The Juncture of Pink

Lives of a normal household took a turn when a horrifying incident occurred to their family . Now, two siblings swore secrecy to prevent any more damage to their already-suffering family.

It’s Monday morning, Alex woke up to the smell of grilled bacon on the pan.

“Hmmm. Those are smelling delish!” Alex said.

“-what a delight.” He thought.

Alex stands up and gets himself ready. Half an hour later, he exits out the bathroom door. Steam of fresh evaporated carbon dioxide steps out of the room, together with the teen. He proceeds to go down to the dinner table. As he takes his steps down the thin stairs, located on the right side of the house just opposite to the dining room, he sees his older sister, Sandra too busy giving milk to baby Bianca, while their Mom was finishing up in the kitchen.

“Hurry up and eat your breakfast Alex, they might get cold.” Alex’s mom claimed.

There was something wrong. Mom was looking oddly euphoric. Too good to be true.

“Uh Mom? You okay?”

“What do you mean? Of course I am”

Sandra, thinking of the same thing, said her piece.

“I woke up finding her acting like that”

“What do you guys mean? I’ve always been like this.” Their mom assured.

Alex shook it off, and continues to the table to eat what was prepared before he took off for school.

After a day’s work of listening to teachers, writing notes, and doing activities, school finished for Alex. And while he was waiting for the bus to take him to his station, few streets away from his place, he felt a little curious to why his mom was not acting like herself this morning.

“Boy! Mom sure was acting a little weird this morning. What’s up with that?” he thought to himself.

30 minutes have passed, and the bus pulls over to the station. And taking just a few steps off the block, Alex could already see their house from where he was standing.

Something was a bit out of place. There’s a car, parked on the driveway.

“Hey! That’s Uncle Gerry’s car!?” said Alex in an exclamation of wonder.

Alex opens the door to the house and walks in. He finds his uncle together with their Grandma Leslie, sitting in the living room with his mom, and older sister.

Sandra, approached Alex and told him to go look after Bianca, while the family have their meeting.

“Alex, please take Bianca to her room and tend to her while we have this mee- “

But before Sandra could finish what she’s saying, their mom quickly intervened.

“-He's old enough, Sandra. He has to hear this.”

“-has to hear what?” Alex asked, as his eerie feeling was getting stronger.

He was getting uneasy. His mom proceeds to tell him to go find a seat.

“Alex, please, just go find yourself a seat.”

“What’s going on?”

“Please, Alex. Just find one. I’ll tell everyone in a second.”

While Alex was walking towards a small beanie bag, their Mom continues -standing opposite to everyone.

“Don’t worry, everyone. I’m okay…”

Alex’s heartbeat got faster, as if his instinct was telling him something bad is going to happen -and his instinct was not wrong.

Alex's Mom persists, telling everyone that she was fine.

“Nothing’s wrong, it’s just- “

And then she paused for a while. She then gathered up and gave out a huge sigh. Alex was uneasy. He knows for sure that something was not right.

Then his Mom continued, telling everyone that her recent trip to the doctor wasn't as blissful as it was.

“If you all might not know, I’ve been constantly going to the doctor lately…”

Everyone was caught a bit off-guard, but not Alex. He knew that something was up, he had his suspicions. However, despite his unfortunate instinct, agitation was still growing inside him.

Exhale, his Mom continued, telling everyone that her trip to the doctor wasn't like anyone's normal weekly or monthly check-ups. It was an unusual visit. Uncustomary.

“Well, what can I say? I don’t know where to start. T-those visits are about something…”

The room got seriously silent, anticipating what Alex’s mom was talking about -that you could almost hear anyone’s heartbeat.

“…It’s, well, about me. I don’t think I’m going to be okay in the future…”

The ambiguous statement left everyone in the room in a daze.

“I-it’s cancer. I was diagnosed with s-stage two breast cancer.”

The whole attendants in the room was in shock, even Alex. He knew something bad was going to happen, but he wasn't expecting this drastic.

His suspicion for the strangeness of his mom from this morning, gave him a knock-out blow to the face -as it cleared him from mystery, it shrouded him in misery.

He was devastated. They all were.

To add insult to injury, Grandma Leslie advised Alex, and Sandra, with a dreadful voice, to not tell their dad who works overseas, about the diagnosis:

“I know this is going to be difficult for you two, but I strictly forbid you from telling your dad.”

