After his new, youngish wife left him a couple of months ago for another man, my father fell into a dark mood. He drew away from his friends, because in his mind they must have been mocking him behind his back for losing her. He sat alone for days on end in the small apartment he had rented in Clearwater, Florida. There, he stared at the walls, giving in to depression.
Soon enough, his health suffered a severe setback. His type II diabetes, which he had managed to hold at bay until then with diet, exercise, and an occasional pill, caught up with him.
In spite of his stated wish to be left alone, Ma flew over to visit him and took charge of things. He accepted her presence grudgingly. Perhaps he felt guilty for having left such a dedicated woman, who was too damn perfect to live with. Perhaps he realized that at this point, he would flounder without her help.
Upon her arrival, Ma tidied up the apartment, stocked his refrigerator with fresh fruits and vegetables, and cooked for him. Then, noting his deteriorated state of health, she took him to see a doctor, who diagnosed him with heart palpitations. He also recommended seeing a retina specialist.
My dad had been complaining for a while about some distortion in his vision. Now we learned what had caused it: a membrane had been thickening over his retina, wrinkling it. This membrane was removed a day later in an emergency surgery called Pucker Operation.
During my spring break, I flew over to see him. After the surgery, Pa was moodier than ever before. His vision had not to come back to normal yet, which stoked his fear of turning blind.
Whenever he grumbled at her, Ma just pursed her lips and went on with the task at hand, be it putting on his socks for him, ordering his Glipizide and Metformin prescriptions, or leading him around his place so he wouldn’t bump, by accident, into corners or doorposts.
Without her reminders, Pa would neglect to take his pills. So she packed a suitcase for him and in spite of his resistance, got flight tickets for both of them to go back to California, so he might stay in her home, “Until he’s back on his feet.”
During the flight, my father said that his heart was acting up. That gave Ma a scare. As soon as they landed, she took him to the ER.
And that’s where I’m headed right now.
★ Love Suspense? Prepare to be thrilled ★
Months after recovering from coma, Ash discovers that the man who performed her brain surgery has a questionable medical experience and a dark past. Should she expose him, at the risk of becoming vulnerable to his revenge?
"Danger lurked around every corner when she came close to figuring things out. I tried to guess the ending, thank goodness I was wrong."
- Jan Romes, Author
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