The
sun blazed down so the days were hot. If you were in a shaded area, the breeze
helped with the humidity. At nights the house was hot so the windows were left
open until the temperature went down. Lisa did not like the windows open
because bugs would sometime come in. Most nights, she was afraid to sleep. She
would lie quietly on her bed hoping her sister would fall asleep so she could close
the window. One night she closed it, her sister woke up and was angry. As she
proceeded to open the window she said, “Don’t ever close the window until I say
it is okay to do so!”
One
morning when Lisa woke up she felt a slight pain in one of her breasts. She looked
to see why she was in pain. There was a red, swollen lump the size of a quarter
on her breast. The first thing she thought was that she was bitten by a bug so
she took off her nightie and checked. She did not see any bugs so she checked on
her bed, but found nothing. Although she did not see any bugs she still felt
that she was bitten by one.
Fear
was setting into her heart and she wondered if she should tell her mother, but
she did not. She showered, dressed, had breakfast then went to school. During
class the lump was hurting and she suddenly felt a sharp pain. “Ouch,” She
said.
Although
she thought that no one heard, her friend —Susan, who was sitting in front of
her whispered, “Lisa, are you okay?”
“No.
I will tell you at recess.”
At
recess when she and Susan went outside she told her.
“What!
Why did you come to school? Your mother have to take you to the doctor.”
“I
think it was a bug that bit me, so I did not tell her.”
“When
you go home for lunch, tell her.” Susan said.
“Okay.”
Lisa told
her mother when she arrived home.
“When
did you notice this?” Joanne asked.
“This
morning,” Lisa said.
“Tell
you father when he gets home from work. Eat your lunch and go back to school.”
“Okay.”
“Did
you show your mother the lump?” Susan asked as they walked back to school.
I
told her about it, she said to tell my father, eat my lunch and go back to
school. She did not ask me to see it.”
“That
is not right. Every time you tell me about your mother and the way she treats
you, I feel that she is jealous of you.”
“Jealous!
Mothers don’t jealous their daughters.”
“Yes
they do! I could tell you stories, but this moment is about you and the lump. I
told my mother and she said that a lump in the breast is not something to take
lightly.” Lisa knew Susan was right and she became teary. “Oh Lisa, I’m sorry.
I did not mean to make you cry.”
“It’s
not you. I am scared~ I feel so alone~ I wish for a~ a bit of kindness~ from~
from my mother. Just a little reassurance~ that everything will be alright.” They stood
on the road for a little while then continued on the way to school.
Lisa
was anxious for school to over, but the time went slowly. When she arrived home
from school she anxiously waited on her father, but soon fell asleep. He came
in from work and found her sleeping on her bed.
“Lisa?”
Michael whispered hitting her gently on her foot.
“Yes
daddy,” She said.
“Your
mother told me you have a lump on one of your breasts?”
“Yes.”
“Do
you mind if I take a look at it?”
“No.” Lisa showed him the lump.
“Do
you mind if I touch it?”
“No.”
Michael
gently touched it and Lisa made a little face as though she felt pain so he
knew it was sensitive to the touch. He looked at his watch. “Get dressed. I am
going to take you to the doctor.”
Lisa
was scared, as she showered and dressed. They arrived at the doctor and after
examination he said that it was a cyst. He gave her medication and she had to
see him in ten days. When they arrived home her mother did not ask her anything.
Michael
made sure Lisa took the medication and he enquired how she was doing daily. The
second visit to the doctor the cyst had melted and she was healed.
