Big Book '98ASHES
by Maymun Mohamed
My mother's name is Gwyneth, but everyone calls her Gwyn, even her students. She's a drama teacher at a university not far from our house. My dad is an author. He says he is, but he has never actually had any of his work published. Right now, he writes a column in a local newspaper every week.
Mum is in a cancer hostel. It's a place for cancer patients. Unlike a hospital, you don't have a chance. All the doctors keep telling us there is a tiny chance she might survive, but I know and they know, there is no chance at all.
I go to see mum everyday after school and she is usually eating, or going for a walk. Even though there is a beautiful view of the beach from mum's room, it doesn't make it a happy place. The walls are shaded with a light pink colour and the bed sheets are a baby blue. All the nurses wear casual clothes, because you don't get a lot of medication, just morphine and other painkillers. There's a 17 year old girl staying at the hostel. Her name is Alley, she is beyond wild. She has gotten in a lot of trouble in the last few months. Her mother tries to control her, but even with the cancer she doesn't listen.
One time I went to see her and she was going out of the window. I asked her where she was going and she said "To the pub." I had to convince her to stay for a long time.
On Saturdays I usually get up late and have breakfast, then go to see mum, but today when I was going down the corridor, I heard cries. They were coming from Alley's room . I found Alley's mum and her sister there. I knew what had happened to Alley. She died and they were already moving someone else in. I totally forgot to go in and see mum. But when I did, I noticed a bucket on the floor. Mum had been vomiting.
That night I asked dad where mum was going to be buried. I knew it was a horrible question to ask, but it just blurted out. He told me the Bridgefield Cemetry where her mother lay.
A week later, mum died and we had the funeral the day after. It was not what I expected. No-one cried and everyone just said things like "How are you?" and "It will be alright." I decided not to mourn, because I came to terms with mum dying when she was diagnosed. So I went to school the next week. Everyone tried their best to be nice and I appreciated that a lot.