YESTERDAY IS GONE

I feel the evening breeze on my face as I stand on the balcony of my house. The journey so far has been nothing but a bitter-sweet experience, not totally a tragedy as the popular saying would go “there is always light at the end of the tunnel”. Now the owner of a company, married to a beautiful wife and father to 2 beautiful children my eyes water as I reflect on the not so distant past.

“David would you please get a cup of water for your dad to drink?” my mom asked me as she nursed my father on his sick-bed.

Reluctantly I left to get the water but the sadness in her eyes said a lot. Heading towards the door, I glanced at her and all I saw on her face was fear, the fear of losing her beloved. Every moment seemed to be the last.

Just a week ago, we had a family vacation all planned out for summer but now the doctors were fighting tooth and nail to keep my dad alive. Apparently he had cancer and didn’t tell anyone. He slumped during dinner two nights ago and was rushed to the hospital where after several tests, the doctor told us about his illness.

Trying not to dwell on the fact that my mom would probably be a widow soon, I rather chose to remember the memories of the good days we had as a family. Our family Friday was the best day of the week for me, when dad would take my mum and I out for dinner at any restaurant of our choice.

My thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the scream of “DOCTOR!”.
It sounded like my mum. Immediately a man dressed in a white overall, who I guessed must be the doctor, rushed towards the ward accompanied by two nurses dressed in blue. Immediately, I ran after them to know what was happening but as I got to the door of the ward, it was shut before I could enter.

I sat down on the floor repeating to myself “I cannot be fatherless”. I mean I never expected this, at least not any time soon.

Then after what felt like eternity, the doctor came out looking indifferent. What is it with doctors and straight faces? Then I saw her, my mother on the floor drowning in her own tears. I ran towards her, feeling the body of the man who was once my father. “Dad, dad, dad!!!!!” I cried out, but he was long gone. I tried to be strong for my mother, fighting back tears but the thought of him being dead sent tears flowing down my chubby cheeks.
As the tears fell more and more like a tap without a control valve, I realized things wouldn’t be the same anymore for a long time. How would I survive? How would we cope? This questions plagued my mind as I watched the body being taken away.

Stay glued for part two