Boscha Noceda

Chapter 8: Gone

Boscha and Luz have been sisters for four years, and today was the day they needed each other the most. The two were crying as they looked at their dad in a hospital bed. Manny looked at them and gave them a small smile.

"Don't cry girls." He said.

"Puhhh...Papiiii..." tears were cascading from all three of Boscha's eyes. "...please don't go..."

"Nuuhhh... nooooo..." Luz was wiping her tears away with her dad's blanket. "...don't g-go away..."

Camila and Gabriel stood by them, making no effort to hide their own tears. Events of the last for years replayed in their minds. The doctors' prognoses were grim. They only gave Manny a few months, not even a full year at most. Out of what Camila could only determine as sheer rebelliousness, he managed to surpass their expectations. For the first couple of years, Manny showed no signs of slowing down. Were it not for his treatments, he'd have appeared to be in perfect health. Halfway through the third year would be when his condition unmistakably started to take its toll. He couldn't play with his daughters as often as they wanted. He would suffer frequent coughing fits, making sure to hide any blood he happened to hack up. He had also appeared more gaunt as the year passed. Luz and Boscha were young, but they weren't fools. They could sense their dad was hiding something from them, even before his symptoms made themselves known. But since they were scared that something worse was happening, they believed their parents when they said everything would be fine. They never dared to question what they had been told. But a year from then, the truth could no longer be denied. Manny had become slower, weaker and less lively. Despite everything, the girls were anxious to do anything they could to help in the hopes that they could make him better. Sadly, nothing they did could help, and now, they could only stand and watch as their father's life slowly ebbed away. Manny's shaky hands grabbed one of Boscha and Luz's hands.

"Girls, don't cry... I've lived a good life." Manny said, "I love you both so much, and when I take my final breath, I will smile... because I'll be thinking about how lucky I was to have daughters as great as you two."

The two kids cried and hugged Manny. He gave them a each a kiss on the cheek, before looking at Boscha.

"Boscha, Mija, I want you to promise me something." Manny said, "I want you to keep Luz safe, you're her big sister, it's your duty from now on to make sure nothing hurts her."

Boscha couldn't say anything through her sobs, so she simply nodded.

"Gracias, Princesa." Manny then turned to Luz. "And you, Little Light, you bring such a spark of life and wonder to the world. No matter what happens, never let it go, mija."

"Mmm-hmmm" Luz did her best to answer through her own cries.

Manny reached over the side of the bed and pulled up two gift bags.

"Here, I got you both something." Manny said.

The girls looked at the bags before grabbing them and pulling out two objects. For Boscha, it was a custom pink Wilson basketball with her name on it. For Luz, it was a book titled the Good Witch Azura, a book Luz always looked at but never got the opportunity to read.

Boscha cradled her gift as her tears flowed more intensely.

"Uuuuuhhh... Gracias, Papi."

"You have the talent to go far, Princesa." Manny ruffled her hair. "Just remember to always be a team player, and take it easy on your tio when you two play each other."