Eighteen

Eighteen

I wake up and my head feels like a sludge hammer hit me a thousand times. The lights are so bright, trying to focus is almost impossible with such a bad headache. The weight of my aching body is unbearable trying to move sending waves of dire pain throughout my entire body.  I close my eyes and feel so tired, the voices so distant calling me to come back. I’m so tired

The sounds of people, the beeps of some type of machine become distant. The feeling of someone touching me is almost gone. I look down and see my family all looking at my body and realize that I am no longer in my body, the force of the light is sucking me in. I wish I could say goodbye, then the vision of my family is almost gone. I feel youthful, with no more pain and see the beautiful eyes of my grandparents smiling at me and holding out their arms for me to follow them into the light. 

Turning eighteen has finally come, so many dreams are becoming a reality and I feel on top of the world. I look down at the table and see acceptances Into every university I applied for. My parents sitting at the kitchen table looking at them and smiling and looking up at me. 

“Jake”, my mom almost yelling!

“It’s here, the one you are waiting for, it just came in the mailbox an hour ago, open it!” She is standing up now with her hands over her mouth. Trying not to jump up and down. My dad, holding it trying to hand me the envelope.

“Come on son, your keeping us in suspense, what does McMaster have to offer bud.” Now his voice wavering trying to controls his emotions.

I reach for the letter, open it trying to keep my calm but my heart beat is beating out of my chest feeling like I have an elephant heart. I take a deep breath in, look at the papers. Then look at my parents. The paper falls to the floor and my mom is jumping up and down.

I put my hands to my face trying not to cry, my face is red, my heart beating even faster and said “ I’m accepted with a full scholarship”. My mom grabs me and gives me a huge hug and we dance around the kitchen, my dad gets up gives me a huge hug.

My mom now on the floor picking up the papers, so she can read them all, she has tears in her eyes. I was so proud of myself, hard work really pays off!  Smiling at my parents, I said “I have a few phone calls to make”!

My dad said “call my parents first then your friends, they know you had a few envelopes arrive today.”

“ Ok”, I said and turn to leave the kitchen. My mom, with her head down said to me “Jake, do know that my parents would be so proud of you, we all are.” I walked towards her and said thanks mom, and gave her a a hug. She passed me the papers and I walked out the room. 

That week was a blur… I mailed in my acceptance letter, ordered a hand corsage for my girlfriend for prom. I had to get fitted for a tuxedo for the prom. All at the same time studying for finals, my acceptance letter was all based on my marks being in the 90’s. School was never a problem for me, but the stakes are high. It’s exciting to know that within a few weeks I will be graduating, visiting the university to check out the dorms, and go on a tour of the school. Not to mention prom, my girlfriend and I have been dating for 3 years and she also got accepted to McMaster. Her plan is to be a high school teacher majoring in physics. My plan is to become a doctor and get my masters in biology. 

Graduation was amazing, with a lot of family and friends attending. I got a few bursaries and so did my girlfriend. The pictures, and hype was everything I expected and more. Our friends afterwards were going to have a few beers and plan for prom. My girlfriend was on the decorating committee( which meant so was I). I didn’t mind-after all it was our last change to be together as a class celebrating in one of the hotels in our area. My friends and I decided to rent a limo to go to the prom on our last year!I was getting excited because it was all a secret. 

The party afterward was going to be at a lake for seniors only. It was our chance to be alone, have a good time, have some beers and to say goodbye. For many of us after summer jobs most of us were going across the country to different places and schools. Some were going to universities, colleges, trade schools, and some starting jobs. Planning for the party also took some time. Tents, grub, firewood had to be all set to go for after prom. Most of us would be driving there and some others were getting dropped off. Keys would be collected by one of the parents and given back the next day. It was all set!

All of the parents congregated at the botanical gardens for pictures of us seniors in our tux’s and the girls in there ballroom gowns. All of the girls looked amazing and I felt on top of the world. Everyone was smiling, the parents were catching up with the other parents, secretly I didn’t want the pictures to end. It was so much fun! 

The dance was great, everyone went home to change gather there camping equipment and wait for rides out to the lake. My mom asking me if I had everything, including air mattress, towels, cook stove, utensils. I’m not sure if it was a mom thing but I didn’t really have time to answer but I was grateful she was going through a check list of her own because I forgot a towel and my solar panel to charge my phone. She reminded me that even though I was with friends, you might need a phone for an emergency. I agreed and found it. I gave her a hug and off I went to pick up Sarah, and a few other friends. The music was blasting and we managed to fit everything in the SUV!

It was dark when we got to the lake but setting up the tents was easy and went up rather quickly. The beers went down rather easily and tasted good. It felt good to relax after a very busy month at school. I looked around and smiled looking at my friends sitting around the fire telling stories, smiling , laughing and having a great time. We all cheered to each other that we will all be friends for life and swore to always keep in touch. And clanged the beers for another cheers to see each other at he bar at Christmas time. It was hard to believe that most of us would be of age at Christmas. 

One of the boys ran by running unto the lake and yelled cannon ball! Most of us had bathing suits on under our clothes and joined in. I decided I would be brave and climb up on to a high level to jump off. At the top I saluted all of my friends and they were chanting  “dive-dive!”

 I wasn’t the best diver, but I was feeling on top of the world and went for it! I looked down and saw a few rocks so I decided to make a  run for it. I have dove off this cliff before and new where the rocks were even in the dark!

I started to run towards the ledge and tripped. I couldn’t stop myself, I was over the edge.  It felt like slow motion, I could hear screaming, and splashing, then everything went black.