The Beginning

by Teigen Harper

  “Anytime. Don’t hesitate to call us if you need anything, okay?”

  I nod my head. No matter how brave I pretend to be, at some stage, I know I won’t cope anymore. “Okay. Thank you.” I kiss her on the cheek and move over to Will. “Thank you for everything, Will.”

  “Not a problem, my love.” He pulls me in for a hug. “If you get worried about anything when it comes to your dad, all you have to do is call, and I’ll be on a plane. I know that you’re a strong girl, but even the strong ones break down from time to time. If you need help, you call me,” he whispers in my ear.

  “I will. I promise. I know it’s going to be hard. Thank you,” I whisper in return.

  He gives me one last pat on the back, I then climb into my car, and I wave goodbye as I take off behind my dad.

  Before we get onto the highway, Dad calls me from his car and asks if we should quickly stop off at the hospital. “Yeah, Dad. I’d like to say goodbye to Annette and Zoe before I leave.”

  “Okay, keep following me.” He then hangs up the phone.

  We walk into the ICU together and see that Annette and Zoe are sitting on either side of Jimmy. “Hey, guys,” Zoe lights up when she sees us. When I called her and told her everything that had happened at the funeral, she knew I'd be leaving. She almost sounded angry, not at me, at Mitch, but she came around when I told her about my father’s diagnosis.

  “Hey, how is everything?” I ask while walking around to hug her.

  “Really good.” She squeezes me so damn tight.

  Thank god, Annette politely interrupts. “They say there’s no brain damage that they can see, so they’re going to try and bring him out of the coma tomorrow.” Her smile is infectious.

  “That's fantastic news.” I let go of Zoe, walk over and take Annette in my arms.

  “I know, but I’m still going to wait a while before telling him about Mark, though. When I think the time is right, I’ll have a sit-down with him. I know he is going to be extremely emotional.” Her smile falters.

  I pull her against me again. “It will be, but I know you are a strong woman. I don’t envy you. The thought of having to tell Jimmy breaks my heart, but I know that you can do it.”

  “Thank you, love.” She then turns to face my dad. “So, I take it you’re off to New South Wales, then?” she asks.

  Dad checks his watch. “Yeah, we’d better get going so we don’t get too tired. I don’t want Cassie driving too long at night since she’s only had her license a couple of days.”

  My gaze meets his. “Don’t worry, Dad. If I get tired, I’ll let you know, straight away.”

  He nods his head, knowing I would never risk an accident. It’s then that I walk back over, hug Zoe, and then Jimmy goodbye. I feel the tears begin to fall and I quickly wipe them away with the backs of my hands. “I’ll miss you so much,” I tell Zoe.

  “I’ll miss you, too. You’d better call me all the time. I want a shitload of photos too.” She holds my face in her hands and kisses my forehead.

  “Of course, I will. Take care of yourself. I love you, Zoe.”

  “I love you, too. Call me as soon as you get to your dad’s house, okay?” She gives me an evil look. The kind of look that would kill if she wished to do so.

  I love how much she loves me. “I will.” I give her one last hug, and then I kiss Jimmy on the forehead. “Get well soon,” I whisper into his ear. I then move on to Annette. “Make sure you get plenty of rest,” I tell her.

  “Be safe, my dear girl, and I hope to hear all about your trip.” She smiles and then pulls me in for a hug. “Call me if things get too overwhelming for you. Never forget that I will always be here for you,” she whispers in my ear.

  After Mark’s wake, Dad had taken Annette out for dinner. Gently, he broke the news about ‘the cancer,’ but he knew he couldn’t leave the country without telling her the actual reason why we’d be gone for so long. That and the fact that he didn’t want to look like an asshole. He couldn’t have Annette here, caring for her son after she had just lost her husband while my father gallivanted around the world, without giving her a reason. It wouldn’t have been fair.

  “I will and thank you.” I squeeze her one last time, and then it is time to go.

  We manage to drive right through to Dad’s home located a couple of hours outside of Sydney. We only stopped when the cars needed fuel, or I needed coffee.

