The Warm Summer Breeze

The warm summer breeze blew the tall grass for miles, Lily was finally home.

“Don't forget about your appointment tomorrow Lily, I'll be back in the morning to pick you up” said Jahlil after softly kissing me on the forehead and leaving. Jahlil has been my friend since birth, always by my side in times of need and has helped me guide me down the path of life. Today was my last day home before my organ transplant surgery. No one warns you in your youthful 20’s that every drink counts, and after 40 more years your body will eventually give up on you. Shortly after Jahlil left, I showered and slowly brushed away my barely brown and now grey hair, but as I brushed I couldn't help but feel like I was brushing my life away, like every stray hair was a symbol of the years of my life fleeting away, and every knot being the rough times where I wouldn't have imagined making it to this age. Before laying down I tucked my journal away under my warm cotton pillows and made sure to leave my yellow jewelry box out for my granddaughter Kiya to pick up in the afternoon along with the rest of her things.

In the middle of the night something woke me up out of my sleep. Suddenly I felt a feeling of being comfortable yet anxious, so I sat up and cut my night light on. Usually I'd give it a couple minutes, maybe check my bedroom widows to make sure there still locked and return to bed but this was different, the feeling grew stronger every second until I noticed the sheets coming untucked from the grip unknowingly I had on the bed. Feeling uneasy still, I grabbed my phone and gave Jahlil a call explaining how I felt. “ Maybe you're just feeling uneasy about tomorrow, it's a big surgery so it's understandable but I still think you should go investigate to make sure everything is alright” he said, annoyed but still comforting, so i eventually gathered the courage to get up, but still keeping Jahlil on the phone for moral support. Throughout a careful search of the house it was apparent that nothing was out of place or messed with, but I still couldn't shake that feeling. As I got to the front door to jiggle the handle to make sure it was locked, to my surprise I looked down to see my hand unlocking the door. “Jahlil, I'm really starting to freak out '' I said, whispering and checking my surroundings. “Your just paranoid Lily, just promise to be careful and don't do anything stupid, Ill be on my way in a few minutes” . After the reassurance of him coming I started to feel more comfortable yet curious about this feeling I was getting. I sat there for a second wondering if I should open the door or stay put but the closer my fingers got to the doorknob the warmer the feeling got, until I finally swung the door open and stepped outside, until everything went black.

“Welcome home” said a voice as so soft it couldn't cut through warm butter, it was Jahlil, I quickly opened my eyes but to my surprise I wasn’t in my home anymore or the hospital, but yet a never ending valley, brightened by the soft glow of lily flowers and beautiful trees with small yellow flowers carrying the scent of my favorite perfume.

The warm summer breeze blew the tall grass for miles, Lily was finally home.

The end.