My World Fell Apart

"I should be watching my favorite cartoon now. Can you take me home?" I said as I was crossing the road with my Uncle. My question was unanswered, which was unusual. He never gave me the cold shoulder. I really wanted to know where we were going but I knew he was hiding something so I remained silent and followed him.

The place we finally reached was not somewhere I expected. There were people going in and out of the gate. I heard people crying out loud and saw blood gushing out of a man as he was being taken inside. I looked at my Uncle and he nodded. I had a feeling of where this was going to end. I grabbed my Uncle's hand and said, "Let's go. Dad will be waiting for me". I saw my father's name written on the door of a ward. I opened the door and saw my mother crying.

"Dad, I am back from school. I brought some candies for you. It was my friend's birthday today and I got an extra one for Mom too", I said as I neared my father's bed. He was smiling at me but his eyes looked different. I did not know what his eye expression meant back then. Now that I think about it, his eyes showed that he was sad.

He asked, "Did you share the candies with your sister?". "No, she went home early with Big Brother. I am gonna eat hers too. This is a secret between us", I whispered in his ears. He winked at me and gestured for me to go to my mother. I went close to my mother and wiped her tears and gave her the candy. She cried even more and hugged me. I wondered why she was crying when everything was alright. "Mom, why are you crying? I want to know who made you cry", I asked. I knew my father fell sick every now and then. My mother took him to the hospital every time and he always came home feeling better. His hospital visits seemed like a routine back then because he went to get treated once every month. Just like I was going to school every day. This time it felt different and I assumed it was going to take my father to come home really late.

Mother said, "It is nothing for you to worry about. Stay with Dad until your sister arrives. Do not leave his side. If you do, you will regret it for the rest of your life, Trust me, Star." I was puzzled by what she said. I did not ask her even though I wanted to. I assured her that I would never leave him alone. My Uncle left the room along with my mother.

My father turned on the television and changed to a cartoon channel. I sat on his bed and leaned towards his shoulder and told him what happened in school that day. He responded to my every expression and told me that he would miss my long school stories. I was puzzled once again.

I asked him, "Why will you miss my stories? Are you going somewhere? Can't I come with you?"

"I don't think you can come with me, Star. The place I am going is far away from our family", he answered with teary eyes.

"Dad?"

"Yes?"

"Are you going to die?". He was startled by my question.

"I heard you and Mom talk when I was younger. Mom was crying because the doctor told that you won't live for long because of your disease. Is that why you can't take me with you?"

"Of course not. I will be going to a place where I can always watch you, Venus and your mother. So, I am not going to die.", he said.

I could tell he was lying but I did not want to think of him dying so I tried to make myself believe his words. I heard the door opening and saw my sister, Venus, running towards my father. She was always 'daddy's girl' and he always doted on her more than he did on me. I never had a problem with that. We, three, were playing games, watching cartoons and eating snacks. He teased my sister as she was attempting to fold a paper plane. We lost track of time and I felt really tired. My sister and I laid down next to our father as he was patting on our arms. I fell asleep hugging my father.

The next morning I was woken up by my mother's friend and I looked around to discover where I was. I asked her, "Where is Dad? Why am I at your house, Aunt Lisa?". Her eyes were puffed up. She hugged me and told me that she'd take me to my mother with a breaking voice. I followed to her to my house to only discover a man's body placed inside a cooler box and my mother sitting next to the box, crying. I walked closer to have a glimpse of the man's face. It was my father. The man was my father. He died. My entire world crumbled and I burst into tears.