I walked into the hospital room, hearing my Aunt humming her favorite song, I gave her a big hug.
“Aunt Sophia you look dashing today,” I said and smiled.
“Oh yes Tracy, I figured if I want to get better quickly I’d need to start acting the part,” she smiled exposing her fine set of white teeth.
“I totally agree with you,” I smiled back.
“You know your wedding is in a few days and I just want to be fine before your big day, there’s no way your favorite Aunt is going to miss your big day, not a chance!” she said.
“I love you Aunt Sophia and I am so happy to see you all chatty again,” I said grinning from ear to ear.
“I love you too my darling and I can’t wait to see you walk down the aisle with your Prince Charming,” she replied with a smile.
“Okay Aunty, I have to run now, see you in a bit,” I gave her one last hug before dashing out of the room.
“Bye my princess,” she called out.
My fiancé Mike took me to the bridal shop where I had to do my last fitting.
“You look amazing my darling,” Mike said the moment I walked out with my wedding gown.
“Are you sure about that? it’s not too tight or too loose yeah?” I asked.
“You look like the perfect princess that you are,” he winked at me.
“I always look like a princess, when do I get to look like a Queen huh?” I feigned annoyance.
“Queen, Princess, Duchess, they all sound the same to me, and you are all to me my darling and I love you,” he said whilst planting kisses all over my face.
“Michael Raymond Anderson! Leave me this instance” I yelled.
“Ohh No, I can’t, do you want me to die?”
I burst out into laughter and Mike didn’t hesitate to tickle me to make it worse.
We were interrupted by the sound of my phone.
“Babe hold on, my phone is ringing,” I said whilst trying to catch my breath.
“Babe!” I yelled and wiggled my way out of his grip.
“Hello, Mum!” I said excitedly.
“Tracy, where are you?” My mum asked softly.
“Mum, what’s wrong?” I asked alarmed.
“Tracy…”
“Yes Mum, what’s wrong? What’s happening? Talk to me.” I asked, concern laced in my voice.
“Tracy can you come to the hospital”, I heard as she took a sharp breath.
“Mum talk to me, what’s happening, is something wrong with Aunt Sophia?”
“Tracy your Aunt Sophia has gone to be with the Lord”, I heard my Mum burst into tears.
“She has gone to be with the Lord? What does that mean? Like she is dead? Mum, Aunt Sophia is dead?! I screamed dropping my phone.
“Hello, Hello,” I could hear my Mum’s voice but I was too shocked to move my body.
“Babe? What happened? What’s wrong with Aunt Sophia? I heard Mike ask but I was too shocked to talk. I lost my voice, I was visibly shaking and my heart felt like it was about to burst any minute.
Mike raised my chin and saw the answer he was looking for in my eyes, he drew me into a big hug and that was my cue to let the floodgates out.
I cried and cried to the point that my stomach began to hurt badly and I had no tears left in my tearbank and all the while Mike kept rubbing my back.
With fear and tremor, I woke up from my sleep, gasping for breath like I had run a marathon. Drenched in sweat, I sat frozen on my bed.
“Blood of Jesus! God forbid! I screamed.
“Thank you Lord that it was all a dream”, I said feeling a bit better.
I immediately reached out for my phone to call my Mum to know how my Aunt was doing but all I could see on my phone was 10 missed calls and I almost had a panic attack.
“Lord please, save Aunt Sophia,” I said before calling my mother. I held my breath while the phone rang because I was so scared to my stomach.
“Tracy?” I heard my Mum call out softly.
“Yes Mum, how’s Aunt Sophia? I said shakily.
“Tracy your Aunt Sophia is dead,” my Mum let out.
Suddenly time stopped or so I thought, my chest tightened and I could literally hear my heart pounding. I couldn’t believe my dream had come to pass, my Aunt Sophia was really dead, she was gone and was never coming back. I let out a loud scream “No ooooo!”
With shaky hands, I held myself together and cried bitterly, Aunt Sophia was my second Mum, and living without her would be so difficult.
Still, in disbelief, I remembered my dream and it did hit me that my last memorable moment with my Aunt was in my dream, realizing this broke me even more.
All images are mine except otherwise stated.
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