Mr. Sato

A Story by Zach Stamp

A son goes to visit his dying father.

Mr. Sato

The unfortunate circumstance that his mind was turning unstable was a slow but gradual procession. It started with memory loss. Misplaced car keys, forgotten anniversaries, it was nothing out of the ordinary. Then he forgot his wife's name. He couldn't remember the birth of his first son. He was losing the only thing that any of us has. His memories. His experiences. His life.
It was a cold day in the middle of January. His son walked into Oakley pines retirement home, brushing the gentle flakes of snow off of his shoulders. He had come to see his father, maybe for the last time. His father's health had been deteriorating for over a year. As he approached the front desk, he took a quick glance to his right and stopped walking. The thing that caught his eye was a framed picture of a tandem bicycle in the snow. It reminded him of all the times in his childhood when the entire family would go to the park. He remembered the warm embrace of summer sunlight. The touch of a thousand blades of grass on his naked feet. He remembered looking at his mother and father riding a tandem bicycle, thinking life will always be this wonderful.
Then suddenly, he was yanked back into reality by a cold shrill voice. "Excuse me, are you here to see one of our residents?" He looked down at the fat nurse who had just sqwaked at him." Uh, yes I'm here to see Mr. Sato. Do you know where his room is?" "Yes, he's right down the hall, third door to the left." He began walking down the hall, until he realized he had forgotten something he wanted to give to his father. He looked at the nurse," I'm sorry but does this place have a phone I could use?" She looked at him puzzled," a phone? For what?" He began to look frustrated." Look, I forgot something...never mind." He began walking towards the exit when a small, cracked voice stopped him."Son, is that you?" He turned around. He saw an old, frail body in a blue bathrobe. It was his father. The man who has not recognized any of his family for over a year. The son rushed over to his father. "Dad, what are you doing out of bed?!" Mr. Sato looked at his son. "Where's your mother? I could've sworn I just saw her?" "Dad, please you're very sick." His son was trying to urge him back into his room. "Son please I have something important I must tell you." The son looked at his father deeply. Mr. Sato was not the man his son remembered. His broad shoulders were replaced with narrow bones. His powerful strut turned into a slow, sad shuffle. The only thing that remained were his eyes. A small gleam of light leading into a deep brown tunnel of the past. "Son, I know I am dying. My body...I ache. But I need to tell you something." Suddenly, Mr. Sato collapsed on the floor. His son knelt down beside his father. "Nurse! We need a doctor! Please someone!" Mr. Sato looked up at his son. "I...Son I...." "Dad please stay with me. Nurse!" Mr. Sato took a deep breath. " Son...." His son came in close to his father's face. "Dad please..." " Son....I....I am sorry." Suddenly the light in Mr. Sato's eyes were gone. His son was pushed aside by a barrage of nurses and doctors.
The son stood up slowly. A single tear gently fell from his eye. His father was gone. He turned around to see the picture of the tandem bicycle. Instead, he saw himself as a young child looking up at his father. His mentor. His hero.