Time goes by and their classes pass them by. Mark, Justin, and Cesar walk toward the court for their basketball practice. But while going there, something unexpected occurs.

Mark receives a call from his phone and he grabs it from his bag.

‘A call from dad? Why?’

Mark accepts the call and puts the phone close to his face.

“Hello, kiddo?” George begins. “How are you today?”

“Hello, dad. I’m fine, no need to worry. Why did you call? Is everything alright?”

“That’s why I called you, kiddo.”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“It’s about your mom, she’s at the hospital in Cebu. I want you to come with me, she wants to see you.”

“What? Why, what happened to her?”

“Her boss from her workplace said that she lost consciousness and that she had no pulse so they rushed her to the hospital. For now, she’s stable. And I’m about to know the full details when we get there.”

‘What? Ma was healthy. How did this happen?”

“Ok, I’ll go with you.”

“I’m outside your school, by the gate. I’ll wait here.”

The call then ends and Mark puts back his phone in his bag. Cesar and Justin stop for Mark the entire conversation.

Justin looks at him worried, “What’s wrong, Mark?”

Mark looks at him directly and says, “I don’t know, Justin. My mom lost consciousness while at work, she’s at the hospital now. I don’t get it, she was healthy the entire time. I have to go to the hospital in Cebu, I can’t join you in practice today.”

Cesar puts his hand on his shoulder and says, “Go, Mark. We’ll pray for your mom at practice.”

“Thank you, Cesar.”

“Mark, we’re here for you no matter what happens,” says Justin with a sympathetical look on his face.

Mark smiles and says, “Thank you, Justin.”

Mark looks at the both of them and says, “Thank you very much, you two.” And hugs the both of them. “I’ll be back for tomorrow’s game.” Mark lets go of them and turns to walk towards the gate.

While walking, Mark thinks of every possible thing.

‘Is mom alright? Why did this happen to her? She was ok before this, why has this happened to her?’

His shoulders droop, his head low, and his face downcast. Mark sees his dad as he passes through the gate. George, his dad, hugs him outside the school and Mark can feel his grief without shedding a tear. George lets go of his son and looks at him in the eye.

“Let’s go see your mom.”

Mark never says a word and only nods. They then get in their car and ride towards Cebu City.

They ride across Cebu island for an hour and a half. Along the way, George tells his son something that’s bothersome.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

“Mark,” George says as his hands are on the steering wheel. “Your mother has not been fine since you’ve been born.”

Beside his dad in the front seat, Mark looks at him with his furrowed brow saying, “What do you mean, dad?”

George sighs and says, “Nevermind what I’ve said. Everything’s gonna be alright.”

Mark is just silent and lays back in his seat, never saying a word that would break the silence.

After a while, they finally arrive at the hospital where Mark’s mother is confined, at the Sacred Heart Hospital. They enter the hospital and inquire where her room is. Finding their answer, they go straight towards her room.

When they enter her room, she meets them with a smile on her face but an exhausted one.

“George. Markie. I’m glad you’re here.”

George kisses her on the lips and lays his face on hers. Pulling back, he says to her, “Are you fine? Are you ok, love?”

“I don’t know Georgie, the doctor says that…”

Just as she is about to say something, the doctor enters in and brings them the news.

“Hello, are you Mister Mercado?” The doctor extends out his hand towards George.

“I am,” and George extends his hand for a handshake.

“I want to talk to you outside, if you may.”

“Sure, sure. No problem,” George turns to Mark and his wife Gemma. “I’ll be back.” And George follows the doctor out of the room.

Mark inches closer to her mother and says, “Everything’s gonna be ok, ma.”

“No, Markie. It’s not gonna be ok.”

Mark is flabbergasted saying, “What? Stop joking around ma.”

“I’m not joking around Markie,” says Gemma as she looks at his son straight to his eyes. “We’ve been keeping it a secret, Markie. I’m not gonna last long in this world any longer.”

“What do you mean? What did you keep as a secret?”

Gemma gently smiles and says, “Oh, you were a blessing when you were born. We never regretted every single part of it. But with it, Markie, comes with a cost. I have a heart condition in which my heart is weakened and enlarged. We can’t have another child after you because doctors said it’s a high risk even though my heart is fully recovered, so we only settled in having you. Plus, the doctors diagnosed me with ovarian cancer last year, which could increase the risk for my heart.”

Mark finally breaks down crying, “Ma, why didn’t you tell me this before?”

Gemma looks up at the ceiling and says to him, “What difference does it make, Markie? I will die at any moment, but I want to make every second count.”

“Ma, you could’ve told me so that I could prepare myself and not get dropped by the truth.”

Gemma looks at him again and says, “Hold my hand.”

Mark looks up to her and holds her hand.

“When I leave this world, I want you to know that I will be with the lover of my soul and yours,” Gemma says as tears now begin to stream down her face. “Know that I will be with Jesus; the one who will give me joy, peace, comfort, and happiness forevermore. I will wait for you until we will meet again.”

Mark holds her hand ever so tighter and puts over it his other hand, he continues to sob and eventually lays his head over her hand.

“Ma, don’t say those things. We will still be together, you will not go. Please, stay with us. Just fight. You can beat this thing,” Mark says as he wails along.

George then comes back with sniffs and groans. He stoops down and lays his head over hers.

“You will not die, love. You will still be with us. Remember what we’ve talked about? We still have to see our son graduate high school and college, and see him marry and have grandkids. Please, love. Where would I be without you.”

Gemma kisses his forehead and says, “Ah, yes. I remember all of them, Georgie. We always talk about them, but I don’t think I could live to see that day. When I’m gone, I give you permission to marry another woman. The woman who would give pleasure to your manhood as I do.” Gemma chuckles and pats his head

George shakes his head and says, “This isn’t funny, love. I don’t want to marry anymore. You’re the only one I love, no-one could love me like you do.”

“No, Georgie. I always prayed to God that when I’m gone, you will have another wife so that you are well taken care of. I don’t want you to be alone, so please let's accept the fact that I will die anytime. There’s nothing we could do. I could die tonight, tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow. I’m so weak Georgie, I don’t want to fight it anymore. I’m tired of fighting and pretending that I’m ok, it’s over now. My body’s shutting down, I can’t take it anymore.”

“Love. Please, just fight. I want you to fight.”

“I want you to promise me that you’ll take care of Markie.”

George looks at her and says, “Yes, love. I promise.”

Gemma looks at the both of them and says, “I love you two until the very end. You will always be in my heart. All the years we shared had been memorable, I regret nothing of it. But now my head will lay to rest when my Father takes me home. Fight the good fight of faith just as I’ve been so that I could see you two again in Heaven.”

And the three of them wail in grief without saying each other another word for the tears are better than words spoken. Mark and George stayed at the hospital, taking care of her throughout the night knowing that anytime she could be taken. Thus concludes this day of Joy for yesterday and Grief for tomorrow.