Category : Stories

Sub Category : Historical Fiction

I really wanted to get my license so I can drive. I got the drivers handbook, so I can studying. I also found on the Internet a practice test for to get my G1 license. I did that practice test mostly. I did it so many times until I had it memorized. Then came the day that I went in to write the test. I didn't make an appointment. I just went in, talked to the person there and wrote it. It was all multiple choice questions and it wasn't that hard either. Most of the questions on there were also on the practice test and some were just common sense. Well, I got all together two questions wrong. One on one page and one on the other. So, I got my G1, and I was so happy. I signed up for young drivers Canada, in which they really helped a lot. During that year for Christmas, my mother bought me a guitar, which I wanted one for a while. My mother signed me up to take guitar lessons at Long and Maquade. A few years later, I got my G2 license, in which took me two times to get it, because the first time, I knew I was going to fail. I had a feeling, because of the way the instructor was. She seemed like she was not in a good mood. One instructor guy outside told her at the car window, "Don't let it happen again". "I won't, she said". I don't know exactly what that was about but I was a tiny bit nervous. However, I went a few months later, got someone else and I passed. So, I got my G2 license, I was volunteering at Peekaboo Childcare and the Ymca. Yes, I also volunteered at the YMCA, in the stay and play, where parents drop off their kids and then go and work out or something. I remember, I was walking to my guitar lesson and they were having a barbeque outside the YMCA and someone saw my with my guitar. They asked me if I can play and sing, so of course I said yes, but after my guitar lesson, and I did.  After that, I started volunteering at the YMCA on Saturday mornings in the stay and play.  I took my guitar with me to Peekaboo and the Ymca and sing to and with the children there. I even allow the children to touch my guitar and strum it.  I took guitar lessons, but only for a few years because my driving classes were on the same day and I needed to concentrate on, wait for this, COLLEGE. That's right, I applied and registered to go to Conestoga College for the ECE apprenticeship program. It's an ECE course but in the evenings. It was still new at the college. My mother would drive me or I would get a ride from someone, but before I got my G2 license. After that I would borrow my mothers car sometimes, that is until I got my G license she bought a new car and gave me her old one, but I'll talk about that later. College was good, but also a bit difficult at times. I registered with the disability office. I got a tutor to help me once a week. I had to take child development classes, preschool learning environment classes, etc. I failed some classes once or twice,but instead of quitting and giving up I was determined to retake the classes that I failed in and pass. I was allowed to redo the classes to.   Luckily, I had good tutors to help me understand the content of the work, as well as the placement papers, explaining what it's saying of what I do and if I did it and write down what I did.   At times, the paper work I found was difficult, hard to understand the wording of what I'm supposed to do. It was frustrating at times, but my tutor helped me to understand it, reword it for me so that I understand it better. However, no matter how difficult it was, I never gave up, although I thought about it sometimes. My mother and I  went to Florida one more time in the summer. I was able to drive in the states this time, because I finally got my G license, which is my full license, which surprisingly I got on the first try on the road test. Although, I've been driving to school and back for a while, so that helped. Anyways, it was fun driving to Florida, though in some spots or states that went through, my mother didn't want me to drive in. When we got back back from Florida, I went back to College and took another class again. The following year, in the summer last, my mother and I saw Brian Wilson in concert at the center in the square. However, before the concert, I bought two tickets for my mother and I to see  the Celtic Thunder Dancers, which was a couple weeks after the Brian Wilson concert. The Brian Wilson concert was awesome and so was the Celtic Thunder Dancers. During that summer, my mother told me something that I'll never forget and I'll tell you later why I'll never forget it. She said that when she dies, she wants the song, "Peace in the valley ", by Elvis Presley to be played at her funeral. She also told me that she is going for surgery sometime the next year. She didn't tell me exactly what for though. I said to her, "Mama, your not going to die for a long time. In December of that year, which was 2011, we had Christmas at my mother's house, which was for the last time, because she told us that she is selling the house. She was actually thinking of moving into the same apartment building that I was in. However, she already told me and my brother. So, it was no surprise to us, but the rest of our family the ones who were there and some of her friends. It was kinda sad that she sold the house, because I grew up in that house since I was a baby. The house is only one month older than me. A lot of memories in that house, good and bad, happy and sad. However, the house with the backyard was a bit big for my mother. It was just my mother and her one dog, Archie, because we had to put Freddy down a few years earlier.  