Traditions of the Heart | Teen Ink

Traditions of the Heart

December 14, 2015
By PieISGOOD, stockton, California
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PieISGOOD, Stockton, California
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The last rays of the California sunshine came through the curtains of the room I despised. The room in California that I was staying in. This room was in my Dad's sister Jen’s house. My mom and dad, without even considering my thoughts, had taken my whole family to California for Thanksgiving so that my dad and his sister could get closer together after my uncle Jack died. My mom shouted "Dinner.”  I started to run because every year on the Monday before Thanksgiving my mom cooked bacon burgers. I remembered my uncle Jack always use to come to Monday burgers he always said my mom’s dinners were the best! On my way there my brother pushed me aside. He started running as he did he said, “Ha ha you jerk! I’m getting to the burgers first.” I ran down the stairs after him and jumped on his back. He started trying to get me off him. My mom said “stop it!” We stopped and ran to the table ready for our burgers. When I sat down I looked on my plate.
I said, “What is this?”
Mom responded, “Your aunt made some eggplant parmesan”
I respond, “but what about Monday burgers?”
She answered, “well your aunt says we can start some new traditions with her.”
“Whatever” I said, staring moodily at my plate.
I now knew my trip was going to be very tragic.

Chapter 2 The Nightmare
That night my dreams were full of memories good and bad. The first one, was of uncle Jack and I siting in my room watching to Macy's Day parade out the bedroom window.
I said, “ I am hungry!”
My uncle answered, “We have a mission!”
My mom was making cinnamon rolls. My was the decoy. He said to my mom let's talk. My mom and uncle talked for a several minutes as I quickly grabbed a hand full of rolls. Then my mom suddenly turned around and saw me. I darted for my room with about a hand full of rolls. My mom said, “you better share!” She was laughing.
My uncle said, “Oh he will share with me.”
Coming into my room my uncle said, “successful mission!” As he grabs a cinnamon role.
I smiled “yea,” bits of roll coming out of my mouth my uncle laughed.                                                                                             
Then everything goes black. It's several weeks later, the Christmas after we are again in my room.  I said, “uncle Jack want to go on a cinnamon roll mission?”
He responds slowly “I’m just to tired today, sorry.”
“Okay“ I say dejectedly.
And the last dream is maybe the worst memory I have ever had. I was sitting in the living room on a cold march and my mom gets a call.
“Hello” she says.
I can't hear most of the conversation but my mom doesn't look good. When she gets off the phone, she looks at me and I remember what she tells me next. She tells me that my uncle is in the hospital because he had a heart attack. We all rush to the hospital. We get there and we ask were he is and they give us a room number on the 6th floor. My parents get in an elevator, but my brother and I are already on the steps bolting up to the 6th floor. As I run, I am still getting to grips of the fact that my Uncle Jack  is in the hospital. We get to the room and he is there propped up in bed. He looks like he is in a lot of pain. He does not say anything. My parents get there and talk to the doctor. That night I was with my uncle all night. Then I went home and my brother stayed with my uncle. Later on I returned and I walked into the room.  I sat next to him and lay a cinnamon roll on his tray. Soon I hear a beep, beep noise and two doctors rush in and tell me to get out. I leave the room and start walking down the hall. I begin to cry. I feel scared because my uncle looked so bad. I just kept walking and all I know is that about an hour later my brother finds me and tells me to come with him. I walk in to the room and my uncle lays there I know he has died. My parents comfort me and they ask if I want some time alone. I node even though I really don’t want to be alone with him. A few minutes go by and I am just ready to leave, when I note that there is something different about the cinnamon role I left earlier. I looked at it and I saw a note beside it. I opened up and and read it.

Chapter 3 in the day
I woke up the next morning and felt sick just as I did the day my uncle died. I look under the bed  my bag is there. I look inside and see a little paper I take it out and read it and it said. Hi Joe all though I am dying I will always be with you in your traditions you do every year just keep those same  traditions alive even though I am not there. I got out of bed it  was three days before Thanksgiving and I could not wait I love Thanksgiving but I wanted to see  the parade out of  my window with uncle Jack  and then having dinner with uncle jack and some friends but this year it was all  going to be different no uncle Jack. I felt bad that I was not doing what uncle jack wanted me to I was not doing the same tradition. Even though my family helps with the holiday Tradition I felt like it was my responsibility to keep the traditions. My mom suggested we should  go out and see what was to offer in the town. We had only gotten there the night before and only saw the house and didn't see much of the rest of the town of Quinn  California a small part of state roughly the size of half of New York City but first let me explain myself I'm Joe Adam  10 years old and a bout 5’2” with  light brown hair and blue eyes. I go to school at Washington middle school. My mom is Jane Adam she is 40 years old and one of the nicest lady ever. she is always helping me, talking with me and playing games with me. My dad is James Adam and he is 41 and is a professor at near by NYC. My brother is 18 and a jerk beside he is  John Adam is 6’3 and always plays games with me on the computer.  So there I was, sitting outside a downtown shop while my mom went around looking at random stuff. My brother said he was working on homework so he could not come but I did not believe him. This place was so boring my family me and uncle Jack always ice skated at Rockefeller Center the flags of the UN waving around us. My aunt said that we should go ice skated but I jest waved the suggestion away.  My mom came out of the shop she said do you want to walk some more or go home, I want to go back to the house. My mom must have seen I looked sad and she obviously is  trying to lift my spirits, said” tell you what we'll go ice-skating this evening.” Ok I said with no real care. we went home and my mom and aunt Jen sat and talked then a little time later the called me back and said want to Bake Cinnamon rolls I went down and helped soon the cinnamon rolls were golden brown the right amount of soft and crispy I love baking cinnamon rolls but I just could not stop thinking about uncle Jack. When my aunts back was turned I took a cinnamon roll she turned around and saw me and instead of smiling she looked mad.
“How dare you!” She Shouted
“What?” I responded
“You took a cinnamon roll!” She Screamed
“Me and uncle Jack always tested one before everyone would eat them” I said anger in my voice
“So Jack is dead now you have Thanksgiving with me so we can do what  I like so forget what Jack did because it can't help him now” She bellowed
“I just want everything to be the same like every other year “ I said

