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But that was not permitted by Mom, and I would never This time Mom, brother and sister tried really hard to
ever do anything that she did not approve of. She continued convince Dad to move to the hospital for the amputation
her efforts to keep the family together and was the procedure, but he did not heed to them and said he chose
common source between us. to die rather than part with his leg.
Then one afternoon, on a busy workday, I got a call from My Mom turned to me and said, “Baby it is time for you to
Mom asking me to get home as early as possible, she never talk to your Dad and help him stay with us.” Not
gave me a reason. She had asked both my elder siblings understanding her state, I snapped back, “Ma, if he
also to get home. Really worried, all of us rushed home. We chooses to go, we should let him go”. My mother got up
saw my uncle, a practicing surgeon sitting by my father on a and walked away quietly with tears in her eyes.
couch. He sat us all down and said my Dad has been This was a sight I couldn’t stand. Something struck within
diagnosed with Diabetics and his current levels were me that said it was time I stood by my Mom.
shooting beyond the safe zone and we need to get him on It was tea time, so I walked into the kitchen, made a cup a
medication ASAP. tea and handing it to Mom, I said, “I will do whatever it
takes to keep Dad with us”.
It was supposed to be family time to figure out a way out of
this situation, but Dad just shooed us away saying he would Then mustering all the courage, I stepped into Dad’s room.
manage. We had no option but to give him some space to He was groaning in pain. He saw me and chose to ignore
cope with the situation. me. I sat quietly for some time, just recalling the good and
bad times I had with this man lying there in pain today.
Weeks later, things turned bad - a small wound on his leg While I was lost in my thoughts, Dad asked “Why are you
was getting worse. Uncle dropped by again and warned us here?” I just managed to utter “I am your strong little girl
that this could get serious, and that we should move him and I promise to support you”. There was deep silence for a
to a hospital. But Dad never agreed and started resorting to couple of moments and both of us were looking at each
all sorts of weird self-medications which worsened his other with tears filled in our eyes.
wound. Two weeks from then, his shin had turned
completely black and there were severe signs of gangrene. Later that evening , we shifted Dad to the hospital and next
Uncle managed to get some expert doctors home for a morning he was ready for the operation theatre. While we
check and they gave us the final bad news. My Dad had to anxiously waited outside, my uncle came out of the
get a part of this lower leg amputated to save his life. They operation theatre and said, your Dad wants you to be with
said there were only 24 hours to get on with the procedure. him during the procedure. I was flabbergasted and refused
to get in. But then, uncle said “You need to be there with
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