Memories brought us together-TheInkWell CreativeNonFiction Prompt #5

This is the story of a cousin, who more than a cousin is a sister, her name is Sorange Deyanira Roque Salmerón, we affectionately call her Deyita, when she was 19 years old she worked as a worker in a high school, at that same time she married her boyfriend Reinaldo, who was much older than her; they moved to a rented apartment. After living together for two years they divorced.

From that moment on she came to live with her parents in their house. That year she felt very ill, she could not walk with dexterity, her mother took her to Caracas-Venezuela, to the Pérez Carreño Hospital, where she underwent a series of specialized tests and tomographies. She was told that she could return to her hometown. The doctors would meet in a medical board to discuss her case and give her a diagnosis. As soon as they had it, they would send it to his residence via IPOSTEL.

They returned to her city. After a month she received the letter. She tore open the envelope, opened it, took out the mail and read it. The hospital informed her that her diagnosis was Neurofribomatosis type 2. She was to return to the hospital in fifteen days for surgery. She was surprised, she did not know the meaning of that word; she went to my house because we live nearby. Her face was completely pale, when she saw me she started to cry. She had the letter in her hands, she gave it to me and said, "read it so you can see what they told me" I did what she told me, I immediately looked up in a medical dictionary the meaning of that disease, and I explained it to her, that was when she cried the most, then I hugged her and told her: "Calm down, you are in the hands of the medicine and with God's favor nothing will happen to you", after a while she calmed down and went home.

The following week she went to Caracas with her mother. Upon arrival at the hospital, he underwent a series of specialized medical examinations and several CT scans. He then underwent surgery on his head to explore the medulla oblongata, the site of the syndrome. He came out of the operation, the doctors did not find the disturbing scourge of this disease, two days later they handed his mother an envelope, inside was a sheet of paper informing her that it was a degenerative and hereditary disease. Verbally the doctor informed her: "We can no longer do anything for your daughter, this pathology evolves very fast, she only has 10 years to live, little by little she will acquire disabilities that will prevent her from walking with dexterity; since this syndrome produces some granulations on the skin but inside the organism they take over the muscles. He will patiently inform her when he gets home. His mother suggested to the doctor: "I'm not going to tell him anything, he might make a bad decision". Deyita, who was lying on the hospital bed, pretending to be asleep, listened to the whole conversation, but said nothing to her mother.

When she arrived in her hometown. The young woman said to her mother, "I heard all the conversation the doctor had with you. If I'm going to stay in this state, I'd rather die," they hugged and cried for a long time, her mother comforted her and she calmed down a little.

The next day I went to visit her, as soon as I entered her room she held out her hands and joined them with mine, she told me everything that had been done to her at the Hospital, she showed me the diagnosis she had been given at the Health Center and explained to me all the consequences of having this disease. She told me that she did not want to live like this because she was very flirtatious with her physical appearance. I gave her a strengthening advice among these I told her: "Seek God, take refuge in His faith, and you will see that He will give you strength and resignation to accept this disease". She listened to me with great attention. She immediately burst into tears; after a while she calmed down and said:

"I am not resigned to accept this damned disease," I replied, "the more you deny it, the more pain and suffering will come to you, be patient. God can work a miracle. She opened her big black eyes like two jet blacks, between sobs, she affirmed: "Yes, I will seek God".

Over the years, she retired from her job at the Lyceum due to her illness, receiving her monthly salary for life. She is a fervent believer in God, which helped her to accept and live with her illness. Six years ago her father and mother physically disappeared. She was left alone, her siblings live far away from her but always visit her.

Despite the doctor's prognosis that she would only last 10 years, Deyita is in good health. she is currently 58 years old. She looks younger, always well dressed and made up, with earrings in her ears and necklaces around her neck. She uses her cane to walk. She is a fan of the stories published in Hive. Every afternoon she comes to my house to read them. I have invited her to write, but she says, "My disability won't let me. I'll settle for reading them.

Her ex-husband Reinaldo is 76 years old, he is also alone. Six months ago he came to visit Deyita, despite the time and distance they met again. Their hearts beat fast as the second hand of the clock, joining the alchemy of pleasant memories, love resurfaced between them. Today they are together.