Kelly-Ann ° This is our thing

Kelly-Ann & James

© Kaiji
Today, I was going to work at the hospital. I love to go there. Not because of all the blood and the illness, but because I have a chance to give back. I was born a wealthy men, with everything given on a golden plate. But I thought it was not fair. As soon as I could, I started to give back. At first, I could only give some of the money my dad gave me, but with time, I started working for charity compagny, and I felt it was just what I needed to do. That's how I met Kerry-Ann. I was spending a year in Africa, helping poor children and building school. She was with her mother and we became friends right away. I was waiting for her in front of the hospital. Most of the time, we work together and we talk between the rooms. I talk to her about everything, and I think I know most of her life too. She's one of my closest friend. I saw her approching the hospital and I smiled. This afternoon's gonna be a good one.

I hated Christmas. I hated everything which was about the New Year or these parties, because I was so far of my family. My father was dead, my mother worked in New-Zeeland where she was treating the poor and the rest of my family was in Russia. Well… that’s what I thought few months ago. Because I learned recently that I had a half-sister who was studying here, at Harvard like me. I found her, but she didn’t really seem to want to know me. And there was Anastasyia, my cousin. Even after the bomb attack, I wanted to move: all the classes were cancelled for almost one month and I couldn’t go home to Russia. So I decided to go to the hospital like I usually did almost one time a month. I had to join James, a Quincy friend of mine who worked as a volunteer like me there. I smiled while I saw him, and I kissed his cheek, “Thanks god you are alright!” I said, watching him. “I was afraid you were badly wounded with that crazy bastard of the last week…” Fortunately, I only had a broken arm. When I thought there were people who died because of him...

Kelly-Ann & James

© Kaiji
I have to say, I feel relieved to see Kelly-Ann. She doesn't seem to have been too badly injured. Obviously, she had her arm broken or something like that, but other than that, she seems okay. She kiss me on the check and I smile. She's relieved that I'm okay and I laught a bit. Beeing me, I have to do a stupid joke. I don't want to change too much because of everything that happend. I want to still be able to do bad jokes with my friends and to enjoy my life. "Oh, you say that because you haven't see me walking. I look like I'm a hundred years old. And I forbide you to laugh! " I wink at her, to show her that I'm jocking. I don't complain about myself. I know I was lucky, I saw enough people badly injure or worst, dead, that day to be happy with my bad leg. " The good thing is that I won't have to do too much to entertain the children today... Ready to go to work? "

I was much occupied with my half-sister who had been very touched by this fucking bomb these last few days. I had been very afraid for her, but now that I knew she will be alright, I was more… relieved. Yes, it was the exact word. Relieved. Of course, James couldn’t resist making a good joke to beginning the afternoon. It was good to see him joking, which meant he was not in a deep depression or something like that since the explosion. There were so many people who lost a friend, or a member of his family in this attack. "Oh, you say that because you haven't see me walking. I look like I'm a hundred years old. And I forbide you to laugh! " I bit my lip, trying to don’t laugh too much, shaking my head, “You will never change !”, I said before finally laughing. " The good thing is that I won't have to do too much to entertain the children today... Ready to go to work? " I shook my head a second time and I took his arm to enter in the hall of the hospital. A Nurse came to show us where to go, explaining that the children heard about the bomb and they were very anxious these days. I looked at my friend, a little nervous, “What will we say to them if they ask us question about that? We are supposed to make them smile, not cry !”

Kelly-Ann & James

© Kaiji
I saw that Kelly-Ann was trying not to laugh at me. I was happy to see that she's okay, that she's still able to laugh at my stupid jokes. What life would be like if you're not able to laugh any more? “You will never change !”. And we enter the hospital. As usual, a nurse shows us where we have to work for the day and she explains that the children are anxious after the bomb. Yeah, maybe they won't be too excited about my leg... I'm not the only one to be worry, I can tell as I look at Kelly-Ann. “What will we say to them if they ask us question about that? We are supposed to make them smile, not cry !” " We can talk about how people help each other after the bomb, how people who were lighty touch took time to help the other one. Let's try to show them some hope and not the darkness of the whole thing " I was also a bit anxious, as I saw many people dead or badly injured that day. But we cannot lie to the children, so it would be for the best to only tell them the "good" part of this event. I took Kelly's hand to see if she's okay "Ready to start?

I felt myself suddenly very stupid to panic for something like that: I used to take care of people who had very poor life, in Asia, Africa or even in Europe, so how could I panic? I knew exactly what to do to make them smile, and the thing was to avoid the subject. " We can talk about how people help each other after the bomb, how people who were lighty touch took time to help the other one. Let's try to show them some hope and not the darkness of the whole thing " I shook my head, trying to smile to my friend. “You’re right…sorry I don’t know why I panicked like that…” I took a deep breath and James took my hand, asking me "Ready to start? I made a new smile to my friend and I tightened his hand in mine, “Ready captain!” I said before walking in the corridor. A nurse came and told us to go on the cancer stage, where some children were waiting our visit. We get upstairs rapidly to enter in the service, and I looked at my friend, “So, what can we do ?”

Kelly-Ann & James

© Kaiji
I can see that Kelly is still very affected by the bomb, that it's not easy for her to talk about it. It's the same for me, I don't like to talk about it, even to think about it. I know I have to thank Joleen because she took care of me but I don't want to because it will remind me of all the bad things that happend that day. “You’re right…sorry I don’t know why I panicked like that…”. I smiled at her. It's not easy to deal with all the emotions that you feel after such a dramatic event. We all need time to heal and to deal with those emotions. “Ready captain!” So we go to the service where we are going to work this afternoon. Cancer stage, not an easy one. Most of the children stay there for a long time. So, what can we do ?” I smiled at Kelly before making a joke. "Me? I'm just gonna be me, as I'm fabulous, but you may have to work a bit, you know... I smiled at her and looked around to see if we can have something to help. "I don't know, sometimes they want stories, sometimes they want to draw, I think we just have to go and ask them, or you have a better idea?"