'Wake up, you lazy fool! Are you getting up now?'� The voice of a grandmotherly woman echoes through my head. I roll over and stare at the ceiling, the sunlight creating bars of light above me through the blinds. A child laughs distantly as I stare at the dancing light on the ceiling, hoping it will be a warm day.
'Get out of bed this instant!'� the elderly woman calls as I lay motionless. 'You need to eat, you look too thin!'�
I sigh heavily at the beginning of another day and toss away the sheets. The air in the room is cold. 'Open the blinds, it's so beautiful today,'� a now younger woman speaks gently. 'I was already outside this morning, and the sunrise was absolutely beautiful. I'm so sad you missed it, James.'�
I pull the blinds wide open and stare into the blue sky. She was right: it is a beautiful day; the first warm day of the season.
'The trees are starting to bud already,'� a young girl states. 'It's supposed to be even warmer by the end of the week.'�
'Is that right?'� I mumble quietly.
'Will you get downstairs and eat something?'� I squint at the sound. She insists on being loud. I shake my head and move downstairs to shut her up. I grab an old donut and a glass of milk. She grunts quietly in disapproval. I look at the refrigerator filled with a child's drawings. 'Which one is your favorite?'� A young boy asks me. I observe them all for a moment and point to one in the center.
'That one,'� I say. He giggles loudly.
'That's the one I drew of you!'� He states loudly.
'I know it is,'� I say to him. 'It looks just like me.'� He giggles again.
'Come outside with me, James,'� the young woman says to me. 'It's so beautiful today. Sit out on the porch with me.'� I walk outside and take a seat at the table.
The instant heat of the sun felt comforting. She talks to me about flowers, spring, and other feminine things. I act interested. She likes it when I do.
'Come play inside with me, James!'� The little boy breaks through with a loud, comical tone. 'I want to draw another picture for you!'�
I walk through the door and I hear a giggle coming from the living room. He plays hide and seek but I never find him.
'I can't reach the paper and I can't find my crayons James. Can you reach them for me?'� he asks innocently. I reach for the paper. I find the crayons. I sit on the floor like a child would do.
'Don't get crayon on the carpet!'� A voice calls from the kitchen.
A pink bird with a blue beak and an orange tree in the background. This is what he draws for me. I put it up on the refrigerator with his other drawings and he giggles happily.
'What did he draw for you this time?'� An immediate voice from behind me catches my attention. I turn to see my sister standing there, smiling like always. She walks up to the refrigerator and observes it.
'A pink bird with a blue beak. Very original.'� She looks at me and smiles brightly. I smile back.
'Off to work I go,'� she says with a sigh, and I nod slightly.
'Did you take your medicine?'� she asks.
I shake my head.
She leans in, the smile still spread across her face.
'Don't.'� she says. 'Have fun before the world stops you.'�
'Come on James, I want to draw another picture for you, okay?'� The little boy chimes in once more.
'I have to go,'� I say to her. 'He wants to draw another picture.'�
'Okay,'� she says. 'Try not to get crayon on the carpet.'�

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