Short Essay

Draft 1 Where’s the Good in Good-bye

            I was sitting in a small room that had white walls and a metal table as I try my hardest to hold my tears from rolling down my face. The more I thought about it the harder it was to hold them in and before I knew it they were rolling down my face. I was making little animal sounds because I was crying so hard, I squeezed my eyes shut so tight to try and stop the tear but it wasn’t working. I opened my eyes when I felt a wet nose touch my cheek. It was my best friend, my pooka babygirl trying to pick my head up with her wet nose. I looked in her big brown eyes, she seemed so excited (she loved going places) but little did she know what was about to happen, started crying harder.

            The nurse came in and told my dad and I that they were going to take her into the other room and give her a shot to relax her and then they were going to bring her back into the room so that we could say our final goodbyes to her. We waited and waited; 5 minutes later another nurse came into the room and said ok you could go. I was in complete shock! WHAT! I thought to myself the nurse said they would bring her back in so that we could say good bye to her so I did not even say good-bye.

            With tears streaming down my face I quickly walked out of that room. I can hear my dad voice call out “Beck” but I ignored him I just kept walking. I felt his hand touch my shoulder, but I just kept walking. I could not control my emotions this was the hardest thing to do; say good-bye to my best friend of 13 years. The best friend I grew up with since I was 7. How could we do this, everyone say she is in a better place now and she is not suffering, but I was selfish and kept thinking to myself “No the better place in my house with our family, and now she is not suffering but I am suffering a whole lot.” What is tomorrow going to feel like to wake up and not see her waiting for me at the bottom of the steps, not to hear her collar jingle when she hears me open my bedroom door, or the how excited she gets when I walk through the front door after being at school/work all day. How is it going to feel? Where is the good in good-bye?

Draft 2 Reverse!

            “Slowly push the throttle forward and turn the wheel to the right.” Uncle Michael says to me.

            So I slowly push the throttle forward and turn the wheel to the right. We start to glide forward slowly. We get closer and closer to the dock. Then my uncle says to me okay pull the throttle back and turn the wheel to the left. I do so. Then he says ok put it back in to drive. So I do and he yells throw it in reverse throw it in reverse! What do I do, I push the throttle forward throwing us faster in drive.  Vroom we go flying toward the dock.  Droooom I pulled the throttle backward just in time to jerk us backwards. My Aunt Uggs grabs onto the windshield to stop her from falling flat on her face. Allison grabs the handle, and my Uncle Michael stumbles forward. I hear my name being screamed “Beck!”

            I get the boat in reverse and move it away from the dock but it was too late. Oh man! My uncle said. This is just great. I shout out well who's bright idea was it to leave  the fishing pole laying on the chair with its line out!

            Splash! My Uncle jumps into the water as I cut the engine. I look to the water and see him with the big snorkeling mask on and trying to talk to us but we can’t understand him. He was being goofy like usual, flapping his arms and bobbing up and down in the water.  Just being a total goof ball. Down he goes under water to catch a look at how bad the engine was. He came back up and there was fishing line everywhere. He was tangled up in it I was afraid he was going to choke himself because it was wrapped around him. He went under again and came back up and it was a magic trick he was doing with the fishing line, finally he found the end of the line and got it all untangled for the engine.

            That was the end of the day I was done trying to learn how to dock the big boat on the outside of the dock until next summer. Until next summer because I refuse to be taught how to dock the boat by my mother because it will end up being a screaming match and then we will end up in a fight on our vacation. 

FINAL DRAFT

Where’s the Good in Good-bye

            As I sit in a small room that had white walls and a metal table I try my hardest to hold my tears from rolling down my face. The more I thought about it the harder it was to hold them in and before I knew it they were streaming down my face. I was even making little animal sounds because I was crying so hard, I squeezed my eyes shut so tight to try and stop the tears but it just did not work. I opened my eyes when I felt a cold wet nose touch my cheek. It was my best friend, my pooka babygirl trying to pick my head up with her wet nose. I looked in her big brown eyes, she seemed so excited (she loved going places) but little did she know what was about to happen, I started crying harder now with thought of her being excited for this, this unknown thing to her.

            The nurse came in and told my dad and I that they were going to take her into the other room and give her a shot to relax her and then they were going to bring her back into the room so that we could say our final goodbyes to her. We waited for what felt like an eternity; 5 minutes later another nurse came into the room and said, "ok you could go." I was in complete shock! WHAT! I thought to myself the nurse said they would bring her back in so that we could say good-bye! This is bullshit I didn't even say good-bye. I stood up and could barely see the door because of all the tears in my eyes. Everything was blurry.

            With tears streaming down my face I quickly walked out of that room. I can hear my dad voice call out “Beck” but I ignored him I just kept walking. I felt his hand touch my shoulder as he finally caught up to me, but I just kept walking. I could not control my emotions this was the hardest thing I had to do; say good-bye to my best friend of 13 years. The best friend I grew up with since I was 7. How could we do this, everyone kept telling me she will be in a better place and she will not suffer anymore. But I was being selfish and kept thinking to myself “No the better place in my house with our family, and now she is not suffering but I am suffering.” What is tomorrow going to feel like to wake up and not see her waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs, not to hear her collar jingle when she hears me open my bedroom door, or the how excited she gets when I walk through the front door after being at school/work all day. How is it going to feel? Where is the good in good-bye?