The Fallen Tree - OU TMA01

I don’t think I’ll ever forget that day. You’d think this kind of day would be a blur, the kind of day when you wouldn’t really remember anything because it all happened so quickly. But I remember this day. I remember every single detail. How could I not? It was the worst day of my life. Am I being dramatic? No, to be honest, I don’t think I am.
This day didn’t really start; it was more of a continuation of a previous day. I returned home from work at about 2am and I knew I had some extra work to complete on my laptop. I opened my front door, the same as always, two turns to the left, one to the right and push, I always have to do this as the key gets jammed, espically in winter. I say I’ll get it fixed, but like most things I say I’ll get fixed, I never do. I opened the door in darkness and brushed my hand along the wall to the light switch, flipped the switch, shut the front door and went upstairs to change into my comfy grey joggers and black jumper. I knew it was going to be a long night spent toiling in front of my laptop, trying in vain to complete work set by my boss for the next morning.
The hours flew by, I was awake but in some kind of sleep deprived trance, drifting in and out of consciousness, not focusing on what I should be doing and instead thinking about things that didn’t really matter and didn’t deserve my valuable time. At this point I realised that morning had approached as the first light of the new day sparkled through into the living room, I realised I hadn’t slept at all and nor had I completed the work I intended on doing, it was my fault really for leaving it until the last minute, like usual I suppose. As I was wondering what I was going to do my mobile phone began to ring, this was extremely unusual as it was the early hours of the morning, I looked down at the phone and what shocked me even more where the words on the screen, ‘Our Kid’, my younger brother and only sibling. Why was my brother ringing me at this time in the morning?
‘Hello? Robert? Are you okay?’
‘Laura?’ His voice was weak, shallow, I immediately knew he wasn’t himself.
‘Laura?’ He repeated again, ‘It’s Mum, I don’t know what’s wrong, she’s on the floor, Laura.’
‘Okay, keep calm, maybe she’s asleep? Have you tried to wake her?’ I knew she wouldn’t be asleep, but I was trying to calm him and myself.
‘She’s not asleep and I don’t think she’s breathing.’ His voice was cracking now, I could tell he couldn’t get the words out to me.
‘It’s okay, don’t worry, just calm down.’ I knew that I was speaking in vain.
‘Laura, there’s white stuff coming out of her mouth, she isn’t breathing.’
‘Put your hand up to her mouth, can you feel anything on your hand? She will be breathing, you’ll be able to feel her warm breath on your hand, can you feel it?’ I wasn’t sure he would, but by telling him he would, I was willing for her to breathe. There was a long pause.
‘I can feel it! But it’s light, it’s there, but it’s light.’ There was relief in his voice.
‘Now I need you to, I need you, an ambulance, put the phone down and ring an ambulance.’ I knew what I wanted to say but the words wouldn’t and didn’t come out, I could hear my voice faltering, cracking at every word, I was trying so desperately hard not to cry, not to panic, not to scare my brother even more, but I knew now it was obvious I was terrified, so scared our mother had passed away and left us, why wasn’t I there with him? He shouldn’t have been experiencing this, it was my job to look after him, I was his big sister.
‘Laura, it’s okay, she’s breathing, she’ll be okay, I’ll ring an ambulance now.’ The roles immediately reversed, he was now looking out for me, making sure I was okay, not the other way around.
‘Laura, I’m putting the phone down now.’
‘Okay, okay, I love you.’ I managed to croak out.
‘I love you too’ and he hung up. Less than 20 seconds later the phone was ringing again.