Microstory 1022: Ray of Hope

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The way I’ve been told, my parents thought I was going to be a girl until the moment I was born, and they discovered the truth. Apparently, the ultrasound technician made a big mistake when he made the call. He was reportedly extremely afraid for his job for this mistake, but my parents made sure he was safe, because they were and are very good people. Still, they had spent a whole year intending me to be called Hope, and they were never really able to let go of that. They settled on officially naming me Ray, as in ray of hope? But mom always just shortened it all the way back to Hope, which I didn’t fully appreciate until she died. Once that happened, I started asking people to call me that, in honor of her. And that brings us to Viola. She’s the one who suggested I try that out, actually. I don’t know how she knew that was even a thing, because we weren’t friends at all, but it was a good idea. I was a little worried about it, because people can be so judgmental, ya know? But kids here aren’t that bad. It ain’t exactly 1987 anymore, though, so I shouldn’t have been so surprised. Once Viola died, her friends were so distraught that I decided I needed to be the one to spearhead the social dedication to her. I took over all over her social media accounts, and transformed them into tributes. Of course, her family held their own funeral service, but I planned a memorial event at the school, and I’m currently working on the yearbook salute. I kept thinking that people who knew her better would get mad at me about it, and try to get me to stop, but I suppose they’re all just grateful they didn’t have to do it themselves. No one likes having to be so distant and professional about the legacy of their loved ones, and I was happy to help in the best way I could. If she were here, I think she would recommend I look into channeling my skills into a career. I could work at a funeral home, or I could start a private business that’s just designed to help showcase the lives of my clients’ loved ones. Yeah, I think both Viola and my mother would like that.