My mother sold her house to a very nice couple that were going to get married soon and were looking for a house. My mother got an apartment, the same one I was in, but a couple floors higher. She wasn't too thrilled to be up that high on the 15th floor, but she was happy that she would be closer to me. However, she wasn't able to move in until a certain day later in March. The nice couple that bought the house from my mother let her keep her belongings in a certain spot in the house, like the basement or garage until she was able to move in. On February 28, 2012, my mother and I drove Archie to the doggy daycare, called Country paws for a few days, because my mothers surgery, the one that I mentioned earlier, well she was going to have it either the next day or the Thursday in London, Ontario. The surgery was for a tumor that they found in her sinus. They were going to remove it or somesomething. Anyways, Archie didn't want to go in for some reason. That was sursurprising, because he loves it there at Country Paws. After we dropped Archie off there at County Paws, we went to my brothers house, where there was my brother, sister in law and my nephew, who was only a baby. My mother was talking to us about a will that she had made, just in case something happens with the surgery. I was then worried. I don't even want to think about my mother dying. I don't remember everything my mother told us about the will, but I do remember that if anything happened to her then I would get Archie. After all that, I drove home in my own car, because I bought my first car a year before. I was driving my mothers old car before and my mother in her new car that she got a few years back. Anyways, I drove home or somewhere and my mother drove to Store. Catherine, where her Mama and Tato (dad)  lived, as well as my Aunt lived there to. My mother would be staying there because she wouldn't be able to drive after her surgery. Well, she made it through the surgery. The doctors/surgeons got most of the tumor out of her sinus, so I was told. My aunt picked her up and took her to my grandmothers house, where my aunt lives there as well. She could watch my mother sometimes and help her. On the Friday night, there was a big wind storm. I remember that perfectly. On the Saturday morning, I was going to go and pick up Archie from the Country Paws, and take him to my mother in St. Catherine. I filled up my gas tank first, and then I started to go., but then my phone rang. It was my mother, so I pulled over and answered. My mother asked me, "Peter, where are you?" "I'm just going to pick up Archie and take him to Store. Catherines", I said. "No., your not", she said" I asked her why and she said because he died. I was shocked and saddened by this. My mother asked me to go to the vet and tell them, so I did. They were also shocked and saddened to hear this. They all liked Archie there as well as the people in Country Paws.  They asked me if I would and if my mother would like him to be cremated.  I said yes, my mother wanted that as well.  My mother said no to an autopsy, but they did one anyways, because they wanted to know for themselves.  The people at the vet didnt know when or how long it would be until Archies body would be there so they told me I don't need to wait.  After I left the vet, before I went to see my mother in St. Catherine's, I phoned my brother and sister in law and told them about Archie.  At first they didn't believe me, because they thought I was joking, but I told them I'm serious.  So, we all went to see her but me in my own car. I just met them there.  We all talked to my mother and tried to comfort her.  Before I left, I said my goodbyes, gave her a hug and a kiss on her cheek.I then left to go home.I texted her for the next few days to see how she is doing.  On the Monday night, I texted her to see how she's doing and she said that she's tired and going to sleep soon.  I said' "Okay, good night, I love you".  On the Tuesday, March 6, 2012, I texted my mother in the morning and asked her, "How are you feeling this morning".  No response.  I had a gut feeling that something wasn't right , but not exactly sure.  I was putting food away from Cisco, pushing a cart with some food to put away for the daycare.  My sister in law came into Peekaboo and walked to me and said, "Peter, don't panic, but something happened to your mother, her heart stopped but they are trying to revive her in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.  So, I went with my sister in law, left my car in the parking lot at the daycare, in which I picked it up later on.  We picked up my brother and he took over for the driving. We got to the number 6 highway and as we were driving on there, my sister in law got a phone call.  She told my brother to pull over onto the side.  So , he did.  She then told us, "Your mother died".  My brother and I cried, as well as my sister in law.  After a bit, we kept on driving to St.  Catherine's to the hospital.  We walked in and were shown where to go.  We walked into a room and saw my mother, laying motionless on a hospital bed.  No movement, no breathing.  She was dead. We each got to spend some time alone with her. It was very difficult and sad.  My mother, dead at age of 65.  She was now up in heaven with my father.