Never Enough

• Adele Stegink, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2019

“No! No, you can’t go! Don’t leave me!” Anna felt her heart shatter as she listened to her Grandma’s rapidly decreasing breaths. Her old face was wrinkled, mostly from smiling, and her fingers were shaky and cold to the touch. Anna knew, deep inside her, that her Grandmother wasn’t going to make it but, on the outside, she still held out hope. “Anna…” the frail old lady rasped, “You are such a fine, brave young soul. You shall do splendid without me.” Anna shook her head in disbelief. Her and her Grandmother had shared such a close bond… how could she say that? But Anna stayed silent as she prayed that her words were true. With a final sigh, Granny lay still and silent on her rickety old bed. Still, Anna held on to her bony fingers, salty tears streaming down her face rapidly. “Goodbye, Granny,” she whispered quietly, regret showing clearly in her eyes. She stroked Granny’s face as a mother might do to comfort a child then teared herself away from her dear old relative, although it felt like she was being ripped in two. Outside of Granny’s small, hidden cottage deep in the woods, her Mother stood, anxiously waiting. At Anna’s gloomy mood, she needed no explanation. “Oh, Anna...” she whispered quietly, clearly trying to stay strong for her daughter. As her comforting mother opened her arms wide, Anna fell in to them with a sob. She was aware that her mother already knew what had happened, but still she told her all about it. About how Granny had said she’d be fine without her and about how that was NOT true. About how she had tried to convince her one last time to go to the hospital, where she would have a chance of seeing another day. But the old lady had refused, being stubborn as she often was and saying that she wanted to leave this wonderful world surrounded by wonderful, familiar things, instead of being in the unknown country of the hospital. And her mum listened the whole time, never interrupting and always understanding as her child blurted out all her worries and fears. Until there was no more to tell, and without any words to fill her mouth, the girl collapsed again in to the two arms that had took her so far, from helping her walk, to now, comforting her as she faced unbearable losses like this. And with no more words to hear, the truth of what had happened finally sunk in to the child of the lost soul. So, they cried together, mother and daughter. Clouds opened their mouths and let out their tears with them, until a steady drizzle was forming. The two people, both feeling helpless and dazed, started the long trek home in the foul, dreary weather. They both knew, though, that nothing would ever be the same without their beloved relative; Grandmother to one and Mother to another.