“At least uncle Jack cared about me and wanted to see me unlike you” I a scream
Chapter 4 the runaway boy
I stood there in astonishment looking at my aunt she still looked angry then I ran out room and out of the house and in the chilled night air I walk through the city. I turn the corner and saw  families ice skating So I want in  side and get a pair of skate with 5 bucks I had and I start to skate. I remember when my family and uncle Jack had sskated and I think of all the things we did and I can't believe the my aunt is related to him I leave the rink and I keep walking down the street. I am crossing the street when I suddenly see to light barring down on me and I am flat on the ground and then there are colors and I hear stranger voices and maybe an ambulance. Then everything goes dark.

Chapter 5 Aunt Jen
“Jenne Jenne shout” my brother
“Want to play tag” he asks
“Fine” I respond. About two hours later my dad came out and say Jennie James Jack come get your coats on we need to go to the hospital mom has got hit by a car me and my to brothers got into the car and we  head to the hospital. We ran in and then up the stairs to the 3th floor and then we saw her and the doctors confirmed it with a shake of his head and I fell to my knees and  started to cry my brothers just stood there. Then the next Christmas was so hard for me with my mother gone I was the only person who kept the tradition alive my brothers said what’s the point and my dad who still function was always sad. So at the age of 13 we jest stopped trying the holiday’s jest came and went nothing good or bad. Then 1 year when I was about 20 my dad jest snapped out of it as if he was under a spell and apologized and said he would make it up to us and he did. that year was the best since mom had died we had tuns of parties to make up for the ones we had since me and my brothers were 13 and 14. Then on Christmas Morning there were huge piles of presents for us and that day, we just enjoyed being back together. That did not last long however 2 weeks later our dad died passed away in his sleep. So I ran and ran all the way to California. Then I hear my brother is dead and suddenly I realized I might not be around much longer so I ask my brother to come for Thanksgiving. And then I see that boy and I suddenly understand what he is going through and I must tell him. I dialed up Jane and say have you found him
“No “she responds
“Okay” I say then I hear the phone and I answer and hear the words.

“Hello is this the Adams Residents” say a man
“Yes” I say
“A boy by the name for Joe Adams is in the hospital he has been hit by a car,” he says
“Ms Ms” he says but I am running to the car I try to call Jane but it goes to voicemail so I go speeding to the hospital. I get there and got to the room he is in there doctors tell me he is a little out of it but I can see him,

Chapter 6 awake,
I aww is the first I think when I can see I look around I am in a hospital and the first think is I am dead but I would not feel pain then is my aunt.

“Hi Aunt” I say with. Frown on my face
“Hello Joe” she says
“I am sorry for running away aunty”
“It's ok” she says
“I was wrong to yell at you”
“I realized that I once was in that same situation and I did not think you were affected by your uncle is dyeing.”
Then as she sits she tells me the story of her mother and father. I realized I am in the same boat as her and we should bring back the holiday traditions together to share hers and mine. My mom and dad and brother come in and are worried but there faces light up when they see me propped up.  The next day I rest and I get discharged the night but told by the doctors to rest and eat. The next I morning  wake up and walk into the kitchen and see some cinnamon rolls on the dishwasher. I look and see a note take some Joe I turn around and there is my family with smiles on their faces even my dad who rarely smiles. I smile back.
Chapter 7 A Final Farewell  and A new hope
Thanksgiving goes by in a bluer and  soon i am packed it seems odd to be leaving now but i cant wait to go home ready says my aunt.Yes i get into the rental car and we drive off into the last glimmering rays of the California sunny in the window .

Oh did you think that was the end it was not. Epilog 2 months later Life goes back to normal for me and i find a new fried we lived were my uncle use to live and her name is Jennie Atoms. Who decided  it was time to go home.  



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