Celia

Celia by Emerald Woods

Doesn't she know what those drinks are doing to her body? She already has been hospitalized for alcohol poisoning and diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Doesn't she even care about herself anymore? She was the strongest woman i'd ever known growing up as a kid. She was always fit and healthy. She had a beautiful chestnut mane and glowing golden skin and she always wore bright floral dresses. We'd play hide and seek in the park for what felt like hours, end it with a large cone of strawberry and chocolate ice cream. she would pull me around in my favorite bright red wagon as she ran down the sidewalk. She was my best friend at the time.

Then that friendship slowly faded like the wisps of smoke she exhaled. She wanted to stay home more often and kept her bedroom door closed. As a kid, I could hear snorting sounds coming from behind her door. She'd make those sounds for a long time, then when she came out, it was like a whole different person arrived. Her eyes were red and she was always telling me that someone was taking our mail, the neighbors were against her, etc. I didn't know what was wrong with her at the time, but i was just glad she was out of her room. Then reality struck her like a bolt of lightning.

That day, I was in my room playing with my legos and trucks, when someone rang the doorbell. She went to answer it and then just started sobbing uncontrollably. I ran to see if she was okay, when I saw her lying on the floor, as two men in suits walked in the house. "We're from child protective services." one of them said. "You need to come with us, son." he said. "Harper, no! don't go with them! please!" She yelled, charging from the floor and reaching out to me. The other man grabbed her and held her back as she screamed and cried. The man picked me up and carried me outside to a car and that was the last time I saw her.

I spent the rest of my childhood living with my father and my mother. I hadn't heard from her in years. My Dad told me that she tried to break into the house and take me back, but she was arrested for breaking and entering. My dad constantly kept telling me that she wasn't worth looking for. He refused to update me on her case. My mother had always seemed apprehensive about talking about her and provided no information as well. Mom and Dad just urged me to keep living my life and try to forget about her. but i couldn't help but ponder for the rest of my teenage years, where she had gone. I missed her terribly. my parents just didn't understand how much she meant to me. She was the constant maternal parental figure that I had in my earliest years but now she was gone. But that didn't stop me from trying to find her.

After I moved out of my parents house at 25, I was able to find out where she was living through Facebook. Her address wasn't very far from my town, so I thank god I am finally able to see her again. I take two trains and catch an uber ride to the address I was given. The car stopped in front of what appeared to be an old church. The church stood alone in an empty lot filled with cars. the rest of the area seemed to lead into a forest. I unwillingly walk outside to the church. Maybe all this time she had finally turned to god and changed her life for the better. Maybe I would walk in and see her standing before a crowd, proudly preaching the words of god. Now was my moment to finally see what a great woman she had become. I swing open the church doors and walk upstairs.

To my confusion, I walked into a massive room filled with a few people sitting in the pews, turning to face me. Their eyes are shimmering with tears and they all wore black clothes. On the stage was a ornate dark red coffin, where She laid. "Nooooo!!!!! She can't be dead! She can't be!" people gawk as I rushed down the aisle to her. She now has wrinkles and her hair was completely grey. She laid still in her coffin as if she were asleep. but no matter how much I shook her, She wouldn't arise. "God, no! no! no!" My vision blurred with tears. "Excuse me, sir?" The priest spoke. "I am her nephew! I wasn't informed of her death!" i said. "We were close! I should have been told but no one sent me anything--" "Harper!" Someone from the crowd yelled.

I looked over see an old man hobbling towards me with sorrow in his baggy eyes. He puts a wrinkly hand on my shoulder and slowly pulls me outside. He brings me to a small bench and sits down. "You probably don't remember me, so i'll introduce myself. I'm Andrew. Andrew Wallace. I was your nextdoor neighbor for years while your aunt took care of you." "So, you remembered the times she took me out?" I ask. Andrew stares at me, bewilderment in his eyes. "What are you talking about?" I tell him about the times that I spent with my aunt. Andrew just shakes his head, sadly. "Harper, no. none of that happened." he says. my heart nearly stops beating. "what do you mean?" "so here goes.." Andrew begins.

Andrew spends what feels like an eternity explaining what actually happened. He explained that he was unemployed, so he was often at home. He tells me how my aunt actually neglected me for the whole time i stayed with her. She only made up those stories to my parents and coached me to give her nice reviews. He told me that I would go outside and bang on his door whenever I smelled food cooking. He would feed me, change me and let me play with his old legos set. "This can't be true! " I said, standing. My aunt was a loving woman, no matter what they say. What proof did they have that she was neglectful towards me? I asked them to provide me proof.

"I'm pretty sure you remember her smoking, right?" "Yes, she did smoke a lot." I said. I remembered how we drifted further apart the more she smoked. "She didn't take me to the park anymore after she became addicted." "I never saw her take you anywhere." He said. "Neither did I." An elderly woman said as she walked towards us. "I was your aunt's friend at the time. I took care of you more than she did." As she got closer, her features became more recognizable. She had the same chestnut hair which was now spotted with grey and golden skin. "You mean, you were the one that took me to the park and played with me when i was a kid?" "Yes. I'm Celia." she says. "Look at you, all grown up!" She says, hugging me. I embrace her frail body softly. "Your aunt convinced you that she was the one taking care of you, not me." "And I believed her." I said. Celia releases me and touches my face. " It's all right, dear. As a child, you didn't know what was going on." "But I do now." I said, pulling out my phone. "The first thing I need to do is thank you guys and my parents for protecting me as a child. I owe you my life." I said, tears falling down my face. Andrew and Celia smile. "We don't have to be blood related to be apart of a family." Andrew says. "We're glad you're safe now." Celia says.

The end