Page 19 - Reason To Sing by Kelita Haverland

Chapter Two

much faster than its entrance, WHOOSH! … the casket
rockets us through the ceiling.
I am shaking my head and flailing my arms, desperately
trying to break out of this deadly prison. All I see is darkness.
Nothingness. Only black. Am I dead?
The sound of my own screams wakes me. Frantically
kicking off the covers, I sit up. A cold sweat sends shivers to
my pounding heart. It is beating wildly, as if I am being chased.
I catch my breath in ragged gulps and slowly let out a huge
sigh of relief.
It’s just that same old awful nightmare. It’s just Grandma,
coming back to haunt me. What a terrible way to remember
her. Why can’t I just remember the yummy sugar cookies
she gave us? Or her big squishy body with lumpy rolls of fat,
hugging me?
When Grandma died, my little sister, Vian, and I were at
the funeral. They made us look at her lying in her coffin. We
didn’t want to look at her dead body, but we had no choice. I
was already 6 but Vian was only 3, so it was pretty scary.
Sometimes I have another nightmare. It’s scary too. But
that one is with Jesus. I can see his long dark hair, sandals and
white flowing robes. He slowly walks toward me with his arms
reaching out. He looks so handsome. Like that picture. The one
that’s in the little white church where Grandma and Grandpa
used to go. I am standing close to the edge of a very tall cliff.
I take baby steps backwards, as Jesus comes closer. And then
a little closer. I keep stepping back, one foot behind the other,
unsure of what is happening. Jesus gets closer and closer. One
more step. Two more steps. Three steps then I lose my balance
and I tumble backwards over the edge of the cliff. I howl with
terror as my body crashes. But I always wake up just before
hitting the ground.

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