The Struggle
by Margaret Sagri
"John, please, for our sake, don't give up"
John looked up, his heart heavy. Blank eyes stared into Peggy's pleading eyes. All life gone out of him, he felt drained, washed out. How on earth could he go on.
Was it really only two days since his world had been taken from under his feet? Until then he'd been a normal guy, husband and father, living a normal life, then...
He felt Peggy's hands on his shoulders, gently but firmly shaking him, her face close to his. He couldn't look at her. Gentle hands cupped his face. His eye's filled with tears, blurring his vision. He let the tears flow.
"John, look at me. It's going to be alright. We'll fight it together. We've been down before and we've always managed to rise up again. You, me and Sammy. We'll challenge it with every fibre in our bodies, with all our strength. We'll win John, believe me".
John slowly lifted his head, starred at this incredible woman. The love he felt for her at that moment caused his heart to overflow with affection and admiration. This strong being, who had been told that she's dying of incurable cancer.
John's glance fell on his beloved son, playing at his feet. Lifting Sammy he put his arm around his wife. This was his life and he wasn't going to lose it without a fight. He realized it was going to be a long, hard struggle, but they would get to the top.
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27 comments:
That was so touching.A beautiful piece :)
May they reach the top!
Sad predicament, actually. There are many families just like John's, struggling to survive, struggling to keep it together.
struggle indeed, margaret....
Such strength in her, so much love. But months of strugglefor all of them ahead. Very touching.
Thanks Sameera, JR, laughingwolf & Lena for your comments.
My special thanks to Lena, it was through ur blog that I came across this contest.
Good luck to you all....
margaret.. i am lousy reader. but seeing your comment in every post really impressed me a lot.
Your post speaks volumes about your own don't give up attitude.
and the people who have commented above are all genuinely patient readers.. they have something good to comment about every post.
I am really touched by you people.
Margaret, your insightful writing-with-a-twist reminds us when tragedy strikes, it has a ripple effect--It's not just YOU have cancer, it's WE have cancer. Sweet story that's well-written.
A truly sad story , but there's a ray of hope too. Nice Ascension there.
Very well written Margaret, good luck.
Brendan
If it's her disease and they have a small child, I can't bring myself to have much sympathy for him by the end.
Thank you all very much for your comments.
@ Kunal
I'm sure you're not a lousy reader, sometimes its just a matter of not having the time.
@ Terry
Sadly, it affects the whole family.
@ Prashant
Thank God there is always a ray of hope.
@ Brendan
Glad you got round to reading it, thanks for the good wishes
@ Pjd
I think it's alway harder for the spouse as they feel so helpless
Margaret, having just lost a close friend to cancer, and knowing several others who are fighting it, this story touches a huge chord for me. Probably for almost everyone who has known someone who has battled this heinous disease. I really felt compassion and empathy for your characters. Very touching and well written. I'm rooting for her.
Margaret, I love how you made her the strong one. It feels true to me that she should have to buck him up. The instinctive fighting response would be hers, while he is in shock, and adrift.
Beautiful portrait of a loving family. Their strength is so touching, and their struggle universal, yet unique. Well done.
A very touching story Margret! It's in times like these that death seams so much simpler than life!
This is such a beautiful story! I luvd it to the core!! m sure John, Peggy and Sammy are gona make it. They sure deserve it :)
This one knocked the wind out of me for sure! It's a powerful tribute to what families do when faced with tragedy. Beautifully written; so glad that your heroine - as she really is the heroine of this story - is a tough girl. :)
jana
@ Catvibe Thank you, yeah I think there's lots of us who have been down that path.
@ Sarah Thanks for taking the time to read & comment. Yes, she has to be the strong one, he's suffering more than she is.
@ Aniket You're right death can seem so much simpler than life, but we should never give up. Thanks.
@ Sawan Thanks a million..I liked yours too.
@ Jana Thanks a lot. Yes, she'd need to be tough, wouldn't she?
Gosh,... Whats happening to me... I am commiting horrific gramatical or spelling mistakes, each time I am posting a commtnt!
Yup... we will never give up... this is our way of the Ninja! :-D
By bro. always says to me: "Fight in such a way that the victory forever remains memorable, so that if you lose...then the the fight itself whould be memorable"!
See I misspelled "comment" again! Now I am not editing it no more! :-D :-D I guess no writing assignments for me today! :-D I have been cursed! :)
Hi Aniket
Thanks for posting another comment even though your mind's tired. No wonder!!!
Don't worry abt the spelling mistakes, we're all been doing nothing but reading & commeting these past few days. I'm only just finished, just posted my fav 5.
BTW, I guess you mean "My bro." not "By bro." And "would" rather than "whould" LOL.....
Well... am glad my suspension of writing license for the day and incapacity to read or write properly is making you laugh! :-D Even I posted my fav. 5 a while back... I just hope i wrote their names correcty! :) :) It was a very tough job indeed to pic 5 among sooooo many great ones out here! Its like picking up a date between Betty Cooper (from Archie Comics.... my first crush :) ) or Catherine Zeta Jones.... Both are awesome and incomparable!
Aniket now you've got me ROFL :D
My advice, pick Betty Cooper then u won't have Michael Douglas after you :)
You're not the only one making mistakes!! Just noticed how I spelt commenting...ooohh, time to shut down this computer and get out into the fresh air!
Oh after a couple of drinks I can take on Douglas any day,.. and yup u go an have fresh air... while I sit here inside my office with no windows.... except for the one created by Microsoft!
its beautiful story margaret! :)
hope they reach the top too! :)
Thanks for being a wonderful part of the contest!
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