Almost Maybes

Chapter 8

I sat straight up in bed upon hearing his voice. I'd checked the caller's ID, Rex's name was registered on the screen. Why in the world would Perry call using his brother's phone?

"It's me Perry. Sorry to call you this late." said the other line when I hadn't responded.

"Hey, yeah, I mean, hi."

"Do you remember our dad?"

Why is he suddenly asking about his dad? Is this a drunk call?

"Of course. Mr. Jessie Asis. I remember him from Rex's stories. Why did you ask?"

"Did you know that he died of leukemia?"

"No."

"Rex got home tonight as drunk as a lord."

"O-kay. I don't quite follow. How is it related to Rex?"

The other line went silent.

"Are you still there?" I asked.

"Recently, he has been in bed due to persistent fever and chills. He lost appetite and didn't want to eat anything at all. Due to fatigue and stress, he opted to work from home."

"I don't know all this. We haven't talked for almost a month now."

"I just figured it out tonight," he said.

"What is it?"

"He was going to call you, but he kept on calling my number instead. I went into his room to check on him and found him lying in bed on his stomach. He was speaking indistinctly."

"He must be very drunk."

"I called you for him, maybe he badly wants to talk with you. Unfortunately, he is fast asleep now."

"It's okay. I'll just give him a call tomorrow morning. I hope he will answer."

Perry's sigh was audible. I waited for him to speak again, but the line stayed that way.

"Are you still there?" I asked.

"Two weeks ago, Rex was diagnosed with acute leukemia."

The words were at the tip of my tongue, but none of it was spoken. It felt like my heart had stopped beating, my senses had gone elsewhere.

Perry repeated. "Leukemia, Ivy. Rex has leukemia."

He began explaining things, medical terms, and such. My mind couldn't absorb the succeeding details. All that registered in my head was the word leukemia. I hadn't said a word since he started giving details of this and that.

"Can you convince him, Ivy?"

"Sorry. What were you saying?"

"He doesn't want to undergo chemotherapy. He thinks cancer has no cure and that he will soon die just like dad."

"That fool."

That was supposed to be a thought, but I blurted out and Perry had heard it.

"I couldn't agree more."

"How can I help?"

Perry informed me of Rex's appointment with the doctor tomorrow. Rachel would be there to accompany him, but they still haven't convinced him to resort to chemotherapy. He rarely gets out of his room, he said.

When Perry hung up. I abruptly looked up the net information about the disease. Now I had understood why Perry brought up his dad, Rex might have inherited the cancer from him. The family history of leukemia was one of the sources of it. It couldn't be due to smoking, Rex didn't smoke, as far as I know.

As I was reading articles online, when tears voluntarily streamed down my face. Not because dad was getting married again. Also, not because of the thought of leaving my first job.

He might die.

The first thing I checked was the chances of recovering from the cancer.

Maybe I was just like Rex, the thought of him leaving permanently would ruin my idea of a happy life. He was too young to suffer from cancer. He was too young to die.

I tossed my phone on the bed. My eyes could hardly read off the information. I lay on my stomach and cried on my pillow silently till I ran out of tears to cry.

This must be an awful dream.

"In silent screams, and wildest dreams. I never dreamed of this."