This is a lovely story that i consider you shoud read, its beautiful! EvenI cried while reading it
I'd like to dedicate this story to Lovebird3000 and Nora!
Thank you!
A Lonely Rose
What would you do if you saw a Rose? Would you give it to your mum on mothers' day? Would you hold this Rose as you walk down the aisle on your wedding day? Would you simply think Roses, and skip to thinking the band Guns n 'Roses?
My Rose that I saw isn't like those pleasant things mentioned, my Rose sits by my fathers grave as it sways side to side in the breeze, its petals red like blood as it sits next to my fathers graves stone, which engraves with:
Here lies
Hoagie P Gilligan
Jan 15th 1968 – Jun 22nd 2002
A loving and kind man whom everyone loved
Leaves his wife Betty and his two sons Hoagie and Tommy Gilligan, a rose from his heart
I read it through over and over again, 'A Rose' I read again. I looked at the Rose next to the gravestone, as it still dances in the breeze. That Rose, my Dad always said he loved Roses, as he said it reminds him of his childhood.
Dad told me once that a Rose reminds him of his times he used to go out with Mum. Both parents told me it was the best moments of their lives. They knew that they would be together till death. But Mum gave him a Rose on their first year of being together, and Dad always kept that Rose until it passed away. That was when Dad started to like Roses. He loved the pure red in them as it was Mums favourite colour.
I can still remember the old times whereMe and Dad would play together, from the little time we had. I once played football with him and he accidentally kicked the ball in my face really hard. My Dad once rushed to me as I kept wailing in pain and gave me a big Daddy to son cuddle. It felt warming and magical that I couldn't let go of him once. It was wonderful!
But I can remember the day that my Dad died, remembering the pain he went through and when I think about it, it's like feeling even more pain. I tell you what happened.
It was a Saturday a day when I and my family were going out on a special meal, it was the Gilligan's special outing day and we do this every single year. Its special to me, it reminds me the good time me and Dad had.
We went to this lovely restaurant called 'Le Soir' (A/N That's French for 'The Evening', I made up the restaurant) I had a nice salad with a few chips; well I was on a diet at the time, losing weight is really hard! Tommy had a nice spaghetti Bolognese with meatballs on top and my Mum had chicken with chips. My Dad had a beef burger with chips, and he helped himself with some of my chips I had left and he then snatched some of my Mums chicken she left. Then he had three puddings! Can you believe it! THREE! That's too much! I know what happens when you have too much fat!
I just wish I could rewind time and tell my Dad not to eat fatty things everyday. But it's too late for that now. I cry when I think about it.
We then left the restaurant and went to a pub. My Mum and Dad were chatting at a table drinking alcohol andMe and Tommy were drinking juice. That was when it happened.
Dad started to feel pain in his chest slightly, I looked at him, was he o.k.? I was thinking. I knew something was wrong, I could tell by his face.
"Is something wrong darling?" My Mum asked all concerned
"I'm fine" Dad replies, he didn't seem fine to me "just a sharp pain I feel sometimes"
That was when I knew something was wrong; feeling sharp pain in the chest was a sign of 'THAT', Oh Dad, why do you eat so much? I wish I could've warned you before! I wish, I wish, I WISH IT SO BADLY!
But then the pain started to get worse, the pain was driving Dad mad, he was clinching on his chest, with his face screwed up like a crying baby. My face was full of shock as I watch, Tommy starts screaming and Mum asks whether Dads alright in a worried voice. But then Dad collapses on the floor. There was silence for a moment, and then my Mum screams loudly.
I stand there not knowing what has happened, Dad collapsed. Then I screamed.
People start rushing towards us, asking 'what's happened!' Then they see my Dad on the floor with his mouth half open and his eyes closed like he was asleep.
An old man with a wrinkled face, wearing Scottish clothing kneels next to him and checks his pulse. He then turns to me and yells 'CALL AN AMBULANCE!'
I jump to it quickly, and run out side going to the nearest phone box I could find. I find one near the pub and rush into it, immediately picking up the phone and dialling 911 (A/N: 999 is the UK's emergency phone line) as fast as my fingers could take.
I put the phone to my ear hearing the phone on the other line going 'ring, ring' I wait………………………………………………………………………………………I keep waiting, worrying about my Dad laying there on the floor, not moving! Calling the Ambulance to take Dad away from me, I wait, and then I get an answer.
"Emergency service!" this voice of doom said in my ear! "Which do you require, Police, Ambulance or Fire fighters?"
"AMBULANCE" I shout so loudly practically the whole street heard
"What's your situation?" The voice of Doom asked
"Well it's my Dad!" I scream loudly in the phone "He's collapsed and he was clinching on his chest, and now he's not moving, he seems unconscious and I don't know what to do! And I am scared, please help!"
