This story is by Marsha Henzler and was part of our 2024 Fall Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here.
Christy, a bubbly and energetic ten-year-old lives with her parents in Brookdale, Ohio. Her grandma, affectionately called Nana, lives nearby.
Christy calls out, her voice echoing through the house, “Mom, I’m riding my bike to Nana’s!” She grabs her helmet from the hook by the door and goes out.
“OK, ride carefully, be home by four, and bring back some of Nana’s cookies!” Her mom’s words floated out the window, following Christy as she pedals away.
In the warmth of the summer afternoon, Christy sits on her grandma’s porch, a comforting spot she’d come to love. With a plate of cookies and a glass of milk before her, she enjoys sharing with Nana what’s going on in her life. “Nana, I’m excited for school to start again,” Christy began, her eyes alight with anticipation. “Soccer practice is going to begin. And guess what? We might make it to the state championship this year!” Her grandma, always her biggest cheerleader, smiled widely at the prospect. “That’s wonderful, Honey. We’ll celebrate with a party and invite your team and coach if you make it. It’ll be exciting.” The idea sent Christy into a fit of joy, her hands coming together in a clap. “That’d be a blast, Nana!”
Christy was eager to reconnect with her teammates and coach. “Girls, welcome back! There’s much work ahead of us if we want to qualify for the championship game,” the coach’s words rang in Christy’s ears. Two weeks into the rigorous practice routine, Christy was racing down the field and noticed an unusual shortness of breath. This was new to her. “Hmm…should I tell Mom about this?” she debated internally, concluding, “No, I don’t want to be taken off the team. I’ll wait and hope I feel better.”
On a breezy Saturday, Christy pedaled enthusiastically to Nana’s house with exciting news to share. She rushed into the house and found Nana working in the kitchen. “Nana, guess what? We won our first soccer game!” Christy burst out even before sitting down. “Our next game is in two weeks. We have to win again.” Nana turned toward Christy, her face breaking into a gentle smile that crinkled the corners of her eyes. “Oh, Christy,” she began, “It’s wonderful to win, but remember, winning isn’t everything. In life, the important thing is to try your hardest and never give up.”
The soccer field became Christy’s second home. While running down the field, she noticed again that she experienced shortness of breath. After a troubling practice, Christy approached her mother, “Mom,” she began hesitantly, “I’ve been getting out of breath while running during practice.” Her mother’s expression showed concern. She said, “Oh, Christy,” her voice laced with worry, “You should have mentioned this sooner. Let’s get you to the doctor so he can find out why you are having problems. OK?”
Upon examining Christy, the doctor prescribed medication for an upper respiratory issue, noting the prevalent allergy problems in the air. “Hopefully, these should help alleviate your symptoms, Christy. Follow the instructions and update me on your progress next week,” he advised with a reassuring smile. Christy took her medication daily. Initially, the pills seemed to be the remedy she needed. However, the relief was short-lived. Again, while playing soccer, she had trouble breathing. Christy’s mom relayed her symptoms to the doctor. Showing concern, the doctor advised the family, “I’ll admit Christy to the hospital tomorrow morning, where we can run tests and find out what’s causing this.” Christy, though disappointed, understood the gravity of her situation. She went to her soccer coach to explain her upcoming absence from practice.
The same day, Christy bicycled to Grandma’s house and found Nana. Christy shared her news tremblingly, “Nana, something’s wrong with me! I need to go to the hospital for tests.” Her Grandma turned, her eyes filled with worry, and warmly embraced Christy. “Oh Honey, I will pray for you every day,” she whispered, a promise wrapped in tears. As Christy rode home, regret gnawed at her heart. “Oh! I forgot to tell Nana I love her and will miss our visits,” she thought. “Well, I’ll tell her the next time I see her.”
Arriving at the hospital, Christy and her parents navigated the sterile halls to check her in. The doctor outlined the tests they would undertake to discover the cause of Christy’s ailment. Christy clung to the memory of her grandma’s embrace and promised prayers, a lighthouse guiding her through the storm.
Looking at the X-rays with the parents, the doctor pointed to a conspicuous dark mass within Christy’s lungs. He ordered a series of tests to determine the nature of this anomaly. After receiving the results, he met with the family. With a concerned look, the doctor delivered the sad news, “I am sorry to report the mass is malignant. I’ll initiate treatments immediately to try to prevent the cancer from spreading.”
A few nights later, during the quiet hours, Christy was jolted awake. Instinctively, she whispered into the darkness, “Nana, are you here?” Christy clung to the hope, however fleeting, that she might be there when she opened her eyes. But she was greeted with an empty room. Disheartened, Christy surrendered once more to sleep.
Christy’s parents, their eyes red from crying, bore unbearable news. “Christy, Nana had a heart attack early this morning and died,” her mom said with tears beginning to fall. When she called out for Nana in the early hours, Christy realized that was when her grandma had slipped away. In her parents’ sorrowful gaze, Christy saw her grief mirrored for the person who had been their guiding light.
During a quiet moment, when the hustle of nurses and the beeping of machines seemed to fade into the background, Christy turned to her mother, her voice barely above a whisper, her eyes glistening with unstoppable tears. “I miss Nana, Mom. I wish I could tell Nana how much I love her and how happy I am that she’s my grandma.” Her mother reached for Christy’s hand, squeezing it gently. “Oh, Christy, I know how you feel,” she replied. “I wish I could tell Mom how much she meant to me and what an awesome mother she was.” Both shared the same regret of unspoken words.
The following evening, the low lights and continuous beeping of the machines in her room lulled Christy to sleep. In the early morning, Christy abruptly awoke and sat up in bed. After rubbing her eyes, she glanced in the direction of the door. Her eyes widened as she saw Nana’s spirit standing there with a warm smile and eyes showing so much love. Nana didn’t talk, so Christy spoke to her with excitement. “Nana, I miss you, especially during our special times together,” said Christy, softly crying. She continued, “Nana, I love you and am so lucky you’re my grandma. Mom wants you to know she loves you so much and you were an awesome mom.” Nana nodded, and without words, she conveyed her love for Christy and her mom through her eyes. Christy briefly looked down at her tightly closed hands and then up. Suddenly, Nana was gone!
Christy excitedly told her parents, “Mom, Dad,” her voice shaking, “Last night, something amazing happened. I saw Nana’s spirit.” Her parents looked at her, a mix of surprise and skepticism. They remained silent, encouraging her to continue. With a deep breath, Christy recounted, “Mom, I told Nana that we both miss her terribly and love her so much. I said she was an incredible grandma and mom.” Christy paused, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, “And, you know what? I could see how she looked at me…she heard me!” Upon hearing this, her mom’s eyes welled up with tears. She reached across the table, taking Christy’s hands in hers, “Thanks, Christy, for telling me this,” she managed to say. At that moment, a serene peace seemed to settle over the room, as if Nana’s spirit had returned and was now wrapping them all in a comforting embrace, affirming that love transcends the boundaries of life and death.
“Mom, you and I were given a second chance with Nana. We were fortunate. I bet people receive second chances and sometimes fail to recognize them and lose them.“ Nodding in agreement, her mom replied, “Yes, second chances truly are a gift. We were lucky.”
Christy slowly declined in health. She slept most of the time since she had too little energy to talk. One morning, Christy’s mom sat next to her, holding her hand. She watched Christy close her eyes for the last time. Christy’s parents were in her room absorbing the unfolding events. Her mother stepped out into the hallway, and a gentle smile formed on her lips as she saw a vision of Christy, hand in hand with Nana, ambling down the corridor toward the exit. As they neared the doorway, the image of them gently faded, symbolizing their peaceful departure toward home.
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