January 24: Flash Fiction Challenge – She’s Made Whole Again
January 24: Flash Fiction Challenge
It was my nephew Enoch’s wedding on January 19, 2019. Mercy, Will, Autumn, Lynton and I traveled to Hong Kong to share his joyous beginning journey of marriage. We arrived on January 12. Three days later, I got a message from sister #12 Yolanda, the mother-in-law to be, letting me know that sister #8 Canty was in the hospital. Later that day, Canty’s son messaged me that his mom had liver inflammation and hydrocephalus, congestive heart failure.
Sister #13 Queenie was also traveling from Los Angeles to Hong Kong to attend the wedding. I had scheduled the visit of Canty as soon as Queenie arrived.
On the 17th, the third day of being in the hospital, Canty’s condition made a sharp decline at noon. We all rushed to the hospital by taxi. She was unconscious when we were by her bedside. We took turns to massage her head and hands, speaking to her. She seemed to hear us as the muscles of the forehead gradually relaxed.
Queenie arrived in that early evening and made her way to the hospital. By that time, the monitor couldn’t detect the blood pressure. The doctor said she was on 100% oxygen and received mediation to sustain her heart. Her breathing and heartbeat were artificial for some hours.
After Queenie spoke to her, I went close to the bed and saw the blood coming out of her nose. I got the attention of the nurse. The nurse couldn’t stop the bleeding and informed us that, “It’s time.” Before the nurse closed the drape around her bed, I saw the blood gushing out of her nostrils.
~ ~ ~
Canty was a Ballroom Dance instructor in her early years. She continued to be active in dancing. She participated in the Dance Championship on November 4, 2018 and received an award. She posted some photos on social media (She was dressed in purple). I messaged her on January 4, 2019, saying I wanted to see her dancing. She sent me the video clip of her Championship dancing. I said, “See you next week.”
It was saddened to say good-bye to her within two weeks of sharing her thrilling moments. Her birthday is coming up on February 16, and her funeral service will be commenced on that day.
R.I.P. my beautiful sister. We will meet again!
She’s Made Whole Again
“Greetings!”
“Oh! It’s strange. I heard my sons, daughters-in-law, brothers, sisters and niece.”
“Yes, they came to see you.”
“My sisters and niece from the US?”
“Yes.”
“They said they loved me, Jesus loved me, and God loved me.”
“They still do.”
“There was an avalanche inside me. My sister called the nurse, said I was bleeding.”
“Your organs collapsed. The blood gushed out of your nose.”
“But… I look fine. I feel like dancing as I did for the Championship on November 4, 2018.”
“You’re made whole again. Come with me to enter the gate of eternal wholeness.”
The Showers of Blessings 
Great reead thanks
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dear one, I am so sorry-I know your sister is dancing now, but loss is hard on those left. I am very thankful, that you got to see her. love Michele
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Thank you, Michele. Yes, we all are thankful to be there and let her know that we love here.
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What an intense mix of feeling and emotions. So sad for your loss. The wedding must have been most beautiful!
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Yes, the wedding was absolutely beautiful. My nephew is the same age as my daughter. Many wonderful stories to tell about them. The wedding was a marathon of 20-hours ordeal, combination of traditional and modern Chinese wedding!
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Wow! You probably needed a week to recover!! Looked like a lot of fun!
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Yes, a week is about right, Dwight. I arrived last Friday and started to be back on my sleeping schedule two nights ago.
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Tears for your loss, dear Miriam. Just know I send you love and healing so you can find peace. ❤️❤️❤️
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Thank you so much for your words of comfort. I just have to remember that she is no longer in pain or suffering. ❤ 🙂
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So true. She is always in your heart. ❤️
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Yes, thank you, we’re connected in a special way. ❤
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Hi Miriam!
So sorry to hear about your loss. I can comprehend with you. Losing sibbling is like losing a limb. My condolences to you my dear friend.
You were lucky to be at her bed side at the time she bid goodbye. As I was with my brother. The pain though keep us killing but the hope to reunite keep us going. Please take care of yourself.
Your sister was a real Angel who kept going dancing, and living life with winning strides. May she rest in peace.
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Thank you so much, Meenakshi. I thought of you a lot and identify with your pain for so when my sister passed away. She and I grew up together, walking to school on the streets when it was safe.
I was shocked of the timing – she was gone not too early, not too late, but just right at the time when all the family gathered for the wedding and had a chance to say goodbye to her.
I watched her video of Tai Chi also and even tried to learn to do it. I admire her talents. Yes, she can dancing forever now.
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What a loving tribute to your sister (she looks beautiful in purple) and a deep testament to your faith. Yes, she is made whole again and you will meet her again. Such a large family – life is always a mixture of sorrow and joy. You have found the joy in all.
