A young girl describes her little brother's sudden illness and the uncertainty facing their lives as a result of the little boy's illness. (He had meningitis and was left permanently disabled.)
I often wonder why things happen the way they do. I mean, two months ago, my little brother, Reynaldo, was a healthy, happy six-year-old little boy, and now he lies in a hospital bed, unmoving, unfeeling, unblinking, with an uncertain future.
It all started around the middle of December. He had a cold, and he seemed to be getting better, but then one night, as we went to check on him, we found him in his bed, crying in pain and acting strangely. When Mami went to pick him up into her arms he stiffened suddenly, and then he went limp. He was burning up with a terribly high fever.
We knew something was seriously wrong with Reynaldo. Whereupon, Mami had us call for an ambulance, and he was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital.
He has been in the hospital ever since. He is in a coma, and there is uncertainty as to whether he will ever wake up again, or, if he DOES wake up, if he will ever be normal or left permanently disabled. (Right now, doctors think Rey will be disabled; he isn't responding as well as he should to stimuli, and he is still in his coma; and he is still hooked up to tubes. He looks bad, and it breaks our hearts to see our little brother this way. There is talk of brain damage and if he ever wakes up, there may also be physical damage. But WHAT, we just don't know at this time. He may be deaf, or he may be blind; or he may be paralyzed; but we won't know the extent of this damage until our little brother wakes up. I hate going to the hospital because I hate seeing Rey looking so tiny and helpless in that big hospital bed, not knowing if he will ever wake up, and not knowing if he will die! Each time I see him, I always end up crying or fighting with my big brothers about him and his being sick.)
I am 12 years old, and my name is Marguerita; and I really don't know many disabled people. I have really never associated with people who are disabled, and being around them makes me rather uncomfortable. Now my baby brother may be disabled as well, and frankly, the thought of it all makes me sick and nauseated inside. It seems like since Rey became sick and went into his coma I can't eat, can't sleep, can't think straight, or nothing. My work at school has suffered because of Rey's illness, and my waking hours are spent thinking about my little brother. Mami is going crazy with worry over her son (and I really don't blame her), and she is also going crazy because I keep pestering for the latest information about my little brother. She is about ready to throw me out to the dogs for supper (not really, but she IS getting fed up really fast!)!
karen, you have such an imagination to create such wonderful stories and believable characters! great write...would like to read more on reynaldo and marguerita and their family. (((HUGS))) and love, karla. :)
Rovella is a beautiful woman with a cold heart whom blames herself for an unfortunate old family secret that is literally ruining her life. This secret impedes a gorgeous woman from having happiness in her childhood, and throughout her life. Dark sec
