Something True Read Online Free

tugged on her sleeve and whispered, “I had bananas for breakfast today, Shelley. Just like the song.”
    Shelley smiled. “That’s terrific. I hope they were tasty.” The girl nodded before slipping away to sit with the bubbling group of children.
    Shelley decided she’d open with the rousing song about bananas. It usually helped to warm the kids up. She’d save the slower songs for the end, when the children needed to wind down. As she surveyed the room, her spirits lifted. It looked like today would be a good day. She took her guitar out of the case and sat down cross-legged on the carpet. The kids crowded in around her. A volunteer helped position a few children in wheelchairs closer to the action.
    Shelley plucked a few strings and adjusted the keys to tune her instrument. She strummed a few random chords before she transitioned into Bananas for Breakfast .
     
    I like bananas for breakfast  
    I like to eat them every day  
    I like bananas for breakfast  
    My mommy makes them eight different ways  
     
    I like bananas on toast  
    I like them with peanut butter too  
    I like bananas with yogurt  
    Don’t you wish you had some too?  
     
    Several children shouted “Yes” together. Shelley sang the chorus again and the children clapped along. She encouraged the kids to participate.
    “How do you like bananas, Britney?” Shelley singled out a girl she’d spent time with before, knowing she’d provide a fun answer.
    “On cupcakes!” Britney’s hair sparkled with glittered clips.
    Shelley dutifully sang, “I like bananas on cupcakes.”
    Shelley turned to a boy on the edge of the carpet who didn’t look too shy. “What’s your name?”
    “Jared.” He sat up straighter, proud to be singled out.
    “Jared, how do you like your bananas?” Shelley asked.
    “Fried.” Jared clapped for emphasis.
    “Oh, that’s a good one.” Shelley sang the next line and repeated the chorus again. A half-dozen kids chimed in with their suggestions and then Shelley moved on to the next song. She made sure to sing The Treehouse and Dixie Dog , her latest release.
    All too quickly, she bid goodbye to the children and she made her way to the nurses’ station. This was the toughest part of the visit, seeing children who were so ill or incapacitated they couldn’t make it to the playroom.
    “Who do we have on deck today?” Shelley asked the duty nurse.
    “There’s a boy, Aiden, in 304, who had surgery on his stomach. He can’t eat, the poor thing.” The nurse’s bright pink scrubs glowed under the lights.
    “That sounds rough.” Not being able to eat was the pits.
    “Yeah, but he should recover. It’s tough explaining to a little boy why he can’t have anything. I bet his mom would love a break. She’s been here round the clock since he was admitted.” She tossed a paper in the trash. “And, of course, there’s Maddie,” the nurse said in a voice mixed with empathy and frustration.
    Shelley sighed. Maddie had been at the hospital for months with one complication after another. Shelley had visited the little girl at least a dozen times and made little headway. Maddie didn’t seem to respond to her. She wasn’t interested in music. She didn’t seem to be interested in anything. Shelley wished she could reach her.
    “I’ll stop in and see Maddie.” Shelley was determined to keep trying.
    “There are two others, but they are in isolation for now.”
    “Sounds good.”
    Shelley walked down the hall, trying to determine who she should see first. Maddie, she decided, while her energy was still high from the performance in the playroom.
    Shelley poked her head into Maddie’s room. The curtain hid the bed from view. Shelley knocked on the door frame and stepped inside. She parted the curtain. No visitor sat in the side chair, which was unfortunately the usual situation for Maddie.
    Maddie’s eyes met Shelley’s and there was no sign of welcome.
    “Hey, Maddie. How are you today?” Without waiting