Four Little Words

Author's Note: This piece is my creative writing piece and I chose to write a short story. I wrote this piece about how my uncle had cancer and how together my family and I went through the tough time, yet made it out okay. 

Hearing four words that you never want to hear are hard to realize if the person is just trying to mess with you since you are just so in shock. The words I dreaded to ever hear were, ‘your uncle has cancer’ yet I still heard it two summers ago, I clearly remember hearing those words. Sometimes they just replay in my mind and I still to this day become in shock. Two summers ago I found out that my uncle, also my godfather, had melanoma and they didn’t know if he would survive.  It was hard for me to actually realize he truly had cancer, it was all shocking. He was someone I had known my whole life and I wasn’t ready to lose him. I had lost my Grandma one year before that and I didn’t want to lose another family member.  My sister had started bawling right then and there so I went up to her and hugged her, not knowing what to do. I had nothing to say or nothing to do except stand there and hug her. I couldn’t get out one word or one motion.  I still didn’t believe what was happening and how it was his time to leave or that I may never see him again, breathing or walking with me. It was hard for my family and me to cope with this issue, but together we kept each other going.

During this time, my dad and my other uncle went out to St. Louis to be with him, until he was okayed to come to a hospital in Wisconsin where everyone else could see him. After a few days passed, he was okayed to come down in an ambulance, so my dad called my uncle’s best friend, and asked, “Would you come down to St. Louis to be driven in an ambulance back with Rob to Wisconsin.” The guy replied with a quick “Yes!” I was extremely grateful that I would be able to see him again! When my uncle’s best friend showed up at the hospital, I heard that my uncle just lit up and had a smile on his face. It brought a smile to face and still does to this day.

Another few days passed and it was finally the time for me to see him. When my family and I showed up my cousins, aunts, and uncles were all there waiting because my uncle was sleeping. After he woke up, we all got to see him. I walked into the hospital room with a big smile on my face, making sure not to let him see the pain I was hiding deep down inside from him seeing him lay there helpless, not even being able to take a drink of soda without help from somebody, made me even weaker inside but I could not let him see that. I told myself not to let him see me like this because I didn’t want him to feel like he was the reason I was sad. I also wanted him to stay happy with the time he had left of his life.  My sister, Laura, could not hold it in anymore and she left the room running straight for the bathroom. I closely followed behind her with my cousin, Elisabeth.  My cousin and I did everything we could to get to smile and stop crying. I  simply told Laura, “He will be a better place with no more pain and that’s exactly what we want. Laura, this may be the last time we see him on this Earth, but just remember we will all be together again someday for the rest of eternity.” She smiled with tears rolling down her rosy cheeks, but she simply opened the bathroom door as we walked back to his room.

The time had finally come to leave the hospital, so I went up to my uncle to say goodbye: knowing it had to be the perfect goodbye from feeling that it could be the last. I slowly gave him a hug, making sure not to hurt him, as he reached up and gave me a kiss. At that moment, I was overcome with emotions running through my entire body, not being able to say anything, not even I love you. To some people a kiss may mean nothing, but that kiss was a reminder to me that he loves me and he will always be with me. I had tears in my eyes, so I simply walked out of the room with a huge smile on my face. The tears just came out so fast, I was so overcome with emotions. A little gentle kiss gave me such a relief, yet I was still sad knowing I was losing him.

When we walked into the car I said, “Mom I want to see Uncle Rob again. I know he will make it. I want to see him again, Mom.” I begged. She probably didn’t know what to say to that because no one knew if he would make it another day. “If he can make it sweetie, I promise you will see him one more time.” spoke my mom. In my mind I knew he was going to make, but in my heart I didn’t know if he would or not. A couple days had passed and I woke up from a dream, looked at the clock and saw the time 5:06 A.M. All of sudden I heard a ringing and it turned out to be my dad’s cell phone.  I thought I had a pretty good idea of what was going on, but I did not want to admit to myself that he was gone, so I kept thinking it was just a big work dilemma. “He did? But he can’t!” I heard my mom whisper shout. I had fallen back to sleep with tears rolling down my cheeks and woken up the next morning to my sister home from school. My mom then spoke slowly, “Uncle Rob died this morning.”

“Mom I know.”

 “How do you know? It just happened this morning.”

“I heard dad’s phone ringing this morning. I feel like I was woken up for a reason, like I was supposed to hear the phone call or something.”

After I spoke those words my sister, my brother, and my mom all looked at me like I was crazy, but I knew that I was meant to hear that call, no matter what anyone says. Sometimes I think to myself that maybe it was my uncle who wanted me to hear that call, almost as if he was trying to tell me everything is okay and that he will be watching over me. I just slowly smiled to myself and look up to the sky when I think about that because I believe he is always watching over me: cheering me on during sports, tucking me in at night, or even hugging me.

Throughout my life, my uncle was always there for me cheering me on, making me happy, and being about the greatest uncle a person could have. He was never married or had any kids, but he still knew exactly how to make me from gloomy to cheerful! I love him so much and still do. Without my family, I could have possibly gone through depression, but I did not because my  family was there for me.  I truly don’t know what I would have done without my uncle. He was a blessing to me and always will be. I will truly never forget him.