Chapter Eight: Hopes and Wishes

Hope-to have a wish to get or do something or for something to happen or be true, especially something that seems possible or likely.

Wish-to have a strong feeling of wanting something to happen or wanting to have something, especially something seems unlikely or against the odds.

My grandma called me earlier that day. Our conversation went about like this.
Me: “Hello?”

Her: “Andrew, is that you?”

Me: “Yes.”

Her. “It’s your Grandma.”

Me: “I know.”

Her: “Did you know hope and wish are two completely different things?”

Me: “I don’t guess.” (around there I was wandering why she was even calling about this)

Her: “Do you want to know?”

Me: “Uh, I guess.” And then she told me the meanings of hope and wish. Before she hung up she said to me, “I hope to see you soon. I wish that Tibby gets better.” She thinks it’s possible I’ll see her soon. She thinks it’s unlikely Tibby will get better. Is that what she called me for? To give me some ‘Meaning of Life’ speech? To tell me my sister was going to die? What kind of grandma was she?

Mom stared at me when I walked into Tibby’s hospital room. “What?” I asked quietly--Tibby was sleeping.

Her eyes filled with tears. “This is it, Andrew. The doctor told me while you were gone. She’s….she’s close to the….” Mom‘s tears began to fall. “the end.” She managed.

I was shocked at first. I had to take it all in. One word at a time, one sentence at a time. This is it, Andrew. The doctor told me while you were gone. She’s close to the end. I let it all go, and started sobbing.

Alex and Dad had came back from the house now, and where looking from mom to me, curiously. Tibby woke up and waved me over with her hand, slowly.

“She told you, didn’t she?” Tibby asked softly. I acted like I didn’t know what she was talking about. After she was staring at me for a few minutes, I nodded out of guilt.

***

It was night, and somehow I had snuck it after visiting hours.

“Where do you think you’ll be? After…” I didn’t finish my sentence, but it seemed to finish itself.

Tibby smiled at me and replied, “A little piece of heaven..."