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Clara's 10th birthday
It was the day of her 10th birthday, finally, a two-digit number. Everything was settled, her all time favorite cake was ready in the kitchen, triple chocolate, with strawberries on the inside and a sweet vanilla frosting on the outside. The guests were to arrive at 4:00 pm in the afternoon and for entertainment her parents managed to have over the best magic show in town. Clara loved everything about magic, she loved how things had no explanation, how everything was left to the unknown. She enjoyed watching the rabbit that appear inside the hat trick, or when the magician’s wand turn into a bunch of colorful flowers, but always, the best part, was that final act.
Clara had on a beautiful lime green dress, filled with roses at the bottom and adorn with some lace ornaments at the top surrounding the neck. Her head covered with a pretty white hat, perfectly matching the white of her shoes. It was her 10th birthday; everything was going to be just perfect.
It was 4’o clock and the guests started to arrive. Clara kept up jumping up and down; it was just so much excitement to handle. She went over to look at the presents every time a new guest arrive, just to see if she could give a quick look to what was inside before Maria, the house cleaner, told her to go away. Clara was kind, cheerful and innocent; she had her own light, always shining through, no matter what. Today was her 10th birthday, which meant four years of fighting leukemia. The doctor had stated that she would only last three years, but they were four know; one more year with Clara, her baby angel.
The clock tick 5:30 sharp, and the magic show arrived. Everybody gathered in their seats. Clara was in the middle, jumping of excitement next to her mom, Clara wouldn’t let go her hand, she wanted her to watch the entire show next to her. Oswald the Magician gave the start to her show, letting a dove out of his hat. The kids shouted and clapped and had their mouths open in astonishment, this was without doubt, the best show in town. Other several tricks where made, like taking a coin out of a volunteer’s ear, or lighting up a piece of cloth, or making the kids believe that a box is empty when there is truly something inside. Clara was having the time of her life, she kept couching every once in a while, but she was okay, she was perfect, it was her 10th birthday, and she had a magic show in front of her eyes.
The show was coming to and end, and the final act was coming. “Is everyone ready, to presence one of the biggest magic tricks in this entire universe?”, “YES!”, the kids shouted all in unison getting up of their chairs, “Is everyone in this room ready?” Oswald said. And in a glimpse of an eye, Clara suddenly collapsed. She fell to her mother’s arms; her nose started bleeding heavily.
“Clara! No god please no! Clara honey wake up!” Her mother shouted, with so much pain and sorrow, everyone’s body in the entire room went numb. Is that inevitably pain you feel deep down in your inside, triggering from top to bottom. Clara’s dad was now beside her wife, grabbing Clara’s face with both of his hands. “Clara, baby, please wake up, honey, wake up”. In an instant, those two hazelnut brown eyes popped up, “Daddy…”, “Yes sweetie”, “This was the best magic trick every…I just saw a deep bright light”. And just after pronouncing her last word, Clara slowly closed her eyes.
By: Karen Gonzalez Lopez
