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kristyle

I saw him, with his wrinkled face and with tears in his eyes. I wondered how life must be for him, living for eighty-two years in this world.

He repeats the question he had asked minutes ago.

He tells his story again and again.

I have to repeat myself twice of thrice for me to be heard.

A man standing beside me, his son, he can't recognize.

I was on NOC duty and I was feeling very sleepy already. Ah, it's almost time for my shift to end. I can finally go and rest. Then, I saw this patient, sitting in a bench, with his watcher having difficulty of placing the IV Bottle on the Stand. I came to approach them and help him.

"Good Morning, Lo" I greeted the patient.

"Did you ate your breakfast already?", I asked him.

"What?", he asked and looked at me.

"I asked if you ate already", I said closer to his ears this time.

"Ah.. I ate rice and egg", he replied.

The watcher who was standing beside me told me he can barely hear. yeah, I noticed, I said in my mind.

And after hanging the IV bottle in the stand I planned to take my leave.

But then the patient ask me.

"Are you a student here?"

Student?.. "No, I am not. I am a nurse. I work here in the hospital", I replied.

"Ah..I thought your a student. so, you are a teacher", he replied.

i just smiled at him,as correcting him may lead us nowhere.

"Do you recognize me?", he asked me.

"I am a guard in your school", he told me. "He already retired", the man beside me replied.

Ah, I see. 'I am a guard and I raised my children and they finished their college", he said, as I can feel his happiness.

"I already have a teacher who is already married and lives there. One is a sea man", as he looked straight ahead.

And he continued to enumerate the profession of his children.

"So, you have eight children, Lo? and all of them professionals. you must be so proud", I said not more to him but more to myself.

The man beside me talked. "yeah, we are eight siblings, 4 guys and 4 girls", he said.

Ah! so, this man is his son. "Ah, I see", I replied.

So I asked the patient, "so Lo, this is your son here? I see", I said.

The patient just stared at him and did not replied.

"He doesn't recognize me", the son said.

"I worked so hard to send my children to school", I heard the patient said, as I see tears moist his eyes, must be from the glare of the sun? "and I'm so happy they live well", he added.

I looked at the son, as he looked at his father. there is so much love and compassion seen in his eyes. There's also that look of sadness.

I would have wanted to know more of them, but my co-nurse called me to do the endorsement. And so i had to leave them.

As I look at them, the father looking far ahead, and the son watching over the father, I feel relieved. And I know that once they go back to their home the father can expect to be taken cared of by his children.

As I arrive home, I hugged my mom and told her I appreciate everything she had done for me.

Patience and love, give to your parents who all there time has been taking care of you, and now is becoming a child, again.

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