I'll Give My Life for Her
Prequel
Mr. Hadley went into the room of his daughter. It was afternoon and she has just entered her room. She put her satchel on a chair and was in the middle of taking off her scarf. She jumped when she saw her dad standing in the doorway.
"Dad, do you want anything?" – the 11 year old girl asked.
He approached his daughter and took her by the shoulders. "I want you to sit down," – he told her looking into her beautiful eyes. It confused her a bit. It was strange. He looked sad and it confused her even more. He never behaved this way before. She sat on the couch and Mr. Hadley sat next to her. His hands were shaking when they touched hers. It was the first time his hands were shaking. She looked at him but he was silent. "Dad, is something wrong?" He starred at her for a long time. He didn't know how to tell this. He looked at her and saw his love, his sweetheart, who wouldn't speak to him anymore. It scared him, that his daughter sitting now next to him, so healthy, so full of life could end up like his wife. He looked into her eyes and said: "Remy, mom died today."
Remy Hadley:
What should I do? People are supposed to cry in this situation. But I don't feel anything. Should I say something? I don't want to say anything. Dad is sad, but isn't it right for her to die to leave us alone, to let us be. I'm so tired of her screaming and dad, my poor dad. He made everything for mom. Pity she didn't notice. Pity she was insane. I don't feel anything. Maybe relief, she won't scream anymore and I can invite friends. I can do whatever I want! No more restrictions, don't go there, because you're mom is tired. Don't listen to music to loud, don't do this, because she'll be disappointed. It's all over. I'm free, I don't have a mother any more. Why should I worry? I have the best dad in the world. At least had two and a half years before mom had started showing the symptoms.
Mr. Hadley hugged his daughter. For him she was so fragile, so young, he refused to think she might die. "Remy, I'm so sorry," - he repeated. The girl didn't shed a tear. She didn't know about her death sentence. Remy thought of her future life as any kid of her age. She was tired of the inevitable atmosphere of death in her family. She wanted to have fun not to suffer every day because of her mother. "Dad, everything will be ok. Right?" - she asked him. "Yes, honey. We'll be fine, I promise."
That night she went to bed late. She cleaned her room and made all her homework even for the next week. She didn't call her friends because she didn't want them to know she suffered. Since her mother was ill she lapsed into a cocoon of self-isolation. She hadn't any friends, though every day the girl came home late after school. She spent her time in a library, playing basketball or strolling along the streets. The reason was simple to come home late, not to watch her insane mother die slowly and painfully. Her dad didn't do anything about it. He was too obsessed with his wife and his own private life. He was tired just like his little daughter. Sometimes she though she didn't exist for him at all. It was a shock when she saw his father cheating on her mother, but as a child she refused to acknowledge it, because she was too young to understand adult relationship. School was a disaster, 'cause Remy was the brightest in the class and other children hated her, so she chose to get together with the losers, whom she helped to do their home tasks. She didn't belong to this group, all of the members understood it, but she didn't want to show her physical and intellectual superiority. Remy knew well that if she wanted she could beat them all, 'cause the girl was really smart.
She lay down on her bed. Remy couldn't stop her tears soaking the pillow. She realized her mother died and she wouldn't see her again anymore. Mom irritated her but the girl didn't want her to die. She imagined how she would take her shaking hand with her small palm and apologized, that she was so stupid before. The life seemed like a horror film. You are standing in the dark room waiting for a monster to come. One day it became true…
"I'm glad you came," said a tall brunette kissing him on the lips. "I'm sorry about your wife."
"Me too." He told touching her cheek. It felt so soft under his long fingers. This woman made him feel himself like a child. She seemed so strong and self-assured. He loved her, but he couldn't leave his first love. He had a daughter and this was more important. Andrea gave him what the man needed the most - to be a man, to feel that somebody cared of him, that he wasn't just a nurse who had wash up and look after the patient day after day. It made him miserable. Andrea was different. She was healthy, intelligent and it was fun to be in her company, to forget about problems waiting at home. She was a friend. She listened carefully to his problems and always had the best solution. She knew how to soothe him when he was angry and how to make him work when he was in a deep depression. She was a witty, open-minded woman. He didn't understand how their relationship turned into something more than just a friendship. She made him happy and he was thankful for it.
"How's Remy?" she asked sitting with him on the couch and embracing him by the shoulders.
"She wants me to think she's a strong girl. She hadn't shed a tear at the funeral, though I think she's crying every night. Her pillow is always wet of tears. I tried to talk to her, but she doesn't want to listen. I'm worried about her. Maybe I should take her to a doctor?" he said turning to Andrea.
"Don't go crazy! She's a child and she suffers. Put yourself in her shoes. Her mother died of a strange disease a week ago. Try to take her somewhere, try to spend more time with her. These two years you've taken care of your wife, now you have to know your daughter or you loose her forever. Play with her, take her to an amusement park, or go with her watch a movie together. Try to understand her. You don't have to push her. If she sees a friend in you, she'll talk to you about everything."
"And you know this because…" he looked at the woman in amusement.
"I know this because I was at her place once. My mom committed a suicide and my father sent me to a boarding school in Japan. He was working and it was a simple decision to get rid of me in order to forget about my mother. Don't do this to Remy. A child needs a family not a bunch of strangers, who don't give a damn about you, only about your father's money." She told him without any expression on her face as if she was made of ice.
"I'm sorry, Andy." He kissed her.
"Prove that you're better than my old man. Take her to a café, buy some ice-cream. It isn't so hard to do. She'll be fine." The woman smiled.
"I want you to meet her." He said simple.
"Not now. She isn't ready yet. Don't rush the time. I don't want to be her enemy. She needs time to understand that nobody wants to compete with her mother. If she trusts you, she'll trust me as well."
"Fine. I love you." He kissed the woman.
To be continued…
