2: THE LIFE WE LIVE

Ben Walker stared at his grandson who lay on his bed with his eyes closed. He knew very well more than anyone that the young man was not sleeping. He was ignoring him like he always did, like he has been doing for the past three years.

The only thing he did not understand as a father was why his grandson thought he was the only person suffering. He, Ben was the one who was suffering the most. He knows that his grandson, Simon has gone through a lot but he was the one who was here trying to get a young man that has given up on life to start living again.

It had been him and Sarah, his wife, who had stood eight hours in that hospital praying for the success of his surgery three years ago. It was also him who had lost his son and his daughter-in-law twenty-one years ago. Why didn’t Simon pity him? Why didn't Simon show any pity for him?

Was he being punished for a sin he didn't know he committed?

He looked at the youth again, now with anger.

"How long are you going to keep on doing this?" Ben asked.

"Doing what exactly grandfather."

"You don't know? Fine I will tell you. You sacked the caregiver again! How many has it been this month, sixteen? Twenty?"

"Twenty-three actually. She was the twenty-third." 

"You think this is an achievement? You are ruining the family's reputation!" Ben barked at him.

"I didn't choose this grandfather!" Simon said then opened his eyes and stared straight at his grandfather without remorse, "You did! I didn't want them! I didn't want any of those women in my life or anywhere near me but you had to bring them here, force them on me!" Simon accused and Ben nodded in agreement.

"Yes, you are right. It is my fault. It is my fault for living longer than your parents! It is my fault for not seeing what kind of person Lana truly was. It is my fault for letting you drive yourself that night. I should have taught you! I should have disciplined you from the beginning!" Ben yelled as he shook the finger he pointed at Simon repeatedly. Simon only looked away but Ben continued.

"If I had disciplined you more, you wouldn't be sulking up in your room as a loser abandoning your company and everything. You fool! All you care about is yourself. Do you not even care about your grandmother? Your parents? Do you think they would love to see the kind of man you've become? Or how you have abandoned the company that they worked hard to build? Do you want me to truly give up on you?!" Ben shouted at him before breaking into a fit of cough.

Sarah, who no one knew was outside the door rushed in and holds her husband as he coughed, patting his back repeatedly.

"Simon, what is wrong with you? Are you planning on killing your grandfather? How can you talk to him like this!"  Sarah exclaimed but Ben took her hand to calm her down. 

"It's okay, Sarah, do not worry. No matter how hard you try he won't listen."  He turned to Simon who didn't even spear them a glance. 

"You're right. Everything is my fault. I won't give up until the end. I would never give up until I see you back to yourself again. Tomorrow your new caregiver would resume."  Ben announced shocking both Sarah and Simon. 

Holding Sarah's hand he pulls her out of the room.

Simon sighed when they left, "Let's see how long you can keep this up, grandfather." He muttered.

……..

Alvira wiped away the sweat from her forehead with the sleeves of her shirt. If she had known the day would be this hot, she would have worn something lighter. Now she was sweating like a pig. 

She had spent all her morning going from one agency to another submitting her mini CV which included the fact that she had taken care of her father who had been diagnosed with cancer for two years now.

She had hoped that that information would help her land a caregiving job as that was the only experience she had of the job or any job that paid a little better than the waitress job she took part-time when she was in college.

The agency had accepted her CV and promised to call back if they received a prospective employer for her service. She had not gone to conventional caring homes because she knew that private caregiving jobs paid more, and she needed the money.

She needed it badly. They were about to start another section of chemotherapy for her father and they had to have enough money to foot the bill.

The blast of air conditioning on her skin that she felt when she walked into the hospital building was a relief. She immediately went to grab some of the iced water they offered for free and made her way to the elevator.

It was lunchtime and she wanted her mother to take a break. Go home and take a nap maybe or take a walk, anything. She didn't want her exhausted or having her breaking down. Because whether they liked it or not, knowing she wasn't in this alone was what gave her the courage to carry on.

She walked into the hospital room assigned to her father and saw him lying there pale, his head bald from shaving off all his hair, and his eyes were sunken from weight loss.  Her heart squeezed painfully.

No matter how many times she saw him, she didn't think she would ever get used to seeing him like this. Her father Tim, was a vibrant bundle of life. A factory worker who devoted his life to his work and his family. Despite being a factory worker he wanted to make sure his daughter had a better chance at life.

He had gathered up all his life savings to send her to college along with a scholarship she acquired. But colon cancer showed up and messed up that plan. 

Now he didn't have the strength to work anymore nor did he have a job to return to when he gets better. His daughter had also dropped out of college last month when the family spent all their saving on medical bills.

He had tried encouraging them to give up on him, but they refused him, his wife and daughter were both determined to fight this battle to the end. Tim looked at the dazed Alvira who stood by the door with teary eyes and smiled. At least he knew he was loved in this life by two amazing women who would do anything for him.

