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"For how long do I have to continue like this, Dad" Sophia sniffed hard, she was standing at the window of her hospital room, staring blankly into the world. With tears blinding her vision, her heart was heavy with burden and her body filled with pain.
"Calm down Sophie. You're going to hurt yourself again" I tried consoling her but my emotions got the best of me. My voice was shaky and my eyes threatened to drop down tears. I reached for her hand
She turned and looked me in the eye. Her eyes are full of despair and tiredness. It weakened me the more bit at that moment I knew I needed to be strong, much stronger than her.
"Teach me how to be strong. Teach me Dad because it seems like I've forgotten it all. But how's it my fault when every day is the same? The same doctors, the same pains and endless waiting for a painless tomorrow" she sobbed, placing her head on my body. "Will tomorrow ever come? A painless tomorrow Dad, will it ever come?"
I felt my heartbreak for her, knowing I had no answers to her questions. "I don't know, Sophie. But I believe that every tomorrow holds a chance, no matter how small. You just have to have faith and be hopeful. Sophie, I know it's tough on you but you have to be tougher" I replied. This time my emotions won as my tears came running down my cheek.
I quickly wiped them away and held her close. I was hurting too. Hurting from watching my daughter, the only family I had left after the death of my wife. It hurt me so bad.
"I just wish I could get through tomorrow without pain. just one day without pain" she sobbed in my arms.
I stood there with Sophie in my arms blaming myself for putting my daughter through such pain. If only my late wife and I hadn't been so careless while dating, Sophie wouldn't be in this pain.
I met my wife, Manda while In college, she was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in all my life. I cherished her and everything we had. I knew I loved Manda and was going to marry her but Little did we know that our genotype wasn't compatible. Somehow while still in school, Manda got pregnant for me but she didn't make it after childbirth just a few minutes after our daughter Sophie. I was left to train Sophie alone.
A few years later, after Sophie turned six, Sophie got sick at intervals and after careful examination by different doctors, nobody could tell what was wrong with her. But the doctors kept managing her how they knew best.
Daily, she fought with slight pains and weakness and regular transfusions. Not until a few months ago the pains tripled and this time after a thorough diagnosis, she was diagnosed with sickle cell anaemia.
Now here we were at the hospital for over three months, and Sophie had been in crisis. And every day I blame myself for putting such an innocent child into such life trauma. I had spent a fortune and was willing to spend more if that was all it would take to see my baby happy and free from sickness. Lucky enough I was worth a fortune and more in both assets and inheritance.
"Come on" let's get you to bed. I said and carefully carried Sophie back to bed. And in a few minutes, she was fast asleep.
I was almost dozing off beside her when a voice called from the door.
"Mr Eddy, Sophie, today's a lucky day"
I turned to see the doctor standing at the door with a smile on his face. "What's going on?"
"We found a donor for the stem cell transplant. Would you kindly come with me to my office to sign the papers" the doctor answered, waving a paper in his hands.
I smiled and looked at my daughter who was fast asleep. Tears dropped down my eyes this time I didn't try to hold it back, I let it flow. Finally, my baby was going to be relieved.
I looked up to the doctor who was still standing at the door with a hearty smile and said.
"I'll be there shortly" to Sophie I said. "Maybe there'll be a painless tomorrow after all"
Now I'm standing on the porch years later, watching Sophie as she played in the garden with her peers. It was her fifteenth birthday and she couldn't hold back her joy. That was exactly the kind of life I wished for my daughter.
The stem cell transplant was successful. And a few years later, Sophie had her life back. There were no pains or regular transfusions again. Just what I had wished for my daughter.
Just what she had wished for herself "A painless tomorrow"