Her Final Moments | Completed

Mark

Mark POV

She was gone. It was official. She was gone.

It hit me hard that she had left me just like that. Was it my fault? I would question on a daily basis and still did. All we did that day was yoga and a little bit of light walking and jogging. Was it me that triggered it?

Shaking off the thought, I walked into Maya's room. Today, I was going to be going through her things. Our family had decided to leave her room as it was, but they allowed me to look through her things.

It took some time, but after doing the simple things, for example, looking at her bed and seeing if there was anything there, through her closet and clothes, I finally managed to get myself to look through her cabinets, desk and drawers. I sat at her desk and looked at what I wanted to see.

A simple picture sat at the edge of the desk. Picking it up, I smiled, looking at her ten-year-old smile. As I put the picture back, something fell from behind it. Picking it up, I found a letter.

Dear Mark,

I just found out why I was sick for so long. All the coughing and pain. You haven't come home yet, it's only three and you're still at your martial arts class, but I wish you were here. Since you won't be home for a while, I'll write this letter.

I don't know how to break the news to you. It's painful and I don't even know how I broke it to mom and dad. All I remember was being outside and having fun when suddenly I started to feel dizzy. My friends were around and noticed, but we kept fooling around. Suddenly, I felt a pain in my throat. It felt like I would throw up. Quickly, I stepped aside when it really got bad. That's when I saw it. Blood. It was scary, Mark, and I wish it were you who had helped me, I would've felt safer. But anyway, before I knew it, I was on the ground and then the hospital. Mom and dad had been called and they got there when I was awake and the news had been broken to me. It's tuberculosis, Mark. Can you believe it? Of all things, I've gotten tuberculosis.

Can you come home and comfort me now? Maybe not. You're such a studious boy, and so hard working. I can't imagine how worried you'll be when you find out. Boy, that'll break my heart.

I've decided that I'm not giving you this letter as I write. Maybe you'll find it someday, but for now, it'll stay hidden in my room. Because you won't see this, I'm going to pour my little 12-year-old heart into this.

Mark, you're such an amazing brother and I really don't know what I could do without you. We've gotten distant since I was 5 but you're still good to me nonetheless. I wish we were closer, but I guess I wasn't good enough to change that. You have your friends and I understand that, I have mine too. But why can't we be friends? We're siblings, but I wish we were so much closer. Maybe after the news is broken to you, we'll be closer? But I wish that it wouldn't be an illness that brought us together. I wish it was just us being siblings. But I can't have everything, and that's okay. I'm okay with just having you, you're enough for me.

Mark? I don't know if this weird. But I love you. Very much. You're the best brother anyone could ever ask for. Why am I blessed to have you? You deserve a better sister. One that isn't sick and dying. I'm sorry bro. I gotta be that person. I'm sick and dying and I'm sorry I couldn't stay healthier.

If I've died and you've found this, can you please do me a favour? Don't cry over my dead body. Don't hurt too much because of me, Mark. You meant the world to me and I guess I might have to you too, but please don't you dare mourn. I'm gone and you can't do anything about it, instead, celebrate, please. Celebrate my life. Celebrate us. Celebrate.

I'm sorry you just went through that message. I'm just a young, dumb and broke 12-year-old girl.

I love you dearly,
Maya