Entry #16

Winnie Rides Again
by Amy T.


Two bright, shining orbs in front of her told her what she needed to know, she was about to be free. The cliff wasn’t far. Exhilaration coursed through her veins. She was old enough to know better and stubborn enough to ignore it all. The custom Fat Boy revved against her painful hip. She decided to speed up.

Clara entered the room and whimpered, “Memaw?”

Winifred Rose Arbuckle lied broken on the bed, wires connecting her body to the machines. Vacant eyes were locked to the oxygen tank with, what looked to Clara, like happiness. The gauge and wires kept her grandmother alive but her mind was gone. Memaw fought when the cancer was found in her hip.

“I’m going to keep riding no matter what it takes!”

This ugly grey room with yellow trim seemed sterile but the small plant in the corner looked rather vibrant in contrast. Clara’s tears came and she stammered her regrets, her confessions, her love and adoration for the grandmother that did everything her own mother couldn’t or wouldn’t do.

Winifred could only hear the rumble and the roar of the engine beneath her.

Clara said her goodbyes and kissed her Memaw’s forehead.

Winifred raced off the edge, embracing peace as Clara nodded her consent to turn the machines off.