End of the Old

Jay swiped the sheet beside her with her hand, feeling the cool slick fabric while wishing it was her normal, soft blanket from home. But can she call that normal? Was that even her home? She had to be grateful though. She wouldn't even have her blanket if it weren't for the missionaries, the same ones who are paying for her treatment.

Jay is from a poor village in Nigeria. Exactly 6 months and 22 days ago, American missionaries came to her small village and told them about their God. The one who created this world and loves each and every one of us no matter what.

Most of us rejected the idea because if a god who created us and loved us unconditionally really existed, then why would he let us suffer in poverty? Why would he allow our ancestors to be ripped away to serve brutal masters? And those masters came from the same place these missionaries did. Why would anybody trust THEM?

That's when the Americans told us about their afterlife in heaven. How we would only suffer in our lifetime if we served the Lord. Once we served him, unlike our ancestors masters, we would be rewarded in paradise. Everyone we loved who served before us would be there waiting at the golden gates of heaven, where God welcomed every body with open arms, Regardless of money, beauty, or race!

The missionaries then explained that they would set up a church in our village, a place to serve God so we could join him in paradise. They would also help improve our lives on earth the best they could. After hearing the last sentence the village calmed down and accepted their help, their religion? Not so much. At least until they heard the preaching everyday of their perfect Lord. People began unlocking their hearts and allowing God into their lives. It started with the children.

But exactly 1 month later an outbreak of malaria hit causing many, including Jay, to fall Ill. The missionaries gave whatever money they could to get us treatment. It saved everyone! Everyone except Jay. After just 2 weeks of recovery, it relapsed much worse than the first time.

That brings us to now. Jay has been in the hospital for exactly 5 months and 18 days now. The hospital had become her new normal, her new home. She couldn't even remember what her village looked like. Though that could be the confusion's falt. Just the other day she had mistaken her older sister for her mother! Sister looks more like father than mother.

Jay suddenly got a normal chill but it was the beginning of the end. She started shivering uncontrollably but sweat profusely, in an instant her bed was dripping wet. The heart monitor next to her went out of control as her heart tried to break through her chest. Nurses and doctors came rushing in and tried to talk to her, but Jay couldn't tell what they were saying.

Jay clutched her stomach as her entire dinner came back up for another round. Many of the nurses stepped back while others tried to clean her up but it was no use, she just kept gaging and vomiting up her stomach acid. Jay felt like she had swallowed lava! She started to hyperventilate and it got hard to breath. Her chest tightened painfully as she gulped for air, but instead just gaged more.

"AGGHH!" Jay screamed as a nurse hit her on the back of the head with a sledge hammer. Jay barely turned around to look at the culprit but no one was there! Did anyone actually hit her? Jay was so confused as her head erupted in pain and her body convulsed again. [Is this how it will all end!?] Her head was throbbing but she managed to reach back for any amount of information on who she was or who her family was, but instead remembered what the missionaries had said about death. She would go to paradise with God.

Jay gave up fighting it and excepted her death. She stopped hyperventilating and just layed down while holding her head with one hand and her stomach with the other. She made eye contact with her horrified mother who had just entered the room, smiled, and closed her eyes. She exhailed softly and then stopped shaking. Her arms fell limp and the heart monitor stopped moving, it just slowly let out one continuously long beep as her mother fell to her knees next to Jay's bed.

Jay layed in darkness for awhile. She assumed there was a journey to the skies or something and just decided to wait. She simply curled up next to the warmth radiating from beside her. A loud noise followed by screeching startled her, was she not dead after all? She tried to open her eyes but an excruciating pain arose, much like her heache from before. Jay backed into a corner and wondered what was going on!?