The ultimatum
The Winthrop siblings dragged their feet on the shiny tiles of the hospital waiting room and into the private room where their father is being treated.
Deep down, the siblings know that their father is on the last leg of his illness and has no hope of survival, yet they are trying their best to give him the best care possible.
Dahlia, the only girl among the three siblings, looked close to tears as she stared at the frail figure of their father on the hospital bed.
The old man was a shadow of his old self.It was hard for all of them to imagine that the father who had always looked as big as life, who had single-handedly raised them, and who had been their superman was slowly slipping through their hands.
Lucas, the second son, sat on a chair, his head in his palms, while Damien, the oldest son, just stood, staring at his father. Dahlia was the one who sat beside him on the bed.
“Don't worry your pretty head, Dahlia; in no time this big man will be up and making rounds with you. I plan to steal your patient's affection this time around,” he said, and Dahlia smiled through her tears, nodding her head in acceptance of the challenge.
“Now off with you all, I have something to discuss with Damien,” he said in a surprisingly strong voice, despite how sick he was; the fire in his voice has not dimmed one bit.
Lucas and Dahlia stared at Damien suspiciously, but he gave them an “I also don't know what this is about” look.
Dahlia rolled her eyes, and Lucas narrowed his eyes suspiciously before they both stepped out of the room, leaving Damien with their father.
“What do you want to discuss, Father?” Damien asked as he pulled the chair that Lucas had vacated towards the bed.
Alex turned and smiled at his son, his first child. The young man had turned out alright; he had become a man with a strong sense of responsibility, and Alex couldn't be more proud of him, except for one little hitch, which was why he wanted to talk to him.
“Do you have a woman in your life right now?” Alex asked, and Damien just stared into his father's blue eyes that are so much like his own, like he couldn't understand the question.
“What?” He asked to recover himself, as he was shocked by the turn of the conversation.
“I am sure you heard me the first time, but since you would like to stress your old, ailing father, I will ask again, do you have a woman in your life?” Alex said, his playful nature still present despite his condition.
“Yes…no, I mean no I don't, although I do not know why you would ask such a question,” Damien replied, studying his father's expression.
“Well, I believe it is time you had one; you can't live this way forever, and I don't mean you should get a woman you will only sleep around with. I want you to have a happy marriage,” Alex said in a voice so serious that it put Damien on alert.
The mention of the word marriage sent him into panic and sent alarms blaring in his head.
“Just focus on getting well; I will get married soon enough,” Damien said, trying to brush the conversation off.
“We both know it's most likely that I will not survive this, which is why I would like you to get married soon, preferably before the end of this year, so that I'll still be here to witness it.” Alex said in a playful manner, yet it sounded like he was serious.
“I can't just get married like that; we are talking about a lifetime commitment here, and there are only four months till the end of this year.”
“That is long enough, I assure you, if you want to, but if you don't, you won't make the next president of the board, because even if I stand a chance of surviving this illness, I will have to step down so someone else can take over,”
“That someone should be you, but if you are not ready to settle down and find yourself a good woman, it will have to be someone else from the board,” Alex dropped the bomb-like words, stopping to catch his breath along the way, and Damien just stared, shock apparent on his face, not knowing what to say for a while.
“Dad, you can't do that; you can't give up what you have, what we have all worked hard for, and all for what? To see me shackled to one disloyal chit that will only end up betraying me!” Damien said, almost yelling now, but his father remained unfazed.
“You see, this is your problem; you always think every woman is like your mother, that they will always end up leaving, but that is not only untrue, it is offensive to all the good women out there,” Alex replied.
But Damien remained silent, not saying anything and not ready to acknowledge the truth in his father's words.
“So, you see, you have to give a woman a chance, open your heart for once, Damien, and you will find the one. "I wish you the best of luck,” Alex whispered the last words just before his lids dropped closed, signifying the end of the conversation.
“Why me? "Why couldn't it be Lucas or Dahlia?” Damien asked angrily, feeling helpless.“Because you are my first son,” Alex replied without opening his eyes, and Damien watched his father's serene expression with frustration before stepping out of the room, looking utterly disturbed.
””””””””””””””””””“
You don't look so delighted. What did you discuss with Dad that makes you look like you want to strangle a person?” Dahlia asked, a teasing smile on her lips. Instead of replying to her, Damien glared at her in response.
He knew the little brat was only out to get on his nerves, and he would not give her the satisfaction.
“She is right; the last time you wore this killer look was when Lucy Dulce told you she doesn't want to date an empty, emotionless boy and went for your most hated enemy instead,” Lucas put in, winking at his sister as he brought up Damien's teenage dilemma, which only makes the latter want to strangle both of them.
“But we all know Lucy was only after the red leather seat of Steve's pickup; if she could see you now, she would weep with regret,” Dahlia put in again, and their voices carried into their father's room, and the old man let out a weak smile at their banter.
When Damien did not reply but just sat heavily on the chair beside his two siblings with a heavy sigh, they both realized that the situation was no joke, so the two younger siblings kept quiet, knowing it would do no good if they prodded him.
“Dad wants me to get married,” Damien whispered, as if he was still trying to process the information, and they both looked at him, the look on their faces saying it was old news to them.
“This is the one millionth time I've heard this,” Dahlia said with sarcasm, and Lucas shot her a warning look.
“What's different this time?” This is from Lucas.
“Before the end of this year,” Damien whispered again, and it took a moment for Dahlia and Lucas to comprehend what he meant by that.
“What!”“What the fu…!” Both siblings exclaimed simultaneously as they were surprised by the turn of the conversation.
“And if you don't?” Lucas knew there was a catch somewhere; if not, his brother wouldn't look so angry and concerned.
“If I don't, the hospital is going into the hands of those wolves,” As Damien said this, the two younger siblings kept quiet, both in sympathy for his situation and in thankfulness that the burden of such responsibility had not been placed upon them.
“So what are you going to do?” Dahlia asked in a small voice.
“I do not know, but I am not getting married,” Damien said stubbornly as his pager beeped, signaling an emergency.
