The Last Seven Days

Day Seven

It was 30th April, I woke up by 3.a.m and my mom gifted me Saree to be worn on the pooja(prayer), as we usually use to wear traditional dresses for special occasions. By the time I came downstairs the pooja had already started, I came down and sat beside my mom. It was almost 5.30 a.m when the pooja came to an end.

I started preparing the medicines to be taken to the hospital. While we reached the entrance gate, there came a cow standing near the stairs. So everyone came out to worship the cow as a cow is always seen as a good and as well as a holy holy sign. Everyone worshipped the cow, then we started moving to visit my dad.

When I reached the hospital it was 6 a.m in the morning, I entered the hospital with more positive vibes and thoughts. As soon as I entered the room, my mama(uncle) was sitting beside my daddy, as soon he saw me, he rose up and came towards me. I greeted him happily and asked how was daddy the last night. He replied there isn't any problem, he was well, but he couldn't sleep as he was coughing continuously last night.

I asked for nurse practitioner to give him the medicinal solutions but I couldn't find them. I was at beside my dad, I first thought not to disturb him as he didn't sleep well the last night, but couldn't wait to watch what was the improvement in him. I called him, he opened his eyes wide an looked at me, I suddenly said daddy today is my birthday wish me daddy... He raised his right hand, to shower his blessings on me, though it had his trips. I said please don't strain daddy. But he keep on raising his hand, then with a husky voice, he said, Happy birthday chithra, have a long and Happy life... I was dumbstruck as he hasn't spoken from the day one when I visited him. I was so Happy seeing my daddy speak to me, I asked " daddy are you angry with me?". my dad replied with tear filled eyes, " no my dear, why should I be?"... I was really happy to hear this.

I hold his hand firmly and said I will never let you go daddy, please daddy come back home with us... My daddy started raising his head up, he wanted to sit back, I was really surprised, he then said, " chithra, its my whole body is in pain, I couldn't bear it, I don't want to be stuck with these wires around me, please take these out, and relive me... " he started pulling out the oxygen tube, his IV wires etc. I calmed him down and said "please daddy just for few more days you will be alright soon, I swear.." after hearing this my dad leaned back, I gently rubbed his chest as he was coughing, and my fingers ran through his hair, he was back to sleep, I kissed him on his forehead and with a heavy heart, sat beside him..

It was around 8.30 a.m. the doctor's visited him, after examining him, could you see any improvement in him, I briskly nodded " yes doctor, he now moves his hands, speaks little more than before, tries to sit back, and now he is able to feel his pain, he is no more in coma". The doctor looked at me and asked " are you giving those soursop leaves and juice??" I nodded "yes". He again replied " many patients got cured when it was given in stage 2 but your daddy is in stage 4, never lose hope and give him regularly as you do now". I and my mama was looking at the doctors, they were all speaking medical terms, and I wasn't able to understand that. After a deep discussion between them, the chief doctor asked me" who are you to the patient" I replied " he is my father, and am his eldest daughter". The one his assistant doctor asked me " how many of you are his kids". I replied " we are three daughters to him". He sighed pity on us. I asked why are you asking so, he replied don't lose hope, your hope will make him live longer.

I and my mama exchanged looks with a confusion. My mama asked doctor eye drops for my daddy, and he also said there were slight bed bugs, hearing this the doctor wrote a prescription for the eye drops and asked us to buy a heat bed. Then they all left. There was a continuous beep sound arising from the machine that was connected to my daddy. I was a bit afraid and called the nurse practitioner to help me, she replied its nothing serious, then all of a sudden I saw the machine connected my daddy that monitors his bp, heartbeat seems to be dead. I pushed my daddy and cried, my daddy opened his eyes slowly and looked at me, then nurse practitioner said that there was some loose connection in he wire, it had fallen from your dads hand. I sighed a little. But there was continuous beep sound from the machine, which threatened me badly. But the nurse practitioners continuously started convincing me that there is no issues. I left the hospital with a confusion.

As it was sunday, we planned to buy it the next day. I started enquiring about the bed, and was informed I could get it the next day as Sunday was an holiday. So I went back home to narrate what had happen, to my mom.

My mom was not convinced, I asked my mom to visit my dad as my daddy was murmuring my moms name from yesterday. We somehow convinced her to visit him, she agreed and visited him in the evening with my two sisters and my grandma's. In the meantime my uncle was getting ready to go back to Chennai, as he was getting continuous calls from his shop. As my dad seems to have improved, he asked my younger uncles to stay back at night to look after him.

My mom came back home by 7 p.m. And my sister came a little later, when she came her face was filled with sorrow, we all sought out something wrong by looking at her face impression. We all forced her to say what had happen, but she refused, instead compromised us by saying she was not well.

I prepared the dinner for the first time in my home after my marriage. I haven't any cooking experience, this was the first time I had cooked for my mom, she was not in a mood to praise me, but she was happy with my dish. We all ate together and then went to bed by 11 p.m. while I was going upstairs, I saw my grandpa, had return from the hospital, we were shocked to see him, because he was from the day one in he hospital, now my younger mama(uncle) and his friend was alone in the hospital.

They haven't know how to take care of my daddy, as they were new. My elder mama had already left, and my grandpa returned from the hospital, we were confused. I was pleading my mom from evening to stay back with my dad for one night, that is today, and will return back soon in the morning. But no one was ready to let me there as I was a woman. I was so much worried because sometimes his heart rate sudden drops by midnight. With all my worries I went to bed and prayed nothing wrong might happen to my daddy this night...