Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 101662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
“Why are we going to the hospital?” I asked, confused.
“It’s…” Mom’s voice cracked. She sniffled and started crying more. “It’s your father, Gabriel. There was an accident. We have to go. Now.”
***
Kierra
Gabriel and I sat in the hospital waiting room with his mom. We hadn’t said anything to each other, and as we waited, his mom paced back and forth. She kept glancing at the clock on the wall, then she’d move to the receptionist desk, ask for an update on Gabriel’s dad, and then argue that she wasn’t getting enough answers.
Then she’d pace again.
A few others waited in the same area as us. I’d never been in a hospital waiting room. I felt a little sick and scared.
I might not have liked Gabriel, but I liked his dad a lot. Mr. Sinclair was always sneaking me money whenever I’d come over to visit, since he couldn’t give me candy because of my braces. “Save it up for some Sour Patch Kids and Skittles when you get your braces off. Then come share with me. Those are my two favorite candies,” he told me.
I already had fifty bucks for candy thanks to him.
And whenever I’d get off the school bus, he’d ask me how my day was going and ask me about my designing and how softball was going for me. Those were two of my favorite things, fashion and softball. Gabriel played baseball, too, but I was actually good at it, unlike him.
Mr. Sinclair always made sure that I knew I was good, too. He even showed up to my games with my parents whenever he had free time.
I wanted him to be okay.
I needed him to be okay. If not for me, then for the toad sitting next to me.
Gabriel looked sad. Sadder than I’d ever seen anyone look. His head was lowered as he fiddled with his fingers in his lap. His legs kept bouncing up and down, and he hadn’t said a word since we got to the hospital. I didn’t say anything, either. I didn’t know what to say.
I wondered what Mom would say if she were there. She was really good at making people feel better when they were sad, and even though I hated Gabriel, I didn’t want him to be sad.
When the doctor finally came out to speak to Mrs. Sinclair, Gabriel and I looked up. We couldn’t hear them from where we were, but I knew it was nothing good. The doctor’s eyes looked sad and he shook his head.
“I’m sorry,” I heard him say before Mrs. Sinclair dropped to her knees and broke into a howling cry. Gabriel darted over to her side and wrapped his arms around her. He held on to his mother tightly as she fell apart. He began to cry, too, and fell apart with her, so I did the only thing I could think to do.
I went to hold him because he had no one to hold him through the sad part. Everyone should have somebody to hold them during the sad parts.
As I listened to him cry, I started to cry, too.
***
It was a heart attack.
Mr. Sinclair’s heart just gave out without warning. The doctors all tried their best to bring him back, but it didn’t work. Mom said it was one of the saddest things that ever happened. Daddy didn’t say much. He and Mr. Sinclair were good friends, and when Daddy found out about his death, he went into his study and didn’t come out for hours.
A week later was the funeral for Mr. Sinclair. I sat between Mom and Daddy in the church pew, two rows behind Gabriel and his mom. The two of them sat in the front row. Mom said the front row was for the people closest to the person who passed away, which meant to me that it was the hardest row to sit in. I hoped I’d never have to sit in the front row… I hoped Gabriel would never have to do it again, either.
I couldn’t stop staring in the Sinclairs’ direction as I sat in the pew. Gabriel hadn’t been to school over the past week. I didn’t blame him. I wouldn’t ever wanna go back to school if I’d lost my dad. I wouldn’t want to do anything.
“You okay, sport?” Daddy asked as he leaned in to whisper to me.
I nodded.
He took my hand in his and squeezed it lightly. Mom took my other hand and did the same thing.
I could only see the back of Gabriel’s head with his dark hair. He wore an all-black suit, like everyone else, and didn’t raise his head to acknowledge all the adults who kept walking up to try to engage with him. At one point, his uncle tried to get him to go up to the open casket to say goodbye, but he refused to do it.