His eyes opened and the day started. Today is Malan’s 10th birthday. He got up, got dressed, brushed his teeth and went to the kitchen where he greeted his mother. He sat down to have breakfast and his mother gave him a long cylindrical, light brown box. Inside was a pencil and pen set with what looks like an ancient message crafted into the ash wood pencil and pen set. That sounds very uncool but what you don’t know is that he is very artistic and loves drawing. Malan doesn’t understand the engraving. He started wondering what his father would given him for his birthday. Malan and his mother live a simple life. He never knew his father, who left them just after Malan’s birth.
Malan was born premature and his heart was underdeveloped. His mother spent days and days with him in the hospital. One night his mother went home to shower and change clothes. She took off her clothes and stepped into the shower, she started crying and letting go of her fears, worries and anger, letting them stream down her face and get washed away into the drain. As she was getting her clean outfit she realized her husband’s closet was empty and the dread washed over her, she was alone, alone as a parent and alone as a woman.
He tackled his mother with a hug and thanked her. They heard the bus, Malan said goodbye to his mother. He grabbed his new set and his backpack and walked to the bus. His favorite class was Art but it was the last period of the day. Finally, he got to art class, he couldn’t wait to use his new pen. The teacher said to draw something that you really want so he drew a dog. He always wanted a dog. He keeps hearing about how they are the best company and that they keep you safe, but his mother said it’s too much responsibility and too much money he thought to himself. His teacher was very happy with the drawing and so was he, he couldn’t wait to show his mother.
When he got home he did his homework and took a nap. While he was asleep he kept hearing a heartbeat, lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub. Suddenly he felt a slimy, wet tongue on his face. He sat up straight and smiled in surprise. Later that night when his mom got home he kept saying thank you and that it was the best gift ever. Finally, she got a word in and asked what is he talking about, he answered that he was talking about the dog. In alarm, she asked what dog. She chased the dog the whole house through trying to get him into a room and she finally trapped him in the bathroom, now she can think. While his mother was chasing the dog, Malan decided to go get his drawing to show his mother but when he got upstairs with the paper in hand it was just a…. blank…. page….