Sunday, July 16, 2006

To Love Is A Gift

I was browsing through some of my old write-ups when I came across this piece which I wrote in form 2 (2003). It was written in memory of my unborn twin brother, Dion. It was also the time when I realised that if God wanted me to have a brother, He would have let Dion live. So, there was no need to have godbrothers in my life! What a REVELATION! Thank you, Lord!

This is for you Dion who I know am my angel watching over me.

TO LOVE IS A GIFT

Everyone that was everyone in college knew about the friendly non-identical twins. There was Josh. He was intelligent, tall, athletic and blessed with a heart of gold. Then there was Sandra. She was petitie, talented, a person full of life with an infectious laughter. Josh was into basketball. Sandra had her heart set in song and dance.

Like every young adult, they dreamed dreams. Their days were usually fun, carefree days, without much worry or stress until that dreadful day in May.

"Josh? Are you coming for my audition this afternoon?" asked Sandra. Josh replied with a question, saying, "Sandra, have you forgotten? My tournament finals are on!" Sandra was disappointed when she heard this as she had counted on her brother being with her at the audition as a form of moral suppport.

She was lacking in confidence and wanted him to be with her. But, being the good natured person she was, she gave in with a sigh and said in a shaky voice, "I'll be alright, just a bad case of nerves I guess. Wish me luck?"

When she arrived at the hall for the audition, there were many participants there. To try to overcome her nervousness, she put on her dancing shoes and started practicing her dance routine. Soon she heard her name being called. Taking a deep breath, she took her queue on stage. The pianist played the introduction to the musical piece but somehow she could not focus on her dance steps.

Sandra was frustrated with herself for she couldn't concentrate and kept making so many mistakes. "Ooooooooo! What's the matter with me?" she cried. Halfway through her dance piece she stopped and wiped the perspiration from her brow. Then she saw Josh at the end of the hall. That sight of him and the knowledge that he was present, gave her the inspiration to go on. So she waved franticly at Josh and called out to him, "Josh! Josh!".

Suddenly there was a loud creaking sound which came from the ceiling of the stage. Everyone looked up at the ceiling but before anyone could cry out a word of warning, there was a loud cracking sound. One of the ropes securing the sandbags tied above the stage had snapped and came crashing down.

In a twinkle of an eye, and amidst much dust and chaos, it took everyone sometime before they discovered that Sandra was its victim. The sandbag had fallen on her head. She was motionless! Running as fast as his legs could carry him, Josh made a bee line for the stage, shouting franticly, "Sandra! Sandra? Sandra!"

There was dust everywhere and that dreadful feeling of silence!

After waiting outside the operation theatre for four torturous hours, the surgeon walked towards his worried parents. Josh was in a state of shock. What ever the doctor was saying seemed like he was speaking in Greek, Dutch or some foreign language. Only the words, "We've done all that we can! She may never wake up again!" kept ringing over and over again in his head. Sandra, according to the doctor was sleeping the sleep of the dead. She was in a coma!

Josh couldn't help feeling stifled. He had to get out of there. He felt like the air in his lungs was being sucked out of him. He just could not breathe. So, like a mad man he ran down corridors and stairways. He could not accept what had happened to Sandra. Not his Sandra! Never to hear her laugh or sing again? "Oh, I can't bear it", he cried out in agony.

In his frenzy he did not realize he had wondered into the hospital's little garden until he felt his mother's hand on his shoulder. She hugged him and they both cried till they were spent. Placing a cup of hot coffee in Josh's hands, she gently got up and left him sitting on the garden's bench. How long he sat there, he did not know.

Then, something caught his eye. Something embedded in the surface of the concrete pavement. It was a little plant pushing its way up through a crack in the concrete. Josh leaned closer, squinting. Actually, the little plant had cracked the cement in its quest for the sun, for life. What a revelation!

In that quietness, he heard these words spoken gently to him,

"Life is a miracle! Life is fragile! Life is a gift, Josh!"

He felt goosebumps creep all over his body and his eyes started filling up with tears again. "Oh Lord, is that you?"

Somehow, Josh knew and had learnt from the example of that little plant that no matter how hard the struggle may be, life is a gift to us. Do we want it or not? "YES! A double YES!" He knew then, he could not give up on life. He knew he could not give up on Sandra.

A week went by with nothing happening but Josh kept vigil at Sandra's bedside, day in day out. He prayed, sang her her favourite songs, and read her stories. He even told her about the little plant that stuggled to survive. He had so many conversations with God, making promises he knew not whether he could fulfill. All he knew was that he loved Sandra so much that life would be empty without her by his side.

Then it happened! The miracle! He felt her fingers move in his palm. Gently he squeezed her hand and she squeezed his hand back. It was the happiest moment of his life. Softly he called her by name a couple of times before she drowsily opened her eyes to look at him. She smiled. Josh could contain himself no longer and gave her a big bear hug. Then he heard a weak but definitely, her familiar infectious laughter.

Running down the corridor he saw his parents, flung his arms open wide and shouted, "She's going to make it mum! Sandra's going to make it!"

That night as he lay his head down on his pillow, he looked out his window at the sky and quietly said,

"Thank you God for this miracle, for this gift of life!"


--------------------The End------------------



Posted by `~·!¦[·` VaÑ觧å `·]¦!·~` at 7/16/2006

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