What If I had AIDS?

         Have you ever asked yourself this question, "What if I had AIDS?". I asked that question about three years ago. I had just got out of the hospital because I had to have emergency surgery on my bleeding ulcer. I had to have a couple of pints of blood for a transfusion and the whole time I thought, will I get AIDS?
When I asked the doctor's and nurse's they all said there was nothing to worry about because all the blood is tested, but that still didn't make me worry any less because I've heard of those cases were some bad blood has gotten past those tests.
         After getting out of the hospital it took me only about two weeks to go back to the hospital and get an tested. You see, I have a father that thinks anyone who has AIDS is either gay or has a drug problem. So after I had my test, the nurse sent me home with some pamphlet's about AIDS and how you can get it. She also told me that I should visit a hospice.
         The next day I took the nurses advice and went to visit the nearest hospice. I met a girl named Miranda, they called her Randa for short. Let me tell you this girl was a pistol. She was an angry young woman.
         "Hello," I said. "Megan."
         "So," the girl answered.
         Just then one a nurse entered the room, "Randa, you be nice. I told Megan to come and talk to you. I thought you could use a friend."
         "Well ain't that just so sweet of you, but no thanks."
"That's fine," I said. "I'll just sit here in your room with you and we don't even have to talk to each other."
         "Looks like she's just as pig headed as you are Randa," the nurse said."Now you two have fun."
         We sat in her room in silence for what seemed like an eternity, but only turned out to be about 5 minutes.
         "Why are you here," Randa asked.
         "I just thought we could be friends," I said.
         "Let me guess, you are here to do a story for some paper or something." I just shook my head no. "Then you think you have aids and want to come slumming to see what will happen to you."
         "Something like that except for the slumming part."
         "Why do you think you have aids?"
         "I had surgery recently and had to have a transfusion."
         "They test the blood, you know that don't you?"
         "Yes, I know, but it doesn't stop me from worrying about it." We both got quite for a second and then I asked, "Do you mind me asking how you got aids?"
         "My boyfriend. He was cheating on me and caught it and never bothered to tell me."
         "So he knew the whole time and didn't tell you?"
         "Yup, and the real kicker is that my parents have disowned me. Said that's what I get for messing around with that low life."
         "So you have no one?"
         "Don't sound so sorry for me, I prefer
it that way."
         Just then the nurse came in, "Chow time Randa."
         "Well I gotta go eat," she said. "Hope you enjoyed your visit."
         "Do you mind if I come back and visit you tomorrow?"
         "What ever," Randa said, and then walked out of the room.
         I went to visit her the next day and brought her some food from McDonald's. "Here, I thought you might like this."
         "A Big Mac, why did you do this," Randa asked. "Not that I'm complaining."
         "I figured you might be getting sick of the food here." I said. "Do they ever let you leave here?"
         "If you mean leave here as in going outside, then yeah I get to go out a lot," Randa replied with her mouth full of french fries.
         "No, I don't me just going outside. Don't they let you leave to go see a movie or go out to eat, anything like that?"
         "I don't know. I never really had a reason to go any where or any one to go with."
         "Well now you do," I replied as I fell onto Randa's bed.
         "Careful you spilled my fries."
         "So what would you like to do, where would you like to go?"
         "You're serious about this?" Randa said. "Well I guess just out to a movie or to the beach or something."
         "Okay then, I'll talk with the nurse and see if we can set something up."
         "You know, you might not be that bad after all Megan."
         "Thank you very much. Now break out that monopoly game."
         When I got home that evening my father was waiting up for me, he had the pamphlets that I had got from the hospital and an envelope that was also from the hospital.
         "You want to explain this," he said, waving the pamphlets at me.
         "I went to the hospital a couple of weeks ago to get tested for AIDS and the nurse gave me those," I answered.
         "Why, why did you have to get tested? Did you have unprotected sex with someone?"
         "No."
         "Are you using drugs?"
         "No, how can you ask me that?"
         "Well then why?"
         "Because I was afraid that when I had the transfusion I might have gotten it, and with the way you see people who have it I got scared."
         "What do you mean, the way I see people who have it?"
         "You think the only people who get it are people who shoot up drugs or people who are gay, and that they deserve it. Oh yes and let's not forget that they should all be shipped out to some island some where, some where far away from the clean people. Tell me Dad what would you do if I had AIDS? Would you think that I deserved it? Would you have me shipped off to some island far away?"
         "Of course not. I would take care of you."
         "And what do you mean by that?" I asked. "Would you put me in some hospital some where to live out my last days by myself, or keep me home and make sure that you carry a bottle of bleach with you so you can clean every thing I touch. You see that's what scares me the most, not having AIDS but the way people would act around me."
         "I'm sorry if I made you feel that way. I would never act like that."
         "Maybe you should read through some of those pamphlets Dad."
         "Yes, maybe I should." He handed me the envelope from the hospital. "Are these your results?"
         "Yeah," I said and took the envelope from my father. Slowly I opened it and read the results.
         "Well, what does it say?"
         "I tested negative," I said with sigh.
         "That's great news," her father said and gave her a hug.
         "Yes it is, but I have to tell you something that you probably won't like."
         "What's that."
         "I have a new friend, I met her at the hospice here in town and yes she has AIDS."
         "I see. Well you obviously have done your homework on this subject and you are a grown woman."
         "Thanks Dad," I said and gave him a kiss on the cheek before going off to bed.
         The next few months Randa and I got to become very close friends. We enjoyed all our outings together, we went to the movies and the beach, we had picnic's at the park and went shopping at the mall. I even brought her home to meet my Dad and he welcomed her with open arms. She finally had the family she always wanted.
         Randa started to get run down after awhile so we decided she should take it easy for a little while. I hadn't gone to visit her in a couple of days because she said she wasn't felling very well but I would call her every night to check up on her. I decided to give her a surprise visit one day, but I was the one with the surprise. When I entered her room it was empty and the nurse was cleaning every thing up.
         "Where's Randa?" I asked.
         "I'm sorry Megan but she passed away late last night," the nurse answered.
         "No, that can't be. I just talked to her last night and she said she was doing fine."
         "She didn't want you to worry about her. She left this for you," the nurse said and handed me and envelope. "Don't be sad, she wasn't alone. Her parents came here a couple days ago and stayed with her. They said they received a letter from someone that more or less told them they were being bad parents. You know any thing about that?" I just shook my head, but I did send them the letter.
         "Well thanks to you, you gave Randa back her life. She lived more in these few months then the last few years she's been in this place, and you brought her and her parents back together too."
         "I wanted to be here for her."
         "She knew you would, but she didn't want to upset you. I'll leave you alone now so you can read your letter."
         I opened the envelope and took out the letter. She had left a picture for me that was taken of her and I at the beach. I started to cry as I read the letter.
Dear Megan, I know my time is finally up but I couldn't leave without letting you know how special you are to me. You became my friend when no one else would, you looked past my stubbornness and seen the real me. These last few months have been so wonderful, thank you. I would also like to thank you for bringing my parents back to me, it means a lot. I hope you will remember me fondly and never forget our friendship, because even though I will be gone I will never forget you. You were the sister and best friend I have ever had. Thank you for coming into my live. Lots of Love, Randa.
         My tears were falling and staining the letter. I will miss her very much and wish I could tell her how she has forever changed my live. She will always and forever be an angel in my eyes.