Months passed by and Eva's illness was rarely ever mentioned. Eva and
Kyogi still went to school. Eva's eighth birthday passed. Things were
completely normal. Then one day.
"Mama", Eva called as she walked down the stairs. "I don't feel very well all of a sudden."
Rain met her daughter at the bottom of the stairs. Eva's face was deathly pale. "Come on baby let's get you to the hospital", she said.
"Mama" Eva said softly as the drove towards the hospital. "Do you think that I'm going to die soon?"
"No baby of course not", Rain told her sounding more confident than she really was. "You can't die yet."
"Mama if I die before I see Daddy or Kei again will you tell them I wasn't afraid?" Eva asked her. "Be sure to tell Kei that Jesus was right there with me the whole time. I can feel him here now."
"Do you really believe that there is a God and that he is real?" Rain asked her.
"I do", was Eva's simple reply. "I know his son Jesus is right here in my heart. I can feel him there at all times. Even right now in one of me life's darkest moments he is here with me. He is my best friend."
Rain looked over at her daughter. "Can Jesus come and live inside my heart too?" she asked.
"Oh yes Mama!" Eva cried joyfully. "Jesus loves you so much he came and died for you so that all your sins could be forgiven. He wants nothing more than to call you one of his own." Eva led her mother in the same prayer that she had used with Kyogi. Rain had tears running down her face the whole time.
They were soon inside the hospital and Eva was made comfortable in a room in the children's ward. Rain sat in the waiting room waiting for Domon and Kyogi to come. They had gone shopping together that day for parts for the Gundam and several other things. Soon the two of them were rushing into the waiting room.
"Where is Eva?" Domon asked her. "Why did she have to come here? Is she all right? Do the doctors know what's wrong?"
"Domon slow down", Rain said soothingly. "Eva has a room in the children's ward. She passed out this morning after you and Kyogi left. They don't know what's wrong with her. The doctors are examining her now."
"Mama is Eva going to die?" Kyogi asked fearfully. "I don't want her to die yet."
"We don't know sweetheart", Rain told her son. "All we can to is pray that God will let us keep her with us for a little while longer."
"Oh, Mama did you become a Christian too?" Kyogi asked excitedly. Rain nodded her head and Kyogi threw his arms around her. "Now you're going to go to Heaven too!"
"Mrs. Kasshu you can go in and see your daughter now", a nurse called from the doorway of the room.
"Is it all right if my husband and son come too?" Rain asked the woman.
"All right, but just the three of you", the nurse told them.
Eva's room was actually pretty nice. The walls were painted a cheerful yellow. There was also a rug on the white tile of the same color. Eva lay there in the bed with her eyes closed. She appeared to be asleep. However when Domon, Rain, and Kyogi her eyes opened.
"Mama, Daddy, Kei I don't think I have a lot of time left", she whispered.
Domon dropped to his knees beside her bed. "Oh Eva, you're going to live", Domon told her hoarsely. "You can't die, not yet anyway. You're only eight-years-old. You have your whole life ahead of you."
"No Daddy, I don't", Eva told him sternly. "I know I'm dying. I'm not going to be here much longer. I think I've always known I wasn't going to grow up. I never played house or dolls like all of the other girls because those games are imagining what life will be like when you grow up. I suppose that in a subconscious way I always knew I wasn't going to grow up, get married, and have kids like almost everyone else."
"Well why don't we go and let you sleep?" Rain suggested. Kyogi walked up to his sister's bed gave her a hug. Domon and Rain both kissed her forehead and the three of them walked out. They went home and the dinner table never felt so empty when they all sat down.
"Mama", Eva called as she walked down the stairs. "I don't feel very well all of a sudden."
Rain met her daughter at the bottom of the stairs. Eva's face was deathly pale. "Come on baby let's get you to the hospital", she said.
"Mama" Eva said softly as the drove towards the hospital. "Do you think that I'm going to die soon?"
"No baby of course not", Rain told her sounding more confident than she really was. "You can't die yet."
"Mama if I die before I see Daddy or Kei again will you tell them I wasn't afraid?" Eva asked her. "Be sure to tell Kei that Jesus was right there with me the whole time. I can feel him here now."
"Do you really believe that there is a God and that he is real?" Rain asked her.
"I do", was Eva's simple reply. "I know his son Jesus is right here in my heart. I can feel him there at all times. Even right now in one of me life's darkest moments he is here with me. He is my best friend."
Rain looked over at her daughter. "Can Jesus come and live inside my heart too?" she asked.
"Oh yes Mama!" Eva cried joyfully. "Jesus loves you so much he came and died for you so that all your sins could be forgiven. He wants nothing more than to call you one of his own." Eva led her mother in the same prayer that she had used with Kyogi. Rain had tears running down her face the whole time.
They were soon inside the hospital and Eva was made comfortable in a room in the children's ward. Rain sat in the waiting room waiting for Domon and Kyogi to come. They had gone shopping together that day for parts for the Gundam and several other things. Soon the two of them were rushing into the waiting room.
"Where is Eva?" Domon asked her. "Why did she have to come here? Is she all right? Do the doctors know what's wrong?"
"Domon slow down", Rain said soothingly. "Eva has a room in the children's ward. She passed out this morning after you and Kyogi left. They don't know what's wrong with her. The doctors are examining her now."
"Mama is Eva going to die?" Kyogi asked fearfully. "I don't want her to die yet."
"We don't know sweetheart", Rain told her son. "All we can to is pray that God will let us keep her with us for a little while longer."
"Oh, Mama did you become a Christian too?" Kyogi asked excitedly. Rain nodded her head and Kyogi threw his arms around her. "Now you're going to go to Heaven too!"
"Mrs. Kasshu you can go in and see your daughter now", a nurse called from the doorway of the room.
"Is it all right if my husband and son come too?" Rain asked the woman.
"All right, but just the three of you", the nurse told them.
Eva's room was actually pretty nice. The walls were painted a cheerful yellow. There was also a rug on the white tile of the same color. Eva lay there in the bed with her eyes closed. She appeared to be asleep. However when Domon, Rain, and Kyogi her eyes opened.
"Mama, Daddy, Kei I don't think I have a lot of time left", she whispered.
Domon dropped to his knees beside her bed. "Oh Eva, you're going to live", Domon told her hoarsely. "You can't die, not yet anyway. You're only eight-years-old. You have your whole life ahead of you."
"No Daddy, I don't", Eva told him sternly. "I know I'm dying. I'm not going to be here much longer. I think I've always known I wasn't going to grow up. I never played house or dolls like all of the other girls because those games are imagining what life will be like when you grow up. I suppose that in a subconscious way I always knew I wasn't going to grow up, get married, and have kids like almost everyone else."
"Well why don't we go and let you sleep?" Rain suggested. Kyogi walked up to his sister's bed gave her a hug. Domon and Rain both kissed her forehead and the three of them walked out. They went home and the dinner table never felt so empty when they all sat down.
