Inspired by true events.
My beloved father, may you always be in our hearts and prayers.
Sibling embarrasment happens to the best of us. Have you ever sat in your French class only to look up and see everyone staring out the window which overlooks the playground and laughing at some wild child running across the playground screaming a bee has stung her. Then suddenly it dawns on you that it's your own sister humiliating herself. Or when you're talking to a mother at the day care centre for your child when your sister interupts saying 'your daughter is so cute' to the mother. Only to find out it's a boy. Does that stop her? "No that one over there, the girl in the jeans and t-shirt". Again, yes that's a boy!
"After several hours in surgery, your father did not have any complications and I am glad to say it was a successful surgery" the doctor told us when the surgery was complete. "He is in the ICU and we will keep him there today just to keep an eye on his vitals and make sure he is fully conscious by tonight."
We had been there for several hours now, waiting with mum who every now and then would burst into tears. All us brothers and sisters were quiet throughout as we really did not know what to say or do, other than wait patiently. We all sighed with relief when the doctor had given us the news that the operation was over.
"When can we see him?" mum asked the doctor.
"He is still unconscious at the moment but you can go in for a short time, two at a time only as not to crowd him". He said and left the waiting room leaving us fighting for which two will go in first.
Mum had taken the youngest with her first and we had planned it out so that I would go with my younger brother, my two sisters would go together and my other brother and sister will partner up for their turn. We had moved from the waiting room to the seats outside the intensive care unit and as everyone was not their usual chatty selves, for obvious reasons, we all just sat quietly waiting our turn. Everytime the doors would open all of us would pop our heads round to catch a quick glance at our dad, who lucky for us was parked right opposite the doors, so we could see him lying there.
My two older sisters had seen him after mum and they had come out crying and really distressed. I think the nurses must have kicked them out for crying as they were not gone that long.
Me and my brother would be last to go in, so now it was my other brother and sister's turn to speak to dad. They entered the unit and again we watched as the doors closed......
When they approached my dad, my brother (the one from 'Spinach is Greener')sat on the only chair on one side of the bed and my sister (Rosie from 'Another surprise party')stood on the other.
There were three thick tubes going into my dad from just under the belly button and blood marks on the bed sheet that covered his bottom half of the body. The air was thick with the rusty odour of blood, making it very difficult to concentrate. A transparent tube was also coming out of dad's mouth which looked slightly painful. Drips hanging up next to the bed with monitors logged on by his side. The bag holding the fluid from his kidneys was attached to the sidepanel of the bed making the whole scene quite depressing. Other beds had patients recovering in the unit and as you can imagine the atmosphere was quite bleak.
My brother started talking really quietly to my dad and took a hold of his hand and was getting quite emotional. Rosie on the other hand was unable to control her uneasiness and whispered to my brother, "hey John, I feel really queezy and lightheaded."
My brother, who is certainly not the most sensitive of us, replied "Just relax we will go in abit, don't you dare make a scene."
"But I really think I should sit down" she carried on.
"Ok, ok you can sit here and I will stand" John said still sitting holding dad's hand.
"John, I feel really faint" Rosie continued.
"You will get us kicked out, just wait a bit longer." John was starting to get up now.
All of a sudden Rosie fell to the floor making a thud. John quickly panicked and ran round to her hoping the nurses had not seen for fear that he would get kicked out and no one else would be allowed to see my dad. So, he did what any brother would do in that situation (or so you'd think)......
As someone entered the IC unit, all we could see from outside was Rosie on the floor with her eyes closed and John dragging her along the floor by her left leg and signalling to me to come in quickly as it was now my turn to visit.
___________________________________________________________________________
Thursday, 13 November 2008
Thursday, 6 November 2008
Are you Scared?
Inspired by true events.
(dtmd)
Sharing a bedroom with your siblings can always have it's ups and downs. Having invisible substance ball fights or staying up all night chatting about absolutely anything was always good. Playing monopoly and never winning because your sister hates to lose. Yes, even the losing was fun.
Sometimes though, it would be a right pain. Having your sister rummage through all your private stuff and reading your diary and then poking fun at you every chance they got. Or having your sister keep her side of the room messy while you're trying to keep your cleaning OCD under control. Well, my sister thought so anyway.
"I can't stand living in the same room as you any longer" my sister cried. "You go through all my stuff and I have got no privacy."
