Rendezvous
22 October 08 : 10.53 AM
Daddy has been having headaches again lately. Because he's not one to whine and complain, only Mom knew about it. He told her he didn't know how long more he can hold up, so he needs to have an important conversation with us as soon as possible. It just broke my heart completely.
So last night after dinner, he called all of us to the dining room. He told us whose names his assets are under, who will have holding power of the assets, how the money will be divided. How we must all look after our mother. Things like that. None of us said a word.
But the house, he says, cannot be sold. It belongs to the family.
It was painful because it forced us to think about what happens when they're gone. The fact that they don't think they're going to be around long. The worst part is, I can't even dispute that. They're not old, not at all. Mom's in her late forties and Daddy's like, 53. But they're been ill so anything can happen.
((When I heard about the headaches, I wanted to scream at Dani. I wanted to tell him how selfish he was. I told you to hit me, to hurt me any way you wanted to, just don't hurt my parents. You know them too, you know what would hurt them. You saw everything! You saw what it was like! You saw him, unable to speak, unable to remember my name, in the emergency room! You heard what the doctors said! You knew about his condition too! How on earth could you have done what you did. Dad always said that I was the one he had to worry least about. I didn't cause trouble at all, I was a good kid. He has only laid hands on me once ever when I was 5, countless of times for everyone else growing up. And now, he has to worry about me too. It just makes me feel so ashamed.))
Mom giggled. She said her money will be divided the same way. Dad laughed at her, asking how much money she has to begin with. "Mr. Yong, you're not the only who needs to decide soon. I'll probably go before you! You have 3 more years? I think I have 2," she chuckled.
Sometimes you want to believe they'll never be gone, but it's times like this, it's times when you see one of them on the hospital bed like I did last week, that you're ever so slightly reminded of their mortality.