Sour and Sweet

I feel helpless and depress when in hospital.

I spend 4 hours watching two extended relatives of mine in hospital admitted due to cancer. My wife's' biological mother and her biological brother lying there in the hospital bed and for once, I was lost for words. The brother (according to the doctor) is terminal due to the spread of cancer from the face to the brain, while the mother just had her colons removed also due to cancer. I can see that this event had visibly shaken my wife.

I owe this family quite a lot as they took pains to track down their lost sister 10 years ago and took her in without questions. The brother has been a pillar of strength in supporting all the brother and sisters through colleague and life and it is such a shame to watch him there helpless.

The ironic part of it is that, what do you say to people who is there on their back suffering the ordeal. Looking at them straight in the eye also bothered me, as I stood there feeling helpless and not knowing how to help.

On a happier note, my brother had just got married to a Kuantan girl. Its a simple ceremony and watching him prepare, makes me thing of my own challenges 22 years ago. He was pale with nervousness the day before in anticipating the "juru nikah's" questions. It went through with quite a breeze and we are all happy for him.