In our three bedroom house, my parents had one room, my oldest sister (Sarah) had one room and all the other siblings had the last room. So, as you can imagine privacy was a massive issue. My sister (Rhubarb)was having it no more, after sharing a bedroom all her life she had just made a deal with Sarah that would relieve her from ever having to share with anyone.
"See you sucka" Rhubarb said gleefully, "I have given Sarah my new black dress for her bedroom, so I am out of here" she said while pulling down her posters carefully as not to rip them.
"Huh! Sarah swapped her bedroom for a dress? Thats not fair" I said in astonishment.
"Yes and she is packing her stuff to move, ha, see how you get my diary now."
I was shocked. I had always shared with Rhubarb and it would feel weird without her but I wasn't worried. "Don't pull all your posters off yet because you'll be back" I laughed.
There was one thing about Rhubarb you need to know. She gets spooked very easily. She was always the first to go to sleep not because she was tired but because she didn't want to be awake while everyone else was sleeping. On many an occasion did she wake me up if she woke in the night just to keep her company, so I was not worried.
The moving was complete and as I sat on her bed in the new room I sensed a chill down my spine with an immense feeling of anxiety. I told Rhubarb what I felt.
"Oh please, you are just saying that to scare me" she said "but I am not moving from this room."
That night everyone had taken positions in thier new habitats and lay down to sleep. The lights went off, with the exception of the hall light which was left on just to take the edge off the darkness for the children.
About half an hour into the sleep we heard screaming. "AAAHHHHH! Mum there is someone trying to get in!" Rhubarb was shouting from inside her locked room.
We all went running to her door, "Open the door!" mother yelled.
"I can't move off my bed" Rhubarb cried, "Someone was turning the knob."
"Open the door, It's me turning the knob!" again mum said.
"No, before you came" she cried.
"Who is in there?" my dad shouted. "What are you screaming for?"
Rhubarb was quiet. The children were standing on the landing watching the locked door fearfully. Dad was trying to turn the knob and pushing the door. Rhubarb was still quite. Dad was banging at the door and mum was shouting "Rhubarb open the door." The door opened.
"Uh, I'm ok, I thought there was someone turning the knob but I must have been wrong." Rhubarb said in a quite voice. "I'm ok go back to bed." So after reassuring and checking her room we all went back to bed. The next day everyone was laughing at Rhubarb but all she could say was there was someone there.
Come nightfall everyone got ready for bed. This time Rhubarb was prepared she took a kitchen knife with her and placed it under her pillow ready for any assailant in the dark.
Again when we all lay down about an hour or so into the sleep Rhubarb started screaming. "AAAHHHH! there is some one turning the knob, someone is trying to get into my room."
This time only mother and me ran to the door. "Open the door" mum shouted angrily but Rhubarb woudn't stop screaming. This made mum really angry and she started shouting louder "open this door, just get off your bed and open the door or even the light." Everything was quiet. Rhubarb again opened the door. This time mum was angry and wasn't listening to reason so she made Rhubarb go back to the old bedroom; waking Sarah to go back to hers.
"Tommorrow you can move your stuff back" I said laughing at Rhubarb, who was still recovering from the incident. We lay down to sleep saying good night to each other and Rhubarb seemed happier to be back.
I sighed in relief thinking everything is back to normal again, all is right in the world and I won't have to creep about in the dark anymore.....
(dtmd)
Sharing a bedroom with your siblings can always have it's ups and downs. Having invisible substance ball fights or staying up all night chatting about absolutely anything was always good. Playing monopoly and never winning because your sister hates to lose. Yes, even the losing was fun.
Sometimes though, it would be a right pain. Having your sister rummage through all your private stuff and reading your diary and then poking fun at you every chance they got. Or having your sister keep her side of the room messy while you're trying to keep your cleaning OCD under control. Well, my sister thought so anyway.
"I can't stand living in the same room as you any longer" my sister cried. "You go through all my stuff and I have got no privacy."
In our three bedroom house, my parents had one room, my oldest sister (Sarah) had one room and all the other siblings had the last room. So, as you can imagine privacy was a massive issue. My sister (Rhubarb)was having it no more, after sharing a bedroom all her life she had just made a deal with Sarah that would relieve her from ever having to share with anyone.
"See you sucka" Rhubarb said gleefully, "I have given Sarah my new black dress for her bedroom, so I am out of here" she said while pulling down her posters carefully as not to rip them.
