Ups and Downs: A day well remembered [LEWC]

October 31, 1994

I am an eleven year old boy and its Halloween!!!! Well this is how most kids would have felt. Five days ago my world began to crumble. I am sitting in math class, Im in sixth grade. I have always been a good student. Always on honor roll and usually had perfect attendance. The last week I haven't been able to concentrate. The principle comes over the P.A. system and says its time to announce the winner of the winner of the school wide writing contest. The contest was to write a story about a toy that the principle's daughter owned. I had been writing stories for myself since first grade but this was the first time I had ever written for a contest or anyone else period. I anxiously awaited the results. The winner for eighth grade was announced first, then seventh grade. Finally they came to sixth grade, and to my utter surprise my name was called. I won for my grade and was selected second out of the three winning entries. My prize was a jar of peanuts, a package of bubblegum and $10. Through the weight of peer pressure i was relieved of my bubblegum, but they were not getting my peanuts! This was at the time my proudest moment in my pursuit of writing. The bell rang signaling it was time for lunch. I don't honestly know what came over me even now. Why I decided to pick this day to do it. But I decided since it was Halloween and my story had just been selected that I wasn't going to finish the day.....I was going to ditch for the first time. I went to lunch with my friends. I acted as normal joking and throwing food, trying not to get caught. When we were done i ran off to the restroom. when I was sure I was alone I left the restroom and headed in the direction of the playground. Instead I turned off and headed out the side door. With my head down I walked off the school property and not one person said a word.

The whole walk home I was amazed at how easy it was to ditch school (this would unfortunately not be the last time). I decided to go to the grocery store, the movie store, and the pawn shop on my way home. I think the people I saw were as interested in why I was not in school as I was as to why they were not at work. I had never been on the street on my own during the middle of the day. It was very alien and exciting and I was finally able to forget about my fragile childhood world crumbling around me.

When I got home I threw my backpack down in the middle of the floor and flopped down on the couch with my shoes on. I jumped up and went to the fridge. I grabbed a can of cola and a frozen burrito and proceeded to watch daytime T.V. After ten minutes I was convinced this was why no one wanted to stay home during the day. It was not as much fun as I first thought being home alone. My friends were at school and I couldn't go out and play for fear of being caught ditching.

As I sat on the couch watching Barney on PBS I decided I wanted to try that stuff my dad was always drinking. It was on the top shelf of the kitchen cabinets so I grabbed a chair to reach it. When I got it down I read label. "Crown Royal" it said. I opened it and smelled it, and about threw up. I gathered my self and put my lips to the bottle. I tipped it up and cautiously took a small sip. Its sad to say but it didn't taste as bad as it smelled. But when it hit bottom it was quickly apparent that my stomach didn't agree with my decision. I grabbed another cola out of the fridge and chugged it as fast as I could. As I attempted not to vomit I swore that was the last drink I would ever take (hehe). I decided it was time to watch a movie.

It was 2:08 pm and I was digging through the pile of VHS movies we owned. The phone rang. I froze. I was supposed to be in school and my parents weren't home, who was calling? I let it ring and eventually it stopped. After a minute it started again. Again I waited and again it stopped. My mind was racing, should I have answer it, no one knew I was here, it must be a wrong number right? The phone rang a third time, I tried to let it ring hoping it would stop again but it didn't. I had to answer it. I picked up the receiver and said hello.

"Son, why are you at home" said my dad. his voice was full of different emotions. Even now I cant comprehend what he was going through.
I was panicking I ran through a thousand different lies to tell him. "Dad, my friend told me it was a half day for Halloween" was all I could spit out.
"Its okay son" he said.
At this point I was in shock, how could my not being in school possibly be okay? What he said next explained it all.
"Son, the hospice called.....its about your mom. Your brother is on his way to pick you up, Ill see you soon."

Five days previous my mother had been moved from her hospital to a hospice. I didn't really understand what the difference was until that day. In a hospital you have hope. In a hospice you have a clock. Four days later my mother died of cancer.

reply to post by coven83


Wow. Sorry to read about your loss at such a young age. Your succinct sentence about the difference between a hospital and a hospice stands out.

Congratulations on winning a writing award in school. Keep on writing and we'll keep on reading.

reply to post by aboutface


No need to apologise, but I thank you for your kind words. Sometimes I think it would have been harder to lose her as an adult, being that I would have know her better. Alas a question I will never know the answer to.

And my love for writing will never fade, I am currently working on my first novel and was considering putting up an excerpt.

reply to post by coven83


I'm impressed by such a strong first entry into the writing contest! SnF. Kudos to you for sharing. If this is any indication of your talent, you'll fit right in with the rest of us.

Keep writing!

reply to post by coven83


Well written and very heartfelt. It's a loss we sometimes can't fathom and rarely get over completely, but sometimes that sharing it and the therapy involved with getting it all out sometimes helps a great deal.

S&F, and do indeed keep writing.