Dad was upset when he saw me.
Mom was going to call him and Mom to tell
him to come as soon as possible.
Mom couldn’t stand it, but it was time for me
to face the music.
I had my college entrance in exactly one hour,
and the test center was a long way away.
I didn’t know what was going to happen.
He didn’t have his own ticket, and the ticket
of whoever had it wasn’t in the system.
It must have been an illegal ticket.
Then Dad realized.
He had lost a test center entrance ticket.
My heart dropped.
But just like that, the cop said he was done
here, and took Mikey away.
He didn’t say how he knew that Mikey’s
ticket was illegal.
I was out of time to worry, and had to head
straight to the test center!
I took the exams, got a good score, and got
an acceptance letter to Yale.
The principal and teachers were all very
supportive, and organized a party for me.
Just as I was getting ready to leave, Mom
came and grabbed me.
<
Mom was holding something behind her back.
“It’s you again! When will you be able to keep
the peace? Why do you have to keep stealing
other people’s property?”
It was Dad and Mom!
“You know what happened last time I saw
you! Don’t tell me you’re gonna cry about it
to Ashley again!”
“Please, don’t hit me! My health hasn’t been
very good these days, and if I get hurt or sick,
Ashley is gonna blame me!”
“You know, last time you got really lucky!
Your medical tests came back all clear! What
a waste.”
<
Mom then pulled out a piece of paper.
Mom took a deep breath.
“I want to tell everyone the truth. I wrote a
letter of consent, so that you and Mikey can
be together.”
She didn’t explain what she meant, but from
context alone, I could guess that what she
had there was consent for me to give him my
kidney.
“Mom, did you know that both Ashley and
Mikey have the same blood type, and that
Mikey has kidney failure?
“She may get into Yale, but it has nothing to
do with us!”
く
“You can say that!”
Mom looked around the room and said that.
After that, Mom reached out to me, and
wanted to hug me.
“Ashley, just give Mikey your kidney! You’re
still young, so one kidney will do, and it’s for
your own brother!”
I dodged past the hug.
Then she broke down crying.
Mom wanted me to know that Mikey was her
everything, and that if there was a problem
with Mikey, then she wouldn’t be able to live.
She wanted me to save her life.
<
“If you’re not gonna cooperate, what else am
I gonna do? I have two hands! I’ll just force
you into it! Don’t blame me!
“When you’re on the operation table, it’ll be
too late to regret things!”
Mom was shaking with fear.
But I didn’t say anything.
Everyone in the room had an expression of
disbelief on their faces.
What was going to happen?
I didn’t want this to happen.
I took a deep breath.
“My kidneys aren’t worth as much to Yale as
my medical bills would be!”
L
I said that to Mom, and she got even more
frustrated.
When the principal and teachers found out
that I was done with the process of giving
Mikey a kidney, there was a party for me.
The head of the teacher’s staff even gave me
a gift!
Before leaving school, I went to the hospital.
Dad was pacing around the room, looking
tired and anxious.
Mom came over and hugged me, apologizing
for the incident at school.
They had been kicked out of the parent-
teacher association and all parent–teacher
“I know, I shouldn’t have said those things,
but Mikey really needs a kidney! You’re his
older sister! Shouldn’t you be looking after
him?”
“I know. I was wrong. I promise I won’t do it
again. Please, save Mikey!”
I nodded silently.
She wiped away her tears and went back to
Dad.
They sat down in the waiting room, staring
into space.
I watched them for a few minutes, then went
into Mikey’s room.
He was sleeping peacefully.
I looked at him for a few seconds, then left
the hospital.
I spent one last night in my apartment, then
went to the airport and flew to New Haven.
A few weeks later, they came by.
They apologized for their actions and wanted
to start fresh.
I felt it was too late for all of that.
But I gave it a shot.
I took them out to dinner, and things were
going well.
I was going back to finish packing after, and
go to the dormitories.
I got my medical bills and got in the elevator,
At that moment, a black car crashed into the
elevator!
The car then accelerated, and crashed
through the wall!
And I died again.
When I opened my eyes, I was in the doctor’s
office.
But I was in my older body, and I had been
having an examination because of some issue
with my ovaries.
A tumor had grown in them.
Then a doctor took over.
“As it turns out, your ovaries were actually
replaced. And then the kidneys of another
person who was recently announced to be
dead were used. It looks as if this hospital
made a mistake, because your kidneys
weren’t actually in terminal condition.”
The doctor felt bad for doing it.
“The problem is that even though your
kidneys were completely replaced, they came
from a body that was already old and not in
that good of shape. Since you’re getting
close to the end, it’s probably best to live it
up.”
Those words shocked me.
く
“There is one option for you. We can remove
the tumor from your ovaries, but you’ll have
to deal with some side effects, and you won’t
live for more than ten years.”
Even if I had been given new kidneys, it would
have been over soon.
And here I was, in a terrible state, and with
only one option.
What was I supposed to do?
I went outside.
The day was bright and sunny.
That was my last chance.
There was no next time for me.
I had to make a decision, here and now.
The sun was so bright, it was too warm.
