But Tasha made no attempts to apologize. After all, an apology wouldn't change a thing. It would be pointless.
And now, she sat, not uttering a single word.
The only thing Tasha could do was cry. Tears continued to slide down her chin. All the bottled up emotions she felt began to get expressed in the form of tears.
Jacob held Sara in his arms. Even though she kept saying something hurtful to her mother, Jacob knew that was not what she really wanted to say. Otherwise, she wouldn't have shed tears for her mother.
"Are you hungry? I will take you out for lunch," he whispered in Sara's ear. Jacob knew how to deal with the present situation. He had noticed a shift in the atmosphere.
The resentment Carlos and Sara felt had disappeared.
"Yes. I am not hungry but we should go out for a walk," Sara said, composing herself. Her father and mother had been separated from each other for many years. She knew they needed to talk in private. It wasn't nice to disturb their privacy.
Jacob put his arm around Sara's shoulder and together they headed out of the ward. Once outside, Sara felt calm and stopped crying. The depressing atmosphere of the ward was left behind. Instead of talking, she stared blankly at the long corridor of the hospital. Restlessness clutched her.
Her thoughts were in a tumult. She knew this was just the beginning, not the end. Her father and she had a long way to go. For some reason, this thought brought her discomfort.
As Sara was immersed in these thoughts, Jacob followed her silently. He knew he couldn't do anything to dispel her sadness. But for Sara, his companionship was more than enough.
She walked at a snail's pace as if the mere act of walking required a lot of effort. Jacob didn't complain. Being someone who was used to walking fast, he had a hard time slowing himself down. He hoped she was feeling better.
Not wanting to disturb her thoughts, he didn't speak.
Once they were out of the hospital, Sara heaved a sigh of relief. Even now, she didn't speed up. She continued to take slow steps, like this road would never end.
"When she left, I thought I would never see her again. There was a part that hoped she would return to us, regretting her decision. But as years went by, I realized I was being stupid. And now that she is finally here, I can't help but think I'm dreaming it."
Overwhelmed by strong emotions, she lowered her head. She was talking to herself more than to Jacob.
Knowing she was going through a hard time, Jacob simply listened to her. The more she spoke, the more his heart ached.
"If she hadn't come back, I would have imagined she is leading a good life. But now that she is here with cancer, I feel pathetic."
She indeed felt terrible about the whole thing. However, when she spoke, her face was bereft of expression. There were many passers-by, but Sara took no notice of them.
Everything else held no significance to her. At present, she was drowning in pain. She was thinking about the tragedy her family was facing.
She cursed her destiny for the life she had. Sara had shunned her mother out of her life. The day Tasha left home in the rain, she was gone out of their lives.
"When I was a child, I always dreaded parent-teacher's meeting. Other mothers made it a point to accompany their children. Their fathers seldom came. In my case, it was different. It was my father who always attended these meetings. Sometimes when my father was too busy, I had to go alone. I sat there all alone, watching other children talk and laugh with their mothers. It was one of the most painful moments."
She stopped talking. Like a maniac, she let out a laugh. She was laughing at her tragic life. This world was filled with miserable people. And today it dawned on her she was one of those people.
The worst part was, she couldn't ask her to leave nor could she ask her father to stop caring. Sara had never felt so helpless before. When she was a child, her mother left her. And now, she had returned. 'I have no say in anything, ' she thought.
Her mother had made a choice ten years ago. And now, it was her father's turn to make one. Sara could only wait to hear what he had to say. For some reason, she knew no matter what happened, at the end of the day both the parties would end up hurt.
"Hey, listen to me. I think your mother is regretting her past decisions. Under the circumstance, we should be more tolerant. Her illness is hurting her already, we need to keep our rage in check,"
Jacob said in a gentle voice.
"Well, she better be regretting. I hope she doesn't think we are obliged to take care of her. She is my mother but she hasn't done anything to deserve that title. And don't worry. I am not her. I won't run away from my obligations."
She let out a sigh, tired of everything that was happening in her life. Although she was fulfilling her duties, it was no easy task. It brimmed her heart with sadness.
"Would you like to eat something?" Jacob asked in a low voice. He had taken her out for lunch but Sara seemed to have no appetite.
"I am not hungry. Let's just keep walking. We are always in a hurry and often fail to take out a few minutes to enjoy the beautiful scenery."
All sorts of emotions were welling up inside her. Everything around her seemed normal. Nature wasn't suffering like she was. And for some reason, she found respite in its calmness.
Jacob made no reply. Instead, he followed her silently. Seeing Sara look so miserable, he had no appetite either.
"There is a part of me that believes my mother's condition is hopeless. However, I am overcome by an urge to save her. What can I do about her illness? And my father!" Sara faltered, thinking about her father. "He seems so miserable and there is nothing I can do," she added sadly.
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