to the top of the stairs.
"Mum!" I called out again, still no answer, at this point I knew something was wrong.
I walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, she wasn't there, and as I was edging closer to the living room door I noticed something on the floor.
I opened the door and that's when I saw her lying sprawled across the carpet.
Immediately I got down beside her shaking her shoulders.
"Mum, mum what's wrong please answer me." I had cried knowing she wouldn't answer but I still kept shaking her.
"Mum please wake up!" I cried, the tiny bit of hope left in my chest, slowly dwindling until there was nothing left.
I collapsed onto the floor beside her, crying into her chest.
I ran up the stairs and grabbed my phone.
As I dialled 911, I was hoping this was all a dream, hoping I would wake up and my mum would be cooking in the kitchen, or we would be snuggled up watching a movie, or we would be back at the beach with the comforting breeze and everything would be okay.
Tears rolled down my cheeks as I put the phone to my ear, The ringing of the phone was torture,
It seemed like it had been an eternity before someone picked up.
"Hello 911 what's your emergency?" The lady on the other end had asked.
"It's my mum, she, she isn't breathing" I cried into the phone.
"Are you with her now?" the lady had asked
"Yes" I had replied shakily.
"Are you sure she's not breathing?" The lady had asked
"I think I would know if my mum was breathing or not." I snapped
There was a brief pause from the other end.
"I'm sorry" I said " I shouldn't have snapped like that."
"No it's okay, what's your address?" She had asked politely.
"21 Terrace Road" I said.
"Ok we have an ambulance on the way now." She had said "would you like to tell me what happened?"
"She was fine when I went up the stairs, I heard a noise, I thought she had dropped something, I asked her if she was okay but we never answered, so I went downstairs and I saw her lying on the floor and I checked her for a pulse but there wasn't one, so I got my phone and called you." I had replied.
As I looked down at my mum, my eyes began to brim with tears.
What if I never got her back.
What if the last thing I ever said to my mum wasn't I love you, in fact I couldn't remember the last time I said I loved her, was it today, was it yesterday, what if it was last week.
"I love you" I whispered and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
Warm tears running down my face.
"Are you still there?" The lady had asked snapping me out my thoughts.
"Yes sorry what were you saying?" I had said wiping my tears with the sleeve of my hoodie.
"Was your mum doing anything out of the ordinary before she collapsed?" The lady asked.
"She was holding her chest as if she was in pain but that's about it." I had said.
"Okay, thank you, the ambulance should be there soon take care." The lady had said as she hung up, leaving me in the deafening silence.
I sat curled up beside my mum for about ten minutes before there was a knock.
I got up and ran to the door as fast as I could.
My shaking hand reached for the door handle.
I grasped the cold metal handle and opened the door.
"She's over here" I said and they had followed me to the living room.
I watched as they lifted my mum onto a stretcher and carried her to the ambulance.
"What's going to happen?" I had asked tears still racing down my face.
"We'll take her to the hospital and run a few tests and x-rays and we'll get back to you." One of the guys had said.
"Can't I go with her to the hospital?" I ask
He just looks down at me for a while before answering.
"What about your dad?" He had asked.
"He's at the shop" I had said hesitantly, knowing if I told them he left years ago, they would take me into care so I wasn't alone while mum was in hospital.
"Ok, sure hop in" he had said signalling for me to sit in the back of the ambulance with my mum.
I climb in and sit down.
As I look at my mum's face, I can't get used to seeing her so helpless, she was always so bright, happy, she always had a smile on her face.
"Hey kid" I hear
"What?" I had asked looking up at the guy I had spoke to earlier.
"It's going to be okay, she's going to be okay". He had said giving me a sympathetic smile.
"Do you promise?" I had asked
"I promise" he said giving his word.
We got to the hospital and I had to wait outside while they ran tests and everything, I looked through the glass into the room when they used defibrillators.
I didn't like the way my mum's body moved when they used them so I had to look away.
I sat staring at the wall in front of me, until I heard the door open and a woman come out.
She looked down at me so I stood up, when she cleared her throat I thought, this is it, my mum is gone.
"Your mum's in a stable position" the doctor said giving me a smile.
When I heard those words a huge weight was lifted off my chest.
"Can I see her?" I asked
"Yes" the doctor said and opened the door to let me in and closed it behind me.
When I walked in I heard the steady beat of the monitor.
"Hello Huni" I heard my mum say and I started to cry, I never thought I'd hear her voice again.
"Hey don't cry" she said holding my hand.
"I thought I'd never see you again" I cried
"Well I'm here now there's nothing to cry about" my mum said softly, gently rubbing her thumb on the back of my hand.
My mum and I spoke for three hours and forty two minutes. That is three hours and forty two minutes of talking to my mum I will never take for granted again.
I walked home from the hospital and made myself something to eat.
I must have fallen asleep because when I opened my eyes it was light outside.
I did my usual routine brush my teeth, get changed and brush my hair.
I walked downstairs and there was a knock at the door.
I walked to the door and opened it.
There was a very professional looking lady standing at the doorway.
"Can I help you?" I asked
"Yes, I'm Rebekah Griffin from social services, I'm here to ask you a few questions." She said
I invited her in and made her a cup of coffee.
We sat on the sofa and she asked me the first question.
"How are you dealing with your mum's situation?" She asked.
"Good I guess I wish she wasn't in hospital but what can I do they need to keep her there to make sure she is stable." I had said, when I stopped talking I could see her analysing me.
"Okay, next question" she said
"How was your relationship with your mum?" She said looking at my with narrowed eyes.
"Good, what's the relevance of these questions?" I asked
"Just procedure" she said.
"Last question, do you have someone you can live with while your mum's in hospital, if not we'll have to take you into care until she's out?" Rebekah had said.
"My dad lives with me" I said continuing the lie.
"Where is he?" She asked puzzled
"He's at the shop" I said "he'll be back in about twenty minutes, if you want to wait" I said praying she wouldn't agree to wait.
"No I can't wait that long" she said "I'll catch him another time"
She finished her coffee and left.
I sighed a huge relief when I closed the door.
Hopefully my mum will be out by the time Rebekah comes back.
About ten days past.
I visited my mum everyday, we always had a good laugh and before I left she always told me she loved me.
There was no sign of Rebekah which was good.
It was weird living on my own, I missed watching movies with my mum every night.
On the tenth day since Rebekah's last visit, there was a knock on the door.
I answered it, it was Rebekah.
She looked sad.
"Is your dad home now?" She asked
I knew she knew I was lying but I'd already started why not finish.
"He's at the shop" I said
"How long has he been at the shop?" She asked.
"About ten minutes" I lie.
"I think you mean about ten days" Rebekah says. "Your dad doesn't live with you does he?" She questioned.
"Fine you caught me, I'm here alone, but my mum's in hospital and I want to be here when she gets out, I can't leave." I said pleadingly.
"About that" Rebekah says looking at the floor.
"what?" I ask looking at her confused.
"It's your mum, She had stage four cancer, she passed away this morning." Rebekah said looking at me sadly.
When people in movies and books, say their world came crashing down when something bad happened, I never knew what they meant until now.

     1864 words in this chapter.

07/08/22. 7:09am