It was 8 AM in the morning. The living room was a bit untidy with books, leftover food and clothes lying on the floor unattended. Lying in the midst of dusty carpet was a man, in his early twenties, asleep with his specs on, awaken by the alarm which went on for quite some time.
"Man, I am late for the hospital", he fumed looking at the clock. Stumbling to stand, he quickly cleaned himself up and hurriedly checked his mobile for any text messages from the doctors. He had returned from the hospital just few hours earlier, after getting assurance from the doctors that, everything is fine and they will reach him for any urgency.
His heart beating loudly, his worst fear realized, his eyes caught the list of calls that he missed from York hospital. Quickly wearing his clothes, he rushed to pick his bike.
"Start…. Start you moron", he shouted aggressively kicking the bike, surprising the passersby, assuming his bike will start somehow If he just keeps shouting at it.
"Ray. Is there a problem?", a neighbor aged about 40 offered help.
"Ah... No not really", he replied keeping a straight face without any appreciation for the help offered. After causing quite a bit of commotion in the war torn neighborhood he finally started his bike and made his way towards York hospital.
He ran with all his heart, increasing his pace past the corridors to reach the ICU where his sick mom was getting treated.
"Ray. We have been trying to reach you", the doctors standing outside the ICU immediately told him as he made his way towards them.
"Yesss. Wh-what is it, Doctor?", he quickly questioned the doctors observing the concerns on their faces.
"Your mo-", they started.
"Yeah. Wh-What ha-happened?", he stuttered questioning immediately.
"We're afraid we are losing her"
An immediate silence fell upon his face. After what seemed an eternity, the doctors continued, "We are sorry. We tried everything, but we could not save her. She…she is in her last stage"
"I want to see my mom", he said quietly and walked inside the ICU without waiting for the doctor's approval, his eyes searching for the bed where the nurses were treating her.
"Hi Ma", he spoke, his voice trembling, tears falling from his eyes.
"Ray", she responded weakly. "What are they saying?" She gestured towards the nurses wanting to know what the doctors are saying.
"It's nothing ma…You are going to be alright", he replied trying to put a brave face, but failing miserably.
"I can see… a lie…. in your eyes", she smiled weakly and broke while speaking.
Bursting out with tears, he cried firmly holding her hands, "I…I am so s-s-s-sorry, ma. What should I do now ma? What should I do?"
"Come closer", she gestured.
He sat closer to her, still firmly holding her hands and bowing down to hear her last words. Her speech turning into whispers, her voice dropped low as she whispered, "There is something i wanted to tell you.I... I.. have be..en run..ing away.. Hid..ing you from them.. I..I...", Seeing the pain in her, Ray immediately starts crying, "Ma..Ma..", he repeated..
"I wan..ted to tell this this much ear..lie..r, but i just could not put you in ha..ha..rm's way", she struggled tightly gripping his hands. "Find your father... Find him." With the words, she lay motionless, her heartbeat stopped.
She was dead.
x-x
The neighbors and friends, stood ground outside Ray's house as they waited for the deceased to be taken into the house.
Ray entered the house, keeping a steady face. Shawn, his friend from across the street, approached him, "I am sorry for your loss, brother. We are all here to support you.", he motioned towards the assembled people who Ray knew since he was a kid.
"Th-hank you", Ray responded slowly. He passed across the living room and made his way towards his room to fetch the money for settling the charges for the wake, when he overheard, "She was a gentle soul. She scarified everything to raise her kids", a woman named Ginny in her mid-fifties was telling her companion.
Mr. Baker, from the café shop, a lean man remarked, "She was very brave you know. I have known her for quite some time you know. Poor soul. She was very brave and took care of the kid single handedly without any family to support her"
A drop of tear dropping from his eyes, an instant memory kept flashing back at him remembering his broken childhood. Unable to control the pain, he quickly rushed into his room, trembling sitting in his bed, his hands on his face.
"Ssh. It's okay", he heard a gentle voice. It was a voice that he has been longing for since she joined the rebellion front.
"Emma?", he called out.
A gentle looking woman, aged about 20, replied calmly, "It's okay, Ray. I am here for you"
"h-h-how did you know?", he stuttered.
"I got to know your mother is sick from Shawn. He..He informed me about the situation when I was..." she stopped suddenly...
"Planning for assassination?", he added angrily.
Without responding to this question, Emma continued sitting next to him and embracing him, "I rushed immediately and arrived last evening".
"It's getting late. I have to arrange for the cemetery", Ray said, breaking the embrace and wiping his tears.
"We have taken care of it", She said slowly
x-x
"Ray, Can I have a word with you, son?", Mr. Edwards head of the York local community rushed to speak with him outside the cemetery,after the burial.
"S-s-s-s-orry. I -I am not in the right mind t-t-t-to speak with you", he shuttered.
"Son... You know, we at, York Community, take care of our own. We support each other from the evil that was bestowed upon us by the super humans. We are here to support you in these trying times", he kept his hand over Ray's shoulder, assuring him emotional support.
Ray observed him both confused and untrusty, standing ground without responding.
"Thank you", he said finally, his voice still shaky but confident as he walked back into the cemetery, leaving Mr. Edwards surprised.
Leaning over his mother's grave, crying his heart out, he reads the words engraved in the tombstone, "Here Lies Lois Lane. A Brave Woman, A Loving Mother and a Gentle Soul"
Authors Note:
What do you think guys? Love to hear from you.