Page 17 of Shielding Maya

The steaming teacups sitting on the table. There were two of them. Both of them freshly topped off.

And, his father was sitting up in bed, and had a fresh shirt on. His father's eyes stared into his, and while he stared at his father, his image wavered as Jasiah's eyes filled with tears.

He sniffed lightly and swiped at his eyes, and he closed the distance between his parents and himself.

"Dad. You're sitting up!"

His father nodded.

"Are you feeling better?"

His father took a labored breath. The boney chest beneath the clean t-shirt lifted and fell with it. When he spoke, his voice was softer than usual, and a tad shaky. "You made me realize I've been feeling sorry for myself."

He swallowed a lump that formed in his throat. Not sure what to say, he sat at the edge of the bed before his knees gave out.

"I'm sorry if I made you feel bad. But, you were feeling sorry for yourself. You taught me to handle things head-on, but you weren't doing that."

"No." He moved his head slightly, side to side, his voice slightly stronger.

"Are you willing to let the doctors from Glen Hollow help you?"

His father's faded eyes glanced at his mother before speaking, then to him. "I don't have the money."

"I'll get you the money. We'll make it work. They've offered assistance free. And, now that you're showing improvement, you can take back the president's position and the money that goes with it."

"No."

"Dad..."

"No." His father reached out a shaky, frail hand and laid it on top of Jasiah's hand. "I won't ever be strong enough again to be president. The doctors told me weeks ago that my condition could only be helped enough to give me more time."

Jasiah's brows furrowed. His heartbeat sped up so much it made him dizzy. "I have pancreatic cancer, Jasiah. That's why I refused treatment. I want your mother to have some means with which to live after I've gone."

"Why didn't you tell me this when you found out? You let me think it was you feeling sorry for yourself. You let me..."

His father's frail hand lifted as if it would stave off more argument. It did.

"Jasiah. Your mother and I spoke about it. There were things you needed to do on your own. One of them was coming to the realization that it was time for you to become president. And, the realization that my killing Craig was the only solution to what was happening up here. You confirmed that today. Both things."

His father's head swiveled to his mother, standing alongside the bed. "Lili, help me up."

Jasiah stood quickly, eager to help, but his father shook his head. "No. We've got this."

Liliana pulled the covers back to expose Gerard's skeleton-thin legs. He wore under shorts, but nothing else. His skin was the same as parchment paper. See-through and pale. She reached over and pulled his legs to hang over the side of the bed. His father's hand held his mother's shoulder for support the entire time. Jasiah sucked in a breath as he realized they'd been doing this for some time.

His mom, bent down, using her knees, her back was ramrod straight. She reached her arms around his father's body, clasping her fingers tightly together behind his father's back. His father's arms lifted and draped over his mother's shoulders and she softly counted. "One. Two. Three."

She straightened her knees as his father used all his strength to stand up.

His mom reached for a robe laying across a chair near the bed and quickly assisted his father in donning the robe. Once she'd tied the tie, she stood next to him, side by side, and wrapped her arm around his back as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

Step by achingly slow step, she helped his father to the table, nearest the fire. That's when Jasiah realized he'd seldom come here during the day. Always doing something outside. Hunting. Working on someone's cabin. Seeing to issues between the residents. Meetings in Glen Hollow for the peace agreement. This was his parents’ routine and he didn't know about it.

His father sat with a groan. His mother moved one of the teacups to him and he wrapped his tired old hands around the cup as if to warm them. His mother moved her cup to the place next to his father then her eyes landed on his.

"Would you like a cup of tea Jasiah?"

His response was barely audible. "No." Clearing his throat, he tried again. "No. Thank you."

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