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Tears immediately flooded my eyes. “Dad.”
“I heard you’re in San Pedro. How’s,” he paused to cough, “how is it?”
“It’s beautiful.”
“I can imagine. I remember going on family trips and eating ice cream on the beach. My most precious memories happened there.”
“When you get better, I’ll take you for ice cream again.”
“Why don’t we forget about me getting better and just go anyway?”
“You’re joking, right?”
“Angel,” he sighed, “I think we should stop here.”
“Don’t say that, Dad. We haven’t tried everything yet. ”
“Honey, please. I don’t want the chemo.”
“Are you saying that because you really don’t want to or because you’re trying not to be a burden?”
He chose his words carefully. “I want you to enjoy your life like other folks your age.”
“Other folks my age don’t have a father as a awesome as you.”
“Wouldn’t you like to rest, Angel?”
“I get plenty of rest.”
“When? You work all day at the school, tutor in the evenings, and pick up shifts at the diner on weekends. Plus you have to find time to check papers and make posters on top of helping your mother take care of me. When do you rest?” He coughed. “Do you know, your mother almost fell over when she heard you were taking time off to go on this trip?”
“Mom has a habit of over-reacting.”
“Honey, I’d like us to be realistic. We can’t afford the treatments. We can’t even afford this hospital stay.”
“We’re making it work. And even if we don’t, aren’t you the one who’s always saying that God will provide?”
“Of course He does. I also believe we should be humble when the answer is ‘no’.”
“How do you know that? Huh? Are you God? How do you know it’s time to give up?”
“I’ve already spoken to your mother but she’s not budging. When you come back, I need your help to convince her.” He added in a tortured voice, “Let me come home, Angel. Let me die in my own bed.”
“Stop it.”
“I don’t want to leave the most precious people in my life with so much debt and so much pain.”
The snot plugging my nose and running down to my lip made it hard to breathe. “Dad…”
“Do it for me, Angel, okay?”
“This isn’t something we can discuss over the phone.” I wiped the tears with the back of my hand. “I’m catching the first boat back to Belize City. We’ll talk when I get there.”
His voice was resigned. “Okay, honey. I’ll see you then.”
I dashed around the room and threw my belongings into my bag. After making the bed, I checked the water taxi schedules to find the earliest opening.
After I’d selected a seat, I opened the door and stepped into the hallway.
