Jahdiel

Chapter 2

The heart machine beeped annoyingly, the zigzagged lines were giving me a pounding headache.

We were at the hospital, it was barely light out yet. I was surprised when the hospital staffs let us in, it was definitely not time to visit anyone.

Maybe, they pitied us, the family with two underage daughters and a mother who looked like all the burden in the world were on her sunken shoulders. The father who was fighting for his life, struggling, griping, holding on to the unwinding thread of his life, slowly slipping away.

Immediately Daramis saw Papa she crumpled to the ground sobbing heavily. Everything she was holding down, she poured it out. Mama was shaking, she was holding in the tears. I hate seeing my family like this. I hate it.

Papa only wanted to provide for us, barely making enough anyways. And this silicosis comes and wants to take my Papa from me? From us. What did we do to deserve this torture. We mind our business. We don't steal. We do everything that a good family needs to do. Dear God, why me? Why us. I don't understand. If this is a test its hurts too much. It hurts all of us. How are we going to afford the medical bills? God please help us.

Mama had sat next to him as he slept, gently stroking his salt and pepper hair, whispering to herself unconsciously."Don't give up, Hakim. Don't give up."

I was holding back the hot tears that were threatening to spill, to run through the corridors screaming at doctors to fix my papa. To make him as he was before. The jovial man that always gave even if he didn't have enough, to make my mama smile when he kisses her forehead. I want him back, it hurts too much to see him like this, weak and frail.

"Come on Daramis. Papa wouldn't want to see you like this." I coaxed her lightly tugging on her fingers, forcing down the lump rising on my throat."Please for papa."

"Okay." She said raising her tear stricken face to look at me."Papa will be alright won't he?"

I wasn't sure but all I knew was that he would get better, I wiped away the leftover tears with the hem of my dress and offered her a small smile."He will, be God's grace. Now go see him."

She got up from the floor dusting her herself, tried to smile and walked over to papa's bed I trailed after placing my hands on her shoulders.

Papa looked too small, too weak not his normal self. His eyes were sunken in he looked way older than he actually was. It made my stomach churn. A simple man couldn't earn a honest living without him falling sick.

Papa stirred in his sleep moving closer to mama clasping her hand in his. He opened his eyes and shut them smiling at his wife. It was like time slowed between them. I felt like we were completely out of the picture, it was only them and their own little world, communicating on a whole different level, using only their eyes. I wanted this kind of love, the unwavering kind that could stand through the test of time.

"Hakim..." Mama drawled softly."How are you doing? I brought your favourite food." Papa eyes fluttered open and close, his eyes trying to focus, like he was trying to concentrate on her words.

"Why-why am I still in this place?" He questioned no one in general, struggling to sit up." Mariam I told you that we can't afford this."

"Hakim, it's for your own good." Mama eyes welled up with tears."You can't leave me, please."

"Papa, mama is right." Daramis said shuffling closer to him."I don't want you to leave us."

I don't think Daramis understood the kind of leave we were referring to in this situation.

"Papa, Mama and Dara are correct." I remembered the boy who said he was a prince, he will help me but the only challenge was how I would get to the fifth level to ask for the unfulfilled promise. "You need to get back on your feet. For us. For your own good."