The True Happiness

Prologue

Summer 2001

I walk down the halls of the hospital. I hate this place. It smells like medicine and I see many people cry. I don't like it here and I want to go home, but dad said we cannot leave until Mom is well. He told me that mom had... She had... This rare disease that starts with "C". He said it was like little balls growing in mom's body.

I hate that balls grow inside mom now she no longer plays with me and she always looks sad. The doctor cut her hair. I liked mom's blond hair. It was soft and smelled good. I liked that she played the piano while I drew. Now she doesn't play the piano and spent most of the time locked up in this place.

I don't like the doctors or the nurses. They look at me weird as I walk through the halls. I'm bored and they don't let mom see me. I don't like this place because mom doesn't smile and when they didn't shut the door I saw that she had an IV putting medicine in her body.

Now dad is always worried and almost doesn't pay me attention. I don't understand why they do not let mom go home.

I look around and the hallways are no longer white and start to get colorful. I keep walking and I see many children playing in a room with lots of toys. There is a rainbow painted on the wall. Why are so many children here? Do they moms are sick too?

I look at a girl who is sitting in a corner, watching how the others play. She has pale skin, no hair and the IV is also on her arm... Like mom. I approached her and she looks at me.

"Hi," I sit next to her.

"Hi."

"I'm Niall," I say smiling and she returns me the smile.

"I'm Diana," she said and returned her gaze to the kids that played.

"Why don't you go play?" I asked her.

"Because I finished my treatment and I am weak. I have to stay an extra week in the hospital and then I can go home."

"I wish my mom could go home. She also needs to use that," I said pointing the needle in her arm.

"What does your mom has?"

"They said she had balls growing inside her."

"Your mom has cancer?" She asked with wide eyes.

Cancer... Yes, that's what the doctor had said. That strange disease with "c". Cancer.

"Yes, do you also have that?" I asked. She had an appearance very similar to my mom's.

She shook her head no.

"No. The doctors said it was something like that, so I also got that medicine, but they still don't know I have. They say that not many people have this disease and it doesn't have a name defined."

"Oh... And you are okay?"

"Yeah. The doctor said I had nothing."

"Do you think my mom will get well?"

"I got well, so I think your mom will."

"And your mom? Is she here too?"

"No my parents are divorced. I live with my father. Mom has a boyfriend."

"And do you like him?"

"Yeah. They come to visit me twice at week. He has a daughter, Audrey. She always plays with me."

"Di, your father is here. Let's go to your room," a nurse appeared at the door.

Diana grimaced, but then smiled. She waved her hand, saying goodbye to me and I imitated her gesture. I didn't want to play with those kids so I stood up and decided to go back with dad.

I walked down the halls for several minutes until I could finally return to the hall where mom's room was. Next to the door of mom's room is sitting a man, hugging his legs. I grimace. What was doing this man here?

As I get closer I see his face and I realize he's dad. Tears come from his eyes and strange noises come from his mouth. I had never seen dad cry. He was always been strong and courageous. Why was he crying?

"Dad..." I whisper. He raises his head and looks at me.

"Niall... Your mom... She... She's gone, Niall."

"And will she come back?" I wonder. Mom cannot go, she promised to always be with me.

"No, Niall. She won't come back."

Tears start coming out of my eyes. Is she gone? She no longer loves me? She will never be here. She left me alone. She left me alone. She left me alone unleashing all the darkness that in the future will dominate my body, my life and my soul...