Read Online Ways to Live Forever by Sally Nicholls - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sally Nicholls
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Something secret.
I felt better after Mickey had gone. I sat in my chair looking at Felix, scuffing the soles of my trainers across the floor. It was quiet. Nice. Just the two of us.
“I wish you’d hurry up and wake up,” I said. I knew he wasn’t going to, really, but I still said it.
And then he opened his eyes.
He was looking right at me. I stared at him. I didn’t know what to do. I thought maybe I should shout for Mickey, but I couldn’t move. It was like he wanted me to do something, or say something, and I didn’t know what.
“It’s all right,” I said.
He kept on looking. Then, suddenly, he smiled. More than smiled. He grinned , a big, wide, face-splitting grin. He looked so pleased that I found myself smiling back, without meaning to.
And then his eyes closed and his body relaxed.
I sat there on my black plastic hospital chair, by the bed, next to him. I knew I ought to go and get Mickey or a nurse or someone, but I didn’t. I just sat there, quiet and close beside him, until they all came back.
WHAT IS DYING ?
Death: The final cessation of vital functions in an organism; the ending of life.
The Concise Oxford Dictionary , Ninth Edition
When someone dies it means their body no longer works. Their heart stops beating, they no longer need to eat or sleep and they do not have any pain. They do not need their bodies any longer (which is good because their body doesn’t work). Because dead people do not need their bodies we can no longer see them like we used to do before they died.
Children and Death by Danai Papadatou and
Costas Papadatos
ALONE IN THE NIGHT
6th February
I didn’t sleep much the night Felix died. I felt very, very tired, but I didn’t sleep. I stayed awake and listened. I listened to the central heating making noises. I listened to the rain pattering on the roof. I followed the familiar shapes of the shadows and tried to remember what each one was. That was my notice board, stuck up with all my cards. That was a laundry basket, full of clothes waiting to be put away. I lay awake and tried to breathe it in and save it up somewhere where I would remember it always.
Very late at night, I heard footsteps creaking down the stairs and my door opened. It was Ella. She was holding her big stuffed elephant and crying. I sat up in bed and looked at her. She didn’t say anything. I think she was half asleep still. She padded over to the bed and sort of patted me, as if making sure I was still there. Then she climbed into bed beside me, wrapped her arms round the elephant and closed her eyes.
She’s never done anything like that before.
I lay for a while pressed up against the wall, feeling her cold toes against my leg and the soft warmth of her body through her pyjamas. Then something seemed to relax inside me, and I closed my eyes and slept.
MUM
8th February
I stayed in bed the next day. I wrote and wrote and wrote. I didn’t get up. Outside was grey and cold and full of rain. Annie came in the morning, but Mrs Willis didn’t. Mum kept putting her head round the door and saying, “Are you all right?” or “Don’t you want something to eat?”
I felt strange and heavy and not quite there. My bones were hurting again.
Mum kept looking like she wanted to say something and then not. I didn’t want to talk to her. I didn’t know what to say.
I could see she had been crying. Her face was red and watery and full of tears.
That evening, she came and sat by my bed.
“Sam. . .” she said. “Sam, do you think you could eat something? For me?”
I shook my head. My insides were all churned up, as if I was on a ship that wouldn’t stay still, as if the whole world was a ship, rocking and swaying in a storm. Mum nodded once or twice. She took a deep, shuddering breath.
“Maybe you could have some milkshake. . .”
She went away and made me some milkshake. I held the glass,
Something secret.
I felt better after Mickey had gone. I sat in my chair looking at Felix, scuffing the soles of my trainers across the floor. It was quiet. Nice. Just the two of us.
“I wish you’d hurry up and wake up,” I said. I knew he wasn’t going to, really, but I still said it.
And then he opened his eyes.
He was looking right at me. I stared at him. I didn’t know what to do. I thought maybe I should shout for Mickey, but I couldn’t move. It was like he wanted me to do something, or say something, and I didn’t know what.
“It’s all right,” I said.
He kept on looking. Then, suddenly, he smiled. More than smiled. He grinned , a big, wide, face-splitting grin. He looked so pleased that I found myself smiling back, without meaning to.
And then his eyes closed and his body relaxed.
I sat there on my black plastic hospital chair, by the bed, next to him. I knew I ought to go and get Mickey or a nurse or someone, but I didn’t. I just sat there, quiet and close beside him, until they all came back.
WHAT IS DYING ?
Death: The final cessation of vital functions in an organism; the ending of life.
The Concise Oxford Dictionary , Ninth Edition
When someone dies it means their body no longer works. Their heart stops beating, they no longer need to eat or sleep and they do not have any pain. They do not need their bodies any longer (which is good because their body doesn’t work). Because dead people do not need their bodies we can no longer see them like we used to do before they died.
Children and Death by Danai Papadatou and
Costas Papadatos
ALONE IN THE NIGHT
6th February
I didn’t sleep much the night Felix died. I felt very, very tired, but I didn’t sleep. I stayed awake and listened. I listened to the central heating making noises. I listened to the rain pattering on the roof. I followed the familiar shapes of the shadows and tried to remember what each one was. That was my notice board, stuck up with all my cards. That was a laundry basket, full of clothes waiting to be put away. I lay awake and tried to breathe it in and save it up somewhere where I would remember it always.
Very late at night, I heard footsteps creaking down the stairs and my door opened. It was Ella. She was holding her big stuffed elephant and crying. I sat up in bed and looked at her. She didn’t say anything. I think she was half asleep still. She padded over to the bed and sort of patted me, as if making sure I was still there. Then she climbed into bed beside me, wrapped her arms round the elephant and closed her eyes.
She’s never done anything like that before.
I lay for a while pressed up against the wall, feeling her cold toes against my leg and the soft warmth of her body through her pyjamas. Then something seemed to relax inside me, and I closed my eyes and slept.
MUM
8th February
I stayed in bed the next day. I wrote and wrote and wrote. I didn’t get up. Outside was grey and cold and full of rain. Annie came in the morning, but Mrs Willis didn’t. Mum kept putting her head round the door and saying, “Are you all right?” or “Don’t you want something to eat?”
I felt strange and heavy and not quite there. My bones were hurting again.
Mum kept looking like she wanted to say something and then not. I didn’t want to talk to her. I didn’t know what to say.
I could see she had been crying. Her face was red and watery and full of tears.
That evening, she came and sat by my bed.
“Sam. . .” she said. “Sam, do you think you could eat something? For me?”
I shook my head. My insides were all churned up, as if I was on a ship that wouldn’t stay still, as if the whole world was a ship, rocking and swaying in a storm. Mum nodded once or twice. She took a deep, shuddering breath.
“Maybe you could have some milkshake. . .”
She went away and made me some milkshake. I held the glass,
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