I am taking a course on Coursera, Writing For Young Readers. The first week, we were asked to submit a text on a life event, no more than 500 words. It had to be told from a specific point of view. This is my submission. It is not accurate, but it is realistic.
Liam's Big Day
Hello! My name is Liam, and today is a big day. I heard the doctors and the nurses talking, and they said today I might go home. I have never seen this “home” place, but I am so looking forward to it. Mommy has been talking about it, and she gets all weird, when she does, her voice gets funny. Maybe I should be a little afraid?
There she is now! She stopped by the skinks at the entrance of this place I’m in. They call it, I think, the neekyu. Everyone who comes in has to wash their hands, and if they don’t, the nurses tell them, oh, do they tell them! I saw Mommy chuckle one day when Julie (she’s a nurse here, she’s so nice) yelled at one of the student doctors to wash his hands.
I’m not often awake when Mommy comes in, but today, I am. I think it’s because I’m hungry. Julie said to wait to feed me, because Mommy was coming and she would do it herself. I like it when it’s Mommy who feeds me, it’s much nicer than when the nurses do. The nurses use bottles, and that’s easier, but when it’s Mommy, we don’t need the bottles. She hold me close to her, I look in her eyes. I can feel her warmth against my cheek. But I have to admit, it’s harder. Sometimes, it tires me so much, I fall asleep.
I don’t think she likes it when I fall asleep, and she tries to wake me up. Sometimes, she even takes off my pyjama, so that I’ll be cold, and uncomfortable. That was the nurses’s suggestion. They say I have to finish my meal. I don’t know what’s so important about that. I feel fine, that should be enough.
There she goes again, “Liam, little guy, don’t fall asleep on me, or you won’t grow and get big and gain weight.” Why do they care so much about my weight? Oh, here’s the doctor. He tells Mommy, something about a car seat. What’s a car seat? Oh! Is it that thing they put Sonny in when he left? Sonny was one of the older kids here. They say he spent three months here. It sounds like a long time. He left with his Mommy last week.
Mommy is crying. Why is Mommy crying? She says, “Yes, the car seat is ready, we have his going home outfit, we’re all set up at home. His sisters are going to be so happy to see him!” That’s right! I have two sisters waiting for me at home. Julie says, “It’s okay, he’ll be okay, You’ll be okay.”
“Liam, little guy, this is your big day.” Once I’m done nursing, she gets me dressed in a new pyjama, puts a new hat on me, and bundles me nicely in the car seat.
Mommy says goodbye. I look around as we walk out of the neekyu. Hello, world!
