Feel the Breeze: Chapter Five!

[C-Breeze 108]

 

Chapter One  |  Chapter Two  |  Chapter Three  |  Chapter Four

 

Chapter Five:

One by one they came like tiny little soldiers desperate to fill a widening gap. At first glance the attack appeared completely random, chaotic even with no overriding plan. Yet this was the beauty of their tactical approach. For just as the sum of the whole is greater than its parts, each individual member was rather small and insignificant. But by banding together they forged themselves into an unstoppable team, fully able to impose their will. 

Then came the sudden shock of rubber crossing the smooth surface. With each stroke came great adversity and a dramatic reversal of fortune, yet the little soldiers never wavered remaining steadfast in the face of their ultimate goal. As Dad and I barrelled down the highway to early morning practice, the windshield wipers continued to fight a losing battle with the incessant rain. Classic rock boomed from all four speakers, while Dad remained his usual quiet self.

From all indications, it was a day like most any other day until the moment Dad reached out and shut off the music. What followed was perhaps the longest period of awkward silence in my entire life. In reality, it was probably just a minute or two as he slowly worked up the nerve to speak. "Chase, you remember how I went to the hospital for tests last month..." he began with more than a little trepidation. "Well it turns out, I've been diagnosed with cancer..."

There it was, a tiny six letter word that hits you like a massive blow to the gut. My body began going numb as shakiness reverberated down my limbs and a sense of panic reached up and grabbed me by the throat. Nothing can ever prepare you for a time like this when all you can do is try your best to keep hanging on.

"It's okay. I want you to know I'm going to fight this. I'm not giving up..." Dad's voice was bristling with uncharacteristic emotion as I reached over to gently squeeze his hand. I could see the light gently reflect off his ring but his hand felt cold and clammy, so I knew in an instant just how deeply he was feeling the brunt of this tragic news.

"If you need to stay home and rest I can catch a ride with Trevor in the morning." I replied in a shaky tone. "No, no. I'm not going to let anything stop me from taking every step of this journey with you, all the way to the VHL. It's not just your dream, it's my dream too."

Looking back, I don't think I ever loved my father more than I did in that very moment. Even in the midst of such fear and uncertainty, facing the toughest challenge of his life, he was still there for me. It was like a wondrous gift that I could never repay. All I could do was hope that one day, I too could be half the Dad he was.

[TO BE CONTINUED]

503 Words

Edited Tuesday at 03:27 AM by C-Breeze
Added Chapter Links!

[RJMW 167]

Damn this one hit deep. Speaks close to home, got me tearing up at 3 am .

By the way, on a more positive note, I'm holding my breath to hear more about Breeze and Grace, a love story to rival The Notebook.