“B-But Grandma-“ Alex rebelled.

“-I know! It’s hard for me too! But we have enough problems!” commanded Grandma Leslie -cautious of the potential aftermath of what could happen.

Four months have passed, Alex’s conscience is killing him. He thought that it’s unfair to deprive their dad about the news. Every time their dad calls and asks about their mom, Alex couldn't tell him the truth, even though the thought of telling him about it is eating Alex away, while Grandma Leslie stands close to listen to their conversation, just in case he slips:

“Alex, think about what you’ll say. We don’t need any more problem that we could hardly bare”

“How do you know that -that's what’ll happen?”

“I don’t. I just fear for the worst, my dear. We can’t let your father worry. He’s the sole provider for your mom’s medical treatment.”

Grandma Leslie was strict, being a preventive measure and all. It was difficult for her too, but it was for the better -Alex's dad has enough stress on him, working overseas, they can’t add more to his plate, otherwise he might lose it. Who knows what he'll do if he finds out what's happening to his wife.

It was hard.

It was extremely difficult.

These thoughts was what kept Alex up and occupied at night. He couldn’t focus on school. He couldn’t focus on anything. He was getting sick, but he knew he shouldn’t get sick. It wasn’t the best time. He has to show his mom, that their all fighting together with her. He shouldn’t show any sign of weakness or it might affect their mom’s recovery. But it was just too much of a burden. They can’t even tell their dad about their own situation or else he might get suspicious. It wasn’t easy. This was for their Dad’s own good too. Alex needed to toughen up.

Although Sandra doesn’t show it, the situation was obviously exposing its effect through her health. It was obvious that it was bothering her as well. She couldn’t find a job, and she’s helping out in the house while she's looking after Bianca.

She was no super woman, but she has to show her now-bed-ridden mom, that she was.

It was just as difficult for her too.

One afternoon, as Alex gets home from school, he hears Sandra crying in her room. He knocks and asks what it was.

“Uhm, San? You okay in there?”

The cries continued without getting any response from Sandra.

“Hey, -uhm I know we’re in a bit of -uh pinch. But we’ll -we’ll get through this, ‘kay?” Alex claimed.

The door opened slightly to Sandra gesturing Alex to come in. Alex followed suit and was welcomed with a bed full of unpaid bills.

“T- These are all the bills?” Alex asked.

Sandra could only nod.

“How much could we pay?” Alex can’t help himself ask.

“They’re too much!” She cried. “There’s no way we could pay for these. I’ve already tried applying for jobs. None of them "not a single one of them responded back!” the sister continued in frustration.

“W-we’ll just have to wait a little more, ‘kay?” said Alex "the best way he could to comfort his sister.

“It’s been three months already!” Sandra cried in defeat. “I’m worthless! I couldn’t even get Bianca to eat her food, or get her to sleep. I’m such a"“

“-stop it!” yelled Alex, as he grabs Sandra by her shoulders. “You’re not worthless, okay?! You’re not! Snap out of it! We’ll find another way!”

Sandra was moved. She felt a bit as if there’s hope despite, until recently, accepting defeat.

“Just promise me, you’ll stop hammering yourself. ‘kay?”

“Hmm-kay.”

The Family was facing financial difficulty. They have to find a way to pay for their Mom’s medical Bills. Their Dad’s salary wasn’t enough to provide more medical help for a few more months, and their Grandma Leslie and Uncle Gerry was already giving them their all, and still -it wasn't enough.

The burden in Alex got a little more difficult to hold. He just couldn’t hold it in any longer, but he knew he had to keep it together.

Alex stopped going to school, to go look for a job. He landed a job as a grocery clerk during the day, and a bus boy in some pub on graveyard shift.

And just after a month of hard work and pay to both of his jobs, Alex was showing very poor health.

He couldn’t show himself to their Mom. He was really, really, really tired, but he had to continue working. It was helping them pay the bills.

Despite having helped with few of the bills, more just keeps coming. It was getting harder for the two, but they kept grinding -because they know every time that they get one, it signifies their mom’s steps to recovery. And all they could think of, to keep them going, is the progress their mom’s doctor tells them every week.

