Manly stares across the room at the lifeless body of his mother as they prepare to move her to the morgue. He has been like this for the past few minutes with teary eyes and a guilty heart.
Mama became unconscious in his hands twenty minutes before the doctor’s rounds. Manly called on everyone on the hospital staff to attend to her when she started gasping and almost everyone who could do something responded. At last, she stretched her hands towards Manly who rushed towards her to take her hands. She stretched further until he understood and rested her hand on his head. And at that moment of surrender, there was a peaceful quietness.
The Doctor who had surprisingly allowed the whole episode play then moved in. He took mama’s hand put it beside her, examined her for formality and instructed the nurses to prepare to move the body. He held Manly, led him out of the room and patting him on the back he said ‘I am very sorry. We did all we could.’
The Doctor had long gone but the stare on Manly’s face remained. Oh! The agony of almost fulfilled promises! He pondered. He’s the only son and last child of his parents. His father had died when he was five like one who only waited to replace himself in this world. Mama had had to cater for seven children all by herself. The struggle was much. She ran from place to place, job to job to make ends meet. All Manly sisters had deserted her after they got married. Mama did everything to get her only son to become who he is now.
Manly will tell her many times, “Mama, when I ‘blow’ ehn, I will compensate for every single day you have lived in lack. I will make sure you no longer remember everything you suffered.”
Just two years ago, his break came. He had truly ‘blown’ from very legitimate means. He started almost immediately and only succumbed to pressure from his mum to get married. He almost employed an adviser to guide him in taking care of his mother. Progressively he did something nice for her to the point she didn’t know what prayer to pray for him anymore.
Six months ago, just before mama’s health failed badly, he had gotten her visas to tour three countries. Her passport must be lying lazily in her drawer and his dashed dream with. His heart is still full of the things he wants to do but they can only remain in his imagination now.
As they wheel mama’s body out of the room, the reservoir of tears in his eyes were let loose and there was a generous flow of its content.
Just then, three of his sisters arrived.
Mama had been in the hospital for five days and died two months before her 76th birthday.
