Mortality

Harper had come to terms with the life she’d been living. Not that she really had one recently. She’d rarely left the house anymore. She was living in the same town she’d grown up in. The typical small town with nothing to do the majority of the time. She’d wander around the local Farmer’s Market every month. She’d ended up trading something for something she’d seen that she wanted. Writing about the company primarily. The company would often have an increase in business not long after she wrote a Blurb for them. It was an “old fashioned” thing to do. It was a good trade off though. She’d done something for someone else while getting something she’d wanted that they’d made in return. She’d sold some of her drawings there on occasion. She’d even sold books she no longer wanted in recent months. 

The increase in health issues had taken its toll on her. She’d not been able to leave the house much as a result. She didn’t have the energy to leave. Not that she wanted to do much anyway. There wasn’t any reason for her to leave the house. It’d taken her a while to get Disability and Medicaid. The genetic disorder she’d been diagnosed with had taken her mothers life over twenty years prior. It’d taken her younger sister's life as well seven years prior. It was Millie’s illness and death that led to knowing what happened to their mother. It affects women far more than men after all. It’s passed down from the mother as well. Everything pointed to Addie unknowingly having it as well. 

Every day was the same. Some days were a little better than others though. It didn’t change the fact it was becoming a little harder to leave the house. She’d had two more strokes. Along with another bout of Encephalitis. She’d managed to write about her journey. She’d written about her mother and sisters stories as well. She’d self published them on Amazon. She’d been able to sell some of her books at the Farmer’s Market. Some of her friends helped her set up a system for people to find and buy her books. Word of mouth did the rest. People were buying her books. She wanted to become a Public Speaker. To share her story. To share her mother and sisters stories as well. She wasn’t so sure she’d be able to do that.

Her move to Miami Beach, far away from the friends that didn’t seem to care, had been the best decision for her. Their actions had spoken for them. They didn’t understand what she was going through. They hadn’t understood Millie’s illness and death either. It’s a rare genetic disorder even Medical Professionals don’t know much about after all. She’d reflected on her own mortality in the weeks since she moved to Miami Beach. She reflected on the fact she may not wake up the next day. She may not wake up from any of her naps. She’d planned for everything. As usual. She had everything needed on the kitchen counter in the event of her death. She’d begun spending her days wandering around the South Florida area. She’d wandered far off the beaten path most days. Other days she’d sit on the balcony of her apartment staring off into space. She’d gotten an apartment with an ocean view. It was the only thing she wanted for the apartment. She didn’t care how big or small it was. She’d managed to get a decently sized studio apartment. She’d come to peace with the quieter life she’d begun living.