The Wings Of A Caged Bird | First Draft

chapter 36: tiara's purpose

"Maybe we really shouldn't have admitted him to a private hospital," aunt Sayra says, putting down her glasses.

Right now, all the members of the Emmens family except grandpa are sitting together at the dining table. Not to eat, but to discuss about grandpa's medical treatment. I am also here despite not being a family member. Aunt Sayra herself called me to join the discussion.

Yesterday, when she came back from the hospital, she hugged me and cried into my chest, saying how I saved her father's life. It reminded me of Dawn's funeral, when aunt Diana had clutched into my shirt and wailed, asking me repeatedly how the two of us are supposed to live without our Dawn. Among all the people around us, aunt Diana was perhaps the only one who truly understood what Dawn meant to me.

Uncle Ray puts his hand on hers. "We did it for his own good, Sayu! Y'know how public hospitals are like. Leavin' all the patients lyin' about, understaffed, nurses checkin' in only once a blue moon, no hygiene nowhere. He would've rotten down in such a place."

She sighs. "And yet that's where majority of the people go and come out alive. 'Cause it ain't expensive. It's been a bit more than twenty four hours since we got him in there, and look at the hospital bills! We should pull him out."

"Is grandpa really in a condition to be transferred from one hospital to another, though?" I ask. "He needs rest. It will take a toll on his body."

"But it's impossible! There's so much more treatment left, my dear. The Angiogram itself will cost a fortune for us. Then there will be medicines."

"What's an angiogram?" Aris asks while sipping on his glass of milk.

His parents look too exhausted to explain, so I do it instead. "It's something that is done so that the blood can flow to your heart better, without facing any obstacle anywhere." I look at July for approval, and he gives me a thumbs up.

"Ooh!" Aris nods vigorously, seemingly a little happy to learn something new.

I ask, "Uncle Ray, how many blocks did they find?"

"Three arteris," he replies, shaking his head. "If it ain't treated as soon as possible, the heart attacks will keep comin' and comin'. There's even a risk of heart failure."

Aunt Sayra rubs her forehead. "I should have taken him for a checkup earlier. Oh Ray, why didn't I? It was so irresponsible of me. Now we might have to use up all our savings. And need even more after that. God, how will we manage? Flora's semester fees are coming up, Tiara needs to go back to school soon, and you still have your loan-"

Uncle Ray pulls his wife to him and caresses the back of her head. "We'll figure somethin' out, Sayu. For sure."

I lean back against the chair. Watching them like this truly breaks my heart. So these are the types of discussions the Ambers must have had for Dawn. It makes me feel so helpless how, despite being financially capable of helping them out, I can't do it because they won't let me. Of what use is my father's money then? But I suppose, if I was in their place, I too would hesitate to ask money from someone else. It is strange how pride can often come first before the life of someone we love.

"Ma, can't ya sell that ring of yours!" Aris points at aunt Sayra's finger. "I bet we can get loads of money from that."

She sits straight. "Aris, don't ya talk about things ya don't understand."

"What do ya mean? That ring's expensive. It's more expensive than diamond, Ma!"

"Shut the hell up, it's grandma's ring!" Tiara snaps, participating in the conversation for the first time. Baby Aurora stirs in her lap.