Short story "The Dream"

The dream

Josh was a young boy, responsible and kind. He had more dreams in his life. One of those was that he could heal his mother who’s suffering from cancer. He grew up with only his mother by his side. So he tried to work hard to sustain life with his mother Ana.

One morning while he was busy preparing their morning meal, he heard moaning sounds that came from his mother’s room. He immediately ran into the room of his mother to check on her.

“Mom! Mom! Are you okay?” he asked.

“I’m just okay son…I was just dreaming that I was falling from a cliff… no need to worry son. I will be okay,” she said in a whispering voice as she was recovering from unconsciousness.

His mother’s sickness became shoddier. He never discerned about it because his mother hid it when the sickness attacks her. She needed to do it because they didn’t have a sufficient amount of money for medication.

 “But mom you fell from your bed, are you in pain? Which part?” he meticulously asked as he checked her back.

“No son, it was just light. I’ll be okay in a minute,” she answered.

“Sure?” he asked suspiciously.

“Yes believe me,” she responded promptly.

“Okay, ahm I’d prepared already our breakfast. Let’s eat mom,” he said.

“You go first I will come after,” she responded in recuperating mood.

Josh came out the room and started preparing the food. They usually ate together. He always prepared the food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. He went home ahead of time to do the work for his mother since she was sick so he could take care of her. Josh loved her very much. He had a lot of dream for both of them.

“Mom, let’s eat. I prepared your favorite dish,’’ he said with elation to his mother coming out of the room.

“Wow! You’re the best son ever,” she said gladly.

They started eating together at their small bamboo table. They lived a simple life eating three meals a day. Even if they lacked money sometimes they believed that God was always there for them.

 After they had finished eating, Josh prepared himself to go to work. He worked in the company of Mr. Lim. He was a janitor there. It was a cool job for him since everyone in the company loved him.

“How are you Josh?” a man greeted him while he was sweeping the floor. As he turned back, he saw Mr. Lim, his boss.

“Ah I’m fine boss,” responded Josh.

“I heard that you are so hard working. It is good to hear that. Continue to do it boy,’’ Mr. Lim said in a high gratitude.

“Thank you sir,” he responded as he bowed down in respect.

Because he had an excellent record, Mr. Lim decided to give him a scholarship in St. Luke University which was a very prestigious school in the city. Josh was so glad when he heard it. He could reach his dream and could heal his mother’s illness if he graduated in the course that he wanted. He wanted to be a doctor. That was his ultimate dream in his life.

…

Mr. Lim owned many businesses and he was a doctor by profession as well. He had a son named Andrew, a young boy one year older than Josh. Mr. Lim Villafuentes’ family was a very prominent and well-known family in their village sincethey owned a lot of businesses and helped a lot of people. His wife died when the ship where they were on sank in the middle of the ocean. His younger son named Alex was with his wife. But then, he was still hoping that he would find them soon. That was the beating of his heart. He strongly believed that they were still alive.

But now, he concentrated on his son Andrew who was involved in illegal drugs. He was always called by the school management because of his behavior. That was how undisciplined he was. He became spoiled of their wealth and spent all of it for nothing. Mr. Lim didn’t know what to do to his son but still hoped that he would soon changed his destitute character.

Andrew left home in a couple of months and came back home to stay for an hour and leave again. So Mr. Lim had difficulty talking to him and also he was busy so he could not know where he was.

…

Josh went to school to enroll. He was very happy that he could pursue college. He was studying and working as well in his free time. That was his contract to his boss. So he asked his mother’s permission that because of his hectic schedule, he could not go home early and that he would be late. He could not prepare their food.

“Son it s not a problem, even if I am sick I can still manage the housework, so you just give attention to your studies. I know that this is your dream,” his mother said.

“Thank you mom,” he responded.

“I’ sorry that you need to suffer like this,” she said.

“Mom, don’t say anything like that. I like what I did,’’ he explained.

