Fredo rested on an old wooden chair waiting to spring upon the slightest sign of life that might manifest itself on the still, tranquil face. Adelfo struggled to breathe
A nurse had been in and out all night long with new bandages and a tub of soapy water to clean the ulcer. Adelfo convulsed in agony each time she spread the thin sheet over his chest. The white woman was fast and rarely smiled. Her voice was painful in Fredo’s ears.
In the morning, Fredo held one corner of Adelfo’s linen blanket and whispered softly, “Adelfo, are you there?”
Adelfo blinked and struggled to turn toward him. His eyes had become clouded with growing cataracts that blotted out all things that once were familiar to him “Freddie? Where are you? Talk to me.”
Fredo grasped his hand and stroked it. “I’m here. Talk about it,” he said.
“,Freddie…,” Adelfo whispered, “I want you to stay.”
Fredo shook his head and smiled. A short, thin woman appeared briefly at the door holding a plastic bag.
“Um, I have his bag bath,” she , “Uh, maybe you want to—“
“Oh, Thanks!” he said as he grabbed the bag and set it on the table. Pulling the striped curtain around the bed, he opened the packet. Using long lateral strokes, he caressed Adelfo’s body with the warm cloth towels. The room was bathed with the smell of lavender and lilac. Adelfo managed to smile but Fredo was dying inside as his friend slipped quietly away.
Adelfo was resting nicely and Fredo’s eyes were like those of a concerned angel as he watched him. He was a hawk at Adelfo’s side and sleep never came between them. The hours of night passed like heavy clouds and the chaos of pain and restlessness made them seem to last forever.
Before the peaceful blackness of 3AM could reach his private room, Adelfo convulsed uncontrollably. Arms and legs thrashed against the metal bedrails. Fredo The nurse was the first to rush to his side.
“Hold him, please mister,” she said while emptying a syringe of tranquilizer into his IV. Within moments, the convulsions quieted and Adelfo shivered against the cold. Fredo helped the nurse pull the linen sheets back over his body. Fredo placed his hand on Adelfo forehead and kissed him. Rising again, he turned away. His eyes filled with large heavy tears and he hid from the nurse.
By morning, he was gone from the room and Fredo looked in vain to find him.
Adelfo lay in a desolate room breathing painfully through a soft plastic mask. He no longer reacted to the world around him and besides the constant wheezing of the pulmonary monitor, he made no sound. Fredo sat in a chair that was close to him.
“It’s Okay, Adelfo,” he said, “It’s me. You know little Freddie…Don’t you see it’s me?” Adelfo’s eyes were glazed and he didn’t blink as Fredo bent over him. “Are you gone already? Already consumed in flames? I’m crying, here. Don’t you see I’m crying?” A solitary tear rolled down his cheek and kissed the top of Adelfo’s right hand.
“Papouli!,” he cried, “Please Don’t die. Don’t leave. Don’t die ‘til later.” His eyes swam with tears and the room grew by degrees darker until he believed he was in the very night of hell. Fredo bent low over Adelfo’s sleeping form and embraced him.
The nurse, doing hourly bed checks, saw them together and set her lips in a disapproving frown.
“Get Outta here,” She said, “You don’t know the harm you are doing. I’m glad you have… feelings— but you must let us do our job!” Fredo’s face darkened and his upper lip trembled. His fingers twitched with rage.
“But you can’t!” he said thickly, “You can’t know. How can you possibly know?”
“Listen, honey,” the woman said, “I know.”
Fredo blushed with anger and his hands tightened into fists. “Look,” he pleaded, “I hate it here. I hate this slow death. You’re killing him. He’s all I have.”
“Mr. Vlachos,” she said matter-of-factly, “Adelfo needs to be here. With a stroke on top of his other stuff, I’m afraid we’re his best chance. You must leave here or I will remove you.”
“Now I understand ,” Fredo mumbled, “I’m really very sorry.”
“That right’,” the white woman said calmly, “Now clear out.”
Fredo looked at the white woman and then at Adelfo, “It’s all right, my love, ” he mumbled. As soon as the white woman was satisfied and continued her deliveries, Fredo crept back into the room. Tracing his fingers over the silent, still face, he searched for the smart funny smile and sagacious eyes that made his heart beat and whose absence made him want to die. Seeing only deathly yellow, he frowned. The lips were cold and the blushing pink that had been so much a part of their love had given way to a grayish pallor.
Fredo reached behind Adelfo’s head and pulled the cord that powered the pulmonary monitor and then drew the soft plastic mask from his face. He gingerly took the breathing tubes from Adelfo’s nose. Adelfo coughed on a bubble of saliva. His once placid eyes grew wide and he whispered, “God of love, why now? Why?” Fredo placed his index finger across Adelfo’s lips to prevent him from talking and whispered, “Good night. I love you more.” Adelfo’s eyes grew still and his body trembled one last time. Freddie bent and kissed the cold pale lips, turned and walked into the hallway. The woman was waiting for him.
“I killed him,” Fredo said quietly, “He loved me and I killed him.”
“I know,” the white woman said, “But you have to let him go.”
“God-bearing mother, it hurts. It hurts me to love him.” Fredo pounded hands bear-like on the edge of the nurse’s station. His heavy frame trembled; the mighty shoulders forgot their strength and hot heavy drops flowed freely from his eyes. The woman held him tightly and they cried for each other.
