Ever since I could remember, there has always been this specific book in my Granny's basement that she always told me sternly never to open. When I would ask her why, she always gave me the same answer. "Some books are better left up to the imagination." Whatever that meant. This book always intrigued me. It had this feeling of calm; a sense of tranquility.
Because my Granny was very adamant about me not opening this book, I always obeyed her and after awhile, stopped asking about it.
...
Today was just like any other day. I wake up at 6:00AM, take a shower, brush my teeth, put on my blue polo shirt and Khakis, and drive to work. Work was the same as always. Nothing is really special being a Pharmacy cashier.
Being the age that I am, I feel like I am not as far ahead in life as other's are or as far as I should be. Many of the people I went to High school with are graduating college, starting their new professional jobs, moving into new homes, and just moving on with their lives in general while I sit here being a cashier. It's not like I did not want to go to college, I really did and I got accepted into my dream college but due to Granny's declining health, I chose to move to a different state to help Granny.
Granny lived 3 hours away from my mom's house in a different state. I have always loved going to her house for the Holidays. Now that I am older, I visit her whenever I can. But, 3 months ago, I came to visit her since I had time and that is when my whole life changed.
When I come to Granny's house in the country side, I always yell, "Granny I'm here!" and she will always reply, "hey sweetie come on in, I am in the basement." But this time it was different. This time I called for her but no answer which never happened before. I immediately call for her again but again no answer. My mind goes straight to the worst scenario; death. I see that her basement door is wide open, I fist my hands and proceed walking slowly down the stairs into the dimly lit room. My heart sinks once I get down to the second to last step and look to the left. There she is, lying face down on the cold cemented basement floor next to her collection of thousands of books on a shelf. I run to her and shake her calling out for her. I place her head on my lap as I try to wake her up. I check her pulse on her wrist and there is still a pulse, faint but there. Granny mumbles something to me, something that is inaudible.
"Granny! I can't hear you, say it again!" I yell still trying to wake her up more. She says nothing but then I notice something in her hand. A book. The book with the sunflower on it. The book she tells me never to open. Why is it in her hand? Why is she clutching it so tightly even after fainting?
Why am I even asking these questions, I need to get her to the hospital as soon as possible. The one thing I hate about the country side is that all of the essential buildings like hospitals, police stations, and grocery stores are far away. Another is reception is not the best at her house but it never bothered me because I just read all day. I know there's a way to get reception but it means leaving her alone in her basement again which I do not want to do but I need to get her to a hospital right now.
"Sorry Granny, I'll be right back I promise you! Please try to stay awake! I'm getting help", I grab a blanket out of a box next to us, fold it up like a pillow and gently place her head on it. "I promise I'll be right back!", I run up the stairs, through her kitchen, out the back door and run for almost 15 minutes to the nearest small corner store in which they have the best reception in the area...even though it's only 2 bars.
Out of breathe, I dial 911 on my phone.
"Hello, 911, what is your emergency?", a female voice can be heard on the phone.
"Hi, yes my name is - is Kapri and I live at 5400 Evergarden lane, it's my Granny! My Granny, she's fainted and unresponsive, please send an ambulance as soon as possible please!", I reply.
"Ma'am I need you to calm down okay? Are you with her now?"
"No ma'am, there's no signal at the house so I had to leave her to call you guys!"
"Okay, what I need you to do is go back to her now and keep an eye on her until paramedics come."
"Okay, how long will it be? Please hurry!"
"Paramedics are on their way now, unfortunately, the closest paramedics are about 35 minutes away but-"
"Oh no that is way too long, any others closer?! Please ma'am she's unconscious!"
"We are doing the best we can, please return to your grandmother and wait until paramedics arrive."
"Okay okay, thank you for your help.", I hang up the phone and begin running down the dirt road back to Granny's house to be back at her side while the paramedics arrive. About 5-6 minutes on the run back to her house, something catches my eyes. A single sunflower, about 4 feet tall off to the side. Weird, I thought. I think I would have seen that sunflower on the way to the store but I don't recall. It was so out of place, so unique, I wanted to pluck it, everything in me wanted to uproot it from the ground and take it home with me for some reason. In the midst of almost uprooting it, my Granny came to mind and the book with the sunflower on it crossed my mind.
"What am I doing?!", I said aloud to myself. Granny's in pain and unconscious on the cold floor and here I am worried about a flower on the side of the road. What was that though? Why did it feel like my body was moving on it's on? I continue running to Granny's house with the thought of the sunflower still on my mind.
"Granny! I'm back!", I yell out to her hoping that she will reply like she always does but again, no response. I run down the stairs of the basement and see her still laying on the ground with her eyes closed but I can spot the movement of her chest moving up and down. It gives me a sense of peace, only for a second. I run next to her and use the sleeve of my hoodie to wipe the sweat from her forehead.
"They're coming Granny, I called the paramedics and they are on their way, please hold out until they arrive.", I say to her hoping to get some type of response. Still nothing. Noticing her shiver, I tuck her in with the blanket and moved her head onto my lap while we wait for any type of help to arrive.
Still in her hand is the sunflower book.
"Paramedics are here! Where are you located?!", a voice from upstairs breaks the silence of what seemed to last forever.
"We are in the basement, go through the kitchen and go down the steps on your right! We are here!", I reply to the voice upstairs.
A group of 3 people, two men, one woman, comes down the stairs in a hurry, asks me a few questions, felt Granny's pulse, and lifted her onto a blue stretcher. They proceed up the creaking stairs and walk towards the small ambulance. The entire time, I am gripping Granny's hand while her other hand is still holding the sunflower book.
One of the men paramedics tries to take the book out of Granny's hand but to no prevail. He looks at me with a confused look and tries again. No budge.
"Can you grab the book please?", he asks me.
I nod my head and tries to grab the book out of Granny's hand but just like before, she never let it go. I try again a little harder and she loosens her grip on the book. By this time, they are lifting her up into the ambulance. Upon lifting the front of the stretcher into the ambulance, she loses her grip and the book falls to the ground. I pick it, and immediately a strange feeling overtakes me, like lightening shooting through my body. I drop the book in shock and it falls wide open, showing the pages of the forbidden book Granny told me never to touch and also the same book Granny put her last strength into holding on.
I look down at the open book. It's empty. The book is empty. No words, no pictures, just the decaying brown pages. I pick it back up and the lightening feeling comes back. I quickly close the book and hold it underneath my armpit as I climb into the ambulance holding Granny's hand.
That was the day my life changed forever.