Rose said she wasn't expecting someone; maybe the person behind the door had come to see Arthur; I know no one who would be looking for me in the place.Either way, I went to get the door.“Could you help me with your dad's lunch while I go get the door?” I asked Rose as I exited the kitchen."Sure."Pulling the doorknob of the main open, I was greeted by the blonde guy who brought Rose home last night from prom.He was a cute white kid, I would award him that.He was dressed in a blue flannel shirt tucked into his black pants.His appearance oozed a nerdy kind.I made a mental note to ask her of the kind of guys she found attractive later on, not like that's my business but c’mon.Rose was a nerdy girl too. By the law of things or whatever, two nerdy people can't form a couple.Here I am already trying to match Rose. I brushed my thoughts off“Oh dear.” I flashed the warmest grin I left reserved for children at him.“Good afternoon ma'am.” He adjusted his glasses, wearing a heavy gri
I stood on my grounds in pure disapproval, not to go on any godforsaken date with Gibson. The ground I stood upon slowly gave way and I fell into agreeing on the stupid date.Miss B appeared in the living room, where I and Gibson were having an epic banter, and talked me into going with him. Gibson came later with a deep blue velvet gown for me to put on for the date.What a gentleman I doubt he chose the dress himself.He somehow found his way into a nice boutique to ask for a roll of their best dinner gown and he chose this one out of the hundreds they'd presented.The date was in three days.We'd settled for a dinner date at one of the nice restaurants a few blocks away.***It's 25 minutes to the date, it was scheduled for 7 pm.I'm staring at my reflection in the full-sized mirror that was hung opposite my bed. Miss B stood by my side; one of her hands was placed on her mouth, and the other She held her waist.“He's trying to make a good impression, don't you see that?” Her wor
Present Day I lay comfortably on the leathery treatment couch as the linear accelerator rotated around my head, delivering the exact amount of treatment prescribed by Dr Myron.The nurse who administered it to me was no other than the nurse who always followed him around.Yes, the clingy one.I've grown to get used to the therapy there at the hospital, Dad had always complained about the whole cost of the chemotherapy Miss B offered back at home.The hospital was way cheap.I usually come with Miss B for my chemoradiotherapy when she has the night shift at work. She works as an auxiliary nurse at a hospital.Not City Hospital, like she'd be working here, I wouldn't let any other nurse attend to me.My Dad comes with me to the hospital when he's off work as well.Those two had to work their ass off to meet up with the hospital bills, so at times, I'm left at home alone when I'm back from the hospital. Playing fetch with Ozzy.Talking to myself was beginning to be a habit for Rose I c
I think I've found my new hubby, the one that keeps my mind busy as my body gives out.And that is…Drum Rolls, please.A fucking home technician.Yeah, you heard me.I kind of have little or more knowledge on repairs than you think I do, maybe the knowledge of repairing items crawled out from my Dad to me I've always done that since I was…since.Now, as I've joined oneness with the couch, I didn't want to be a full-blown liability. I could help with some things around the house, like fixing the faulty microwave and fixing the dishwasher multiple times even though it would still go bad within the next 72 hours.I insist on helping these days, no matter how bad Dad objects.Miss B lets me do my thins without obliging; she's tired of keeping the hard-headed girl's input.Miss B is off to work, Morris is at school.Dad, fortunately, is at home; we just got back from the hospital from therapy.He's probably making lunch.I'm super tired, the medicines keep draining me.I lay on my bed; I
Something is wrong with the basement today; some items, such as Dad's auto spare parts and some of his very useful items, were littered on the floor.I stood at the wooden paneled door of the basement and looked around.The junk on the floor, none was broken.None that I could see.It was like an earthquake occurred in this room; the only difference was that the ground didn't part ways.There was something very off.This is like Dad's scared spot; he always keeps her in order.Forget the musty smell; here was the most arranged as He usually spends time here for meditation or to get away from Morris chattering.He never spoke of the basement being untidy today. Mind you, he always scolds Morris each time he steps into this place.Morris hasn't been here today, Dad had always held the keys.Why would it be now that here was tumbled upside down that he say nothing?I could have heard the noise of them falling to the ground or something that wrecked here; the basement was close to my bedr
Rose should be out of here in no time, what could be keeping her there for this long?This child…she's probably playing in there.“Godammit.” I held my hands to my head; the uneasy feeling crept right back in.She's sick, I should have gotten there to get that toolbox. It would require her climbing and she doesn't have the strength for that.I'm going there right now.I made my way to the basement.The door to the stairway was left slightly open.“Rose?” No answer.My footsteps down the stairway to the basement were hasty.“Everything is okay. Everything is okay. She's in there. She's fine.” That was all I said to myself till turned the metal knob of the wooden door; it creaked loudly as I pushed it open.My mind wasn't ready for the view I saw. Everything was the exact opposite of what I'd prepped for, except for the fact that Rose was still in here but she was on the floor.Motionless.“No, no, oh noo.” I rushed to where my daughter was, jumping over my fallen junk.What had happen
I sat beside her in her bedroom staring closely at her innocent sleeping form. I recalled all that Dr Myron had told me earlier on.“The abnormal cells that had been built up in Rose's blood had finally infected her bone marrow. They've crowded out the healthy blood cells so much that it's hard for her blood and bone marrow to do their work effectively. Unfortunately, the stem cell transplant and blood transfusion have proved ineffective, but that's what she has to keep living on, or else she will be gone in no time. There's nothing we can do beyond that, and the chemoradiotherapy as well. We've scanned her bones and we discovered she fell from a height, I guess. She will be unable to walk for long on her feet; I suggest she uses a wheelchair for movement aid; she's too weak to move about on her feet.”I sat up, blowing out a loud breath and wringing my hands spontaneously.I scoot over to the head side of her bed and took her hands in mine, peering at the back of her palm before laci
What am I doing here?Where the hell am I ?My shoulder heaved as I panted, I'm gasping for air in this airy place.My lungs refused to share the same air with this strange place.I'm standing in the middle of an empty road, a road walled by a steep valley.My heart could burst wide up as my heartbeat crescendoed with my uneasy breath I took.“Dad, fuck.” My eyes searched for any life form.A human, at least.I wring my palms, they felt sandy.I opened my palms, looking into them.They were covered in ash.My arms.My fucking body.“Oh no.” I tried rubbing it off, scrubbing them off with the back of my wrist.It was as though they were glued to my skin.I'm scrubbing them off more.More.I want to rip the top of my skin off.Tears welled from deep inside and coursed down my cheeks.Hot tears.They burned my red bumpy skin.“Help. Anyone?” My voice was raspy.I didn't only feel fear.I could taste it slithering down my throat.I felt a presence.A strong presence. Superior. Powerful