I could hear this voice of Doom sighing sorrowfully
"You did the right thing to call us!" The Voice of Doom said on my ear, though I wondered if I did "Give me your details and we'll be on our way as soon as we can!"
So I gave this Voice of Doom my details and told them where we were. Then I ran out the phone box and running as fast as my legs could carry them! I could hear faint siren noises as I ran, tears pouring through my goggles. But then I stopped and turned, I saw a Rose sitting there on its own, it reminded me of Dad, and so I ran to it quickly and picked it from its soil and placed it in my pocket. I then ran to the pub and saw more people trying to help my Dad, I cry. Then I see the Scottish man. He looks at me with his eyes all concerned.
"Did you…?" he asked me
"Yes!" I cried loudly "They're on their way"
The Scottish Man then got up and put his arms around my shoulders gently, I cried even more than I did. But I turn to him.
"Thank you" I say to him. Then I hug him for some strange reason "And thank everyone else who is trying their best to help!"
He then puts his arms around me and holds me tighter. It feels so comforting! And warming, I could keep hold of him forever for some unknown reason.
"Its o.k." he says to me in a whisper
I could hear the sirens getting louder, the Doctors of Doom coming to take my Dad away. Then there was silence of this sound, and then people from the hospital came into the pub carrying bags of first aid equipment.
"OUT THE WAY" They shout at the people around my Dad
They moved immediately, and the Doctors of Doom knelt down at my Dad and checked each his pulse.
"He has no pulse!" They cried
I froze
They then got this container which said oxygen on, they then put this mouth piece on my Dads mouth. I stand there watching all this. The Doctors then turned to my Mum who was in a hysterical mood!
"We need to take him hospital!" One of the Doctors cried "He's had a Heart Attack!"
Mums face, her face with fear, I could never forget it! Tommy clinched onto me like a baby.
"Is Dad going to be alright?" Tommy whispers worriedly in my ear as he sees the doctors rush out the pub.
Even I couldn't answer that one!
"I hope!" I cried as I too held on to him like a baby for their Mummy
We hold on together, hoping everything we'll be alright, my Mum comes rushing up to us and hugs us tight! She's crying more than I am! She's squeezing us like we were her new born babies, just entered into the light of the world.
"Is Dad going to be alright?" Tommy whispers worriedly to my Mum
Mums face was so pale; it looked like she couldn't answer that question either
"I don't know sweetheart" Mum cried in a shaky tone
Then the Doctors of Doom came back, with a small four wheeled bed. I watched as they lifted him onto the bed, his arms flung back wards. Us three stick together, but one of the doctors goes to Mum.
"Mrs Gilligan" He said "You and your children will have to come to the hospital with us!"
"Well I would do wouldn't I" She cried back in stress "He's my husband"
The Doctor didn't any thing; instead he turned and helped push the bed with my unconscious Dad on it. Mum walks behind them, and then me and Tommy follow them. We go into the Ambulance and sit in the back with Dad lying there.
I leaned towards him looking at his eyes, they were firmly shut, but I could hear his breathing, it wheezes badly. I cry a bit more as I touch his move less hand, holding it tight. I put my face towards his ear, and I whisper 'Everything's going to be alright Dad, you'll see' but it was too late to say that now.
Mums face was pale and fear. It was wet too. She had been crying, more than me! She's holding my Dads other hand and squeezing it tight, making her fingers go red. Tommy was buried under his cape he always carries, and I could hear him crying.
We stopped at the 'ClevelandHospital'. The Doctors took Dad out the couch and ran him inside the hospital. We followed behind them, we could hear them shouting to the people walking down the corridors 'EMERGENCY!' They took us to a ward called 'Surgery' they got Dad in and using everything they had they tried their best to pump up Dads heart again. One of the doctors turned to us
"You wait outside" he said "We will try all we can"
So we did wait, we waited for hours, wondering if Dad was going to be alright! My mind kept thinking, Your Dads going to die! And the devils are on their way! I clinched onto Mum and cried on her breasts silently.
"I hope Dad will live!" I cried on her "Please I hope!"
Mum cried some more, but then she hugged me and Tommy very tightly as she was protecting us from a murderer or something.
"I hope so too!" She cried more
"Will Dad come home?" Tommy asked crying
That was the question that struck me of them all. And even when I think of this, I sob loudly. Mum sighed
"I don't know dear!" Mum cried
We sat there holding on to each other, hoping and hoping so badly. But then the doctor came out of the room. This is it Hoagie, he's going to tell you he's passed away. I got ready to cry, awaiting this news he's going to tell me. We all stare at him awaiting to here him.
"Mrs Gilligan!" he said slowly "He has lived, he's conscious!"