  After pulling into the long driveway, I only take my overnight bag out of the car. Our flight leaves Sydney airport tomorrow night, so I don’t see the point of pulling everything out of the car now. Especially when I feel so exhausted.

  When I walk into the house, I’m surprised to see how much work Dad has done around here since my last visit. “Wow. Dad, the house looks amazing,” I tell him as I drop my bag on the sofa.

  He points towards the spare room he had been building for me. “I was hoping to have it finished by now. I’m sorry it’s not ready, I’ll take the couch tonight, and you can have my bed.”

  I shake my head and give him a look of disdain. “Yeah, I don’t think so. I’ll be fine sleeping on the sofa, Dad. I’m young; you’re old,” I explain smugly.

  He looks at me with mock horror. “Old hey, Smartass," he laughs. “Fine, I’m going to go to bed then. The remotes on top of the TV if you want it.”

  “It’s fine. I’ll just read for a while.” I point to the book that's resting on top of my handbag.

  “Okay, love, goodnight.” He comes over and hugs me.

  “Night, Dad.”

  He disappears off into his room, and as he does, I take my PJs out of my bag and get changed in the bathroom. While there, I check my reflection. My eyes are puffy, and my face looks and feels worn. The past week has been too much to handle, and the part that scares me the most is the fact that I know the worst is yet to come.

  When I leave the bathroom, I unfold the blankets and place the pillow on the sofa. The moment I lie down, all I feel is bliss. It feels so good after sitting in the car for the past nine hours. So, I open my book and try to focus on the lines. I don’t even get a chapter in before my eyes begin to feel heavy, and close.

  Chapter Six

  We arrived in Cairo at dawn. The air is so hot and muggy that I’m finding it a little hard to breathe. When we're through customs, dad hails a cab, and we head over to the hotel. The moment we arrive, I’m in a state of shock. I’ve never seen anything like it in all of my life. The hotel is beautiful, and it looks as if every square inch of it was hand-carved.

  While looking around, I follow my father to the reception desk, and while he waits for a concierge, I stand still and take in my surroundings. The hotel’s like a palace. I’m sure it was built with royalty in mind. “Wow, I can’t believe I’m standing here,” I say to my dad.

  His smile is broad. “That’s why I wanted to make this trip. It’s all about seeing the beauty of the world before I’m forced to leave it.” I swallow back my emotions and nod. There’s nothing more I can say or do without crying.

  After checking in, a bell boy shows us to our room, which is located on the sixth floor. The suite alone is bigger than my father’s house. It has two bedrooms which also have their own bathrooms.

  Separating our rooms is a vast living area, and the lounges were made for comfort. I can’t wait to lounge around in here, but before I do, I take my cases into my room and have a look around. The view from the window is breathtaking. As I stand in place and scan the buildings of the city, I hear my dad call out to me, “So, love. What would you like to do first?”

  “How about we take a walk?” I call back.

  “Sounds great. I’ll just freshen up, and we can go.”

  “Okay.” I lift my cases and place them on the bed. I unzip one and find a light summer dress to wear and a pair of black Billabong thongs.

  Once I’ve changed my clothes, I take a seat in the lounge area and wait for dad. “Okay, love. Stay close to me while we’re out. I don’t know how safe it is here, and
I know I’ll stress about you until we get back home.” When he says ‘home,’ he means Ireland.

  “Don’t stress, Dad. I’ve heard that hot blondes get kidnapped here all the time. And with me being as sexy as I am,” I wave my hand over my body and say with sarcasm, “I know I’m at significant risk.” His response is pure, mocking, laughter.

  As we walk through the streets of Cairo, I’m taken back by the aroma coming from the spice stores that we pass. Stall after stall is filled with spices, textiles, and chandeliers. It’s so different from home. In my wildest dreams, I could never have imagined that this beautiful spot could exist in the world I live in.

  After an hour or so of walking, I suggest we find an eatery to sit down and get a drink since the air is so humid and thick. “That sounds like a good idea. I’m thirsty as hell,” he says.

