Just finished watching Dear Evan Hansen... I have never cried so much in my existence.
Lance held Keith tightly in his arms as he began to speak. Shakily at first but eventually calmed down.
"My dad died when I was six. We always sang together. We were the real cliche, perfect family. I guess all good things were never made to last. A week after my sixth birthday he was diagnosed with stage 3 liver cancer. I decided to sell all of my toys, my bike, my cat, all to try help my father while we could. But we couldn't afford it, and it eventually developed into the next stage. We were too late... He was given less than a year with the conditions we were living in. A small cabin wasn't enough and we were so late getting treatment...
"His funeral was too expensive. All we could afford was to have a burial ceremony. And we didn't have much people to invite anyway except for workmates. My parents were left by their family, running away together while my mom was pregnant. So when my mother fell into debt nobody helped. She slowly suffered, feeding me before herself making her ill. She was too weak to work so I had to cook, clean, do everything. Eventually, when I was around seven and a half, I stopped attending school. We often got calls and messages from my school, but I ignored them to help my mom." Keith stopped to let out a single, dry sob. Lance squeezed his hand and began to rub circular designs into his arm for comfort. Keith sighed and began again.
"I never learned what illness my mom had. All i knew was her heart stopped while she was in my arms. She told me I should go out and collect her some new flowers because the flowers in her vase began to wilt. I wanted to do anything for her, so I ran into the meadow near our house and picked the best flowers. But when I came home my mother was clutching a chair and her stomach in the dining room. I was only seven, I didn't know what happened. I just said Mom. She looked up at me weakly, barely breathing out my name. She then fell to the floor, knocking over the chair and fruit bowl in the process.
*****
"Mom! Mom! Momma, what are you doing?"
"K-eith" Mom said weakly, reaching out to me.
"Mom! I'll call a doctor! I'll call someone, 944!"
"911, Keith..."
"O-Okay!"
I grabbed the house phone, pressing the three numbers into the phone. Nobody came up, the phone beeping and saying something. I couldn't read it through my tears but I saw a red bar. I tried to hit it to make it work but Mom called me. I crawled over to her, crying unstoppable tears.
"Keith,Keith my son. Don't cry, I'm only going to sleep."
"When will you wake up? Are you going to see dad?"
Mom looked up, smiling weakly. "Keith, eventually everyone going into a very long sleep called Death. We call asleep into Death and our heart sleeps too. Some day you'll fall into this sleep, but in a very,very long time. Don't worry. Your father is in this sleep too. He's waiting! He's waiting for me in this dream land that you go to called heaven!".
"But Mom! I want to go with you! Let me come with you!" I cried.
"You can't Keith. You have to be in the sleep, you have to die to go to heaven. It's a lovely place in the sky. Up past the big building and into the clouds. But you can't be awake."
I gasped and nodded, understanding her. "B-But Mom... why are you doing to die? Why can't someone else? Why do my parents die?! Why do you- the best people I know... you're the best Momma... but why are you going?" I cried even more, pulling my Mom's head onto my lap.
"Keith... What flowers did you get me?" My mom asked me. She was smiling softly.
"The... the nice ones." I said,not knowing what type of flowers I had picked.
"Are they the best?"
"Of course! Only the best for you, Momma!"
"Then there's your answer." I looked at my mom confused. She breathlessly laughed, lifting her hand to rest it on my cheek.I grabbed her hand and held it up for her. "You always pick the best flowers out of the ground first to go in the vase. And the best people are always picked first to go into heaven..." My mom coughed, clutching her chest. "Now, run into the living room. Father's work phone is there. It's all charged up so just call 911."
I nodded, doing just as mom said. I walked into the kitchen as it called.
"911, what's your emergency?"
"My momma is on the ground. She's not moving and has blood on her belly."
"Alright son, can you tell me where you are?"
"Uh... Mom, where are we? Mom? Mom! Momma!"
I threw the phone,breaking it as it turned off and smashed. I fell down by my mom, shaking her lightly.
"I'm going to sleep now. You can't wake me, Keith. Just... Be good, accept what comes to you and be strong. And... don't forget, care for the flowers like you would to friends. Care for them so they won't become weak and wilt."
I don't know if she meant the flowers or friends would wilt. Maybe both?"
I dragged mom to bed. If she's sleeping she has to sleep in bed! Dad left the ground to go to the sky, so mom can when she wants! I took off her gown leaving her in underwear. If she saw me in mine, it should be fine the other way. I got a wet clothes and cleaned the blood, then getting a dino plaster like mom always gives me when I'm cut. I then put her in her sleepwear and left her. I then cleaned the floor as I could, putting the new flowers in the vase and eating the chocolate mom bought last week. I'm sure she won't mind!
* * *
"Hello! Miss Kogane, it's social services! I've had reports that your sons hasn't been attending school, we've come to collect him and relocate him until you are deemed capable to care for a child!" A lady called.
I didn't answer, hiding behind dad's armchair. After a while loud bangs were on the door. I jumped up, running to the stairs,but the door opened first.
"Kid! Where's you mother sweetie?" The lady said.
"Sleeping."
"Can you wake her?"
"No, she said I can't wake her up."
