Circle Of Love
By:Melissa Legault


Aimee was a very unhappy child growing up. She was the middle child out of 5 children. Her oldest brother, Jeff, was posted in Africa with the army. When he left, Aimee alienated herself from everyone and everything she once loved. She remembered when he used to bring her for a drive on Sundays in his brand-new sports’ car. When their mother thought he was leading a life of destruction, she forced him to join the army and straighten himself out. He was 18. Her second eldest brother, Joel, was born with Down’s Syndrome. Pretty much, all his life, he’s been in his own little world. Even though he was 16, he had a mind of an 8 year old. She still enjoyed sitting with him on the odd Sunday afternoon. Once in a while, they would sit out on the front porch watching the fancy cars go by. That was Joel’s favourite pass-time. Aimee also had two much younger baby sisters, Jessica and Jenna, whom brought much life and joy in their household ever since their father died. They were just starting to walk, and already, they were getting into a lot of trouble. Aimee loved helping her mother take care of them. They were the most well-behaved children she’s ever looked after. Things weren’t always so great. Since her father died, she was forced to take on much of her mother’s chores and live her mother’s life. Then there was Aimee. At 16, she fell in love with the boy next door, Kurt Jennings. They were best friends but recently started dating. He was tall for his age but breathtakingly handsome. He had dark, wavy hair, and the nicest brown eyes she’s ever seen.
On Aimee’s 18th birthday, right after their graduation ceremony, Kurt proposed to Aimee. Aimee was ecstatic and overwhelmingly happy. She couldn’t believe that he was finally asking her. She anticipated this moment for a year. She loved him very much. She couldn’t wait to fulfill her lifelong dream of travelling. He promised her that he would build them such a beautiful future and they would never settle down in one place. They would keep travelling until they found themselves too old or too sick to keep doing so. Aimee loved his promise, and she promised to love him and go wherever he desired. Truth is, she couldn’t wait to get away from her mother’s life…or what has become her life. In fact, she despised it so much that she and Kurt decided they wouldn’t have children. It would remind her too much of her childhood. On October 25th, Aimee and Kurt were married in a little Chapel . They wanted it to be a small ceremony. They were both from poor families. It would have been to expensive for a large wedding. Her mother, brothers, and two little sisters were present. His mother, father, and brother were present too.
On a February morning, Aimee found out she was expecting their first child. This would prevent them from starting to travel, like was planned. When Aimee told Kurt, he was very upset. In fact, so upset that he stormed out of the house and didn’t return that night for supper. The next morning, Aimee heard the phone ring. She jumped out of bed and hurried to pick up the receiver. “Hello!”, Aimee said in a groggy voice still trying to wake herself up. “Aimee Jennings? …This is Doctor Ferguson from Memorial Hospital. Kurt Jennings…I believe he is your husband…he’s been brought in by ambulance. He was in a car accident on Maple Ave. and 22nd Street.” Aimee dropped the phone, ran to her coat rack, grabbed her coat and mittens, and ran to her neighbour’s house. Her neighbour drove her to Memorial Hospital. When she got there, the doctor explained to her that he wasn’t going to look good once she got in his room. He was on life-support, but there was still a good chance he would recover. When she entered the room, nothing anyone could have said would have prepared her for what she saw there. There laying limp, almost lifeless, was her husband, the man she loved and needed so dearly. She sat by his bed all night, holding his hand, stroking his hair, wishing he would wake up soon. A week went by, with her constant stay in the chair next to his hospital bed. She never left his side, not for a moment. The doctors and nurses were concerned about her, so they brought up meals for her and a couple of things to keep her occupied. Her mother came by, trying to convince her to come home with her. She gave the doctor her phone number and told him to call if there was any change. Aimee, reluctantly followed her mother.
The next month was very difficult for Aimee. She was 5 months pregnant now, just beginning to feel the life in her. Once in a while, her baby kicked and she felt it. She almost smiled to herself a couple of times. On March 26th, as painful as it was for her, and under the advice of her doctor, they unplugged her husband’s life support and he was declared dead at 12:37 P.M. For the next two months, Aimee stayed with her mother. She sold hers and her husband’s home. She packed all his things and gave some of it to his parents and kept some for herself. She wandered the house in his clothes now that hers didn’t’ fit.
Without her mother’s knowledge, Aimee still intended on following hers and her husband’s dream. He left her a good amount in his will and she thought that there was nothing better than to follow hers and her husbands dream with it. With the amount he left her, she had enough for gas and to settle down for a while to give birth do their child. One night while Aimee’s mother and siblings slept, she packed her car up with hers and her husbands valuables and drove off in her car.
About ten miles out of her home town, her car broke down. Since she had no knowledge of cars and she didn’t want to return and leave hers and her husband’s dream unfulfilled, she slept in her car and decided to hitchhike the next morning. She put her most precious valuables and her money in a little back pack and started walking down the highway. She was now 7 months pregnant and it was very visible. She wondered if anyone would even stop for her. If they didn’t, she thought she would probably die. After 1 hours of walking by the highway, a young man stopped for her. He resembled her husband so much, she thought she was dreaming. Maybe she was. Even if this was a dream, she thought she would go with him. She got in the little beat-up car. The young man looked at her.. “I don’t know how you survived all this. You look like you’ve been walking for days.”, he said to her with amazement. He thought she was so beautiful but looked so terrible. She laughed and he thought she had the most unique laugh. He was completely amazed by her. “Actually, I’ve only been walking for about an hour.” After a long pause, he added: “You remind me of someone.” And she thought, you remind me of someone too. She was happy but exhausted and on their ride, she fell asleep. It must have been hours when she woke up and the sun was beaming down on her. He looked over and smiled at her. She thought he would be a good friend and wondered if her husband had sent him down to protect her. That’s ridiculous! , she thought and shook her head.