Pep sat at the side of the hospital bed holding onto her mother's lifeless hand, she has been on life support for over three months now. She was afraid to let go, her abandonment issues manifested itself in multiple ways and the person she was most attached to was fading away right before her eyes. Tash walked into the hospital room with her coffee in hand and a Red Hot under her arms, she stood silently at the door watching Pep's back.
"The doctor said I should think about euthanasia, maybe I should think about killing him." Pep sniffled.
Tash rested the cup of coffee and chips on the bedside table so she could rub soft circles on Pep's back, "I'm sure he meant it in the best way possible." Tash whispered.
"There is no best way to kill my mom." Pep raised her voice.
"I know, I kn-" Tash was cut off by a frantic Pep.
"No! You don't know! You don't know my mom, you don't know her. I can't kill my mom, I'll kill everyone else before I kill her. I'll kill myself." Pep shouted.
Tash took a few step backs and said, "Taidan, she's in pain. Look at her."
Pep turned to face her dying mom once more, she couldn't find it in her to pull the plug. She could afford to keep her on life support and there was no logical reason in her mind not to. Tash knew Pep was stubborn, she knew she'd have to allow her to come around on her own.
"I just love her, I love her so much." Pep sighed.
She didn't like to cry, she hated the desperate feeling; she hated to fall apart, she hated feeling low. The weight on her shoulder was immense and her heart was at war with her head, her mother saved and protected her, loved her when she was nothing but a scrawny little girl. Her mother loved her before the riches and would've continued loving her even if she didn't leave to better herself.
"She stopped talking to me for two whole days when I left home. She cried and begged me to stay but I promised her I would only leave for six months and then I'd be back richer and better and I'd be able to take care of her." Pep's eyes never left her mother, she continued holding onto her feeble, wrinkled mhand hoping for a change; for a miracle.
"She said, 'no, ma fille please stay with mama.' I should've stayed, I should've been there for her but instead I left her with that man. He never cared about her, I don't even know why she stayed with him. I bought her the house so she could get away from him and when I went there again, there he was living there. I hated him so much but she loved him so I had to tolerate him living in her house. My mother used to beat me a lot," Pep chuckled. "She used to hit me out of a wooden spoon because I was too skinny for a belt. She used to force me to eat, thinking that maybe it was the lack of food why I was thin and lanky. I can't tell you the amount of mornings and nights I've eaten cornmeal porridge and Semolina while everyone else ate their dinner."
Tash stood closer to the door listening to Pep, all she could do was listen. She was afraid to speak, afraid that she would say something that would trigger her. Slowly, Tash made her way over to Pep and wrapped her arms around her from the side. Pep rested her mother's hand down gently before she turned around to hug onto Tash accepting the physical comfort. Pep rested her chin atop of Tash's head allowing her tears to free fall down her face.
"You have to make a choice, babe. She's suffering and you can stop that. You can make it peaceful." Tash said lightly.
"I know." Pep didn't say anything else, she felt as if she had said enough for the day.
Letting go of Tash, Pep kissed her mother's forehead and then pressed the button on the bed to alert the nurse. Once the nurse came rushing in, Pep turned to face her and said, "I'd like to pull the plug." Her face was stern and cold.