  Soon enough, I find a food stall that has tables and chairs so we can rest our feet for a little while and order some drinks. As I look over at my dad, I can see he’s tired, so I make him drink his water and have a bite to eat. He protests at first but soon realizes his fight against me is futile, and he eats some food. “I think we should head back to the hotel and relax,” I suggest.

  He slowly nods his head in acceptance. “I believe you're right. I need a nap.”

  Back at the hotel, I follow my father’s lead and rest for a couple of hours. When I wake, I walk through the living room and see that he's still sleeping, peacefully, so I moved back into my room and closed the door behind me.

  I take out my phone and dial Courtney's number. “Hello.”

  “Hey, Court.”

  “Do you have any idea what the time is here?”

  “No, and I don’t care. You told me to call when we arrived.” I laugh.

  “How was the flight? And how did Dad go?” I’m taken by surprise because she doesn’t usually ask about him, at all.

  “The flight was fine. Dad wasn’t looking so great, so I made him eat something, then I sent him off for a nap. He’s still sleeping.”

  “Good, keep on his back. He can be so stubborn some days.”

  “Okay, I’m going to go. Overseas call rates are a disgrace.”

  “Okay, let me know when you arrive in Ireland.”

  “I will. Bye, Court.”

  “See ya, Cass.” And I hang up the phone.

  As I leave my room, I see that Dad’s still sleeping, so I decided to head downstairs and let him continue to nap. When I reach the main level, I walk around and eye the beautiful artwork and sculptures, but soon enough, I find a gift shop in the lobby and go in for a look. I manage to find several adorable little trinkets and purchase them for Courtney. She loves knick knacks almost as much as I do.

  After looking at everything they have, I head back upstairs and check on dad. Very slowly, I push the door open and see him sitting on the sofa. “Hi love, where did you disappear to?” he asks as he shifts in his seat.

  My smile grows wide, and I take the spot beside him. “After my nap, I saw you were still sleeping so I took a stroll down to the lobby. I found a couple of things for Courtney while I was there,” I say as I hold up the bag. “I’m going to go and put this stuff away, and then we should order some dinner.”

  “Whatever you say." He smiles.

  My eyes roll involuntarily. The plan for tomorrow is to go and see the pyramids, so I want dad to stay in and rest tonight, he needs to be refreshed for the morning. Even a healthy person would have trouble with the heat here, so I know dad is at a higher risk of falling ill. Something I don’t want to happen. I need to get something ticked off his bucket list. I don’t want him wearing himself out before we arrive in Ireland, the one place he is dying to see again.

  After our dinner arrives, I manage to talk dad into watching The Kardashians with me. For the first fifteen minutes, all he did was whine, bitch, and moan, but then he manages to form a crush on Khloe, so he stops fighting me on it. Thanks to his newfound love for her, I was able to watch the marathon, but only a couple of hours in, he fell asleep on the sofa. Not wanting to disturb him as he rests, I turn the TV off and continue to watch the show in my room.

  At 10:30 PM, my time, my phone rings. I jump to answer it in a bid not to wake my dad.

  “Hello,” I reply.

  “Hey love, I just wanted to be sure you arrived safely.” It’s Uncle Will.

  “Hi, Will. Yes, we arrived, safe and sound.”

  “Good to hear. How did your dad cope with the flight?”

  “He did well, tired, but well. The only argument we’re having is over his eating habits. He has none.” I deadpan.

  “Have you been making him eat?”

  “Yes. He thinks I’m worse than when Nanny used to be when she was alive. Do you remember how she was forever shoving food in his face? She was worse than an Italian grandmother.” I chuckle.

  “God, dealing with my mother when it came to food was like dealing with Hitler.” He laughs in return.

  “Hitler has nothing on me,” I state.

  “I don’t doubt that. Okay, I’m going to head off now as the overseas calls to mobiles are so expensive. I’m very proud of you, Cassie. It takes a strong person to take on cancer. Anyway, call me if you need anything.”

  “I will, and thank you. I know that’s his health declines, I’ll need more and more emotional support. I love you, and I'll talk to you soon, Uncle.”

  “I love you, too. Bye.”

