Chapter 71：Sickness or accident? (1/2)

I heard him take a deep breath. ”To be honest bro, before today, I knew nothing of it. The closest I have had of a spirit husband and wife was when I visited my late dad in the mortuary”.

”I'm sorry” I consoled him, ”Sickness or accident?”

”Accident” he responded coldly.

”Sorry. I know what it means to lose a father”

”I guess yours is gone too?”

”Yeah, that's why I moved to Lagos”

”Sickness or accident?” he returned my question.

My heart sank, I broke down crying and screaming as uncontrollable tears rolled down my cheeks.

”Alex!” daddy called out almost in a painful whisper and began coughing afterwards.

”Sir!” I responded in tears.

”Come sit beside me and stop crying” He paused trying to catch his breath.

I quickly wiped the dripping tears off my cheeks in anticipation of what he would say. He stretched out his right hand from underneath the bed sheet calling out on me. I went closer and took his hands, it was warm and sweaty. A repelling smell of rotten human flesh filled my nostrils. I could not cover my nose for that will hurt him, so I inhaled the increasing smell, my stomach twisted and my heart bled.

His eyes were cold when he said his last words ”A-l-e-x, care…” Then suddenly his grip tightened and his breathing rate increased. He began fidgeting like someone with epilepsy and turned sideways. White substances began pumping out from his mouth. The fidgeting intensified as the substances turned red. I sat beside him unable to do anything other to call on the name of the Lord and begged him to bring my back. But only moments after his pupil reappeared before it finally shut close and he became motionless.

”A brief one” I murmured shaking off the memory of that day.

”Sorry. Death is just a transition to a better place.”

”You wanted to tell about your visit to a mortuary” I returned us to the main topic, talking about the death of my father only stirs up memories I buried in a really deep place. It is better to hear someone's own story for a change, and see the loss of a father through his eyes.