Dear Flynn

Six months back

I observed him carefully as he walked to the door. I knew that time was running out but suppressed the urge to check my watch. I had to take revenge, payback for what he did to me, and as per my plan I slowly walked behind him with a knife in my hand and waited for the perfect moment to attack. I took a deep breath and started counting in reverse under my breath.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two and one”
I stabbed in his chest!! I have knifed my own son!!! He yelled his lungs out and fell on the ground with shock and surprise
He was shocked for 2 reasons:
Because he was attacked with knife by his own mother,
Even though he was stabbed with knife there was neither pain nor blood.

He looked at me startled and I could not control my laughter any longer, I started playing with the fake knife.
He understood the whole scene by now; he understood that this is my answer for the prank he played on me last week.
Oh mom you are so criminal minded, how you could play such a cruel prank on me, I so damn hate you.

My Poor baby, but I love you, come with a greater prank than this, but for now, run, you are already late for college and I am for work.

14 years back:

Flynn was 4 years old when I found him alone on the way back to home, he sat there on a bench with a toy airplane, and I sat beside him and tried to check his whereabouts for which he had no answers. I waited there for hours and hours hoping someone will come for him but it seemed he was left intentionally.
I looked into his eyes and asked “would you want to come and stay with me?” I got a nod with a smile as an answer.

That day I got another answer from God who had taken my mother, my only hope for living, away from me, I understood that he made me a mother myself in order to compensate my loss.

Five months back:

I slowly opened the door of Flynn’s room with a hope to wish him exactly at 12:00 am. I turned on the lights and started singing the birthday song.

I suddenly realized that he was nowhere to be seen in the room, I searched him everywhere, in every corner of the house. My heart started beating abnormally, Flynn never left home without informing me, especially late in nights and above all it was his birthday! Where on earth could he have gone?

I reached for my mobile to call and check but before I could make a call I received a text from Flynn.

“Hey mom, I know you would be looking for me but I am sorry to inform you that I am not going to come back again, I do not want to be a burden on you anymore , on this 20th birthday I want to free you from all my responsibilities. Be happy mom, don’t search for me.”

For a moment I felt as if my heart stopped beating, my phone beeped again, and it was Flynn’s text again,
“I left you a final present in the garage”

I rushed towards the garage, on the way tried to call him up but only to find the mobile switched off.
My mouth remained open for a while for what I had seen near the garage.

A table with two chairs nicely decorated and served with delicious dinner!!!!

Flynn came from behind and hugged me “I am sorry for worrying you so much mom but I had to give an answer for your prank”

Tears rolled down my cheeks for I believed all this to be true, I could not even imagine Flynn leaving me.
“Happy Birthday to the best prankster, you win, I loose”

Not only did he pranked me but also found the bike in garage which I wanted to show as a surprise gift on the next day.

On the 20th Birthday:

Flynn why don’t you go and celebrate your birthday with your friends and I thought you would want to take your girlfriend on ride first, why me? I said playfully.

Oh c’mon mom!! I want to spend this whole day with the world’s beautiful lady, this day is very special, without your presence it doesn’t make any sense, and you know that I don’t have a girlfriend yet so I have to take you only, no other option” he said making a sad face.

That whole day we spent a great time going all around the city, eating, playing and talking.

“Mom, did you fall in love ever?”

“Yes” I said.

He was surprised “Seriously? Who is it, why did you never tell me? Do I know him?

“Yes you know him, and I told you many times”

What?? When?? You never told me that you were in love, who is it?

“It is you, Flynn. Haven’t I told you a million times how much I love you??

“Hmm mom I know how much you love me, but I am asking about….”

Flynn, you are the only and only love of my life, in fact you are my life.

“But mom….”

Ok wait; now tell me, what’s the point? You are asking about love, that means you are in love with someone aren’t you??

How do you get to know everything? Ummm I like a girl in my class, she is very cute mom, and you know her eyes remind me of you, but I did not tell how I feel about her yet.

I said “Let’s meet your cute girl over dinner someday, and don’t delay in conveying your feeling, life is too short Flynn.

Three months back:

Flynn came back from college very happy that day; he was literally dancing and singing.

I said “let me guess, you proposed that cute girl today and she accepted?”

He asked with great surprise, “How do you get to know everything mom?”

“Because I am your mom,” I smiled.

He observed me for a while “Is everything ok with you? You don’t seem to be fine.”

Yeah, I was feeling a little sick from morning, will see the doctor tomorrow.

“Let’s go now, you are getting thin and pale day by day, let’s go now and see what is wrong” He said.

No, now I have a very important work to do.

“What’s that mom?” Shall I help you?

Yes I need your help, because now you will explain me in detail about how you proposed the Miss Cute girl and how she responded.

We spent all evening discussing about it and sharing happiness.

One month and 15 days before:

I called Flynn while he was still in the college, asking him to come home immediately.

He found me in bed, very sick. “What the hell is wrong mom, what happened to you” he was shivering with shock seeing me like that. “Let’s go to doctor”.

No, I said. It’s time to reveal the truth to you Flynn, I am dying. I have very few days left, or maybe it’s today.

He just stared at me, dumbfounded. I could see him struggling to hold back tears and speak.

He held my hand and finally spoke trying to smile, “this is a prank right? You are lying; you are trying to take revenge for my last prank, aren’t you?

I shook my head, “why would I play such a prank Flynn, look at the reports if you don’t believe.”

He took a glance at the medical reports and collapsed on the chair beside me, “you have this from such a long time but you never told me, why did you hide mom, why?? You cannot leave me like this, no you cannot”.

I did not wanted to disturb your life and make it miserable, I wanted you to be happy and free from all these worries, I want to see you reach heights Flynn, I thought I will live for few more years, but….

