Life back on Earth 2/2

"Happy Birthday my son" his mother said to him with her ever so gentle smile.

"Mom! Y-your okay!" He screamed out in joy while heaving a sigh of relief.

"Fufufu, you worry wart. I'm perfectly fine, I just want to suprise you that's all". She said with a smile and reprimanded him gently. "I bet you forgot about your birthday again. You really should take it easy every once in a while son."

"W-well, I'm busy and mom! You forgot to turn of the television in the living room, wait.. where did you get the money for the cake?" He asked confused.

"Well your grandparents send the money for the cake. They also wish you a happy birthday, son." She explained as Aron nodded and said. "Thanks mom and please tell grandma and grandpa thank you as well." Aron said with a smile, his ever so good mood came back.

"Hmmm, why are you in a good mood today? I bet it's not just because it's your birthday right~?" She queried in a teasing tone. Aron blushed for getting busted and admitted. "Well... hehe, I finally made a girlfriend! And it's not just any other girl but the girl that I have a crush ever since in high school!" He said with a proud tone.

"Ara ara~ you finally have a girlfriend! I'm glad." His mother was actually worried for him ever since he started to work on those part time jobs, he had spend less and less time for himself that she thought that he might miss the fun of being a teenager and will become a loner. Now that she knew that he finally have a girlfriend, she's happy. 'I can finally rest assured, atleast he will not be all alone here' she thought with a double meaning.

They then spend the night eating dinner and the cake for dessert, while his mother keep on asking about his so called girlfriend and teasing him while she's at it. Finished eating, they then went to each others room to rest, but not before his mother wished him happy birthday yet again and a good night. After she saw that her son already went inside his room, she grew silent. She continued to stare at her son's room with sadness and helplessness.

After standing there for around a minute or two, she slowly went to her room with weak steps while closing the door slowly after she got inside. When she's finally inside her room, she can't help but kneel and cry while sobbing.

She continued to cry there for a minute but then stood up. Wiping her tears, she then went to her drawer weakly to take a paper and a pen to write, while writing, she can't help but shed a tear which stained the note. Finished, she then lay to her somewhat old bed slowly.

Then slowly her eyelids begun to grew heavy as she slowly closed her eyes and mumbled "s..sorry...son, I can't be w..with you anymore. A..a..atleast I made it through y...your birthday". She smiled and went silent until even the sound of her breathing stopped.

The next day, Aron woke up early to prepare for his class. He then proceed to the sink to wash his face and brush his teeth. After that, he went to the kitchen to eat, but to his surprise there was no food in the table, nor his mother who in this time should be in the kichen to cook breakfast. Aron didn't think of it too much because his mother sometimes wake up late, so he cooked a simple breakfast then went to his mother's room to wake her up to eat breakfast with him.

He then opened the door to his mother's room and urged. "Mom, wake up! Let's eat breakfast together". But his mother didn't move so he went beside her bed and shake her a little "mom wake up, let's eat". But his mother still didn't move. He frowned and asked, "mom?" And shake her again, but his mother still didn't move, so he touch her hand and notice that it was cold.

Shocked by how cold she is, he asked in a panic tone "mom? Mom! Mom?! Wake up! Mom!" Panicked by his mother's silence, he proceed to check his mother's pulse and to his horror, there was no pulse. Shocked and scared he then called his mother again while shouting "MOM!! MOM!!! MOM!!!!"

He was now panicking and keeps shaking his mother, but there was still no signs of movement. So he then put his mother back in the bed and dashed to his room, picked up his phone and called for an ambulance while trembling.

After that, he put down his phone and then rushed to his mother's room and picked her up while shouting "MOM! MOM!!! PLEASE WAKE UP!!! MOM!!!".

After 10 minutes of trying, he then heard the sound of the ambulance outside their aparrment, as their apartment was quite close to the hospital. He wasted no time and dashed outside while carrying his mother in his embrace and not knowing the reason how his skinny self can carry his mother, but that's the least of his concern now.

He hurriedly put her to the stretcher that the nurses prepared and place her inside the ambulance. 11 minutes later they arrived at the hospital and his mother was taken to the emergency room, while he was stopped by a nurse, saying that he can't go inside.

Aron stood outside, walking back and fort while clutching his head. His hands were cold and trembling and he feel like he was close to breaking down. Hours passed as he finally heard the sound of the door opening, he quickly approached the doctor and asked in hope. "Doc! How's my mother?!"

The doctor look at him sadly and sighed as he said "I'm sorry Sir, but she didn't make it. Based in our findings, she died around midnight, that's why we can't save her anymore. I'm sorry for your loss. We shall proceed and put her to the morgue". Aron just stood there frozen, his expression was a mixture of disbelief, shock, fear and confusion.