“I love you son,” she sweetly said.

“I love you too mom,” responded Josh.

 So Josh enjoyed his studies and worked very hard. He put into his mind that what he was doing was for the well-being of his mom.

…

One day, in school he met the spoiled brat in the school. He was called the master of the hard headed youngsters in school. He was cornered by him on his way to his room.

“Hey! Are you new here? It seems that you’re lost. You do not belong here. Look at yourself. You dress like a poor kid. This school is for the rich like us,” he boasted.

Josh tried to escape from them but he was cornered by his companion. He didn’t have any choice but to fight them. It happened many times; it seemed that the master was very mad at him.

That was a problem and challenged for Josh. It made things complicated since it ruined his record to his boss and it could lead to losing his scholarship. But then, despite all this he still worked hard to make those things be fine and tried to escape again from what happened before.

He probed who he really was, the master as they called him. He found out that his name was Andrew; that his father was one of the partners in the business of the school.

…

In the laboratory of the school, Josh concentrated on working with his group mates. They were making an experiment when suddenly he was punched at the side of his face. He felt hurt. He quickly faced to his left to the person who punched him. He realized that it was Andrew. The beating of his heart became faster. He tried to escape but was held in his arm and hit at his side by a sharp knife. He lost his consciousness. He dropped down to the ground as he saw the blood flooding his feet. All of the students were shocked with what happened. Someone reported it to the staff of the school and someone carried him, while Andrew and his company absconded.

In the hospital, Josh’ mother Ana hastily ran despite her sickness. She was so nervous and cried with what happened to his beloved son. He was in the ICU already when his mom came. It was a very critical situation. His mom was just waiting outside praying for her son.

Suddenly someone came over to her asking, “Are you the mother of Josh?”

She quickly looked up to the person dressed in a formal tuxedo, “Ah, yes sir I am. Why?’’ she responded to the man who looked wealthy.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“Don’t be shocked to what I am going to say it’s the fault of my son,” he confessed.

It seemed that someone hit her eardrum. She desperately shouted standing on her feet.

What? How dare you?” she wanted him to feel her pain to realize how important Josh was to her life. “You know that he is the only son I have, I don’t want to lose him too,” she said weeping.

“I’m sorry ma’am, but don’t worry you will not lose him. I will do my best, I will be the one to pay the bill,” he promised.

 Mr. Lim felt sorry for her, suddenly while he look at her from head to foot, he found a big mole on her feet. He remembered his wife had a big mole like that on her feet.

Suddenly someone came out from the ICU.

“The doctor,” she said

“How was Josh Doc?’’ he asked.

“I’m sorry his situation was so critical. The sharp metal went through his kidney. It was infected. We had difficulty preventing swelling. He needed a kidney transplant. Otherwise we had to cut his left side kidney,’’ the doctor explained.

“What? Oh God, my son,” she sobbed.

Since Mr. Lim was also a doctor, he worked together with the doctor for the medication and the operation of Josh. Josh was in comatose. Mr. Lim realized that Josh’s mother also needed medication. He discovered that she had amnesia.

While Mr. Lim looked firmly on the mole on her feet, he realized she was exactly his wife.

A month later, Josh’s mother was healed from amnesia and from his sickness while Josh was still recovering from the operation. In Josh’s room, his mother and father was there waiting until he woke up.

“Where am I,” he asked as he looked around, until he saw his mom and Mr. Lim.

“Mom-boss, where am I? And why are you here sir? Aah… ouch!” he asked in pain.

“Son, don’t move. You are not yet healed from your operation,” he suggested.

“What? You call me son?” he asked nomadically.

Josh’s mother explained all of it. That he was their son Alex and his brother was Andrew. She then told him that Andrew was the one who donated kidney for him as a payment of his wrong deed to his younger brother.

Andrew asked forgiveness from himand then Josh forgave him.

Three years later Josh graduated as a doctor.

The end