The Shade On The Streetside

I reached for my walking stick from my bed. My walking stick had fallen. I bent down to slowly take it. It was very hard to adapt to this life But I feel happy about what I had. It was one of those days when I felt really unusual. It’s been three days since I donated my eyes to my daughter Eliza. But she doesn’t know that I and my wife are divorced for 13 years. She had my daughter’s custody. I never saw my daughter since that fateful day. Until three months ago,

It was a normal business day for me. My secretary was asking me to sign some papers. I was in my office trying to just forget what I wanted to have but what I got. My phone rang.

 

“Sir, there is a little girl here to see you”

“What?” I asked astonished

I ran downstairs. A 13-year-old little girl stood there, smiling at me. Then she turned and walked away. The girl walked at the pavement and waved at me. Who was this little girl? Whatever, I don’t have time for this. 

But she looked strangely familiar. Suddenly something flashed in my mind. I took my computer and searched for my wife’s name. I looked at the pictures and BAM! I found the little girl with my wife.

I realized something.

THAT LITTLE GIRL IS MY DAUGHTER ELIZA! But why didn’t she talk to me at all? I found my ex-wife Juan’s phone number and called her.

“Hello,” I said to Juan.

“Hello, Long time," she said, embarrassed.

 “Why did Eliza come here?” I asked, directly.

“All these years, well, whatever, she has a disease, bye!” 

She just cut the line, like that.

What disease? Why did she cut the phone like that? I need to see my daughter. I went to Juan’s parents' house where she lived. I knocked at the door. Her mom opened the door. I always liked that lady, she was, well, nicer than her daughter.

“Hello,” I said

“Hi. Juan’s not here “ she said smiling.

“Hmm”

“Come on in,” she said

I sat on the couch.

So why did you come here for? She asked, polite but demandingly.

"I want to know what happened to Eliza," I asked.

"Eliza is an adventurous little girl, you never come to meet her. She has eye cancer, for your information" she said, straightforward, not hiding anything.

"Where is she now?" I asked.

"She is in the hospital waiting for surgery and after the surgery, she will be blind, that’s why she came to see you". She said smiling.

Now everything came to place. She never saw me in her lifetime before because she was a baby when we divorced. I always wanted to see Eliza but my ego won’t let me.

I realized that they were all ready for my Eliza's surgery, except me.

I asked Juan's mother. "Where is she?"

She said, "At the children’s hospital."

I took my car and drove as fast as I can to the hospital. I needed to be there.

She lay there under the white sheet holding her mother’s hand. She was smiling. I didn’t let her see me. I didn’t talk to her. I hid and looked back at her through the door’s window. I went back to my home, alone and unhappy, crying as my daughter won't even see me again. I never got out of my house ever again for a week. 

One particular day, an idea flashed across my mind. I went to the children hospital told the doctor that I wanted to donate my eyes.

They operated my eyes out.

I went back home smiling. I was escorted home by my secretary. I knew my eyes would be for my daughter. I just knew it.

*********************

It was hot outside. I slowly walked to the pavement. I was falling now and then. A little hand took my own hands and walked me to my office. The little hand knew where my office was. I smiled as if to the little hand.

*********************

I found out that every day somebody will help you, whoever it may be. Your smiles can encourage people to do things. A street-side shade can be anything, an apple tree, an orange tree, or a tree that you planted, a tree that you watered.