The Sun, it Rises

A young girl, dying of cancer learns a valuable life lesson from her Grandfather.

The hospital room was still with only the distant sounds of the night staff going about their business in the corridor. Besides a faint glow from the monitor the room was immersed in the darkness of night.

“Are you awake?” the old man asked in a soft and soothing tone.

The young girl stirred in her bed and slowly opened her eyes, stretching her arms above her head as she let out a fragile yawn. Clumsily she pushed herself up into a sitting position and turned her gaze toward the old man sitting in the armchair beside her bed.
“I am now”, she replied, ever so grouchy.

The old man let out a soft and hearty chuckle and leaned forward in his seat. His face was illuminated by the faint glow in the room and a warming smile beamed across his face.

“Were you dreaming my dear?” he asked.

“I was”, the young girl nodded her head.

“What were you dreaming about?”

“You and Granny. We were playing cards in the garden like
we used to do. She was getting angry with you because
you kept winning every hand…just like always!” she said.

The old man laughed. “Ah yes…your dear Grandmother is
quite the sore loser, bless her soul. It sounds like a wonderful dream indeed.”

A brief moment of silence filled the room.

“Why is this happening to me Grampy?” the young girl whimpered, as tears began to form in her eyes.

At once the old man moved to the edge of his seat and leaned
over the bed, holding her hand in one, while tenderly wiping her tears away with the other.

“My little lady, it is happening and there is no because.
You have no reason to be afraid, nor should you be sad.
The brightest of lights are not bound to shine forever.
Perhaps your beauty and perfection are needed elsewhere. I beg of you, stop those tears at once.”

“But I don’t want to die! Why does it have to be me!?
This stupid cancer…I am scared Grampy…I don’t want to go away! I want to stay with mummy and daddy, I don’t want to be alone!”

The old man sat up straight and looked the young girl dead in the eyes.

“Now you listen to me young lady. Don’t you talk like that. You are not going anywhere! You will always be with your mother and father, just like your grandmother and I have always been with you! Were you not just playing cards with her? I seem to recall your granny getting her knickers all up in a twist as per usual!”

“But it was just a dream!” the young girl muttered.

“And who is to say that this is not ‘just’ another dream hmm?” the old man replied.

“Yea but!” -

“Yea buts live in the Zoo!” the old man interrupted.

“Now you listen to me and you listen good! You have lived a million lives and you have died a million deaths. You are apart of all that is and you are one with all that will ever be. You are afraid now, but before long you will remember that there is nothing to be scared of! You are beautiful, you are limitless and you are eternal. You are not going anywhere my dear, as you were nowhere but everywhere to begin with!”

“But that makes no sense Grampy…I don’t understand!” she cried.

“Of course it doesn’t make any sense my little lady, because you as you are are not supposed to understand. You do not need to focus on the truth, as you are busy doing what you were designed to do! Does a drop of water know why it hydrates? It does not though it hydrates all the same; just as your purity has brought light to all of those who encountered your perfect soul along the way �" do you see?”

“I…I think so…”, the young girl replied.

The old man grabbed the young girl by the hand once more and looked deep into her eyes and said: “The sun, it rises…and it is perfect. It brings light and warmth to all and then what happens?”

The young girl wiped a tear from her eye and cleared her throat.

“Then the sun sets and the moon comes out to play”

The old man nodded his head. “And then the moon comes out to play and brings light in the darkness. What happens next my dear?” he asked.

“The sun rises”, she replied.

“The sun, it does rise.” the old man smiled.

A beam of light filled the room and a middle aged nurse poked her head through the doorway. “Luna! You should be resting! Who are you talking to?”

“My Grampy” she replied.

The nurse smiled and said: “My dear child, but there is no one here; you are all on your own!”

“You are wrong”, she smiled. “Because I will never be alone.”

Author's Note

"A man whom learns from himself alone has a fool for a teacher."

Reviews

[Jack Wolfe]

I loved this little tale, it reminds me a story I once read call ‘Jesus lives there’ also about a dying boy, but the concept is the same, heart-warming, and genuine. I will pass this along. The only mild errors I came across were ‘Clumsily’ sat up. Avoid LY adverbs as they’re substitutes for weak verbs, and ‘Dead in the eyes’ easier to just say he looked her in the eyes, as ‘Dead in the Eyes’ is an overused cliché. Overall, a great read, thank you.