In this story - experience a world of unique and creative imagination through the eyes of a young boy who is living with cancer and is bed stricken. Connect with him through his personal adventures while traveling on a cloud and through his incredible strength in his cancer struggle. Uncover this epic journey beyond your own imagination - explore a world of beauty, play, curiosity and peace. Each child's illness in this story is for you to contemplate - to figure out what he or she may have; for you as the reader, must read from cover to cover to reveal the truth inside. Discover for your own inner being, what an incredible strength and strong-will can be, to persevere through anything. Read, "If I Could Float On A Cloud . . . Where Would I Go? and decide for yourself, the true meaning to life itself.

If I Could Float On A Cloud, Where Would I Go?

By Jennifer Dawn deConinck Smith

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2010 Jennifer Dawn deConinck Smith
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4520-3628-1

Contents

Chapter One "Here I Go"......................................1Chapter Two "A Troubling Place"..............................5Chapter Three "Was This A Miracle?"..........................11Chapter Four "The Playroom A Floor Away".....................15Chapter Five "Friendship Is Forever".........................21Chapter Six "Something To Smile About".......................25Chapter Seven "It Is Time To Come Home"......................31

Chapter One

"Here I Go"

It was the bedtime calling coming from the hallway, as the late evening shift nurse walked by my room - I was never really interested in going to sleep, as that is when I would dream of terrible things. I enjoyed the daytime, looking out the window from my hospital bed at the clouds going by. I often wondered where they came from but mostly of where they would go. When using my imagination, I could see so many shapes - they would turn into great big adventures, beyond what I could make.

Morning broke and the sun was shining in the clear blue sky, though there wasn't a cloud in sight, I knew they would come by soon. The daily routine began for me, as the nurses checked my vitals - they tested my blood pressure, poked and prodded me, took my temperature, listened to my heart, told me that I had to eat all of my porridge and drink my milk, and asked me so many questions as they would always do. Yet all I could think of was where the clouds were and how soon they would come back again.

Finally I could see a cloud, a blanket of white fluff in the sky. I stared really hard at one little cloud as it moved by really slow. It was my magic carpet ready to take me away. I closed my eyes, facing towards the warm sun, picturing breathing in the outdoors' fresh air - I was now sitting on the cloud, and off I was to leave this place and explore!

"Here I Go!" I called out as loud as I could, for this was my reality that I forever wish to believe - it was so freeing for me to be able to be outside and see such things that I while sick, don't get to ever see. "Faster, FASTER" I yelled and the cloud soared so fast. I couldn't help but laugh out loud and tell it to go even faster!

Suddenly below I spotted a younger child than I. It was a little boy I knew named Pete, he was ill too with something long term too. So I swooped down and helped him onto my cloud and we took off to my place of peace. There we joined with other young ones, all-playing in a lush green meadow. It was filled with trees, ponds and wild flowers. I listened carefully at the sounds ... I could hear birds chirping and children laughing and playing. I then heard "Kipper!" Oh yes and that is me by the way, that is the name I was given. Pete and I hopped off the cloud and it floated back into the sky. "Kipper where have you been, we're ready to race sailboats in the creek" my friend Nicolas stated. All sailboats were accounted for, there were ten of them ready to go. The race was on and the boats floated, swerved and bumped along the creek's rough edges. "Go Golden Eye" I yelled, as Kelly's Commando was just passed mine. I saw Pete's Slick Fogger hit a rock and sank to the bottom, while Nicolas' Racer was well ahead. Sandy's St. Peers was going down "MAYDAY!" he called out as it got eaten by a big frog. Marcy's Princess Missy bumped Sally's Rainbow Puff. Marco's Bumbo picked up the pace, and Andy's Silly Ship slid passed Billy's Liberty and right into first place. Then ...

I was suddenly back, in my hospital bed, as the head doctor was examining me, asking me questions. He ordered me to be moved to a different room, one that was filled with others like me. This scared me as I thought quietly; will I be next to a window? But feared to ask anyone, as all the white coats seemed to intimidate me even more. I turned my head towards the clouds, staring and wishing to go back, but the nurses grabbed me and pulled me back. To the window and dear clouds, I had to say `til we meet again.

It was sometime in the afternoon, the nurses transferred me to another room. I sat there in despair, as I was in the middle of a room with other patients. There was a tall window off to the left of me but so many feet away. The room was filled with children of all ages, ill with something terminal just as I. Though I stared as hard as I could passed all of them, trying to get a glimpse of a cloud ... everyone seemed to look at me strange but I didn't even care. My neck was soar but I didn't care. Nurses even tried to move my head away. One nurse got frustrated and shook me once to get my attention and grabbed my head, struggling to turn it the other way. I would not budge.

There was an older boy in a coma next to the window ... I don't understand why he was there, when I could have had the window to look out of. Others that were between the window and I were able to get out of bed. I feel like I was being punished, what had I done to be here away from my safe place, away from my clouds? Why now, why me?

Chapter Two

"A Troubling Place"

Every night it is dark and I once again feel so cold. I hear all kinds of sounds, ringing, squeaking, coughing, banging, and whispering voices, beeping, hollering, and even crying ... why won't these sounds stop? I see too many sad things at night; will this ever become less of a burden? I have cramping and aches all over my body but I just can't push the call button, as I am too afraid. I don't dare say a word or they will come and find me. I can't ... I will not! They are scary at night, more than during the daytime ... I just can't say a word. Some come in to poke and prod, but from none of them I can feel the slightest bit of warmth. They seem like they don't like me, they don't even look like they want to be here.

One little girl in a bed off to my right was whimpering quietly. I could tell by the dim light glaring off steady tears on her face. She was even skinnier than me. She couldn't speak, as there was a huge tube in her mouth to help her breath. When she would try to say something, all that came out was a strange choking cry. She didn't move much either, and her bald little head had wires taped on it. I wish I could help her. Thankfully she had visitors each day.

In the dimmed lights of the room, I suddenly saw something go wrong. Though with each night there seems to be something that does, it would be foolish to ever feel used to - numb or even immune to it. That boy in the coma next to the tall window began shaking terribly. The bed shook with him too and the machine was beeping fast and loud. Readily in came running about five or so nurses, six or maybe even seven this time. They spoke so loud and quickly, and huddled around to see what more to fix from going wrong. Then suddenly without a word from the nurses, the boy was still. The machine went from beeping to a long hum sound ... The night must have gotten him too.

Morning broke and I opened my eyes, turning left towards the window. Something wasn't right, there was no boy in a coma lying next to the tall window. Nurses scrambled through the room, moving around the beds. Not one nurse even looked into my eyes, they just pulled a different child next to the window instead. I sunk down into my bed even more, but eyes still glued to the outside world. At last a cloud floated by, I was on it and headed back to my safe place.

I reunited with my friends, boys and girls of...