The Illuminant

Chapter 18

Sophie's heart has been doing well but so also is the malignant tumor fast developing.
It has covered the rear of her brain already and is now threatening to enter the mid section.

Her parents have been in and out of the hospital as was the case before the surgery and each time they would pray together in front of her crib as she slept. I no longer try to stop them any more or because I'm even beginning to doubt myself.

That evening when Tomi came over alone and she prayed for mom, I didn't think there was going to be any change as there was no change for my dad when I poured out my heart to him that day on the bridge while looking for help.
But even as much as I don't want to admit it, I felt a little better after she prayed; I wasn't as sad anymore as I was earlier.

In fact, I would say that it felt like she had already regained her consciousness, recovered and been discharged and sent home. I was just too happy for my own liking.

I divert my thoughts back to Sophie.
The Blakes had gone to almost every pediatric hospital they could think of before coming here to Kinder.
They wanted to make sure that their daughter was in the best of hands on the day of her birth. 
I feel awful letting them down as we are about one of the best in the area.
But still, they don't seem the least bit bothered that their daughter might die. I mean, yeah they can't really do anything about it but still, I shrug.
They never once lost their peace except for that first time when I broke the news to them and Mrs. Blake panicked but that was a bit understandable.
Yes, they knew before coming to Kinder that there was something seriously wrong with their daughter but they didn't know how much and I am not so surprised that she reacted that way.
What baffles me is that by then, they didn't know half of what was wrong with Sophie.
As the news got worse, they got even more collected; they never lost hope that their daughter would one day be okay.

As the case may be, we are waiting until the tumor eventually spreads round her brain and sadly kills her but the Blakes have forbidden us to speak of death around them or their daughter.
They keep insisting that she will be discharged as a normal child without any defects whatsoever.
At this point, we as the medical crew can do nothing much to convince them otherwise.

I shake my thoughts off Sophie and focus on the matter at hand; dinner.
Mom was discharged today and as you most probably know, she refused to have the surgery.
The hospital had no choice but to discharge her and hope she gets better.

Since it's her first night at home, I wanted to surprise her with a treat.
Mom is a lover of homemade foods while I, on the other hand do more of fast food,  not necessarily because I don't like her homemade food - she is probably the best cook in the world - but because I'm not much of a domestic person.
I never liked to cook, even in my much earlier days, and the nature of my work has made it such that even if I'd like to, I don't  have the time.

So, after returning from the hospital, I made her comfortable in the room downstairs different from her normal one upstairs, and told her I was getting dinner. She probably thought I was going to order something.
Once I got downstairs, I fished out one of her easiest recipes that I could find and decided to try it out.

How hard could it be?

It's almost twenty-five minutes later now and the sink which was clear in the beginning is now filled with things I don't even remember using. The kitchen table has flour all over the top and there's oil dripping down to the floor. The batter still isn't made yet and I just found out that I have absolutely no idea of what I'm doing.
I drop the whisk and slap my head in frustration, smearing my head with flour in the process. 

"Why can't I get it right?" I groan loudly but not enough for mom to hear.
I take a few steps back and scan the kitchen.

It's a horrible mess.