Introduction
It’s times like
these, when the world grows cold that we must remember that each moment we
spend on this Earth we must not spend in vain. We must reach out and grab each
opportunity with both hands and make the short time we have here the best we
can.
I did not ask
for this to happen and for most people these last few days would be painful and
hard but I find this experience possibly the most peaceful and calm. The
knowledge that the cancer had come back again was no doubt just as painful as
the first time I was diagnosed but knowing that I didn't have the fight left in
me for another course of treatment made me feel more certain and more in
control than ever before and it was then, on the night of my second diagnosis
that I started to plan my last 7 days on Earth.
Chapter 1- Day 1
On the first day, God made Heaven and
Earth and said “Let there be light!” I watched that light fade away from the
small cracked, misty window backstage from the performance of Romeo and Juliet,
readying myself for my entrance as Juliet for the balcony scene. It dawned on
me that I had never really appreciated the light so much in my life until I had
been stuck in this smelly old cupboard at the back of the school’s stage, where
you were the luckiest person alive to even receive the slightest ray of light.
The light bulbs were all on their last legs and were as much use to me as a
lead parachute to a sky diver. But apparently spare maths books that we didn't need
were more important than a new light bulb.
I paced around
the tiny room with my crimson dress trailing behind me until my friend Annalise
called me “Henry, it’s your turn to come on now. Henry, HENRIETTA!”
“What? Oh OK and don’t call me by my full name, I prefer
Henry.” I fixed my wig and left the dirty old cupboard with great relief. I
stepped out into the warm glare of the stage lights and onto the somewhat pathetic
excuse of a balcony and perfectly recited my lines with the joy and slight
distastefulness of a smug gymnast who had just perfectly executed a performance
of a professional gymnast with much more experience than herself. Now I faced
the trickiest line of the whole play. It was the most famous line from this
play and the audience expected it to be said with the vigor of a horse who knew
that 15 carrots awaited him if he did what he was told. I cleared my mind and
my throat and spoke as loud as I dared. “Romeo, oh Romeo. Where fore out though
Romeo. Deny thy father, refuse thy name. Or if though wilt not be but sworn my
love and I will no longer be a Capulet.”
I spaced out
as the applause droned on and was contemplating whether to wear my red or blue
sash tomorrow. It was then that I remembered how hard I had tried when
auditioning for one of the lower roles in this play because the first thing on
my bucket list was to take part in a play and when they assigned me the part of
Juliet I was overjoyed, maybe this would have changed my career choice to
acting or maybe I would have just as quickly as I did now realize that my mum had
had a word with the director. *
* *
After the play
I stumbled to my parents’ car and must have dozed off because that was the last
thing I could remember from then to the next morning.
Chapter 2- Day 2
On the second
day God said “Let there be sky, land and seas.” And so it was. On the second
day of my last week I conquered them all when I flew on an aeroplane to Venice
for the first time, from which I drove to the quaint town of Sandon and enjoyed
the rest of the day on a gondola ride through the beautiful city of Venice via
the canals. But me being only 15, I was accompanied by my ever watchful
parents. Even on the gondola ride which was then slightly less peaceful than
planned and when we went to my surprisingly close aunt’s house I volunteered to
take her dopey old Great Dane, Rover for a walk along the shore. Unfortunately
for me, I went a little further into the water than I wanted when Rover decided
he wanted a bath. At least I was on my own and not being watched like a piece
of meat in the middle of a circle of hungry hyenas.
Except for
those few minor setbacks I really enjoyed my first day in Venice and maybe in
another life I will come back. Finally I got back to the house to find everyone
in front of the T.V. watching a movie of great distaste so I left them and went
to bed.
Chapter 3- Day 3
On the third
day God said “Let the land produce plants and trees” and so it was. On my third
day of my last week I stopped to admire each one I passed as they all made
Venice so much more beautiful. It seemed that now that I was close to never
seeing them again I wanted to save each memory of their existence and their
beauty and savor each different and unique scent.
Admiring the tall oak trees as I passed
was no longer something I’d never dream of doing because I felt as though my
life was somewhat better and my hardships were nothing compared to the
hardships they had been through. It wasn't as if I was ever going to face the
full wrath of a storm or become the victim to a murder no one thought twice
about. I was free to do what I pleased and this notion made me look at my life
with a whole new perspective. I had never before thought of the daffodil as
something so amazing or the ivy and the rose bushes so spectacular. I had never
before thought about the wonders that are held in a single leaf or petal or thorn
and I could never picture this world without them.
Hundreds of
ideas came spiraling into my head as I thought about how different this world
would have been without these brilliant plants and trees and then the car
stopped and we were at the bottom of a small hill. We trudged up to the top and
sat down and each took a deep breath. We didn't say a word. Mum and Dad stood
up and turned around. I followed their example and discovered the most breath
taking view over the town and over the sea. We named it our spot and I knew
that I would never feel more at home anywhere else than at this place.
