The Colorful World of Love, Life and Living

"You think these will be enough?" Thessa asked her husband as she handed him the two microfiber duffle bags. The dark brown bag was for Mitch and the one in beige was intended for Lei, both bags were accentuated with quilt for beauty and durability.



"Let's see... you got the toiletry in there?" Ricky inquired while he reached out for the two duffle bags from his wife.


"Yes, one set each for Lei and Mitch."


"Comfy clothes?"


"Funny you should call them comfy, but yes, they're all in those bags."


"Of course, sweetheart." Ricky approached his wife, cupped her shoulders and added, "If the kids have those comfy clothes, I'm just hoping that'd at least make them feel a little relieved and warmer, you know. I remember when I got hospitalized years ago because of appendicitis, I was always either too cold or too warm in the hospital. So, with these comfy clothes, I want our kids this time to have options other than a Johnny that ties in the back and tends to expose their backside."


"Awwww....you poor thing. You still remember your hospital-stay for that surgery? Years ago, indeed. But don't you worry. Rosy promised us that the kids are well taken care of at the hospital for the duration of their stay there." Thessa extended her right arm to touch Ricky's chin across her left.


"I know, Thessa, but this is the least we can do for them."


"Mmmm..their slippers are also in there."


"How about the headwear set?"


That was new to her. Not that it was her first time to hear that word. It was just not so her husband.


"You said, headwear set, hon?" Thessa raised her right eye brow while showing Ricky a teasing smile and an intriguing look.


"Why? All these years that we've been together, I've been keen enough watching you prepare those stuff for both of us and for Lei while she was growing up, dear," Ricky defensively answered Thessa.


Thessa was known of her headwear set whenever any of her family members was in a hospital. She always filled her own bag with toiletry, clothes and yes, headwear set whenever she planned on going to the hospital. Her headwear set was always comprised of a couple of hair clips, hair bands, hat/cap, and scarf. She believed that a patient's hair always got especially matted when he/she was having any kind of surgery and that belief was based on one scene she saw from an animated TV series when she was a kid. Not that she was always in the hospital for a surgery but bringing the headwear set had become customary to her, a tradition, a ritual, that without it, her things weren't complete, she herself felt missing something, and she wouldn't feel like staying longer inside the hospital with the knowledge that the headwear set was not with her.


"You're adorable. Thank you, dear." She gave him a smack. "Yes, the headwear set was also in Lei's bag."


"Hmm..if this wasn't the unfortunate time, I wouldn't let you take off with just that smack you gave me. But that can wait I guess. For now, we better get going and hit the road, love, because it'll be dark soon." Ricky with a bag at each hand enfolded his right elbow, Thessa swinged-in her left arm inside his elbow and together they walked out of the house, locked the door and sighed in unison before they went to their car.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Mart walked away from the canteen-crew and walked toward Mitch who was sitting at the left end corner sitting and staring at the floor-tiles blankly. Mart handed the cup of coffee to him and said, "Mitch, here's your coffee. Black. No sugar. No cream. As always."


No response from the other party.


"You want me to take you back to your wife now, Mitch?" he whispered.


"Ha? Oh, sorry, bro. I didn't notice you're here and already." Mitch slowly blinked his eyes, pulled back from the table, stretched his legs under it and extended his arms on the table.


"It's alright. We're not here for me, Mitch. We're here for you. I'm sorry that this ever happened to you, bro." Mart sat on the chair in front of Mitch.


"It sucks, right?" Mitch took one long sip of his black coffee. "We were just starting our own family. Less than a year yet, Mart. You saw us. You, Alex, her parents, my family...everybody was there with us. We were doing ok. We were living blissfully." He paused and then added, "Lei shocked me one early morning with the news that she's pregnant. I was excited to become a father. As early as on that day of having learned of her pregnancy, I have pre-planned at least two years of what we should be doing and thinking just to ensure that the baby will grow up receiving the best care from both of us." He felt his chest tightened. So much hurt was within him. He swallowed hard and went on, "But this? This, Mart? Ectopic Pregnancy...losing the baby?..my wife's life being put to danger?...Lei's surgery?...The emotional disaster it will have as an impact on Lei?...Argh! Bro, I can go on forever! But these are all too much for us to comprehend more so to accept. HOW CAN I?" He clenched both his hands and punched them thrice on the table. Mart stopped him. Mitch was so angry but didn't know where to direct his anger to.


For awhile, nobody spoke. Silence filled the void in communication between them. Mitch stared on the table blankly.


"Yeah...that really sucks!” Mart broke the silence first. "But you're both young, we could all still look forward to a normal pregnancy for Lei in the future. Have you asked Doctor Ramirez about it?"


"Both doctors indicated that they have yet to diligently check on Lei about her getting pregnant again in the future but with this case we are having right now, I don't think I would want to get my wife pregnant again soon, then have her life at stake and let her go through this painful experience all over again, Mart." His sigh was long and hard. "I know we will want kids ...still...should be...many many years from now." He took the last sip of what remains from his cup of coffee and released another sigh.


"Sure, bro."


Silence revisited them.


Mitch made an easy glance at his left wrist and noticed he forgot it at their house. "What time is it, Mart?"


"Five-thirty."


"We better get food for dinner, too. Thessa and Ricky must be here any minute and haven't had dinner yet. Lei needs this drink and she's probably starving, too."


"Right. We better order them now and get there, soon. Our lovely wives may be wondering what took us so long out here."


Both of them pulled away from the table, stood up and went forward to the food-counter. They gave their orders to the attending service crew. In a short while, they got out of the canteen area and went straight to Lei's room.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"Lei?"


"Mom? M..O..M!!! Oh, mom!!"


"Awwww, baby. Mommy's here now, sweetheart."


Lei stretched out her hands. She has never longed for her mom's embrace more than on this day and she wanted her comforting touch as soon as she heard of her voice. Alex first approached Thessa and greeted her with a kiss on her right cheek. Then, Thessa lovingly motioned forward, hugged her daughter so tightly and kissed her on the forehead. Lei cried to her mom almost like a six year old again. She sobbed, sighed, cried, shouted and cried again. She did that for awhile as Thessa held her firmly in the warmth of her embrace. Both Thessa and Alex felt her mourning, the bitterness in her cry, the very pain of her grieving. They too, were in tears. This happened for almost half an hour.


"Where's dad, mom?" Lei suddenly realized she hasn't seen her father yet. She wiped her tears away with her own palms.


"Ricky's with Mitch and Mart outside. All four of us came here together. We both saw them at the elevator entrance on our way up here." She paused for a second to compose herself. "I've asked Mitch about you and him while we were inside the elevator but when the doors opened, I've excused myself because I wished to come see you, soon. They said they'll let us spend some time alone while the three of them also talk outside of this room." Thessa cleared her face out of tear-marks by pulling some tissues from inside her purse. She also gave some to Lei who thanked and hugged her again.


"Sorry to interrupt your conversations honey, but we've got to try to have some dinner now." Mitch together with Ricky and Mart entered the room. He raised his hands to show to Lei the take-out food they bought from the canteen downstairs, set them on the table and drew himself nearer her for a kiss. Mart put down the drinks he was holding on that same table where the food was set and held Alex on both her shoulders. Ricky greeted her daughter with a big hug and said, "We're here, baby. We're all going through this with you. Remember that, please." All of a sudden, Lei burst into tears again. Ricky kept her daughter in his arms. Everybody did not speak while Lei cried. Alex hugged her husband and Mitch comforted her mother-in-law.