The Last Good-bye
The Saturday sun shined through the silky curtains in my room. Slowly, I opened my eyes, to find my dog, Coco, sleeping peacefully by my feet. I got up from under the sheets, afraid of what this day would bring. On the table next to my bed, laid a picture of my dad, smiling and healthy, but that wasn’t how he was now.
“Let’s see,” I mumbled to myself. “Day 19”. 19 days. 19 days of waiting. It had been 19 days ago when my father stepped foot in the Silver Springs Hospice. He has had cancer for a while now, but 19 days ago, the hospital said that they couldn’t do anything more for him.
“I’m sorry, Izzy”, the doctor said to me that dreadful day. “But your father is just too sick. The only thing that could save him is a special medicine in Brazil, South America, but it’s very hard to find”. I wanted to yell at him, tell him to find it, but I just kept my cool and nodded.
I finally decided that I should go and see him, because any day could be his last. I made some coffee, got dressed, and hopped in the car. Coco tagged along too. My dad hates dogs, but somehow he loves Coco. Coco’s kind of like family.
I drove until I got to the Silver Springs Hospice, the awful place where my father was. That must be terrible for him, I thought as I stepped inside. Knowing that his time is coming soon.
Once inside, I said “hi” to the lady at the front desk, and headed toward my father’s room, number 13. When I got to the door, I slowly twisted the doorknob and stepped inside, afraid of what I would find. But I was worried for nothing. When I saw my father in bed with my mother sitting in a chair close by, relief washed over me like a beautiful blue wave from the shining sea. But my father was still sick. His skin was a white pale and wrinkles covered his face. His dark green eyes had lost their glow and were hard to see them through his half-closed eyes.
“Sweetie”, my mom said as she stood up and give me a hug.” I’m so glad to see you! How are you?”
“I’m fine, mom.” I said and turned to face my dad. “But I should be asking how you are, dad”. I gave him a hug and knelled by his bed.
“Oh, Izzy”, he said with his old cracked voice. “I’m, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.” I know he said he was fine, but I knew he wasn’t.
So after talking to my folks for a while, I said goodbye to my dad, hopping that it wasn’t our last good-bye, and goodbye to my mom and walked out, with Coco at my heels. I hated having to see my dad like that, but I had to see him, especially in his last days.
I didn’t know what to do then, so I just decided to take Coco for a walk. Although I didn’t want to think about my father, I ended up doing just that. I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. Those words repeated in my head. Your father is just too sick. The only thing that could save him is a special medicine in Brazil, South America, but it’s very hard to find.
Before, I was just sad, but now, fury grew inside of me. I was mad at everyone, the doctor, my mom, and at the world. My father was dying and no one was going to do anything about it.
I felt anger at a level I had never felt before. “Stupid cancer”, I screamed and kicked over a trash can. I was about to stomp away, but I stopped. A small folded piece of paper from the trash can had fell out, so I picked it up, just to see what it was. I unfolded the paper and looked at it carefully. My knees grew weak and I felt tears stream from my blue eyes. I dropped to my knees and silently said “Thank you”. It was a plane ticket, a plane ticket to none other to Brazil, South America.
I stood and smiled. Coco whimpered and tilted his head, as if he was trying to say, “What is it, Izzy?” I looked at Coco and whispered, “This is it, Coco, the chance to save my dad.”
I rushed home and packed up some stuff, clothes, makeup, and most importantly, and plane ticket. I called my dad’s room at the hospice.
“Hey dad,” I said into the phone. “If you’re gone when I come back, I guess this is my last-goodbye”.
“Ok, Izzy. I don’t know what this is all about, but good-bye.” My dad said, through he seemed confused. I didn’t have time to explain everything to him, so I just hung up. After that, I grabbed my stuff and was on my way. Of course, Coco came too. Before I knew it, we were on the plane to Brazil. I was nervous the whole time. Would I find the medicine in time? What if he was already gone?