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Thank you, Norah. Yes, my mom gave birth to 13 children but only 7 made it. In traditional Chinese, we addressed siblings by their birthday order. I guess they don’t do it any more.
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It sounds as if you had a close relationship with your siblings. I have a Vietnamese friend who has Anglicised her name. However she told me that in Vietnamese they also address siblings by their birth order. They do that in their family still, but not with other friends (I think).
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Chines language has specific words to address the family members, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins so you can tell whether they are on mom’s side or dad’s side. It also tells the relationship between the speaker (younger or older) and the one being addressed.
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It’s a fascinating tradition, Miriam. It would save a lot of the explaining that we need to do with our relationships sometimes. 🙂
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Miriam, I’m so sad to hear your news about your sister and yet rejoice with you that she is made whole again. Perhaps we are all broken for this one purpose. She is so beautiful in her purple (and rose) dresses. A dancer still! What a blessing that so many of you could be at her side. Your post and flash are beautiful tributes.
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Thank you very much, Charli. Moments like this evoke extra emotion in writing the tribute to her. I’m glad to be back to do the flash.
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Writing can be useful for processing and remembering.
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Yes, I write the best when my heart hurts the most. What a way to be in touch with our feelings!!
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I’m so sorry to read about your sister. A lovely fiction story surrounding the sadness.
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Thank you so much for reading and kind words. We were glad to have the chance to say good bye. She had a fun life.
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Sorry to hear about your sister, Miriam.i’m sure those last memories you’d never forget.
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Thank you so much, Nahla. Yes, they are precious moments.
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as this is a “fiction” post do not know if condolences are in order
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Thank you very much, Michael. The narrative is true and the 99 words part is fiction. I often anchor the fiction on some of the true stories.
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Our sympathy for your loss. It is never easy. Does writing help?
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Thank you so much, Michael. Writing is the best tool to sort through feelings. It loosens the knots when I find the right words to describe how I feel!! 🙂
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I am sorry for your loss. So sad indeed. Please take care.
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Thank you very much, Garfield. She might have ill for a while but the liver inflammation had flue like symptoms and she was treated as having a flu!!
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Most importantly is no prolinged suffering. May she rest in peace and is now pain free
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Thank you, Garfield. Only the truth is our comfort!
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I am so sorry for your loss Miriam, but I am so glad you had that special time with her before she made her final journey.
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Thank you very much, Brigid. Yes, we all felt thankful to be there to be close to her and say good-bye to her.
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So sorry to learn about your loss, Miriam. Being there to say goodbye does help the grieving process. You wrote this beautifully.
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Thank you so much, Jacqueline. Yes, being there helps a lot, especially we messaged each other so recently and I was expecting to see her. I would have felt terrible had I not been there. Thank you for your kind words.
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So sorry for your loss! This was really heartbreaking 😔 believing in Canty’s story however, will really help with dealing the pain.
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Thank you so much, Madhura! When my son-in-law’s mom passed away, she told me of the angel’s 3 visits – one visit was when I was with her, although I couldn’t see the angel. I left her two days before the angel came back to take her – she told me exactly when she would be going HOME. I do believe that the angel came to receive my sister.
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Oh M – this is awesome – well not awesome that she passed like that – and I am so sorry about the loss and the way you shared it gave us a connection
And then to use the fiction to give us a glimpse of heaven – ahhhh and dancing in heaven is truly what she’d be doing – when my aunt Maxine passed away I imagined her dancing up there – just sensed it in my spirit – whereas others who have passed on well I think they’d like the banquets and mansions and no more tears /
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Thank you, Yvette for your kind words.
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Xxoo
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❤ ❤
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Oh, Miriam, I am so sorry. You wrote beautifully from Canty’s perspective. She is in a glorious place and you will meet again one day. Many blessings, my friend. ❤️🙏
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Thank you, Dorinda. Yes, I was told that hearing is the last thing to go. She couldn’t see or feel, but she could hear, so I wrote about what she could have heard before passing. ❤ ❤
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Yes, that is my understanding also. It’s why they always tell you to talk to the person. I’m sure she knew you were there with her. ❤️❤️
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I always did to my dying family members but didn’t know this fact until lately. It’s good to know they can hear. ❤ ❤
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❤ ❤ ❤
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🙂 ❤ xox
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Beautiful story from Canty’s perspective. I am sorry for your loss.
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Thank you, Frank. She is in a better place with no pain and suffering!
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I am so sorry for your loss, Miriam. It was lovely you could be there to say goodbye. Your flash is emotional and lovely.
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Thank you very much, Robbie. I was glad to be there to say good-bye.
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