A nurse had been in and out all night long with new bandages and a tub of soapy water to clean the ulcer. Adelfo convulsed in agony each time she spread the thin sheet over his chest. The white woman was fast and rarely smiled. Her voice was painful in Fredo’s ears.
In the morning, Fredo held one corner of Adelfo’s linen blanket and whispered softly, “Adelfo, are you there?”
Adelfo blinked and struggled to turn toward him. His eyes had become clouded with growing cataracts that blotted out all things that once were familiar to him “Freddie? Where are you? Talk to me.”
Fredo grasped his hand and stroked it. “I’m here. Talk about it,” he said.
“,Freddie…,” Adelfo whispered, “I want you to stay.”
Fredo shook his head and smiled. A short, thin woman appeared briefly at the door holding a plastic bag.
“Um, I have his bag bath,” she , “Uh, maybe you want to—“
“Oh, Thanks!” he said as he grabbed the bag and set it on the table. Pulling the striped curtain around the bed, he opened the packet. Using long lateral strokes, he caressed Adelfo’s body with the warm cloth towels. The room was bathed with the smell of lavender and lilac. Adelfo managed to smile but Fredo was dying inside as his friend slipped quietly away.
Adelfo was resting nicely and Fredo’s eyes were like those of a concerned angel as he watched him. He was a hawk at Adelfo’s side and sleep never came between them. The hours of night passed like heavy clouds and the chaos of pain and restlessness made them seem to last forever.
Before the peaceful blackness of 3AM could reach his private room, Adelfo convulsed uncontrollably. Arms and legs thrashed against the metal bedrails. Fredo The nurse was the first to rush to his side.
“Hold him, please mister,” she said while emptying a syringe of tranquilizer into his IV. Within moments, the convulsions quieted and Adelfo shivered against the cold. Fredo helped the nurse pull the linen sheets back over his body. Fredo placed his hand on Adelfo forehead and kissed him. Rising again, he turned away. His eyes filled with large heavy tears and he hid from the nurse.
By morning, he was gone from the room and Fredo looked in vain to find him.
Adelfo lay in a desolate room breathing painfully through a soft plastic mask. He no longer reacted to the world around him and besides the constant wheezing of the pulmonary monitor, he made no sound. Fredo sat in a chair that was close to him.
“It’s Okay, Adelfo,” he said, “It’s me. You know little Freddie…Don’t you see it’s me?” Adelfo’s eyes were glazed and he didn’t blink as Fredo bent over him. “Are you gone already? Already consumed in flames? I’m crying, here. Don’t you see I’m crying?” A solitary tear rolled down his cheek and kissed the top of Adelfo’s right hand.
“Papouli!,” he cried, “Please Don’t die. Don’t leave. Don’t die ‘til later.” His eyes swam with tears and the room grew by degrees darker until he believed he was in the very night of hell. Fredo bent low over Adelfo’s sleeping form and embraced him.
The nurse, doing hourly bed checks, saw them together and set her lips in a disapproving frown.
“Get Outta here,” She said, “You don’t know the harm you are doing. I’m glad you have… feelings— but you must let us do our job!” Fredo’s face darkened and his upper lip trembled. His fingers twitched with rage.
“But you can’t!” he said thickly, “You can’t know. How can you possibly know?”
“Listen, honey,” the woman said, “I know.”
Fredo blushed with anger and his hands tightened into fists. “Look,” he pleaded, “I hate it here. I hate this slow death. You’re killing him. He’s all I have.”
“Mr. Vlachos,” she said matter-of-factly, “Adelfo needs to be here. With a stroke on top of his other stuff, I’m afraid we’re his best chance. You must leave here or I will remove you.”
“Now I understand ,” Fredo mumbled, “I’m really very sorry.”
“That right’,” the white woman said calmly, “Now clear out.”
Fredo looked at the white woman and then at Adelfo, “It’s all right, my love, ” he mumbled. As soon as the white woman was satisfied and continued her deliveries, Fredo crept back into the room. Tracing his fingers over the silent, still face, he searched for the smart funny smile and sagacious eyes that made his heart beat and whose absence made him want to die. Seeing only deathly yellow, he frowned. The lips were cold and the blushing pink that had been so much a part of their love had given way to a grayish pallor.
Fredo reached behind Adelfo’s head and pulled the cord that powered the pulmonary monitor and then drew the soft plastic mask from his face. He gingerly took the breathing tubes from Adelfo’s nose. Adelfo coughed on a bubble of saliva. His once placid eyes grew wide and he whispered, “God of love, why now? Why?” Fredo placed his index finger across Adelfo’s lips to prevent him from talking and whispered, “Good night. I love you more.” Adelfo’s eyes grew still and his body trembled one last time. Freddie bent and kissed the cold pale lips, turned and walked into the hallway. The woman was waiting for him.
“I killed him,” Fredo said quietly, “He loved me and I killed him.”
“I know,” the white woman said, “But you have to let him go.”
“God-bearing mother, it hurts. It hurts me to love him.” Fredo pounded hands bear-like on the edge of the nurse’s station. His heavy frame trembled; the mighty shoulders forgot their strength and hot heavy drops flowed freely from his eyes. The woman held him tightly and they cried for each other.
