I'm Dying

Once Steve got into his sister's car, he started driving. He didn't have any destination in mind, and neither did he know exactly where he was going, but he knew he just needed to go somewhere so he could clear his head. Somewhere he could think clearly because what his mother had just told him had messed up his head.

He thought of going to a bar, but he didn't have any money on him, the little money he had left was in his wallet and he didn't come out with it. And besides, within the last twenty-four hours, he had already consumed too much alcohol. With all that was happening at the moment, the last thing he wanted was to come down with any alcohol-induced sickness.

He had just been told that Joan's father who was also like a father to him was dying. Losing him would be as devastating as losing a father as well.

His heart went out to Joan as he thought about his best friend. How was she going to take it when she finds out? Oh his poor friend, ever so soft and fragile. This would definitely break her.

If truly her father was dying then that meant Joan had limited time to spend with him, yet she wasn't even on talking terms with the man. If only she knew.

He decided to go see Joan's father and have a talk with him. If he was going to be doing this at all, then he needs to be told what is going on from the horse's mouth, and also to confirm this wasn't another of his mother's pranks.

He made a U-turn and headed for Joan's father's office. When he got there, his secretary told Steve he didn't come to work.

So he is really sick, Steve thought within himself. Because Joan's father wasn't the type to miss a workday at the office, except when he was out of town or outside the country on a business trip.

He decided to go over to Joan's parents' house with the hope of meeting her father there.

"Good morning ma," Steve prostrated to greet Joan's mother when she came to meet him in the sitting room after their housemaid had let him in.

"Steve my dear, how are you?" She gave him a gentle pat on his shoulder before he stood up.

"I'm fine thank you ma, didn't you go to your boutique today?" Steve asked as he returned to his seat.

"No, I didn't. My manager is overseeing the business on my behalf today," She said with a weak smile.

Steve could tell she was unhappy about something, from the look in her eyes she seemed sad. Perhaps sad that her husband was dying. That was probably the reason she didn't go to her place of business. She wanted to spend as much time as she could with her husband before he dies. The thought of him dying and leaving the woman a widow and his best friend fatherless broke Steve's heart into a thousand pieces.

"So what brings you here, aren't you supposed to be at work?" Joan's mother asked Steve, even though she was aware that his father had sacked him the previous day, the same way her husband had made sure that Joan was fired from her place of work.

"I umm... I came to see uncle," Steve cleared his throat, "I have something I would like to discuss with him. I was at his office but I was told he didn't come to work today. Is he in?"

"Oh, yes! He didn't go to work today and that's because he went to the hospital for his routine check-up and later decided to use the rest of the day to rest," Joan's mother explained, still trying her best to maintain a smile.

"What would you like to have?" She started calling their housemaid so she could get something for Steve to drink.

"No, don't worry ma. I'm okay," Steve declined her offer. "I would really like to talk to uncle if that's possible."

Joan's mother studied his face for a moment, before letting out a tired sigh. "Look, Steve, if you are here to talk to my husband about changing his mind, then..."

"No, ma. On the contrary that is not why I'm here, I want to have a talk with him about something else."

"Hmm, are you sure?" She asked, still not believing what he just said.

"Yes, ma. I don't want to talk to him about changing his mind." Steve assured her.

Without saying another word, she stood up and went to call her husband. A few minutes later, she returned with her husband.

"Good morning sir," Steve prostrated.

"Good morning, Steve. Please stand up," Joan's father said, as he sat down on the couch opposite Steve.

Now that he was taking a closer look at him, Steve realized Joan's father was looking a bit frail, and he seemed to have a bit more grey hair on his head than he used to, and his eyes were sullen.

How could he have missed these signs when he last came here? He was too blinded with his rage to notice one of the men he adored and looks up to, was gradually fading away.

"So what brings you here?" Joan's father asked, bringing Steve out of his thoughts.

Steve cleared his throat and came closer to the edge of his seat as he tried to find a better way to approach the subject, "Sir, my mother told me something, and I decided to come find out from you if it's true."

With the look on their faces, Steve realized they already knew what he wanted to talk about.

"And what is it that your mother told you?" Joan's father calmly asked.

"She....er... she..." Steve's voice broke because he couldn't get himself to say the words.

Joan's parents were both silent as they waited for him to finish his statement.

"She..." Steve gulped, "She told me that you are still sick," He couldn't get himself to say ''dying'' as his mother had told him.

He looked at their faces to see their reaction, but none of them said a word. Joan's father's face was void of expression, while her mother's eyes glistened with what Steve suspected to be tears.

"Is it true?" Steve asked in a voice that pleaded that they tell him it wasn't true. Somewhere within him, he was hoping they would say as usual his mother was playing pranks on him, and that Joan's father wasn't dying, he was just looking tired because of work stress.

"Yes, it is true," Joan's father calmly said.

"Oh my God!" Steve buried his face in his palm trying to regain his composure.

"So that's why you are insisting on Joan getting married?" He asked after he rose his head.

"Yes," Joan's father replied. "I'm dying. I have limited time left and in my absence, I want someone who I'm sure would be able to look after my daughter and my wife, and the family business."