Summertime Madness

Chapter Five: Living Nightmare (flashback)

...

"Dad can we get more popcorn?"

"No baby, we already ate three bags, plus we need to save it for Christmas."

"When is Christmas coming."

"Sweetie, Christmas is in two days."

"Are you serious! Wow that came by really fast."

"Hahaha yes it did."

"Oh ok, anyway daddy guess what?!"

"What Julie?"

"It's my birthday!"

"Oh it is. When's your birthday?" He said sarcastically.

"Dad my birthday is today!!"

"Oh yes I remember now. You're going to be 12 right?"

"Nooooo!!! Dad I'm a teenager now the big 13."

"Oh ya that's right, are you excited?"

"Yes dad, yes I am, but where's mom?"

"She's upstairs getting some sleep."

"But dad I want mommy here with us for my birthday!"

"Sweety keep you're voice down, ok look come here I'm going to tell you a secret."

*gasp and scooches closer*

"Your mom is wrapping your presents for your birthday."

"Ahhhhhh!!!"

"Shhhh, shhh, sweety keep it down."

"Oh ya right, ahhhhh... I can't believe I still get presents...yessss"

"So Julie what do you want to do right now."

"After we finish A Christmas Story can we watch Nacho Libre, please dad please."

"Okay princess let me just go get it from the movie shelf."

...

I remember this scene to well. I didn't think that this would happen to me. Why did this happen to me? I remember my dad went upstairs to go get the movie, I thought the next sound out of his mouth would be a "sweetie I got the movie" but it wasn't. What I heard was a horrible cry that sent chills down my back.

I didn't know what to do, or I didn't know what to say. I saw my father come down the stairs with tears in his eyes, he was bawling. He went to the phone and dialed something, since I was thirteen years old I didn't know what to do, but I know I wanted to see my beautiful mother again.

My dad was scared out of his mind.

I went upstairs to go see my mom, I never expected to see what I did.

...

"Mom? Mommy are you ok."

My mom was laying on the floor, she was white almost a little on the purple side.

"Mommy wake up, mom it's my birthday, please wake up."

Nothing came out of her mouth.

"Mom please wake up. Mommy it's not funny wake up."

When I said this I was hoping that she would wake up yelling 'Peek-A-Boo', or 'surprise' and give me a big hug with my gift, but she didn't. She just laid there on the floor, lifeless.

My mother had been suffering from a heart attack when my father and I were downstairs. I could have been up there with her, by her side, keeping her safe. We knew what condition she was in. She could've been safe with me, she would have knew I was with her, she was alone.

I didn't know what to do.

I grabbed her arm and wrapped it around my neck, I wanted her to give me one last hug. I wanted her to hold me in her arms like she used to, but my

dad came in and grabbed me.

"Why aren't you downstairs?"

"because I wanted to see my mom. Dad why!! Why did this happen, why did this happen to me."

He grabbed me and took me downstairs, but waiting downstairs was the paramedics. They ran upstairs and went into the room, in there they only spent a few minutes. They were finally done, I was hopping to see the people giving her some oxygen to stay alive, but they had put her in a black bag. My mom did not deserve to be treated like that, she didn't deserve to be put into a bag!!

There was this one man who came up to us, his name was Mark Anthony, he was a tall, brown haired man with nice features. I remember him well because I hated him with a passion. He gave me the worst news I have ever heard. He was the angel of death when he said these exact words.

"Mr. Hernandez and little miss Hernandez, your wife/mother has died from a serious heart attack. I'm sorry but we couldn't do much about it. We did the best we could, but she was too far in. Again I'm sorry for your loss."

He grabbed a hold of my dad's shoulder and left the house with the gurney that my mom was laying on. This was absolutely the worst birthday ever. I really couldn't even celebrate my birthday because all I was doing was crying, I couldn't believe that my mother was gone. My hero was no longer mine.