I Am Not My Skin [ UNDER EDITING ]

Chapter 26:

"Well Sam, maybe she just miss you and maybe that's why she said what she did. But don't worry, just eat up and go to sleep. Tomorrow is still school in case you have forgotten." I cleared my throat, I didn't want for him to see how bothered I was when he told me, and like always, I hid my worries behind a fake smile. But it was just to put his mind at ease and just not to have him have sleepless nights and dwelling on this dream. My grandmother always used to tell me, dreams are premonitions and that our ancestors are warning us of something that might happen, oh this dream of Sam will be eating away at my soul.

I knew it meant something, but what? I couldn't exactly put my finger on it. As much as I try to compose it or put it aside, I knew it will always bother me, and that it will always remain in the back of my head. Do I even tell my mom, or do I just go on and pretend as if it didn't matter? But it was just a simple dream, right? I just wish I could tell that to my restless mind that will be working overtime, as my mother always says, it's just typical Drew, always worrying about others. But never herself.

"All right, hey Drew, can you sing me that song you always told me grandma used to sing to you, please." He wiggled up toward me and rested his head against my chest. I felt his slender arms around my frame, he was so warm and the smile he gave me, I knew he was happy.

"As Hy weer kom, as Hy weer kom, kom haal hy sy pêrels, al sy pêrels, fraaie pêrels, vir Jesus se kroon," that to me, was a very special song. My mother would always sing it to me whenever I couldn't fall asleep or whenever I was sad about something. Even my grandmother, she did it whenever we were together. And it fills my heart with so much joy knowing that little Sam wanted me to sing it to him now. And yes, it was in Afrikaans, which makes it all the more special to me.

When I got up to my bedroom I could not help but dwell on what Sam had told me of his dream, and that look...that look on his face I could not wipe from my memory. I had to brush it off in front of him and pretend as though it meant nothing but just a simple dream. I tucked my sheets close and tossed them over my head, tomorrow would be a long day and after I got off the phone with Johnny. I was tired and just needed to shut my eyes and listen as the night owls hootering me to sleep. I remember when I was little, I always wanted to live in the woods and pretend as though I'm Snow White. I was one weird kid and I had one crazy imagination. My mother always believed I would be a "special case" oh well.

As if there ever was with her and my father, but it's okay, blame the children for always being the crazy ones. Maya, Sam and I always have this inside joke whenever our parents were acting like smitten teenagers, it was pretty funny to see that my father still has it after all these years. Hmm, the man still had his charm and still knew how to make my mom laugh and every time I could see her falling in love with him all over again. That was the beautiful part about them, they loved and adored each other so much.

I woke at the sound of my mother being busy in the kitchen and cooking up a storm. My father must be getting ready by now and Maya and Sam must still be asleep since they, "Didn't hear the alarm going off" but it was still early and which my mother loved getting up by the crack of dawn. She loved doing so, and there was no convincing her to do otherwise. It's such a struggle to get her to stay in bed and prepare her mother's day breakfast every year, and instead my father had to drive all the way to China town and get her her favorite mooncakes from Brenda's bakery and that made up for everything. She even forgave us for taking over her kitchen.

I jumped into the shower and a few minutes I came out all freshened up and like all mornings, I pass by the mirror and allowed for my inner Aretha Franklin to take centre stage. After my master performance, I went downstairs to go and see if my mother might need my help, not that she does, she doesn't. I sometimes wonder why she never became a chef with how well she can cook and her presentation, excellent. I could even picture her as a master chef on her very own show. But, that was never what she wanted to do, she weirdly loved numbers which is why she opted for accounting. You couldn't get anything pass her, and it helped in a lot of way because the bills were always paid on time, that is all thanks to her insane OCD.

"Morning mom, can I──no, let me just set the table since I already know the answer to that question." I can already see it coming, it was always a no when it came to whomever wanted to help her around in the kitchen, but dishes were up for grabs, always. Ah! I always hated doing the dishes, it was just so tiring to my poor soul. Cooking and cleaning to me was never a problem, but dishes. No thank you, ma'am.

"Good for you, see, you do pick up things. Now, go and set those plates and after that you can go and call down your siblings, they must be done by now." I went up the stairs as my mother asked to call Maya and Sam so they can come and eat. I ran by my dad as he made his way downstairs, he was always on time when everything else was done, and I can actually agree that it was a good idea and that way he doesn't get to help with anything and to just bring himself to breakfast as always.

I passed by Maya's bedroom and got a glimpse of her doing her hair in her mirror, she was your typical girl and her hair must be done with, "Patience and precision, and it must be done with flair" or else it will be, "A complete mess" there was never a boring moment whenever it came to our dearest Maya, she had a personality that was more or like out there. "Maya, breakfast is ready," I stopped in front of Sam's bedroom and I could feel as a cold chill swept over me, what he told me stuck to me, but the day must go on and my mother would kill me if we all weren't at the table in the next few minutes. "Hey Sam, breakfast is ready." I said.

Sam turned around and there was that smile I loved most again, the smile that made me forget everything that was ever hurting or wrong. He was beaming as he ran out of his bedroom door and wrapped his arms around my waist and hugged me tightly. "Thank you for last night Drew, it really meant a lot and I always love to hear you sing. You have a beautiful voice and maybe you should consider singing next." Oh well, I can only imagine me singing on a stage, oh no, I'd freeze up and that just isn't something I could see myself doing in any part of my future plans.

I always loved doing what I do, and that includes my profession as a nurse, I loved working with people and I love to help each and every soul. The feeling of helping those who need it most, it's an eternal peace.