And without fail, their Mom’s doctor shows up every week, to examine her for any improvement.

And everything just came crashing down for the two, because this time the doctor told them, there wasn’t any.

“I’m sorry. She isn’t responding to any of her medications…” their mom’s doctor claimed.

“…her body’s gotten really weak -it's incapable of fighting the cancer cells that’s growing inside her…”

The doctor paused for a while. She needed time for everyone and herself to breathe.

“I’m sorry, i-it’s hard for me to say this. She was showing exceptional progress in her first months of treatment -I-I don’t know what happened...”

The doctor stopped, trying hard to keep her emotions from barging-in her affirmation.

Alex’s Mom wasn’t going to last any longer.

“Please, as much as you could… please, keep her company for the last months of her li- “

Alex dashed up his room, he couldn’t finish the statement.

He has had it.

The situation was just too much for their selves, to only keep. It was too much of a pain to hold, too heavy a burden to carry. Alex cried it all out. He tried holding the tears back, but he couldn't.

Then the phone rang. Alex answered -still caught up in the moment.

“H-hello?”

“Alex? It’s me, Dad! What’s wrong?”

“Dad! I-it’s mom!”

“W-what happened?!!”

“She "mom, s-she has cancer.”

“Wha"?”

“-t-the doc, said s-she’s not going t- “

*BEEP* His Dad hung up.

“-H-Hello? D-Dad? I’m sorry! I’m so sorry...”

Their phone was silent from their dad’s phone calls for the past few weeks. He wasn’t calling. Everyone suspected that he found out about the diagnosis.

“What happened? Your dad hasn’t been keeping in touch for the past few weeks. We have no idea where he is. Is there anything you two want to tell us?” Grandma Leslie inquired.
“I told him.” Alex confessed.

“You what?” Grandma Leslie was furious, but she couldn't do anything.

She just tried to understand the boy.

“You told him? I-I don’t know what to say. I’m really disappointed in you.”

Finally, she thought that maybe it was for the better. But she couldn’t look Alex in the eyes -still disappointed. She then panned her look to Sandra and told everyone that they should all prepare for abrupt situations to precipitate -when suddenly a man from outside ran upstairs without a glimpse.

“If anything happens, let’s just brace ourse- “

The man was so quick no one saw his face. Everyone ran up to go after him. And as they reach the bed plane of the upper floor, they saw the door to their mom’s room -opened.

They heard crying.

It was a husband talking to his wife. Their Dad crying to their Mom, saying sorry for having just known of the situation.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know. If I had, I would’ve flown here immediately. I’m really sorry, I should’ve known.”

He told her that he felt betrayed but none of that matters now.

“I know you had them keep this from me, I feel agitated b-but none of that matters now. None of that matters… because I’m here.”

He continued.

“…and as long as I’m here, I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.”

He proceeds to tell his wife what he did.

“I talked to everyone I know and asked them for help, they said they’re willing to lend a hand.”

Alex’s mom was quiet all through-out, with tears falling down her eyes -she felt all the love and compassion of her husband.

“I promise you, my love, I would do everything I could…”

After almost an eternity of an hour. Alex's dad collected himself, and stepped outside the room to talk to everyone.

He explained to them that as he learned about his wife’s diagnosis, he immediately asked his boss for a leave, and his wish was granted.

He told them that as he was preparing for his things, he called all of his friends to ask a bit of help, and because of that, they might get dug down in a little bit of debt. But he was prepared to eat his pride for the love of his life.

And that was, what indeed was, what happened.

Few months back in to the lives of the family, Alex was seen back in good shape. He was going to school again.

He may not be doing that great, but at least he's back studying.

His older sister, Sandra, finally got a job as an Account Executive in a newly established advertising firm, and their Grandma Leslie decided to stay in the house to look after baby Bianca, who is now 27 months old.

Their Dad, however, was heartbroken. He went back to his job overseas, to pay off all of their debts. In spite of that, you would still see a dust of contentment in his eyes.

There was still a bit of happiness.

He was able to be beside the love of his life on her last days on earth.

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Reviews

Jyoti_Ablaze

A heart wrenching story!
This especially touches the reader for it's account-like style and the realistic and honest voice of narrator.
Absolutely, enjoyed it!!
Kudos!