My mum and I are best of friends or at least we used to be which was hard for some people to believe because normally sons would be closer to their dad but not for me. I was different and I was only twelve. I would tell my mum all my secrets and sometimes she would share with me some of her problems she was facing at work. I was only her son so I felt the need to take care and protect her when dad wasn't around.
However, matters took a different turn when I was thirteen and school just started for me, I started to make new friends. Friends who let me experience new things, friends who showed me how to party and friends who opened my eyes to the world that I've been missing in for the last fourteen years and I thought it was new, refreshing and exciting. Coming home late was no problem for me but I hardly had the time to communicate with my mum, for by the time I reached home she would already be asleep and by the time I woke up she would have left for work.
Both my parents weren't pleased with the way I'd been acting. They think I should be spending time with the family and to discontinue spending more time with my friends. I had no choice but to agree. I took time out from my friends and started to spend time with my mum. She has been coughing non-stop but I thought it was a minor issue. Everyone gets sick. We boarded a bus home and she started coughing again, I wanted to ask if she was alright but I noticed at the corner of my eye she was looking at me everytime she coughed and that's when I realised she was just trying to get my attention.
I was irked but controlled my anger. People kept looking at us on the bus, probably wondering why is her son not caring about her instead of rolling his eyes at her. It was unfair. I did nothing to deserve this. She even continued coughing even while we were at home. Whats the point of acting now? I thought to myself. She went to the toilet, I could hear her spitting her phlegm out into the toilet bowl and flushing it over and over again. Of course it would get annoying. I couldn't take it anymore I wanted to go out with my friends to enjoy myself. I went into my mum's room. I wanted to steal a few dollars from her wallet. I searched her whole room for extra cash. When I opened her drawer next to her bed I saw many letters but there was this particular letter that caught my eye. It was from the hospital. Why would she receive a letter from the hospital? Apparently, she was diagnosed with lung cancer. And I have never forgiven myself ever since that day. Unshed tears threatened to spill over.
Friesinburger