LONG TIME NO SEE

Cayenne set out together with her brothers. They would need to travel for quite some time before they'd arrive in city B where Senyu Medical Center was located. They didn't have much money to support her mother's hospital bill but she was fortunately chosen to be part of their medical program which involves patients with tuberculosis.

It had lessened Cayenne's problem and she was thankful for that. She only needed to think about the medication which wasn't covered by the program. Though it was only 20% of the whole bill, it was still a little big for her. Kyle and Luiz sat on a bus without speaking a single word. They were extremely worried for their mother.

When they arrived at the hospital, her mother was sleeping. Even when she was sleeping, they could tell that she wasn't having a good sleep. It was clear as day that she had been worried about her children. Cayenne left her brothers to look after their mother while she looked for the doctor to talk to him.

'Knock! Knock! Knock!'

"Come in." She heard the doctor say so, Cayenne opened the door and went inside. "How are you, Yen?" The doctor asked her.

"I'm doing fine, doc." Cayenne answered with a smile. "How's my mother's condition?" she asked back. She didn't have time for an idle chat since she was still worried about her mother.

The doctor closed his folder and clasped his hands in front of her. "Yen, you really have to talk to your mother. She didn't like to take her medications anymore. She had been very difficult to deal with and if this continues, you know exactly where she'll end up."

"I will talk to her doc. Aside from that, is there anything else that I need to know?"

"Few days ago, someone paid the remaining payable balance of your mother's hospital bill. They didn't leave any information and we don't know their identities as well." The doctor looked at her, still hesitating if he should say it or not. After a minute, he still continued his statement. "As an elder, I am a bit worried about you and your brothers. Yen, you aren't being exploited by some wealthy capitalist, right?"

Cayenne shook her head and waved her hands in front of her. "No. No, that's not it. I don't know who the person either. I don't know anyone rich as well."

"I see. Well, if anything happens, or if you need help, just let me know. My wife and I may not be rich but we can still lend some help." The middle-aged doctor stated.

"Thanks, doc. I'll be very extra careful. Thank you for looking after my mother as well."

"Sure. I just hope that she'd cooperate with us for her own good."

"I'll talk to her about it." Cayenne smiled and went out of the room. Her mother's doctor wasn't really providing them financial assistance but he helped her look for a decent work.

Cayenne went back to her mother's room and found her sitting on her bed with a smile on her lips. She was talking to her brothers about school matter and about her. Just how she anticipated it, her mother indeed asked her brothers about her current work. And just like how they talked about it, again and again, Kyle and Luiz, lied to their mother.

Lying might not be right but if they told her about the truth, she would just be worried and end up getting worse. They could only make her believe that her daughter was working in a great environment with great position.

"How are you, Ma?" Cayenne asked her mother while pulling a chair to sit beside her bed.

"I'm a little grumpy."

"And why is that so?"

"Because you spend so much money on me. I am not getting any better and your money is being wasted. Why don't we just live together while waiting for my time to vanish?"

Cayenne was shock and so was her siblings. "Ma, how can you say that? We will be worried with you when you're with us. No doctor can take care of you and you won't be seeing us that much either. Kyle and Luiz would be going to school and I will have to work."

"Yen, there's no hope in me. Why don't you just save your money? You can just let me go, you know." Her mother responded softly while fiddling with her fingers. "Yen, I'm begging you, can you just think of yourself and just forget that I exist. I am just a burden to you. I should be the one supporting the family but I end up being the one getting the support. I don't like this."

Instead of getting sad over this matter, Cayenne smiled and reached out her hand to hold her mother. "Ma, don't worry about us. Kyle and Luiz got a scholarship so, I don't have to worry about the school fees. I got promoted as well and my salary increased. I have enough to support us plus your bill. You don't really have to think that much. If you leave, we will truly become an orphan. Can you really let that happen?"

Kyle and Luiz also looked at their mother. "Ma, just let us help you. You're the only one that we have." Kyle mumbled.

"You still have your father." She responded to them which made Cayenne stopped smiling. She averted her eyes and didn't respond to that.

"If you want to spend time with us, how about we visit you every weekend? Kyle and Luiz don't have to go to school and I don't need to work as well. We can come and see you, then."

Emerald nodded her head and agreed. "I will wait for you here every weekend."

"Sure. We'll tell you about so many things." Cayenne stated. "Let me go out for a bit so I can ask our supervisor to change my schedule."

Instead of calling the so-called supervisor, Cayenne went down to the garden and sat on a bench. Since her mother was hospitalized three years ago, she had never seen her father. She refused to visit him as well. She was staring into space and didn't notice that someone sat beside her.

"What are you thinking?"

Cayenne was startled to hear that very familiar voice next to her. She never expected to run into him in the hospital and it's been years since she last saw him.

"Long time no see, Yen." He smiled at her, the same bright smile that he gave to her five years ago.