“No mom, nothing’s going to happen to you, you are not going to die, I will take you wherever I can, you will get the best treatment and trust me mom you will survive” " he assured me. “You are the one because of whom I have this life, am nothing without you mom, you have to live for me”.

“I wish I could Flynn, I wish I could live a little more , I do not want to leave you alone and go , you came in my life when I was all alone, you came and made it beautiful. But there is no escape from this; I am going to die and this is it”.But I want you to promise me that you will lead a great life, you will not let my absence distress your life at all, and I want you to be a person who makes life a beautiful journey for himself and also for people around him. Promise me Flynn”

“What is this entire thing mom,” he said. “It feels like my whole life is shaken and you want me to promise this, No I cannot, I cannot live without you, I need you so badly in every step of life, why is this happening to you ? Why is this happening to me?” He hugged me tight and cried and I remembered the first day of his school, this is how was on that day too.

I did not know how to console my son; he was not ready to accept the truth, it is then that I whispered something in his ears and he gave me a disgusting look.

YOU ARE JUST IMPOSSIBLE, HOW CAN YOU DO THIS TO ME??? He yelled at me furiously.

“I did not think that it will end like this Flynn, am so sorry about it”.

Sorry?? You are saying Sorry after doing all this?? What’s wrong with you mom, how can you play such a horrible prank on me, how did you even think of it???This was the first time in 14 years that I have seen Flynn in such a state of anger.
He turned towards me after a minute’s silence, as if he had realized something and said; Wait a minute, but what about the medical report mom, please I beg you, Please tell me the truth, are you really ill or was it really a deadly prank? How can medical reports come if this was a prank? He kept questioning with a puzzled face.

Do you remember my doctor friend; I made him create them, I said ashamed of myself.

He left home without saying a word and did not turn up until late in night.

For many days starting then, he did not speak to me, nor did he maintain any eye contact, he did not forgive me for what I did on that day, and I could never forgive myself nor god for what happened.

“Bye mom, take care” were the only words he said before leaving for college.

I did not make any attempt to talk to him, to make things alright; I thought things should be left on their own.

20 days before:

It was a Friday evening; I was lost in my thoughts sitting in the lawn. My phone rang and I was surprised to see Flynn’s name flashing on it.

“Hey mom, are you at home?” He asked hurriedly.

“Yes Flynn” I said and he hung up saying “ok I am coming home in few minutes.”

Those “few minutes” were like a million years for me, they made me think a million things, I was afraid why he called me up and asked so, he did not even preferred talking to me while at home, what made him call and ask whether I were at home or not , I could not guess any possible reason. While I was in this entire dilemma, I heard his bike’s horn.

I rushed towards the door to see him, to feel assured that everything is alright.

A beautiful young girl was along with him; with just one sight I was sure that she is that “Miss Cute Girl”. And my heart started beating normally again!

“Hey mom, so she is…”

“Miss cute girl?” I said with a huge smile on my face.

They both looked beautiful together and Flynn was right, her eyes resembled mine.

That day I felt like the happiness came back in my life again. Flynn was normal; we had dinner together, they spoke to me about many things, about college, about their silly fights and so on. This day will always remain in my memory, for I have seen my son happy again.

It was like seeing the sunshine after prolonged days of just rain and rain.

Today:

I woke up early today and recorded a video of myself for Flynn to watch. After I was done I woke him up and told him that I had to immediately go out of the city on an urgent work.
He was worried “Is everything alright mom, Do you want me to come with you?

“No I will be fine, you go fresh up we will have breakfast together.” I said.

Before starting I gave him a very warm and tight hug, kissed his forehead and asked him to take care. He was surprised as I never treated him like that; I was always more like a friend to him than a mother.

I kept that CD of my recording under the pillow on his bed, I have no idea when he will watch it?, how he will react?, will he get angry?, will he ever forgive me for hiding the truth?, will he be alright?, thousand questions kept running in my heard, for which only the hope that “my son will understand” was the answer.

Dear Flynn, Thank you so much for coming in my life, without you my life would have been a journey where every path had just pain and suffering, you have filled it with the flowers of your innocent and unconditional love where in every turn I have found happiness and joy. Like every journey, mine has also come to an end now; I have reached my destination Flynn. The prank about my dying was not really a prank. I am really dying; the same thing which has killed my mother is killing me now. Whenever I think about my mother, all I remember is the pain and suffering she has gone through before her death, I struggle to remember the happy moments spent with her.
I do not want the same thing to happen with you Flynn, I want you to remember your mother like a prankster, like a friend who have always shared and doubled your happiness, that is why I am going away from your life now, I want to spend this final moments away from you so that you don’t see me suffering and dying and I don’t get to see you suffering from the pain of losing me.

Just like you came in my When I was alone, I have faith in god that he will not keep you alone and send someone who will take care of you and whose life you will make better, like you did mine. I sometimes feel that, that someone is the Miss cute girl.
I hope you will understand and be the same best prankster you are always. My absence should never stop you from your goals, from your dreams. Love you Flynn, Take care.

Author's Note

My First story. Your suggestions and feedback will help me improve.

Reviews

[Kenneth Parker Ancheta]

Criticism: The organization is a bit messy and slightly hard to follow. "Dear Flynn" was only seen in the title, nowhere else within the story.

Comments: Stories about family really have an effect on me, especially regarding mothers. I felt the emotion you placed into it and in all honestly, I almost cried even if I saw her death incoming. The descriptions, the wording, the events all fit perfectly into play in my opinion, it's compelling and the message was clearly shown, which all in all makes this beautifully done.

[Farha]

Thank you Kenneth!