Sick

- this cancer seems to be spread all over his body. The life time that still remains seems to be short. 

- How short is it , doctor?

- Well, madam, is a question of days, not more than a week.

And the widow burst into non- stop convulsing tears, that covered all over her face, hiding her greenish eyes fading in sadness.

- My advice is that you have to get things ready, before he leaves – said the assistant to the daughter of the sick man connected to intravenous fluids and heart monitorized.

- Yes. We are waiting for the lawyer – sobbing while looking for her handkerchief in her shabby purse pocket.

- Fine. I will come back tomorrow.

- Thanks doctor.

In that exactly moment , the doorbell rings. 

- Is the lawyer. Come in, please, we are waiting for you – invited the daughter, hiding her crying face, ashamed of itself for being weak .

The lawyer sat down on a chair, just in front of the bed of the sick man.

- We have to do some little things – he said – for the well- being of your family. 

- Yes, sir – he whispered .

- You know you have to leave your belongs. You cannot take it with you.

Your journey is long, and endless one. And where you are going you need no house, nor money.

You have to travel free of all these things, that disturb the peace you will enjoy during this trip.

The sick man was listening with his face immersed in pain that opioids were masking under repetitive movements of his head, back and front back and front, back and front…

His lost brown eyes were not blinking anymore, as it used to be.

The bald head showed the anatomy if all failures in his life between fading memories that were not important anymore, or why should anyone care about things that were not going to happen? 

Why was the past so vital for the ones that were staying ? 

Staying wax the only proof of our attachment and self- centered life style.

The only one we learned to live.

- Well – the attorney took some papers and a pen from his briefcase. 

I will take some notes about it.

And I will also record it so I will not miss a single thing.

- But, sir - spoke the sick man - I am not going to die. I do not need a will.

The wills are for the ones who have things to be left behind. And I do not have anything to leave behind. I am a poor man, and this house is not mine. This house belongs to my whole family. They belong to this house, the place where I got married. The place where my kids were born The place where I learned to be happy, embraced by the gentle warmth of them.

I cannot see a different way of traveling - wiping his face on the pillow where his head was standing .

At the same time, his wife and his old son and his two daughters, could not stop crying.

All the time. All the time. All the time.

- Fine, replied the lawyer. But I have to follow the law, the ordinary statutes of this country, otherwise your family will suffer the hard consequences of this misfortune and lack of attention to the tiles that protect your beloved ones.

- Yes, I know sir – breathless, ceasing his voice from time to time.

But I do not know why you have to bring these papers . We all know each others duties 

Take a look at my youngest: she knows she has to walk the dog, everyday.

And the second one knows she has to wash the dishes and do the beds, everyday.

And the oldest one, pays the bills and cooks..

I do not cook, nor wash the dishes.

Nor the youngest pays the bills.

We know how to respect every task of every person. 

A d this, sir, is something that no law nor rule from any country or go government in the world will tell how or what to do, because thud is our home. This is a family. And it is going to be kept like that, no matter what.

This, sir, is something that your books and your laws are not going to learn : this is something that has a name , and the name of it is love. 

The lawyer pit attention to his voice, so firm and defiant to the purpose of his visit.

Was it right to be there, bothering a person that did not want him to be there, insisting on formalities ?

No.

It was not fine.

But he, the lawyer, had to do it.

So in order to have it done, he looked at the wife who was just startled about the situation.

- Lady, I will send you a model of will, today so you can sign it for me.

- What ? – asked the sick man – are you saying you are going to solve this problem with some models ? Wasn’t I clear enough about it? Do you want nd to repeat it ? 

So here I go again : I do not want any legal papers about wills.

I deeply trust my family. 

And I know that they are civilized enough for not having to root about a house that naturally belongs to them.

- Sir, this paper is important for legal purposes ,payments, and the security they it offers to your beloved ones…

- Yes, I know. But my love for them, and their love for me is my only anx single security that I have  because I cannot even trust in myself right now.

- Do you mind signing this paper, please ?

- Are you asking a dying man to sign a blank paper ? 

- No. I am asking a dying man to be righteous. The model of the bill is written on the other side of the paper, and you like it or not, sir, this is the law ‘ the sick man, astonished, turned the paper to the other side : and he saw the model of the will.

- Fine. I will sign it. But, remember, I am going to do it just because I love my family so much, and specially because I am not going to see you anymore.

And the sick man, signed the model if the will.

Do did his wife.

And the kids.

One by one.

And after exactly three days from that day the sick man stopped to breath.

Forever.