| General Fiction posted December 25, 2016 |
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Potlatch Prose Challenge.
The Swing
by Heather Knight
Whenever I see the swing, I think of Josh. We used to go to the lake and take turns riding it and looking at the water.
He would tell me about his day and I would talk about this and that.
Josh was my best friend. We had been best friends since kindergarten.
'What do you think of the new girl?' he asked me one day.
'She's pretty.'
'I think I like her.'
I felt a pang of jealousy. I wanted Josh to like me like a girl, not to think of me as just a mate.
'More than you like me?'
'Of course not. You're my friend. This is different.'
A few days after our conversation, Josh told me he couldn't come with me. Apparently, he had to go somewhere.
I imagined he would be meeting Lisa, the new girl. I cried all the way to the lake. I stayed there for a while, but without Josh the swing was no fun.
The next morning at school, I asked him where he had been.
'Nowhere important,' he said.
'Are we going to the lake today?' I asked.
'Okay.'
But we didn't go. In the middle of the morning, Josh got up, spoke to the teacher and left. I wondered what that was all about.
When I got home, I called him.
'Why did you leave?'
'I wasn't feeling well.'
'Are you better now? Do you want me to go and be with you?'
'No, it's okay, Claire. I think I'm going to go to bed early.'
I felt rejected, as if something bad was happening to our friendship.
Over the next few days, I noticed Josh looked sick. He was pale and thinner than usual. He also got tired very easily.
'Are you going to tell me what's going on?' I asked him one day as he sat on the swing, his gaze fixed on the lake.
'I have cancer.'
'What? You cannot have cancer! You are only twelve!'
'But I do... and it's bad. I'm never going to get to grow up or to do everything I wanted to do.'
'Don't say that!'
I know I shouldn't have, but I left him there and ran all the way home.
'What's wrong, sweetie?' Mum asked when she saw the tears running down my cheeks.
I told her about Josh and she hugged me. Then she drove me back to the lake to pick him up, but he had already left.
A few days after that, Josh was taken to hospital. I begged my Mum to let me visit him. At first, she said we shouldn't bother him, but after a while I convinced her.
Josh was in a big white bed and looked small and frightened.
'I brought you candy,' I said.
'Thanks,' he smiled. But he didn't eat it.
He didn't seem to want to talk, so I just stayed by his side.
A few mornings later, Mum and Dad came into my room before my alarm went off. Their serious faces frightened me.
'No, don't say it! I don't want to hear it.'
I knew Josh had died and couldn't bear it. I ran into the bathroom and locked myself in there. I didn't go to school that day.
Now I go to the lake every day and think of Josh. Of everything we could do together if he was still here.
Mum says I have to cheer up and I know I will. Eventually.
Whenever I see the swing, I think of Josh. We used to go to the lake and take turns riding it and looking at the water.
He would tell me about his day and I would talk about this and that.
Josh was my best friend. We had been best friends since kindergarten.
'What do you think of the new girl?' he asked me one day.
'She's pretty.'
'I think I like her.'
I felt a pang of jealousy. I wanted Josh to like me like a girl, not to think of me as just a mate.
'More than you like me?'
'Of course not. You're my friend. This is different.'
A few days after our conversation, Josh told me he couldn't come with me. Apparently, he had to go somewhere.
I imagined he would be meeting Lisa, the new girl. I cried all the way to the lake. I stayed there for a while, but without Josh the swing was no fun.
The next morning at school, I asked him where he had been.
'Nowhere important,' he said.
'Are we going to the lake today?' I asked.
'Okay.'
But we didn't go. In the middle of the morning, Josh got up, spoke to the teacher and left. I wondered what that was all about.
When I got home, I called him.
'Why did you leave?'
'I wasn't feeling well.'
'Are you better now? Do you want me to go and be with you?'
'No, it's okay, Claire. I think I'm going to go to bed early.'
I felt rejected, as if something bad was happening to our friendship.
