JUNE BREAK

By AMAH’S HEART

“Hey.. Mom, is me.. is me April. I’m home..” I quietly said while bending over to her, with her frail, skeleton bonny hands in mine.

I try to smile as I battled with tears clouding my eyes.

She turned to look at me, her lips curved in the other direction, I assumed she was trying to smile.

“… I’m home Mom. Please hang in there, you’re going to come out of this. I may not know how but I know you will

She said some inaudible words that sounded like gibberish to me

“… Mom, do you recognize me. Is April… your daughter. I’m home..” I repeated while tapping her hand gently

She closed her eyes, opened again before looking straight at me

But it appears she was lost, her eyes seems to be focused on me but her mind was far.

“She can’t remember you now April..” my Dad said while standing by the door

“… she suffered memory loss late last year as the sickness advanced and can hardly remember anyone.

“Oh my God!!”

“… is there nothing we can do to help her apart from she lying hopelessly on this bed with all this uncountable drugs and tubes..”

My Dad was quiet for sometime. “There is only one thing left to do and it cost a fortune, this process is fifty fifty which means she may or may not make it..”

“Atleast we can try. Even if her chance of surviving is slim, let’s still give it a shot. I believe she will survive this Dad because God has néver failed me and he won’t start now..”

My Dad led me out to the living room

“April, I know you want to see your Mom get better but you won’t understand when I tell you all the stages, different things, best hospitals, drugs and different special therapist that have tried, administered and that have attended to your mother. She got a little better early last year but after two months, she fall back again and it became even wørst. I can’t start explaining it all…”

“…. your brother David had contributed to making sure she gets better. He got family too you know. He said if she can come over to the US, from there she will be transferred to India where he will get the best specialist that can attend to her case. All hope is not lost and even though the stage she’s in is critical but we can only hope. The only issue right now is how to fly her out of this country right away. Money is the major prøblem now, Alot of millions is required. Your brother with all he has spent so far, he said he needed to gather up a bit. We should give him to next month end. I hope it won’t be too láte by then. I don’t know where to borrow from to get her out of here immediately. Her health has eaten deeply into everyone’s pocket. I have virtually sold my properties and every valuable I got just for this same sickness that has refused to go…”

“… I must confess that right now, I’m exhausted from it all. I don’t even know what to do anymore. The doctor that’s assigned to her, comes three times every week to administer treatment and check her up and he’s being paid monthly…”NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

“… the doctor will be here tomorrow again. Mark is building up his engineering career but he still contribute whenever he has. Your sister Rachel is in school and will be rounding up next year. It has not been easy over here as you can see and the worse is that your Mom can’t remember anything. Dementia, lack of appetite added up to the cancer..”

“… I’m sorry that you came back to all this. We’re supposed to gather as a family, rejoicing over your return, celebrating together as a family that after all this years, God brought you home to us. Is something to truly rejoice over. I wouldn’t say is wrong timing, I’m deeply grateful to God that I can look at the face of my daughter once again..”

He looked at me and began to smile broadly.

“… I haven’t been able to smile in a long while. I can’t even remember when last I smile like I did today after seeing you and still doing because is like a dream. Is a big relief, one part of my heart is rejoicing to your home coming and the other part hopes for a miracle over your Mom…”

“…. She’s been my strength and back bone all this years. We’ve been through so much together and just when the land was getting greener, calamity struck. I’m not giving up hope on her yet. I’m not very religious man, but deep down I believe in God and have come to seek him more often during this past terrible years. After your disappearance and your mom’s illness, I thought God was trying to punish me for my sins. I know he’s a merciful God and if he can lead you back to us, he will also bring healing to your Mom, even in dèãth bed..”

I nodded quietly as I wiped out tears multiple times from my face.

After spending that evening with my Dad.

I checked the kitchen to know if there’s anything to cook.

I left to buy things, which I prepared for my Dad and I

My Mom has a special food which was very light, so watery.

I watched as my Dad prepared it and also watch as he went to scoop few spoons into her mouth.

The house wasn’t very conducive for me but I managed to stay that night.

I try to make sure I helped Dad in anyway possible

Phil didn’t call until in the night when I was getting ready for bed and was planning to call him too

I told him that I was finally home.

He asked how it feels like to be back home to my people, I told him it feels good but it would have been better if my Mom was well.

He wanted to know what happened to her and i updated him

While during that I broke down and weep again

The burden was too heavy for me just in one night.

I can’t even imagine how it has been for my Dad and siblings who saw her draining off every stage, all this years

Phil said he wish he could help in taking her out of the state to get the treatment she needed in another country

I told Phil that it was 50-50 anyway. She may probably not survive it but I’m hopeful.

He said he invested a large sum into a business and the turn up will be by next year, that’s why he can’t help out as much as he really wanted to do.

Taking her to US and from there to India will cost lots of millions and what if at the end she couldn’t make it

I thought within me.

However, Phil said he needed to speak to his father first

He will give me feedback the following day.

I thanked him before the call ended but I had my doubts.

Since Phil couldn’t do anything due to his investment, I’m not sure he’s Dad will want to do that.

That’s like charity work that may probably still go down in drain if my Mom didn’t get better.

Denis later called as I was in a deep thought since I couldn’t sleep.

I told him that I was home, he seems excited and wanted me to gist him how it all seems.

I told him there’s nothing special though, if my Mom wasn’t sick maybe it would have been more exciting.

Denis also wanted to know what happened and told him of the cancer stage.

I also let him know of the huge amount involved for her to leave the country.

He promised to help but wanted me to come visit him the next day so that we can talk better.

The promises was too quickie and suspicious but I was ready to give it a try.

Maybe I will wait for Phil to give me a feedback first before going to see Denis tomorrow.