"Huh! Sarah swapped her bedroom for a dress? Thats not fair" I said in astonishment.
"Yes and she is packing her stuff to move, ha, see how you get my diary now."
I was shocked. I had always shared with Rhubarb and it would feel weird without her but I wasn't worried. "Don't pull all your posters off yet because you'll be back" I laughed.
There was one thing about Rhubarb you need to know. She gets spooked very easily. She was always the first to go to sleep not because she was tired but because she didn't want to be awake while everyone else was sleeping. On many an occasion did she wake me up if she woke in the night just to keep her company, so I was not worried.
The moving was complete and as I sat on her bed in the new room I sensed a chill down my spine with an immense feeling of anxiety. I told Rhubarb what I felt.
"Oh please, you are just saying that to scare me" she said "but I am not moving from this room."
That night everyone had taken positions in thier new habitats and lay down to sleep. The lights went off, with the exception of the hall light which was left on just to take the edge off the darkness for the children.
About half an hour into the sleep we heard screaming. "AAAHHHHH! Mum there is someone trying to get in!" Rhubarb was shouting from inside her locked room.
We all went running to her door, "Open the door!" mother yelled.
"I can't move off my bed" Rhubarb cried, "Someone was turning the knob."
"Open the door, It's me turning the knob!" again mum said.
"No, before you came" she cried.
"Who is in there?" my dad shouted. "What are you screaming for?"
Rhubarb was quiet. The children were standing on the landing watching the locked door fearfully. Dad was trying to turn the knob and pushing the door. Rhubarb was still quite. Dad was banging at the door and mum was shouting "Rhubarb open the door." The door opened.
"Uh, I'm ok, I thought there was someone turning the knob but I must have been wrong." Rhubarb said in a quite voice. "I'm ok go back to bed." So after reassuring and checking her room we all went back to bed. The next day everyone was laughing at Rhubarb but all she could say was there was someone there.
Come nightfall everyone got ready for bed. This time Rhubarb was prepared she took a kitchen knife with her and placed it under her pillow ready for any assailant in the dark.
Again when we all lay down about an hour or so into the sleep Rhubarb started screaming. "AAAHHHH! there is some one turning the knob, someone is trying to get into my room."
This time only mother and me ran to the door. "Open the door" mum shouted angrily but Rhubarb woudn't stop screaming. This made mum really angry and she started shouting louder "open this door, just get off your bed and open the door or even the light." Everything was quiet. Rhubarb again opened the door. This time mum was angry and wasn't listening to reason so she made Rhubarb go back to the old bedroom; waking Sarah to go back to hers.
"Tommorrow you can move your stuff back" I said laughing at Rhubarb, who was still recovering from the incident. We lay down to sleep saying good night to each other and Rhubarb seemed happier to be back.
I sighed in relief thinking everything is back to normal again, all is right in the world and I won't have to creep about in the dark anymore.....
Wednesday, 5 November 2008
Another Surprise Party
Inspired by true events.
As you may have gathered by my previous stories, I have quite a few sisters and two brothers. Like any other household all my siblings have different personas compared to each other. The sensitive child, the stuborn child, the joker, the intellect, the rich one, the leader and of course the one to mock. Here's looking at you.
"So, here's the plan" my sister said in a very mature tone. "We will get Rosie (our younger sister) to go into the Kitchen where the cake will be waiting and all she will have to do is light the candles." Holding the candle ridden cake near my face she continued "There will be a box of matches next to the cake and once she has lit all 16 candles she will carry the cake into the tv room where we shall start singing 'happy birthday'. Got it!" She put the cake on the kitchen table and started rooting around a draw for the matches.
"We should give her a code word just so she knows when to bring in the cake" I said getting into the party spirit. "We just have to make sure Daisy does not go into the kitchen before our surprise, otherwise it will all be ruined".
It was Daisy's Birthday and as normal she would come over to watch movies and play monopoly with us. We loved our late parties which virtually lasted all night and as she did not expect us to throw her a party she would be delighted at the gesture. We had brought a little cake using our pocket money with enough left over for other junk food, which we purchased. We had organised an itinery to exact out our plan and at 8.15pm Rosie would go into the kitchen for a glass of water (or so she will tell us) and then light the 16 candles and wait for one of us to shout out "get me some water Rosie". To this she will enter the tv room, cake in hand and we shall all start singing. Easy, or so you think.
