Mentor

"Coma"

The sounds of the beeping hospital machines have turned into an annoying elevator song, the same rhythm with no beginning or end. I wanted peace not only for me but for my father who was stuck in a time zone and it wasn’t because he couldn’t see the light it was because we were blocking the light he was supposed to reach. Our selfish reasons has left him in the middle of nowhere, nor could death or life reach him. Each and every visit was awfully painful because a part of me wanted him to wake up just from the sound of my voice and every time I leave with him still stuck in the sinking place.

“Dad, I started my mentorship but as you know, mom ditched me again but this woman that I met is incredible but I’m sure you know that because you have met her… her name is Angelina Parks” my unresponsive father has become my human diary, he listens and doesn’t pass no judgement. From time to time, I visit to shave his kinky hair while telling him about the obstacles I have come across in that week but this week was different, I met the most inspiring woman who made me see my mother’s point of view. “She told me about moms past and made me calm down about the situation with mom, I mean who knew that twenty five years ago was just as painful as it was in the 1800” I chuckled. In my head I imagined him laughing at my ignorance or rather my naïve nature because growing up my grandparents have always told me about what they had to go through to be who they were and how they worked hard to give my dad the same opportunities as the white boy next door but every time they told the stories, I had somehow convinced myself that the world has changed even though headlines made me think otherwise.

I sat with my father for more than a few more hours until the visiting hours were over but as I was about to walk out my favourite nurse walked in with a brown clip board “Candice!” I exclaimed, she has been by my father’s side since the beginning and she was the one who watched when this all started. The day of the accident, she had promised that she will always be there for me and my father and she did keep her promise “How are you Jane?” she asked, I had gotten used to her tired face to a point whereby it didn’t bother me like it did the first few months I spent here but today she seemed more tired than usual or rather worried.

“I am fine, I was telling dad here about a woman I met recently”

“Oh, you found a replacement for me this fast” she joked.

“Oh no, I could never replace you”

“I hope so”

“How is he?”

“Nothing has changed and we have been trying to talk to your mother about shutting the machines but doesn’t answer any of our calls”

“Please give her time, this is not easy on her” I explained.

“Who are you and what have you done to Jane?” she chuckled.

“I don’t know” we both laughed and walked out “your mother needs to understand that medical bills are not a joke and she has been paying millions for a man who is brain dead, you know I care about you which means I will advise you no matter what” I knew that she meant what she said and it was the truth, my mother has been paying way too much money for special doctors, private nurses and everyday care but she believed that her husband is doing to wake up one day and love her more than before.

“As old as I am my mother doesn’t trust me enough to survive without him and she doesn’t trust herself enough to life without him regardless of how many times I have told her that I will be fine”

“I know but one day she will realise that this way worse than actually grieving and understanding that he is gone”

“It still feels like this accident happened yesterday”