"How long will you stand there staring at your father? Am I still so handsome it makes you want to cry that I have passed my prime?" Tim asked and his daughter smiled.

"Dad!" Alvira exclaimed.

"Shush!" Tim whispered, his index finger going to his lips as he glanced at Emily who was fast asleep with her head on the bed beside him. Alvira smiled. She was right, her mother really needed the break. She closed the door gently and walked into the room.

"How are you today Dad?" She asked as she walked to his other side to seat on the hospital chair positioned there, he turned to her slowly, so as not to disturb the drip passing over the base of his nostrils.

"Amazing. You won't believe what happened, the nurse, you know the one with the red head? I caught her checking me out today. I think she likes me." Tim explained with all seriousness while the smile on Alvira's face blossomed.

"Really?" She asked.

"Yeah, I am telling you. You can ask your mom when she's awake, she saw it all happen and she was mad with jealousy. The nurse was really planning on dating me." He explained enthusiastically.

"Dad, didn't you tell her you have a daughter her age already?" Alvira asked with a serious face playing along with her father. Both of them knew no nurse would suggest such a thing to him.

In fact, the only feelings the nurses showed when they saw him was pity.

 "I told her!" He exclaimed before realizing himself and glancing at his sleeping wife. "I told her," he whispered this time, "but she said something along the line of the older the better. She even regretted not being born when I was in my prime, can you believe that?" 

"Ah!" Alvira gasped with fake annoyance. "How dare she hit on you? She's going to get it from me when I meet her." 

"You should talk to her, I mean have a real talk with her or else how can I face your mother if she hears the gravity of what that nurse said." Tim then sighed in frustration, "Ah! I wonder what is wrong with nurses nowadays, what happened to the ‘you can't date your patient’ policy?" 

"There is a policy like that?" Alvira asked with a wide eye and her father also returned the look. 

"There isn't?"

They both held each other’s gaze for a second, acting as if they were thinking about it before bursting into laughter. Emily who was supposed to be sleeping raised her head laughing herself at the cheesiness of her husband and daughter.

"You weren't sleeping?" Tim asked surprised.

"How can I sleep when you won't stop fooling around with your daughter." Emily said and the father and daughter busted into another round of laughter as they recalled the drama they had earlier been playing.

"You shouldn't teach Alvira this your quizzical character, people won't take her seriously." Emily complained playfully.

"Even if I say nothing, she would still take after me. She's my daughter after all."  Tim said as he patted his wife's hand that was resting on the bed. 

Emily sighed and smiled then looked at Alvira who had a melancholic smile on, "how was the job search, did you get any?"  She asked.

"I submitted my CV, I would have to wait for them to call me." Alvira said, then looked at her mother, "you should go home, rest, and prepare for your night shift. I would take over from here." 

Emily sighed and nodded, "you're right I should." She stood up and kissed her husband’s cheek. "See you tomorrow honey."

"I love you." Tim said with a smile and Emily smiled too, her cheek slightly turning the shades of pink.

"And I love you." She said

"Awwn, looks like Dad really still has his charm, mom is blushing." Alvira announce and her parents laughed while her father begins to bicker about his charm with her again.

None of them noticed when Emily snuck away.

………

"Are you really going to get him a new caregiver?" Sarah asked as she stared at her husband of almost seventy years. 

They had left Simon's room a while ago and now they were seated in the living room, thinking of the best way to help their pathetic grandson.

"Yes! Call the agencies and have them send in a recommendation. I won't let him sack this one no matter what he does this time."

Sarah sighed again, whenever she thought about it, Simon took after her husband. They were both stubborn. It was just too bad that Simon was bent on living a miserable life.

"Are you sure we are handling this the right way?" She asked again and Ben gave her an angry look.

"What other way are we supposed to handle this?! He won't see a therapist? We can't even let those in the company realize that rather than taking care of his health, he is living a miserable life behind that door. Who would not think of our family as a joke if they find out the heir to the Walkers’ wealth is a boy who is unable to move on from his past!" Ben ranted with utter frustration and Sarah kept quiet.

"Just get someone good. I trust your judgment of people." Ben said as he stood up and left her sitting in the large living room.

........................................................

Hours later as darkness began to fall over the face of the hospital where Alvira sat on a sofa watching her father who had fallen asleep after taking his medications and dinner, Alvira received a message that she had been offered a job in the Walkers’ estate with a mind-blowing salary. 

Her heart jumped in gleeful delight as a smile blossomed on her lips.

Her mother usually worked a night shift at a hotel and so had to work late into the night. Even though the salary was not much, it was the largest she could acquire with her previous job experience.

Alvira was tasked to stay with her father all night. Seeing the message, she glanced up and stared at her sleeping father, the job was just the answer to the prayers they needed.