When Daisy arrived we all sat around, chilling and watching a movie which I think was 'Beaches', so as you can imagine we were half asleep by the time Rosie got up to go to the kitchen.
"I'm just getting a glass of water" she said as planned.
We all just sat there pretending not to hear her then after about five minutes my sister shouted out "Rosie would you get me a glass too?".
"Err, yeh" she mumbled, "just one minute." So we waited but nothing happened. Rosie did not walk in as planned so in a panick I looked at my sister and gave a shrug to imply maybe she was still lighting the candles. So again after a couple more minutes my sister shouted "Rosie where's my water?"
By this time Daisy had got kind of curious as to what was happening so she asked "do you want me to get it?". No! we all shouted. "I mean, ROSIE WILL GET THE WATER!" I shouted. Still no Rosie.
Obviously Daisy had cottoned on that something was up and was asking what we were up to. So after requesting the water one more time and no Rosie entering with the cake, my sister went into the kitchen to see what the hold up was.
Of course Daisy knew something was up especially as all we could here was laughing from the kitchen. We all got up to see what was happening when suddenly my sister, holding the cake, walked into the room. Everybody sang 'happy birthday' and sat down to cut the cake.
I turned to Rosie who seemed quite flustered and asked "what took you so long?" At this both my sisters started to laugh.
Apparently, when Rosie went to the kitchen as planned she noticed in the match box there were only 3 matches but there were 16 candles?
As you may have gathered by my previous stories, I have quite a few sisters and two brothers. Like any other household all my siblings have different personas compared to each other. The sensitive child, the stuborn child, the joker, the intellect, the rich one, the leader and of course the one to mock. Here's looking at you.
"So, here's the plan" my sister said in a very mature tone. "We will get Rosie (our younger sister) to go into the Kitchen where the cake will be waiting and all she will have to do is light the candles." Holding the candle ridden cake near my face she continued "There will be a box of matches next to the cake and once she has lit all 16 candles she will carry the cake into the tv room where we shall start singing 'happy birthday'. Got it!" She put the cake on the kitchen table and started rooting around a draw for the matches.
"We should give her a code word just so she knows when to bring in the cake" I said getting into the party spirit. "We just have to make sure Daisy does not go into the kitchen before our surprise, otherwise it will all be ruined".
It was Daisy's Birthday and as normal she would come over to watch movies and play monopoly with us. We loved our late parties which virtually lasted all night and as she did not expect us to throw her a party she would be delighted at the gesture. We had brought a little cake using our pocket money with enough left over for other junk food, which we purchased. We had organised an itinery to exact out our plan and at 8.15pm Rosie would go into the kitchen for a glass of water (or so she will tell us) and then light the 16 candles and wait for one of us to shout out "get me some water Rosie". To this she will enter the tv room, cake in hand and we shall all start singing. Easy, or so you think.
When Daisy arrived we all sat around, chilling and watching a movie which I think was 'Beaches', so as you can imagine we were half asleep by the time Rosie got up to go to the kitchen.
"I'm just getting a glass of water" she said as planned.
We all just sat there pretending not to hear her then after about five minutes my sister shouted out "Rosie would you get me a glass too?".
"Err, yeh" she mumbled, "just one minute." So we waited but nothing happened. Rosie did not walk in as planned so in a panick I looked at my sister and gave a shrug to imply maybe she was still lighting the candles. So again after a couple more minutes my sister shouted "Rosie where's my water?"
By this time Daisy had got kind of curious as to what was happening so she asked "do you want me to get it?". No! we all shouted. "I mean, ROSIE WILL GET THE WATER!" I shouted. Still no Rosie.
Obviously Daisy had cottoned on that something was up and was asking what we were up to. So after requesting the water one more time and no Rosie entering with the cake, my sister went into the kitchen to see what the hold up was.
Of course Daisy knew something was up especially as all we could here was laughing from the kitchen. We all got up to see what was happening when suddenly my sister, holding the cake, walked into the room. Everybody sang 'happy birthday' and sat down to cut the cake.
I turned to Rosie who seemed quite flustered and asked "what took you so long?" At this both my sisters started to laugh.
Apparently, when Rosie went to the kitchen as planned she noticed in the match box there were only 3 matches but there were 16 candles?
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