Eaten Alive
I’ve been through the hell a number of times, watching a
loved one as he slowly withers away until he becomes unrecognizable. I understand that we’re not really from this
planet. I know this is all temporary,
but what can I do to ease his suffering?
I first witnessed the horror of cancer as it destroyed my
father. I’d read stories of a carpenter
with the power to heal upon a simple touch, or with his word alone, and they have
always remained in my thoughts. I’d sit
by his side and wish…if only I could make the disease go away. If only I could make it so he could smile
again.
These days I haven’t been able to write. My mind has been consumed with thoughts of my
uncle who is battling colon cancer.
Doctors said there’s nothing anyone could do. On Saturday I took him his last wish, lasagna, I had made especially for him. He ate
some, at first eagerly, and then the realization that he couldn’t consume
solids slowed him down until all he could do was cradle the small plate. He’s a Korean War veteran and he’s finally
beginning to lose the fight in him.
That Saturday, I felt her, his primary escort to the other
side. She was waiting for him. Tonight, I heard that he kept asking his son
who the woman was. No one had introduced
her to him because he was the only one who could see her. He also kept staring at the ceiling, looking
at the pretty white light.
I don’t know how much longer my uncle has left, but I’m
grateful to have shared such an intimate moment with him.
Goodbye, Uncle Ernest, she’s waiting for you. Your mother, my grandma, is waiting to take
you home.
Sometimes the dark side catches us.
Nomar Knight
