It was the end of November last year, right after my birthday. Christmas was on the doors, the streets were starting to get really cold, and the trees had no more leaves to keep them warm. I knew that trees did not need the leaves to keep them warm off course!, but what if the leaves were like family to the tree itself?, don’t families keep us warm?. I was cold even though I had my North Faith Jacket on, the one that I had for 4 years now and never disappointed to keep me warm, except for that night. I was walking In Myrtle Ave, doing my Christmas shopping with my sister and a friend when I received a phone call. My phone was ringing in my bag; there were too many things in the bag so I felt lazy to pick it up from underneath all my makeup, umbrella, and books. I took a glance to see the name on the phone and it was my mom; she always calls to check on us and sometimes way too many times that I just do not pick up. I was busy looking at shoes with the girls and giggling but my phone was still ringing.

I finally picked up after the fifth missed call, it was just too many times and I got concerned. “Hello mom is everything ok?” I said without knowing what is going on with her. She was very quiet and breathing heavily, I could feel my chest tighten up for her. It was obvious that something really traumatic happened, but she would not tell me, she was crying unstoppable. All of a sudden all the giggle subsided and I tried to make her calm down and talk; “come on mom talk to me, you are scaring me please what is going on? Are you ok?, where are you?”. Too many questions I had in mind, but my mom replied with two words; “Your grandma”. My heart heard it before my ears and at this moment, I knew it but I could not believe it. “She is gone”, my mom screamed in pain. I was very cold standing still as if the cold had made me frozen. I loved my grandma; she raised me more than my mother did. I was just talking to her last week because she wanted to say happy birthday how could she be gone?

We were so close, we understood each other’s jokes and I enjoyed listening to her stories and how my reaction would be the same as hers in almost all the situations. She had an asthma attack and it acted up severely that she could not survive it. She was the sweet memories I carried on from my childhood that would comeback every time I talked to her. She was warm, but she went away and took all the warmth with her that night.

Suddenly, something had changed inside me; I felt alone even though my sister and my friend were still there. My view of time was never the same, how tricky is time in this world?. One moment I am happy and shopping with my friends and family and the next I am sad without my grandma. One moment I am talking to her and she is healthy as if she will never leave me and the next she is gone. One moment my leaves were keeping my heart warm , and the next I am cold and standing still; like a frozen tree without its leaves.