Love Story – Before she leaves (Chapter 1)
Photo credit: taliesin from morguefile.com
They walk into the hospital and ask at the check desk for a “Mrs. Mimi Kayl”. The lady in the blue suite fidgets around to find a sheet. With a worried tone, she looks down the hallway and directs them to the ward number 29.
Racing through the doorway, they clank and bump in all the hurry as she admits her gaze onto each of their faces. “She’s up! Daddy, she’s up!”, the delighted voice of a young brunette from amongst them.
An old man, well over 80, in a dull grey sweater and a red scarf, baggy pants and neat brown shoes, tightens his grip. He says to her “Let me through, please. It’s been far too long!”.
“Hush now, I’ve only been here a few hours, John. And you’ve been away for an hour longer and you still are my lovely exaggerator.” she spoke in a muffled tone from atop the bed.
“A few hours is a long time, my love. How are you?”, asked Mr. Kayl. He rushes towards the bed while Mimi struggled to lift herself a bit to lie dead beat against the wall.
She seemed to be in pain. Her dusky, wrinkled skin, decorated with age spots had now turned pale and lifeless, but her eyes were filled with joy at the sight of the man she had been in love with for a time that seemed longer than her entire life.
“For woman over 80, I guess I feel much better than I should, Johnny. You needn’t be this worried. Have you had your medication for the morning?”, she says to him in deep concern.
“Uh..uh.. As a matter of fact,” he pauses, “I did, so you have absolutely nothing to hold against me. Today is all about you.”, John stammers to her while Gwyn giggles in the back ground and Mimi’s gaze grew sharp.
“Mama, I lay them out on the table each day, just like you ask me to”, sound of a loud gulp “But, my job ends there!”.
Mimi chuckles and says to her, “I’ve managed to work this beautiful girl into a fine young woman.” and in a still grim she continues, “I’ve worked a lifetime on you and you care about everything and everybody else but you! Tell me, what will you do once I’m gone?” there was tension in the air at this point, “Let’s face it…”, she was now being interrupted.
“We’ve heard these dialogues far too many times! It does not end well, Mimi!”.
Everyone in the room were overwhelmed to see John lose his temper like that. It was a rare thing. It was unpleasant too.
The silence continued for a little while until the receptionist knocks on the door to inform them that visiting time was not until 5 pm again.
They say their goodbyes, wish Mimi good luck as they exit the room and Mimi watches with an empty smile as the door shuts behind John.
A tear rolls down both their eyes.
***