I looked at him strangely, Tommy looked at him with his wide eyes in shock and Mum stood up cheering.
"He really is!" she cried "Let me see him!"
She rushed inside, we followed her in. We looked at Dad, just like the doctor said he was conscious, he looked at me and smiled. I can't believe it. Mum ran up to him and hugged him tightly.Me and Tommy ran up to him too, we flung our arms around him and hugged him tight!
"Whoa!" Dad cried "Steady on!"
"We thought you were going to die!" Tommy cried "We were scared!"
Dad then held us three tight! It felt nice to have Dad hugging us once more in his warm arms. I hug him more tightly than Mum and Tommy; I nearly choked him to death! I was that scared!
"I love you" I said to him
Dad then criedknowing that he was close to death. I hug him more than I let go. One of the doctors turned to Dad.
"You'll need to be in hospital for a while Mr Gilligan!" he said "Just to check up on you!"
"I want to go home!" Dad cried
"Darling it will be the best" Mum said giving him a kiss on the lips "Come on boys, we will see Daddy tomorrow"
Then I remember the Rose I picked from the ground, I pulled out of my pocket. It was still in good condition. I approached Dad and smiled at him.
"Here you are!" I said smiling as I handed it to Dad
The look on his face, full of surprise as I saw him take it, he looked at me and pulled me into a hug.
"Thank you son!" he said "It's beautiful!"
I smiled, he smiled, and it was the last smile I ever saw from him.
Mum gavethe doctors hercontact details just in case there was an emergency. Then we went out the surgery room.
We left the hospital and we started walking home. I hope Dad liked his Rose, it made my heart warm as I think about it. He seemed to like it. I did! It was beautiful!
We approached home and we opened the door. The phone started ringing, it ringed, as if it was waiting for us as we got in. Mum then went to the phone and picked it up and put it towards her ear.
"Hello?" she said
I stood there watching, Tommy looked at Mum too. Mums eyes then widened, her face was screwing up, and then tears began pouring down. But she kept the phone in her ear.
"Thank you" she said softly and put then phone.
Her face changed, she then cried loudly sitting on the sofa. My face started screwing up, so did Tommy's, I knew what had happened.
Me and Tommy went to Mum and hugged her tight, all crying together in pain! Mum turned to us, I couldn't see her eyes behind her glasses, but I knew her eyes were red.
"Daddy's gone!" Mum cried with her voice in pain "He had another heart attack as soon as we left! And he passed away from it!"
I cried I knew the doctors there tried their best; obviously that heart attack was more deadly than the first one! It killed him. We all cried together, just me, Mum and Tommy. One of our members of our family was gone.
And that was what happened. My Dad was gone! I cried slowly as I look at this Rose swaying in the breeze, pure redness.
I remember my Dads funeral, all his relatives were there, and it was full of sadness. It was a dark day; I said a last goodbye with a poem:
I have a Rose
Here to hand to you
The last thing you held
Before I left you
A Rose which is pure
A Rose which is red
A Rose to remember me
A Rose to remember you
For you was a son
You were a brother
But most importantly
You were mine and Tommy's father
Pure strength
Pure courage
Pure Wisdom
Will be left in the Rose I had given you
I knelt down looking at this Rose, its beautiful scent touched my nose, and the beauty of the colour touched my eyes, as I look at this dancing Rose.
"How many times have I seen you?" I whisper to it "I see you when I think about my Father"
I look, this Rose kept swaying side to side, but then, the Rose was dancing forwards and backwards, like it was talking…to me!
"Are you responding? I ask it
The Rose still sways forwards and backwards, like it was nodding at me! It must be talking to me!
"I know I am silly, but I don't know why I am talking to a Rose!" I say laughing
The Rose then sways side to side, as to say 'No?'
"No" I said in shock "Well who I am talking to?"
The Rose then dances strangely in the soil, I sit still thinking, but then I could hear someone calling
"HOAGIE" A personcalls at me
I turn and I see a female running towards me wearing a red hat and a blue and white dress, she was dark skinned, I smile at her, she smiles back.
"Hello Abby!" I cry back at her
I run up to her and smile. Abby smiles back
"How was your time with your Dad?" she asks me
"Very saddening, but still I was happy!" I reply sweetly
Abby giggled a little "You're so sweet, come on lets go back to the treehouse"
I walk with Abby, but I still wonder about the Rose which was talking to me! I think deeply about this Rose, maybe it wasn't a Rose I was talking to. Maybe it was something that wanted to spend the last few minutes with me. And I reckon I know who it was.
I hope you liked it, please give me your reviews, it would be really nice to let me know what you think!
Lovebird3000 and Nora: I hoped you enjoyed this story, i hope it gives you something to remember each other by