Charles

2. She Remembers Me

Harry's most painful experience

[Short Story No.2]

It's not every day you witness something you can't handle. like a family member dying in front of your eyes or you wake up in a hospital and you notice one of your limbs have been removed. Even though you'll eventually go bionic, it's just not the same. Perhaps it's because of this, that we don't ever come to terms with our tragic moments. We can't help but to clench our fists and cry like a baby. My beloved wife Suzen, I'm praying for you!

One of the reasons I'm confident that my wife will be cured by this means, is that we live in an extremely advanced age. It's 2132, and although 100% of all earth's natural recourses have been used up, the technological world has never been to this magical level. If my 78 year-old memory is correct and what I've read is factual, then I have more reason to believe that my Suzen will be ok. Machine and software in the modern times have truly amazed me. According to it'safact.com, as early as 2016, scientists in Kyoto, Japan, teleported matter at an atomic level from one laboratory to the next, over a distance of 10 kilometers. And just four years later in 2020, the famous SKA (Square Kilometer Array) was completed in South Africa. This extraordinary achievement led the human civilization to finally understand how the universe was, at a time very close to the Big Bang (I completely reject the multiple Big Bang theory, hence the term 'multiverse', it's nonsense).

Is it alright to think of these technological advancements at a time like this? But it's what got us to this stage isn't it? And will help us with all our problems too!

Suzen and I, got married in 2058. We were both twenty years of age, young and full of energy. Since then, my wife was the one who I could count on to turn any dull moment into the happiest. I could confide in her in all matters, no matter what it was. My entire life changed with her in it. I saw the universe differently. Love was everywhere and nothing could stop me from seeing it that way. She made me smile so much that she reminded me of how the sun comforts the earth, so full of life, love and warmth. Without the sun, there'd be no love. Without her, love doesn't exist. She showed me so much love, and what have I shown to her?

I feel ashamed. Perhaps the reason for all of this heartache was me all along. Even though Suzen was kind enough to always cook my food, iron my clothes and make me the happiest husband in the whole world, I was the one who was different, different in a bad way. I admit that it was me, who was the cause of our many terrible arguments and mishaps. I always felt like I owned her, as if I could speak to her anyway I wished, because I knew she had a soft heart. I felt I could just get angry every time she didn't do things the way I wanted it, because I knew she would never retaliate. Since her illness, I've been thinking a lot about how I treated her. How could I have been so selfish and ego driven? It must be me who has a disease, not her. I can still taste her famous Sunday dish, it was cottage pie served with a sweet smile. I miss all these wonderful things she did for me. I was ungrateful and narrow minded. I may never experience her generous hospitality again.

I don't think I'll remove my hands from my face. I'll just sit here and feel terrible. That's what I deserve. And although all of these thoughts are tearing my soul apart, I won't waver in doubt that with the help of my friend Charles, Suzen will be cured. It has to work! Charles is one of those unique talented scientists that seem to know the answer to all complications, no matter the paradox. He received the 'Turn of The Century Award' in 2100 for his excellence in bionics and neurology. Due to advancements in these fields, it became a norm for Cyborg-like humans to stroll past you. I think it's a fantastic way to cope with limb loss. Suzen never really loved the idea. She used to say, "What's use of an electronic body that lives without any pain. Where's the love in that?"

It was about five years ago that Suzen's illness started to show it's signs. She would forget things, such as what she would cook for that evening or what she was going to wear for a birthday party. This would only occur about once every few weeks. I thought this was definitely something that came with old age, but I was wrong. Two years ago it became so bad, that one morning when she woke up, she turned her head towards me and didn't smile at all. She looked very confused. Did she forget who I was? Was this the psychological effects of unkind treatment of one's spouse? It was scary to the bone and I couldn't take it! That morning, she just sat in her bed and realized about an hour later who and where she was. I made it a point to contact Charles no later than that very evening. We found out a week later from professional doctors (Charles was professional too, but I needed a second opinion just to make sure). My wife was diagnosed with the Alzheimer's disease.

It took Charles and I, quite a few months, but we finally figured something out. With my knowledge of nanotechnology and Charles's knowledge of the brain and the nervous system, these past two years we've been working on a machine, which he called, 'The Machine of Reverse Action' or the MRA. This was the 122nd attempt in neurological history to try and cure the disease. Perhaps it was possible for neurons to repair itself. Perhaps, "Anything is possible, if you've got enough nerve" as a well known author of the 20th and 21st century, Joanne Kathleen Rowling, had said.

The more I wait for my wife's treatment to be complete, the more worried I become. I know too well, that the old-aged don't usually fair as well as the youth when it comes to medical procedures. We, old people, are fragile and fear broken bones and backaches. Will my wife be alright after the neuro-regeneration process is complete? Is there even such a thing as curing the Alzheimer's disease? I miss Suzen and all that she was. Since the day came when she no longer smiled, I hadn't smiled either. It's been a while. I want to tell her that I'm sorry for all the times I've been treating her without the respect she deserved. I want to honour her the way a husband should honour his wife. I wish to see her smile again and hear her calming voice.

A while later, the MRA made a joyful sound. The capsule that Suzen was enclosed in, opened slowly and made the following statement, "Neuro-regeneration process completed. Alzheimer's extermination in patient's brain, one hundred percent achieved." Of course, this was the programmed message that Charles and I came up with once the treatment was a success. But this didn't make us jump for joy just yet. As scientists, we know very well that artificial intelligence can't be absolutely trusted when giving a definite answer. We'd have to check physically...

I stood up from my chair, heart pounding and palms sweating, and walked over to where my wife was laying down. She looked beautiful. I don't know what it was, but it was as if the sun just came out after a terrible storm. Her face looked calm and tranquil. I leaned over towards her and said, "Suzen, are you there?" She turned her head towards me, and with much happiness, she smiled.

...

Suzen Barnes, became well known as the very first patient to be cured from the Alzheimer's disease. She passed away five years later in her sleep at the age of 95 on the 10th day of October 2137. She is sadly missed and lovingly remembered by her husband, Harry Barnes, who described his wife as a full moon on a clear summers night.

"Nothing else matters besides the moon, because it shines brighter than everything else, spreading happiness all over the horizons. She was my moon." -Harry Barnes

-to be continued