Soon the pilot was saying,”Welcome to Brazil”. I felt happy and nervous, and even a little angry still. When I got off the plane, I tried to find my bag. It didn’t seem to be there. An hour of waiting later, I just decided to leave. I rented a small car and left. The only things I had now were my cell phone and my wallet in my pockets. Coco sat curled up in the passenger’s seat. I kept driving, though I didn’t know where to go.
“Where am I supposed to go? The doctor could have said where in Brazil!” I yelled. I was so furious that I wasn’t paying attention to the road anymore. As I speeded through the streets, Coco pressed his ears to his head and whimpered. “Shut up, Coco”, but it was late. Before I could stop, the car crashed into a van. The driver of the van yelled at me, but I didn’t care.
“Whatever”, I said as I took Coco out of the car. His was scared and was shaking. I had almost killed the little puppy. “We don’t need this stupid old car anyway.”
So I walked alongside the road, Coco in my arms. My sides hurt from the impact of the air bags and I felt blood drip from a deep cut on my forehead. I felt bruised and weak, but I continued walking.
Soon I reached a small town. The streets were lined with palm trees and little shops and restaurants at every corner. When I found a hotel, Coco and I walked in. I’m sure I scared the man at the front desk because when he saw me, he looked shocked.
“Can I help you, miss”, he said.
“Yeah, you can. Listen, I have to find a special medicine to save my father from dying, and so far, everything is going wrong. The airport lost my bag, I crashed my car, and I would like to get a hotel room at this stupid hotel so I can forget about this whole day! Though this hotel wouldn’t be my first choose to stay at, but it’s the only thing I can find”.
The man looked as if he could fight with me all day, but he just sighed and said, “No. Listen miss, you need to fix that temper of yours. Until then, you can do everyone a favor and leave.”
Before I could answer, the man snapped his finger and a larger man stepped into the lobby. He grabbed me by the arm and walked me outside like you would with a little kid.
“And stay out”, the man said, closing the hotel doors behind him. I wanted to argue, but I just didn’t have the strength too. It started to rain, so I found a dry alley and laid down with Coco. The puppy shivered because of the rain drops that still covered his fur, so I took off my jacket and covered both of us with it like a blanket. “Maybe tomorrow we’ll have more luck.” And then drifted into a deep sleep.
The next morning, I had breakfast at a small diner, with Coco sitting close by on the table. My back hurt a lot; sleeping on the ground isn’t that comfy. I felt mad again. This was stupid, trying to find something that I probably would never find, but I had to try. This was my last and only chance to save my father. I decided that I would check every pharmacy that I could find.
“This is going to take forever!” I yelled. I smashed my fist hard on the table, which shook it. Before I could grab Coco, his miniature paws slipped and he fell off the edge of the table. I quickly picked him up, but soon I knew something was wrong. One of Coco’s front paws was twisted in the weird way and his eyes filled with pain. I know Coco’s leg was broken, but I didn’t want to freak out. I felt like crying and screaming, but that would just make things worse.
I wrapped Coco in my jacket and started searching around for pharmacies. At every one, I was told the same thing, “Sorry. That medicine’s not here”. I was running out of energy. I knew it was time to go home.
I arrived early the next morning, tired and filthy. I walked home and sat on my couch. It was over. I just couldn’t find the medicine. It was hidden, locked away somewhere. Coco leg looked a little better, but I knew he was still in pain. But my thoughts were interrupted by my cell phone.
“Hello?” I said into the speaker, not sure who it was.
A moment later, my mom’s voice ringed my ears, “I think you need to see your father.” she said, each words choked in her throat. She sounded upset.
I rushed to the hospice, bringing poor Coco along too. I ran to my father room, and walked right inside. My dad looked horrible, even worst then before. I walked in slowly, tears building up in my eyes. I kneeled by his bed and kissed him on the forehead. “Dad?”
“Good-bye” he said
I knew this was the last good-bye “Good-bye”. I felt tears flow down my face as he let out his last and final breathe.