Over the next few days, I noticed Josh looked sick. He was pale and thinner than usual. He also got tired very easily.
'Are you going to tell me what's going on?' I asked him one day as he sat on the swing, his gaze fixed on the lake.
'I have cancer.'
'What? You cannot have cancer! You are only twelve!'
'But I do... and it's bad. I'm never going to get to grow up or to do everything I wanted to do.'
'Don't say that!'
I know I shouldn't have, but I left him there and ran all the way home.
'What's wrong, sweetie?' Mum asked when she saw the tears running down my cheeks.
I told her about Josh and she hugged me. Then she drove me back to the lake to pick him up, but he had already left.
A few days after that, Josh was taken to hospital. I begged my Mum to let me visit him. At first, she said we shouldn't bother him, but after a while I convinced her.
Josh was in a big white bed and looked small and frightened.
'I brought you candy,' I said.
'Thanks,' he smiled. But he didn't eat it.
He didn't seem to want to talk, so I just stayed by his side.
A few mornings later, Mum and Dad came into my room before my alarm went off. Their serious faces frightened me.
'No, don't say it! I don't want to hear it.'
I knew Josh had died and couldn't bear it. I ran into the bathroom and locked myself in there. I didn't go to school that day.
Now I go to the lake every day and think of Josh. Of everything we could do together if he was still here.
Mum says I have to cheer up and I know I will. Eventually.
He would tell me about his day and I would talk about this and that.
Josh was my best friend. We had been best friends since kindergarten.
'What do you think of the new girl?' he asked me one day.
'She's pretty.'
'I think I like her.'
I felt a pang of jealousy. I wanted Josh to like me like a girl, not to think of me as just a mate.
'More than you like me?'
'Of course not. You're my friend. This is different.'
A few days after our conversation, Josh told me he couldn't come with me. Apparently, he had to go somewhere.
I imagined he would be meeting Lisa, the new girl. I cried all the way to the lake. I stayed there for a while, but without Josh the swing was no fun.
The next morning at school, I asked him where he had been.
'Nowhere important,' he said.
'Are we going to the lake today?' I asked.
'Okay.'
But we didn't go. In the middle of the morning, Josh got up, spoke to the teacher and left. I wondered what that was all about.
When I got home, I called him.
'Why did you leave?'
'I wasn't feeling well.'
'Are you better now? Do you want me to go and be with you?'
'No, it's okay, Claire. I think I'm going to go to bed early.'
I felt rejected, as if something bad was happening to our friendship.
Over the next few days, I noticed Josh looked sick. He was pale and thinner than usual. He also got tired very easily.
'Are you going to tell me what's going on?' I asked him one day as he sat on the swing, his gaze fixed on the lake.
'I have cancer.'
'What? You cannot have cancer! You are only twelve!'
'But I do... and it's bad. I'm never going to get to grow up or to do everything I wanted to do.'
'Don't say that!'
I know I shouldn't have, but I left him there and ran all the way home.
'What's wrong, sweetie?' Mum asked when she saw the tears running down my cheeks.
I told her about Josh and she hugged me. Then she drove me back to the lake to pick him up, but he had already left.
A few days after that, Josh was taken to hospital. I begged my Mum to let me visit him. At first, she said we shouldn't bother him, but after a while I convinced her.
Josh was in a big white bed and looked small and frightened.
'I brought you candy,' I said.
'Thanks,' he smiled. But he didn't eat it.
He didn't seem to want to talk, so I just stayed by his side.
A few mornings later, Mum and Dad came into my room before my alarm went off. Their serious faces frightened me.
'No, don't say it! I don't want to hear it.'
I knew Josh had died and couldn't bear it. I ran into the bathroom and locked myself in there. I didn't go to school that day.
Now I go to the lake every day and think of Josh. Of everything we could do together if he was still here.
Mum says I have to cheer up and I know I will. Eventually.
 Recognized |
My daughter survived childhood cancer. Not all children are so lucky. This is for all those who lost the battle.
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