S31 22. Heart to Heart
Philip followed Diana. The old woman was walking towards the front porch. When she arrived near the pole, she gripped her chest and staggered. Philip quickly grabbed her elbow.
“Grandma, are you okay?”
Diana gasped. As she turned around, tears welled up in her eyes. Her hands waved, asking Philip to step back.
“Please… leave me alone. I don’t want to see anyone.” Her breath was ragged.
‘But you don’t look well. Are you sick?”
Philip brought his head forward, examining Diana more closely. He was now sure that her face was redder than usual.
“Do you still take medicine regularly
Diana’s lips trembled even more intensely. In the past, she felt warm every time she received attention from the children he cared for. Bu now, her chest was burning. She became increasingly irritated.
“Don’t pretend to care about me. I don’t need your fake attention.”
With unsteady steps, Diana approached a chair. She sat there with her head in her hands. Philip could only watch her in silence for a
while.
“Grandma,” he called as the rise and fall of Diana’s shoulders
subsided.
Not getting an answer, he approached. He lowered his knees in front of Diana. His hand reached for her wrinkled fingers.
“Grandma,” he called softly. When he caught the eyes full of hurt, he
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smiled as best he could.
“Do you remember the first day you picked me up?”
The glint in Diana’s eyes gave off another impression. However, the old woman seemed reluctant to reveal it. She looked down, staring
away.
Meanwhile, Philip took a deep breath. His mind was now dominated by memories. “At that time, I was very confused. How could everyone I loved leave me at the same time? Grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, and brother.” Philip mentioned his family one by one. Longing
vibrated his vocal cords.
“I was still so young, but I remember how I felt at that time. Sad, angry, confused. I kept wondering. What would happen to me? How should I continue living? How could keep going?”
After a few blinks, Philip was drawn back to reality. Diana apparently no longer avoided his eyes.
“Then you came. You offered me a place to stay, helped me pack, and then introduced me to lots of friends.”
The curve of Philip’s lips was suddenly broken by laughter. Not a happy laugh, but one that was full of pain and sorrow.
“Slowly, I learned to walk again. I started to know which one was the right direction. You’re the light that guided me out of the darkness, Grandma.”
Philip fell silent for a moment, sorting out which other memories to discuss. When he found one, the corners of his lips twitched faintly.
“Do you remember? In the past, I always called you Mrs. Johnson.”
Diana didn’t answer. She took a deep breath, denying the emotion that was bubbling in her lungs.
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“That moment is still vivid in my mind. You’re holding my hand like this.” Philip cupped Diana’s hands tightly.
“Then you gave me such a warm smile. In that instant, all the longing in me was erased. I seemed to see my mother’s smile on your face. Also the smile of my father, my brother … everyone.”
Philip’s
‘s voice began to fade. His eyes were misty, but he controlled his feelings as best he could..
“And you asked me to call you Grandma. I really wanted to cry and hug you. But I was embarrassed. My father said that boys shouldn’t be spoiled or whiny. Because of that, I held it in. I pretended to be strong and still thought of you as a stranger.”
A small laugh escaped Philip’s lips, mixed with a gasp that caught in
his throat.
“Then you bribed me with a candy. You easily overcame my shyness. I couldn’t possibly refuse. That’s my favorite candy.”
Philip shrugged his shoulders, trying hard to hold back tears.
“From then on, I started calling you Grandma. And from then on, I no longer consider you a stranger. You’re my new parent. You are the one I always look up to.”
With his head bowed, Philip pulled on his necklace until he could reach an oval pendant. “And you are my family.”
Diana’s eyebrows suddenly rose. She knew the pendant. She was the one who hung it around Philip’s neck. She was also the one put a
picture of Philip’s family in it.
However, when the pendant opened, her breath hitched. It wasn’t a family photo that she saw, but a candy wrapper that was neatly folded and faded in color.
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“I don’t have a picture of you. So, this is all I can add to my pendant.” Philip picked up the plastic wrap with his fingertips. Realizing how ridiculous he was, he chuckled.
“Actually, I planned not to eat it. I wanted to keep the candy forever. But one day, ants ate it. So, I had to clean it and eat it. The candy has become a part of my body now. It’s in my blood.”
Philip smiled and nodded. Then, carefully, he put the small package inside the pendant.
“Therefore, please don’t assume my concern for you is fake. It hurts. my feelings.” Philip clutched his chest, wincing to express his agony.
However, Diana did not make a sound. Her mouth was pressed tightly, just as her hands were gripped with determination.
“You still consider me as your grandson, right?”
Diana looked away. Philip’s expression turned stiff at that kind of reaction. His blinking implied confusion.
“Not anymore? Is it because I never came home to see you?”
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