The Life Philosopher

There's nothing complicated with kids,
The talks are always honest,
The actions are always sincere.

It wasn't even a burden to take my friend out. She brought along her kids to have lunch at a fast food restaurant before we stopped by at a karaoke place and screamed up to our lungs using some songs as excuses. LOL. It was so easy. When they were happy, I was, too.

Don't know what the kids know about me, but they frequently asked me to stop by whenever I took their mother out for some shopping time. I get to know the kids from their mother. I know that the older brother likes to play in a band, sing and doesn't like to be told what to do. Perhaps it's the age factor (that teenager looking-for-identity thing) or it's the stepfather thing, something that he needs time to adjust with.

The second son who was probably 13 is the calmer type. He would give his mother advice and warnings whenever a high school small reunion date was set up. He'd say,'Mom, now you have Ayah. Don't fool around with your friends from high school, OK?' A little kid with such sophisticated life-philosophy to tell his mom.

One day, I offered my friend to buy an online ticket for a jazz festival in March. She refused because she said that his son was having a tonsil operation. It was scheduled last Tuesday, Dec 21. Last week's schedule was hectic. I thought that I needed a tranquilizer to make my mind stop thinking about what I had to do for the next hours. I was always in someone's room, having unofficial meetings. So when my friend called me 4 times at 14.30, I wasn't even in my room to pick the phone up.

Then, there was that sms from our friend. He said that my friend's second son died after the operation. I stopped thinking, I stopped whatever I was doing. Earlier that day, I was already visiting a relative at a hospital who had problems with her kidney and was in the ICU. The news was shocking but a bidding offer should be finished asap. I tried to concentrate and yet my staff could see a pool of tears ready to drop from my eyes. It was hard to control such strong feelings. When everything was done and I had some time to think, I thought about my friend. TWO DEATHS in TWO YEARS. She is most likely devastated.

That day, my table was clean at 15.30, something that never happens in the history of my table. The clock seemed so slow. When it was finally 16.00, I took off. I went to the hospital and when I arrived there I called. They were already at home and the son's body was ready to be buried soon, before the sunset on that day. The house was full when I arrived. I didn't see any of my friends yet. It was the kissing time, the time before they covered the entire body with the cloths. When I finally met her, she couldn't resist the tears. Hugging her seemed like forever because she didn't seem to want to let go. She cried loudly and I was speechless. I remembered his son, I felt her sadness. I was lost for words.

When she's calmed down, she told me that on that day there were 6 kids who had the same operation. Five woke up from their sleeps but her son didn't. When the doctors tried to wake him up, she was asked to be in the same room. I had my own speculations about the reason of the death and I believe her family was, too. There's always dissatisfaction when losing a loved one. I assume that everyone would demand an answer to that 'why him?' or 'why now?' or many other questions. That never ending question.

For several days, I have these longing of him. I cried a little for him and his mother. I love them both. I hope he is in heaven now and I pray that her older son (the only son she has now) can take care of the Mom.