The lady clicked her tongue. "Tch, bad parenting. Sarah, go wake her."
"No! You can't!" I ran to the stairs but a man caught me, throwing me over his shoulder.
"They asked me about my mom and how I've lived. I answered truthfully,completely unaware that my mother's corpse was rotting upstairs in her own... fluids.They then told me I'd be going away for a while. Little did I know I'd never see my small cabin again...." Keith wiped his face. Lance rocked him back and forward in his arms.
"What happened then?"
"Are you sure you're not just doing this to get out of unpacking?"
"Trust me, I could just say we're going to sleep with each other and Pidge would let us off."
Keith chuckled, continuing recall his past.
"Lady, when can I get my parents? Why do I have lots of brothers and sisters and moms and dads?"
"They're not your real parents. Your getting your real ones now!" The lady said as we walked to the special room. That's where I meet all of my new parents.
"These are your new parents!"
"I don't want new parents, my parents are in the sky. They'll be back soon."
"Has anyone explained the concept of death to you yet?"
"No..."
I talked to my new parents for awhile. The lady then said I won't see my parents for a while, so I'm going to stay with the Shiroganes until then. I like them, but they aren't my mom and dad. I asked how long I'll have to wait, the lady said you have to wait eight years from when they died until I get to see them again. Funny, that's my age, I though then. And it's already been two years since dad died!
"Hi, I'm Takashi Shirogane. You can call me Shiro!"
"... Keith."
"...alright then..."
Me and Shiro didn't talk much for the rest of the day. I got my room done up. There were horses and cowboys around it. I really liked it, and I think Shiro did too. He always asked could he come in. I eventually let him in and we played cowboys. Shiro and I played cowboys a lot. I then got to know Shiro better. He's actually really cool, and my new parents are able to get me lots of cool things.
I never called my new parents mom and dad. I only called my real ones that, but maybe I can have tow moms and dads. I said goodbye,calling them mom and dad. They both cried when they dropped me off, making me really happy. I though the day would be great,and it was! I came home from school, I met a new person. He was really cool and nice, and from an older class. He's two years ahead of my so he got to take care of our class. He played with me like Shiro used to until he got into big classes and had lots of homework and he taught me how to stack dominos! I ran home to tell Shiro who got a day off. I opened the door and dropped my bag. But Shiro was crying.
"Shiro... why are you crying?"
"I... I-I... I'm sorry."
I looked at the TV, able to read it great since I learned to read big words two years ago. But a lady was saying it anyway.
"A man and woman in their forties were killed in a roadside collision with an oil truck. The road has been blocked off so authorities can clean up. Please, if you know these people call the number displayed on screen. Pictures from the drivers' licences will be shown on screen now."
Shiro got his phone and called someone, bringing me to the car and we drove somewhere. Shiro still cried a bit, but not a lot. He was always super strong. I hope I can be like him.
"Shiro, what happened to mom and dad?"
"They died a while ago Keith. I don't know what's gonna happen to us..."
"Don't worry Shiro! You just have to wait 8 years, then you can see them again."
Shiro smiled. "Yeah, in eight years. When I'm twenty six that is... You'll be moved out and all by then. I can finally..."
I watched Shiro talk to himself.
"Just hold on for eight more years."
I sat out the front of mine and Shiro's flat, waiting for my parents. I'm now fourteen. Dad was supposed to come back last year, but I think he stayed with Mom for her last year. Dad always stayed with Mom. It had been exactly eight years, she died this day eight years ago! A month before my birthday. I sat on the step for hours, eventually falling asleep, waking up drenched with water. I broke down in tears that night, I knew it was too good to be true. I just didn't want to believe it. Shiro was shocked when I came in dripping with rain and tears. He got a shower ready for me and and wrapped me up. He made me a hot drink and wrapped me in heated blankets and gave me my special blanket, after heating it up of course. We both watched Disney movies for the night, but after Mulan I turned to Shiro.
"Shiro, what really happened to my mom and dad?"
Shiro frowned. "I don't think they should have lied in the first place... Death is complex. People believe you go to heaven, people believe you're reincarnated into a new body and some believe that nothing happens, you just disappear. Your mom said she's in the sky, in heaven. So she's of that religion. She believes she is in heaven. You cant come back, Keith. Not even after waiting eight years. Death is part of the circle of life. People have to die so that there's room for new people who are born. One day you'll grow up and have kids, then you'll grow old and your kids will grow up, having their own kids. But for their to be room for your grandkids' kids, you have to leave. Everyone dies at different times, some earlier than others like your parents. But you won't die for a long time, I know it. And your life will be full of great stuff, fun and adventures."
I teared up and hugged Shiro tightly. I had never hugged anyone so hard before. We watched lots of Disney movies and Shiro let me stay out ill the next day,he took his own day off in work.
"Well... That's the end really..." Keith mumbled, snuggling closer to Lance.
"Alright... you want to do something?"
"I'm just gonna sleep. We'll be hitting the road soon and I don't wanna have to sit up through a 40 hour drive.
"Alright sleep tight Keith."
"You too Lance."
But Keith didn't exactly sleep tight, instead he continued to remember his past in much more detail, as if his whole life was flashing before his eyes.
Yepp, super long chapter. I know