Unappreciated Jungle Fever

Chapter 1:

Beep. Beep. Beep. The sound of the heart monitor was all Sienna could hear as she watched her grandmother lay in the hospital bed. Her heart in human form here slipping away from her. Sienna sat in a daze, thoughts all over the place as she pleaded with the one above to just give her a little more time. She just needed more time.

"Ms. Wiles, are you okay?" Dr. Hickman said snapping Sienna out of gaze. Sienna looked up at Dr. Hickman with such sadness that it made him even more remorseful.

"I'm not ready to let her go." Sienna said with tears rolling down her face, "She's all I have left."

Sienna's parents disappeared at sea one night going to get medical attention for her mother, Sierra, who was having a difficult second pregnancy, from a neighboring island and never made it back. Her father, Trevon, determined to save his unborn as his wife though seeking medical attention from the mainland island would be the best suggestion but it turned out to be the worse. Sienna was only 5 years old when this happened. The only family she had left was her maternal grandmother Symira Wiles. She has been with her ever since and now, with her grandma's current state, Sienna was about to be alone in this world.

"Ms. Sanders, I do understand your frustration, but we no longer have the resources to support Ms. Wiles anymore. With her age, anything else we try will only out her in more risk and pain. Now would be the time to say your goodbyes. It'll be any day now." Dr. Hickman said with a saddening voice. Symira had been diagnosed with TTP, a very rare blood disease at 18 but that didn't stop her from living life to the fullest.

Dr. Hickman reached and gave Sienna an encouraging pat on the shoulder and returned to assist his other patients. Dr. Hickman had a soft spot for Sienna being that she was her father's best friend and her god father. She's been through so much since childhood. He grew up with Sienna's Father Trevon and felt he needed to do this for his lost friend. He also failed to help Sierra, her mother, which would've prevented their untimely deaths. Lost in his thoughts, he looked back to see towards the room where Symira and Sienna sending a silent prayer their way.

Sienna held her breathe as she stood there watching her grandma. She looked at her grandma's beautiful gray hair and hazel eyes and almost fell to her knees. Sienna felt she utterly couldn't go on with her grandma. She taught her so much. She was the only mother she knew. Symira was born and raised on an island off the coast of the Caribbean, Lulusia. She was so full of life and vibrate, even in old age. Everybody loved her. Sienna inspired to be just like her. Symira later met this mysterious man from Delta, and they fell maddeningly in love and gave birth to two kids, Ronnie and Dom. Sienna doesn't know what happened to her uncle and when she would ask her grandma, she would just say "in due time." Sienna stopped asking after a while and now here she is 24 years old looking at her grandma on her lastbreath of life. Sienna walked over to her grandma and grabbed her hand in her hands and just wept. She started to sing her grandma's favorite song "California Dreaming" by Bobbie Womack and it started stirring up memories of their last karaoke night with each other. This made Sienna cry harder. She kept singing until she felt her grandma move her hand to rub the back of Sienna's head.

"Nani, Nani please keep fighting. I can't be in this world without you." Sienna cried.

"Now Sienna, I've failed as a grandma/mother to you if you are acting like this. I know I've prepared you for this, I've prepared you for the world beyond this island and more." Symira said no louder than a whisper.

Knowing she was in limited time Symira said, "Sienna, when you get home, in my room in my prayer corner is a box for you. Open it and read the letter my dear. It'll explain things I wish I had more time to explain to you." Symira paused to catch a breath before continuing, "I love you Sienna, do not forget that. Whenever you start to feel lonely, just know I'm always here." Symira pointed to Sienna's heart.

Sienna cried harder at this but nodded her head and said,"Please hang on for me. Don't you want those great grands? You got to hang in there for me just a little while longer, ok?"

Symira huffed a halfhearted chuckle and said with a soft smile, "Are you holding my future great grandchildren against me? You are something else but if that means I have a chance of getting at least one, I'll try."

They both knew that was a lie but smiled at each other and laughed softly. After a while of just sitting there letting her grandma rub her head as she's always done, Sienna looked at the clock and noticed visitation was nearing an end. She leaned over to give her grandma a hug and a kiss and said "I'll be back tomorrow morning Nani. I love you." She said not waiting to say goodbye because it held a heavy weight for them right now.

Symira smiled softly and said, "See you tomorrow my beautiful. Be careful going home." Sienna turned to leave the room and hesitated for a moment and turned back to look at her grandma one more time before heading home to find the box Symira spoke of.

Symira watched Sienna leave and let a few tears drop. She loved Sienna dearly. She was the only piece of her daughter,Sierra she had left. Symira vowed to take care of Sienna for as long as she could, but it seems her time has run out. As Symira looked out of the hospital window, she thought about her lost family. Symira was distraught when she learned the news of her daughter, son in law and unborn grandchild. She tried pleading with them not to go but Sierra was having complications no doctor on the island could really deal with, so she stopped trying and then she got the news their boat was found broken in three pieces in between this island and the one they were venturing too.

Symira gazed up at the stars and wondered if her lover, Sierra and Dom's father, Walter was waiting for her. The memories they shared started to bring heavier tears to Symira's eyes. That Delta man had captivated her so much, so she made sure to pass down all his wisdom and adventures to Sienna so she could understand to enjoy life in every moment. He was the reason Symira lived life to the fullest. He was the reason why she made sure both of her children were dreamers and believers.

As Symira eyes felt heavy, she sent out one last prayer and wish and closed her eyes.

Symira Grace Wiles passed away at 4:44am at the age 86.