front of him was the only thing that he lived for. He couldn’t die now. He wouldn’t let him.
“You still here, boy? You need to go home and get some sleep.” Papa Joseph chided weakly, opening pain-filled eyes to focus on the top of his grandson’s bent head.
When Cairo’s brown eyes blearily focused on his, Joseph patted his hand gently. “Go home, Cairo.” He instructed softly. “There is nothing more you can do here.”
Cairo lifted his head from the bed and stood up. In an effort to make his grandfather comfortable, he started shifting the pillows behind him. “I’m not leaving.” He declared stubbornly before tucking the covers up to the old man’s chin. “So you better get used to seeing me. I’m officially a part of the furniture.”
“Leave that now,” Papa Joseph protested feebly swatting Cairo’s hand. “Sit down; I want to talk to you.”
Cairo sat obediently and ran a tired hand through his dark curls.
“I’m dying Cairo and there is nothing that you or I can do about that.” He said bluntly.
“No! Don’t say that.” Cairo protested jumping to his feet.
Papa Joseph sighed and motioned him back down into his chair. “I’m old, Cairo. It’s my time to go, but I won’t be able to go peacefully until I know that you’ll be okay. You’re the only reason I’ve held on this long. Let me go.” He urged.
“I can’t.” Cairo cried tears forming in his dark eyes. “Don’t leave me Papa Joseph; you’re all that I have left.”
Papa Joseph sighed again and touched Cairo’s hand. “So much pain for one so young. I really didn’t want to add my name to all the things that you’ve had to learn to endure, but it’s my time, Cairo. I need you to understand that.”
Crying in earnest now, tears were falling like rain down Cairo’s cheeks. “I don’t understand anything and if you die and leave me here alone, I will never forgive you. I need you here. I can’t make it on my own.”
“Ah Cairo,” Papa Joseph said weakly. “Who made you believe such a thing? You’re the strongest person I know. You’ll make it through this like you have made it through everything else. I believe in you, Cairo. Now no more tears.” He commanded, sounding for a moment like his former self. “Tell your granddad goodbye and wish him well on his journey.”
Stubbornly, Cairo shook his head, sat back down in his chair and fiercely grasped the old man’s hand. “You’re not dying, I won’t let you. You have to help me finish building my newest hotel and then we will finish construction on that house on the hill that I promised you. Now no more talking, close your eyes and get some sleep.”
Papa Joseph shook his head in exasperation and smiled. “I love you, Cairo. From the moment you came into my life, you’ve brought me so much joy.”
“I feel exactly the same way.” Cairo replied softly, lovingly smoothing down the old man’s hair. “Now get some sleep. Tomorrow you have a big day ahead of you.”
Papa Joseph smiled and patted Cairo’s hand. “I’ll get some sleep if you will.” He negotiated.
Cairo nodded and closed his eyes a minute after his grandfather closed his. Ten minutes later they were both sleeping soundly, but only one of them woke up in the morning.
Cairo woke with a start. His heart was beating wildly and a familiar feeling of despair weighed heavily on him. Looking around the dark room, he was disoriented until he recognized where he was. When he realized he was neither in his old apartment in the projects or in a hospital room, he wearily put his head in his hands and found his face wet with tears. He wiped away the proof of his sorrow, amazed that the mere memory of his grandfather still had the power to reduce him to tears. He was regressing. Suddenly all the things that had caused him pain in his life were resurfacing in his dreams. He had these dreams before, but never with so much frequency. He only had them when he was under stress. He knew
“You still here, boy? You need to go home and get some sleep.” Papa Joseph chided weakly, opening pain-filled eyes to focus on the top of his grandson’s bent head.
When Cairo’s brown eyes blearily focused on his, Joseph patted his hand gently. “Go home, Cairo.” He instructed softly. “There is nothing more you can do here.”
Cairo lifted his head from the bed and stood up. In an effort to make his grandfather comfortable, he started shifting the pillows behind him. “I’m not leaving.” He declared stubbornly before tucking the covers up to the old man’s chin. “So you better get used to seeing me. I’m officially a part of the furniture.”
“Leave that now,” Papa Joseph protested feebly swatting Cairo’s hand. “Sit down; I want to talk to you.”
Cairo sat obediently and ran a tired hand through his dark curls.
“I’m dying Cairo and there is nothing that you or I can do about that.” He said bluntly.
“No! Don’t say that.” Cairo protested jumping to his feet.
Papa Joseph sighed and motioned him back down into his chair. “I’m old, Cairo. It’s my time to go, but I won’t be able to go peacefully until I know that you’ll be okay. You’re the only reason I’ve held on this long. Let me go.” He urged.
“I can’t.” Cairo cried tears forming in his dark eyes. “Don’t leave me Papa Joseph; you’re all that I have left.”
Papa Joseph sighed again and touched Cairo’s hand. “So much pain for one so young. I really didn’t want to add my name to all the things that you’ve had to learn to endure, but it’s my time, Cairo. I need you to understand that.”
Crying in earnest now, tears were falling like rain down Cairo’s cheeks. “I don’t understand anything and if you die and leave me here alone, I will never forgive you. I need you here. I can’t make it on my own.”
“Ah Cairo,” Papa Joseph said weakly. “Who made you believe such a thing? You’re the strongest person I know. You’ll make it through this like you have made it through everything else. I believe in you, Cairo. Now no more tears.” He commanded, sounding for a moment like his former self. “Tell your granddad goodbye and wish him well on his journey.”
Stubbornly, Cairo shook his head, sat back down in his chair and fiercely grasped the old man’s hand. “You’re not dying, I won’t let you. You have to help me finish building my newest hotel and then we will finish construction on that house on the hill that I promised you. Now no more talking, close your eyes and get some sleep.”
Papa Joseph shook his head in exasperation and smiled. “I love you, Cairo. From the moment you came into my life, you’ve brought me so much joy.”
“I feel exactly the same way.” Cairo replied softly, lovingly smoothing down the old man’s hair. “Now get some sleep. Tomorrow you have a big day ahead of you.”
Papa Joseph smiled and patted Cairo’s hand. “I’ll get some sleep if you will.” He negotiated.
Cairo nodded and closed his eyes a minute after his grandfather closed his. Ten minutes later they were both sleeping soundly, but only one of them woke up in the morning.
Cairo woke with a start. His heart was beating wildly and a familiar feeling of despair weighed heavily on him. Looking around the dark room, he was disoriented until he recognized where he was. When he realized he was neither in his old apartment in the projects or in a hospital room, he wearily put his head in his hands and found his face wet with tears. He wiped away the proof of his sorrow, amazed that the mere memory of his grandfather still had the power to reduce him to tears. He was regressing. Suddenly all the things that had caused him pain in his life were resurfacing in his dreams. He had these dreams before, but never with so much frequency. He only had them when he was under stress. He knew
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