He finally broke down and kneeled while tears run down his face. The doctor tried to comfort him but to no avail. An hour have passed and he still kneeled there with tears that stained his face and clothes, left with no choice, the doctor then squatted and put his hand to his shoulder and said "Sir, I know your sad and hurt, but you need to atleast see your mother".

Still sobbing, he stood up and followed the doctor to the morgue. Inside the morgue was a human figure with a blanket covering it's body and face, the doctor then bowed and went outside. Aron slowly made his way to the covered figure and with each and every step he took, his feet seems to become heavier. After a moment of struggle inside his mind, he finally made it beside the covered figure.

Raising his hand, he slowly took the blanket off, uncovering the figure inside. There... he saw a very familiar face, the face of his mother, she was pale and her lips lost the color they usually had, she has her eyes shut with no signs of breathing. This scene made his tears fall down again, he keeps sobbing and feels like his throat was stuffed with rocks that it's painful to the point he almost couldn't breathe.

He hugged the corpse of his mother while crying for what he felt like eternity, after that he put his mother down and covered her. He went outside and urged the nurse nearby to watch out for his mother, while he continue to walk out like he lost his soul. He then called for a cab and went home, but there, he discovered that he forgot to close the door and when he went inside, their place was a mess.

Their television in the living room was gone, their refrigerator was also gone and when he went to his room, his phone and savings was gone, his clothes and other stuffs were spared as they look too old and damaged. He only stood there with a blank face for a minute then proceeded to go to his mother's room.

When he went inside the room, they were like his and was in a mess. He then proceed to check his mother's belongings, only to see the old and worn out clothes while the better looking and new ones were gone.

He clenched his fist so hard to the point that his nails pierced his skin, he was so angry, why wouldn't he? He was not finish mourning his dead mother and then this? 'This is too much' he thought.

While he was trembling from rage, something caught his attention. In the table near his mother's bed, there was a paper with writings in it, he made his way to the table and picked up the paper. 'It's a note' he thought, "and it was mother's handwriting!" His hand shook a bit, he sit down on his mother's bed while reading the note.

[Dear Aron,

If you are reading this note, then that means I'm long gone from this world.] He stopped reading for a bit as he inhaled a mouthful of air and continued.

[I'm sorry for not telling you, but for the past few months I always feel severe headaches and sometimes forget things, that's why I forgot to turn off the TV sometimes and it did not happen only once. I choose to remain silent and not tell you what I'm going through because I was worried that you may overwork yourself and get sick. So I choose to consult a doctor myself 2 months ago]

Aron clenched the side of the paper and blame himself for not finding out sooner that his mother was in pain. Bracing himself, he continued to read.

[I was told by the doctor that I have a brain tumor. He also said that I only have a month to live. I was shocked and worried, but not for myself, but for you. We were the only ones who lived here in Japan, while your grandparents live in the Philippines, so I can't help but to worry for you.

But then I was releived tonight, the reason was that you finally found a girlfriend, someone that you can atleast rely upon as well as serve as your companion in this foreign country. Of course I don't want to leave you, if I can I would like to live more longer to atleast see my own grandchildrens.

But...I can't. Strange as it may seems, I remember all this while writing now. I only wrote the things I remember here. I already forgot where you went for college, I also forgot the name of your father. I only remember you, my situation and your grandparents. It's even a miracle that I survived for another month just before your birthday.

I thought I can't make it but I did, and so I finally feel my body weakens this morning. After tonights celebration with you, I really feel like it's my time so I desperately wrote this letter for you. I would like to atleast tell the reason why I choose to keep it a secret is because I was worried that you stop college just to find money for a ways to save me.

Son I know you must've been blaming youself right now, but I'll tell you that it's not your fault. So please, don't be sad and I want you to live your life to the fullest from now on.

Always remember that I love you and I'll always watch over you from above. Forgive my selfishness and once again, I love you son.]

[From your mother, Sarah.]

Tears once again escape through his eyes, his chest hurts and feels so heavy, he feels so sad for the sudden loss of his mother. It all happen too fast, last night they were just conversing about the events that happened to him and then suddenly when he woke up it's all too late already. He just continue to cry in a helpless manner in his mother's room while hugging the note his mother left that night.

After that day, he arranged a schedule to when his mother will be buried, he also told his grandparents on what happened through his friend's phone and they said that they'll come to japan immediately, he also tried to call his girlfriend, but for some reason she's not answering all his calls.

After a week of mourning, they came to the cemetery. It's finally the time for his mother to be buried and to say his last goodbye to her. They were only a few people who came, it was his grandparents the neighbours in the apartment and his friends. He went in front the coffin of his mother and throw a flower on it, he then said, "I love you... mom, I'm sorry I can't give you atleast a better life before you go." He wiped his tears and just watched in pure sadness.

After that event, his grandparents choose to stay in japan for a week before coming back, they also asked aron if he want to come back with them, but he refused for he still have his college classes, not to mention that he needed to cope up with his studies. Well not that it's hard for him.