TheLizard Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 Kevin was born on a cold January night in a hospital on the poorer side of town. His first thought was “This doesn’t make any senseâ€. He was right, you know. It was nice where he came from. He was fed, he was warm, he had his own place. Now he was cold. He was hungry. It was bright. There were noises. There were smells. He was naked. Kevin had a lot of problems for somebody less than a minute old. Kevin looked around, adjusting to his new domain. He saw a lady. She looked nice. He knew that she had the ability to feed him. He didn’t know how he knew this, but he knew. Kevin didn’t know a lot of things. He didn’t know he was in a hospital. He didn’t know that there was a world outside the room he was in. He didn’t know about love and war and warmth and hate and family and poverty. He didn’t know that his father was a drug dealer who fled town the moment he found out his girlfriend was pregnant. Most importantly, he didn’t know that he had a hole in his aorta. Had Kevin somehow been aware of these things, he wouldn’t have cared anyway. All he knew was that he wanted to get to the lady. Apparently she wanted to get to him too, because she reached for him. She got him, too. He found the nourishment that she held within her body, and this made both of them happy. This was the first time Kevin knew what happy felt like. He was fifteen minutes old. After Kevin was full, he fell asleep. He dreamed of colors and sounds, which wouldn’t mean anything to you and me, but told him that he was not going back to where he came from, so he might as well get used to it. He woke up feeling more contented than he had when he first arrived. He looked up at the face of the lady, and she looked down at him. He loved her, and she loved in. This was the first time Kevin knew what love felt like. He was two and a half hours old. Kevin fell asleep again, and when he awoke, he was no longer with the lady he loved. He was in a bed and there were two different ladies (who both happened to be doctors, but of course there was no way Kevin knew that) in the room with him. One of the ladies had a nice face, and the other had an ugly face. The lady he loved was nowhere to be seen. “Is there anything we can do for him?†asked nice face. “Not here, we’d have to get him to the other side of town. By the time he got there, it would almost certainly be too late,†replied ugly face, sadly. “Poor thing,†lamented nice face. It could be that Kevin discerned the distressing nature of this conversation, or it could be that he missed the company of the lady he loved. Whatever the reason, Kevin began to cry. This was the first time Kevin knew what sadness felt like. He was four hours old. “Poor thing,†repeated nice face. Kevin slept once more, and when he woke up, he was back in the arms of the lady he loved. He was happy again. He had decided that this was a nice place to be, and that he really had no need to go back where he came from. He looked up at the lady he loved. She was crying. He didn’t know why she was crying, but it tore him apart. His face contorted into something that he hoped was comforting (he didn’t know it was called a smile), but this made her cry harder. This was the first time Kevin knew what concern felt like. He was five hours old. He lay in her arms, hoping she would become happy again, for what seemed like forever to him. But things were becoming different. There was darkness on the edge of his vision. He felt as if he was being pulled away, yet at the same time he was rooted to the spot. Breathing became a chore. His world became pain. When Kevin died, he was six and a half hours old. His last thought was “This doesn’t make any sense.†Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel2Velvet Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 You've been given a gift, my friend. You've an exceptional gift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLizard Posted February 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 Thank you. You have no idea how much I appreciate hearing that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweet Jane 61 Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 Yes Tim, Ron is right. I enjoy your writings. It's hard to express in words just what a gift it is to read them, thank you for sharing with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenacious_Peaches Posted February 24, 2008 Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 TimLizzy, I read this when you first posted it, but I couldn't comment until now. I got such a visceral reaction from this piece that I can't even formulate the words to talk about it. Of course anything about babies and motherhood is going to affect me, but this was so well-written that I can't even go back and read it again. That makes no sense, but it's true. I feel so fortunate that you share your talent with us, Tim. I'm proud to call you my friend, yo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky Posted February 24, 2008 Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 Tim, this is amazing. I can't describe the effect that reading this piece had on me. Great job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Posted February 26, 2008 Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 Very touching.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Baloni Posted February 26, 2008 Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 Every time I come to the creative writing section and see that there's a new post by you, i'm always excited to read it. Keep it up, man, this is really good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earth-Angel Posted February 26, 2008 Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 So sad and poignant and touching and revealing, I feel quite choked up. You do have a gift indeed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayzor Posted February 26, 2008 Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 TimLizzy, I've always thought of you as a gifted writer, but this one, far and away, is your greatest piece. Every time I read it I feel some sadness for the child. Exceptionally written! Don't ever stop sharing your talents with us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edna Posted February 27, 2008 Report Share Posted February 27, 2008 I never read this thread but... wow... This has touched me... You´re good, Tim... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Laurie_ Posted February 28, 2008 Report Share Posted February 28, 2008 Very, very good Tim...you absolutely do have a gift...keep writing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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