A Cancerous Evening

Blake Allen
Dr. Molly McCaffrey
ENG 100-6
5 October 2009

A Cancerous Evening

It was an early summer morning. When my father a thirty-one year old man who looked to be in the best shape of his life, left for the hospital (Sometime during the summer of 2000).I was just nine years old, and had not known the purpose of this visit, maybe a simple check-up I wondered. My siblings and I imagined the things he might be doing whether it was intense surgery, or maybe the doctor is letting him ride around in an ambulance. In the back of my mind I thought perhaps something was wrong. That possibly it wasn’t just a check-up. I didn’t say anything about it. My siblings always thought I worried too much so i kept to myself.

Hours went by, and still no sign of my parents. I suddenly heard the rocks crumbling in the driveway and the doors of the car close softly. We all ran to the door as we used to do, when mom or dad would arrive home. Mom had an upset look on her face but also scared, as for dad he walked in quiet and nervous like he had something to say. Immediately this worried all of us kids because dad was never the one to be quiet. They told us to go into the living room and sit on the couch, and that they would join us in a minute. We had a big couch that took up most of the room, so we all jumped on and took a seat. We would usually go to this couch whenever there was an important announcement for the family. But those minutes I sat there seemed like hours. As I sat on that couch I wondered what was so important to tell us. Finally my dad walked into the room with my mom right behind, and said

“Guys you may or may not know the meaning of what I’m about to tell you, or what it is that is wrong. But I have cancer, non Hodgkin’s lymphoma to be exact. I’m going to be ok” he said in a voice of what seemed like horror.

I looked at everyone after he said those last words and nobody really knew what to do or say.
I thought to myself

“What if he’s not ok?”

So there I sat for a few minutes quite confused with all these thoughts soaring throughout my head. The house had been at a dead silence for while. I sat waiting for mom or dad to do something or maybe one of my brothers to react. But nothing happened. Everyone had been staring at the ground not knowing how to take the news. When dad suddenly started to cry. Almost immediately after, it seemed everyone was crying and I had felt tears running down my face like never before. I could not control it. Never had I experienced something like that moment. I stood up and ran to my father. I wrapped my arms around him and then felt everyone else join in. For that moment in time we all forgot about the cancer, for we were a family, stronger than any other.

As everything started to settle down mom and dad had started a movie for the family to watch together. The movie went on and one by one it seemed everyone was falling asleep. Except me, I could not bring myself to the realization that dad would be ok. I had heard so many things about cancer at my young age, and had never heard a success story. I had been looking over at my father trying to be secretive when he spotted me. He had gotten up and walked towards me, and held me. Rocking me back and forth. I then told him simply that I was scared. He looked down to me then told me repeatedly

“Blake I know this is scary. But I will be ok there is nothing you need to be worried about.”

I didn’t say anything. I sat there thinking of everything he had done for me and all that he meant to me. Again I broke down. He kissed my forehead as I looked up at him and saw a tear rolling down his face. I had started to fall asleep. When he told me,

“Never forget how much all of you mean to me, I love each and every one of you and will die for all of you. I will always be here. ‘This family is stronger than anyone person or thing in this world and no matter what happens we will be there for each other.”

When I heard these words it gave me a certain comfort that I cannot explain. But I felt at that moment everything was going to get better and all would be fine. I then fell calmly asleep in dad’s arms. Not worrying about anything or anyone. Almost as if I had no care in the world.