Chapter 4- Day 4
On the fourth
day God made the sun for the day and the moon and the stars for the night. They
were the highlight of my day. I awoke (unusually for me) at sunrise and saw the
most magnificent sunrise I could ever hope to see. The amber light shone so
brightly with a mixture of crimson and possibly the brightest yellow the world
will ever see. The light gleamed in my emerald eyes and made my ordinary and
very short mousy brown hair (which had taken a while to grow back) look like a
fire pit in the wind. The light brightened my pale skin and made me want to
capture it and store it away. My mum came into the room and I shut the window
and took one more glance she didn't say a word but took me downstairs to the
veranda where Dad was sat with 2 cups of tea. After a while Mum said “I think
that was meant for you. You do know how much me and your father love you don’t you?
We’ll always support your decisions…………...... now how about we all just stay in
today and have today for ourselves.” We watched movies and talked and played
games and when the night fell we went back onto the veranda and watched the
stars come out. Dad handed me his jacket and we sat down. My aunt Lisa had
left us the house for the whole day while she went on a short business trip to
another part of Italy but told us that she would be back by tomorrow morning. I
missed her already.
Chapter 5- Day 5
On the fifth
day God said “Let the waters be filled with creatures and let the sky also be
filled with life.” This was my fourth and last day in Venice. My aunt was
back, just like she said and I decided to take Rover on one last walk down to
the shore. He bounded along the sand with me being slightly dragged behind him
so I decided that I was better off letting him off his lead. As soon as he felt
the tension from the lead disappear he ran off, which was fine at fist until he
went just out of my view and I had to run after him. After running halfway down
the beach I stopped because I saw him in a small rock pool 10 feet away. I
walked over to the unsuspecting Great Dane and grabbed his collar before he had
the chance to move. I was about to walk away when I saw something move in the
water. Then again and again. I saw the silver streak move in and out of the
rocks and then there was another and another. I kept on seeing what I suspected
to be the same fish until they all darted behind one rock like a fleet of
silver submarines they moved as one and disappeared as one. Another movement in
the water caught my eye and I watched quietly and curiously as a little crab
scuttled up the pebble beach and snatched a
piece of bread left for the birds before hurrying away under a rock. I
thought to myself “Well that was interesting.” With a hint of humor and sarcasm
I had never noticed before.
Then after trekking up the beach again for
what seemed like an unwanted eternity I finally reached the house and dragged
the whining Rover up the steps, into the house and straight into the kitchen
before he tried (and failed)to run out the door for the 3rd time
this morning. When I went upstairs I noticed that all of our suitcases were
packed and on the landing ready to go. Dad came out of one of the bedrooms hauling
the last suitcase he whispered “Better go say goodbye to your aunt; she’s
really going to miss you.” I nodded and went back downstairs to find that she
was already waiting for me I went over and gave her the biggest hug I could
possibly give anyone and told her how much I loved her and how much I would
miss her.
She drove us
to the airport and our goodbyes seemed to go on for an eternity and by the end
of it we all cried because this was the last time we would ever see each other.
Our flight was called and we left with nothing but the memory of her and the
tears on our faces and the last hug to remember her by. As we sat down on the
plane I tried not to think about the painful truth that I would never see her
again but focus on the birds in the sky as they soared by without a care or
worry or doubt to weigh them down.
Chapter 6- Day 6
On the 6th
day God said “Let the land be filled with animals and let Adam and Eve watch
over the world.”And so it was. Today was the most special of all days as
everyone I loved and cared about came to see me and said goodbye. Many tears were
shed and when the last person left a sort of sudden peace came over me and it
seemed that all of the tension and sorrow and pain left me with a single tear.
I swept it away and thought of all the wonderful things that had happened in my
life.
Chapter 7- Day 7
On the seventh
day God rested and so did I. I stayed in my bed until 12 pm with my Mum and Dad
and then we left for the hospital. I was assigned a ward and we sat and talked
for a while but then we stayed in silence until the nurse came. My Mum and Dad
sat on the bed with me and we talked about anything we could to take our minds
off of the dreaded subject.
It wasn't until
late at night that my parents dozed off. I laid awake and watched them
peacefully sleeping. I slipped out the pen and paper I had brought with me and
wrote everything I thought needed to be said. I wrote about how much I loved
them and how much they meant to me and told them about the series of notes I had
left around the house for them for after I had gone. Then I slid the note onto
the table next where my Mum and Dad were sleeping and then I slept.
I had
battled breast cancer and won but when one of the spores had gotten into my
lungs and I couldn't fight it any longer. It feels good to finally be able to
rest. My name is Henrietta and that was my story.
