The Ancient Warrior

Evangeline's Illness

  Evangeline pushed the thought away. It was one of her wild imaginations again. It was the possible ways of how she would die later. It was so painful knowing how she has struggled to survive and yet with just one blink of an eye, the cancer cells have been eating her slowly inside without even noticing the symptoms. It was cervical cancer, the Doctor said almost two months ago. It was unacceptable because she is just 30 years old and her children need her more than anything in the world. Emery is just 13 years old, she was the eldest. Ernestine, her middle child aged 10, and Evander, her youngest son aged 7. How can the world be so cruel to her? Not so long ago her husband had an affair with another woman and left them. She was beginning to recover and yet this cancer makes the whole scenario even worse. She can not die now, especially with her children depending on her.

Her job offered her a sum of money for her to retire before she gets defeated with the disease. She was not needed in the job anymore. Her once beautiful face was now fading due to lack of sleep and endless pain that she has to endure silently so that she would not wake the children in the middle of the night. Soon everything will fall and she has to face the truth that she's going to die. Soon she would become a memory and would be forgotten. She just wanted to settle things with her children first before she bid goodbye to the world.

Evangeline stood up from her swivel chair and went to her Boss's office. Mrs. Soriano was her supervisor for the past 15 years of employment. Mrs. Soriano smiled warmly as Evangeline approached. She was in her 40's, chubby and well dressed all the time like she's going to a party. But it's just how she shows herself. She wanted to look stunning and young.

" Yes, Dear?" There was a worried tone in her voice. She was like a mother to her.

"Oh, no Ma'am. I'm quite fine today. Uhmm, I came here to say that I have made my decision about taking my early retirement." She said in a hushed tone. 

"I'm glad you made the right decision Eve. It will also help you to relax and enjoy your remaining days with your kids." She has a sad tone and was not successful enough to hide it.

Evangeline thought that was very harsh, but then again she knew how her supervisor was. Her supervisor was just telling her the truth about what to do with her remaining days on Earth.

"I will make all the papers as soon as possible. You are one of my best employees Eve, I'm sure the company will lose someone valuable."

Evangeline just smiled as she replied to Mrs. Soriano. She can sense some sincerity but she still doubted it. Nowadays, she has become someone else with a numb heart.

Evangeline hugged her three kids the moment she entered their living room and the three of them came running towards her. Tears of mixed emotions flowed out from her eyes. How can she be dying? What a very impossible thing to believe. Emery noticed her.

"Why are you crying, Mama?" She said. She wiped Evangeline's tears with her thumb.

"I'm just so happy how lucky I am for having great kids." She answered and cleared the lump in her throat while still hugging the youngest one.

"We are very lucky as well for having you as our mother, right Nessy, and Evan?" Emery smiled. Seeking approval from her siblings.

"Well, what do we have for dinner?" Evangeline asked. Detouring the topic.

"Corned beef!" The kids said in unison with a happy tone.

Evangeline laughed out with them. When she wakes up in the morning, the very first thing she does is to cook their meal for the entire day. She didn't have any helpers to help her out with the chores. She does everything by herself. Emery is an angel who helps her any way she can. Ernestine does her chores too, like washing the dishes and folding some clothes, sweeping the floor, and even helps little Evan change clothes after taking a bath and going into bed. When Emery and Ernestine went to school and Evangeline had to go to work, there was a good neighbor who always looked after little Evan.