  Quietly, I walk back into the living area of the suite, and I see that dad isn’t in there. “Dad,” I call out and receive no response, but I notice that his bathroom door is closed, so I press my ear to it and hear him vomiting. “Dad, are you okay?” I ask, but still, he doesn’t respond, and my anxiety heightens.

  When I open the door, I see him lying on the floor next to the toilet and immediately run over to him and cradle his head in my lap. He then looks up at me. “I’m sorry, love. I just missed the toilet.” I look over and see the sick around the base.

  “It’s okay, Dad. I can deal with that. Did you get any on you?” He shakes his head. “Do you still feel sick?” I ask.

  “No, I feel a little better now,” he whispers as he begins to pull himself up. “I have to clean this up.”

  I shake my head and take his hands in mine, in a bid to help him rise to his feet. “No, Dad. You need to get into bed and rest.”

  It’s his turn to argue. “I’m not leaving it for you.”

  “Yes, you are. I’ll call downstairs for a mop and bucket. Don’t worry about it. Come on, I’ll help you to bed.” When I have him upright, I help him until he is in his bed where I pull the covers over him and pat him on the head the same way he did for me when I was a little girl.

  “Thank you, love,” he whispers as he looks up at me.

  “No problem. Now close your eyes and get some rest,” I order.

  “I’m sorry. We’ve only been here a day, and I’m already feeling like shit,” he says with sadness in his gaze.

  “Don’t you dare apologize. You can’t help feeling unwell. Now go to sleep,” I demand.

  “Thanks.” He lets go of a chuckle, but then he does as he’s told and closes his eyes.

  When I leave his room, I call down to the front desk and explain the situation. After cleaning the mess in the bathroom, I make my way over to Dad’s bedroom, and I fall asleep on the sofa that rests in the corner of the room. It was then that I had the feeling that I was going to spend many nights to come, sleeping on a chair in his room, watching over him as cancer takes hold of his body.

  The next morning, I wake when I hear dad stirring in his bed. He looks over at me as I begin to sit up and wipe the sleep away from the corners of my eyes. “Did you sleep there all night?”

  “Yep,” I respond as I stretch my arms up over my head.

  “You didn’t have to do that.” He seems pissed off. God, he is going to fight me on every little thing.

  “Why not? You used to do it for me when I was sick as a kid. I’m just repay
ing the debt.” I shrug.

  “I’m your dad. I’m supposed to watch over you. You’re the daughter; it’s not your job to stress about me.” His smile is genuine.

  “Just shut up.” I grin in return. “It wasn’t uncomfortable, this here, is a very comfortable sofa,” I say as I pat the arms of the couch and make eye contact. “Anyway, how are you feeling this morning?”

  Dad kicks his legs over the side of the bed and places his feet on the floor. “I feel so much better than I did last night. I’m sorry you had to clean up after me.”

  “Do not ever be sorry for being unwell. Please, Dad? That’s one thing you shouldn’t be sorry for, ever. It’s the reason I’m here with you.” I wave him off. “Anyway, I’m going to call downstairs for a pot of coffee. Is there anything you’d like?”

  He shakes his head. “No, love. Coffee sounds perfect.”

  When I stand, I stretch out my whole body. “Okay, after I order I’m going to jump in the shower. In case I’m not out in time, can you keep an ear out for the door?”

  “No worries,” he answers as he begins shuffling through the bedroom, towards the living room.

  As soon as I order the coffee, I hop into the shower to freshen up, but when I walk out of the bathroom, I hear a knock at the door. “I’ve got it, Dad,” I call out and open the door for the room service waiter.

  When he's wheeled the tray in, I hand him a tip and close the door behind him. “I’m pouring coffee, do you want a cup?” I ask.

  “Not yet, I’m going to hop in the shower seeing you're finished. I’ll pour a cup when I get out,” he calls.

  “Okay. Please be careful? If you feel sick or weak at any point, just call out. But before you do, please, please make sure you cover your junk up? I don’t have enough money for a therapist,” I chuckle as I pour myself a coffee and take it out to the balcony.

  “Ha, ha, ha, you’re so funny.” I can hear his sarcasm from here.

  “I must get it from my father,” I call back as I hear him close the door.