Visiting Grandpa Qin

Su Li

Even I am feeling a little nervous now, not to mention her.

Grandpa Qin regained consciousness some time ago. Butler Zheng told this to us on the way.

Qin Feng was already inside the hospital room when we reached hospital.

I motioned BaiBai to go inside.

"I am very scared." She said as she shook her head. She don't want to face what's waiting for her inside. But it never gets easier.

"Grandpa wants to meet you, do you think he would be happy if he saw you like this."

I felt bad after saying that to her. She has every right to be sad and weak, and I am telling her to show a brave front.

It's indeed a lot easier if you just say something to another person. You are not the person in question after all.

I would not have been calm either if I was in her place.

"Can you please come with me?" She asked with a pleading look in her eyes, like she would break down if I refused her, and I can't reject her when she is like this.

Isn't it supposed to be a family moment? I don't want to ruin it.

Why am I so helpless these days? I can't understand.

Anyways I will just excuse myself, if it felt like I was intruding.

Grandpa Qin was lying listlessly on the hospital bed, and Qin Feng was standing beside the bed.

Grandpa Qin's face was pale. He lost all his liveliness. He had various medical instruments attached to his body.

Even I was affected by the melancholy in the room.

Grandpa looked at BaiBai tenderly.

"You're here." He said.

She lost her balance and I helped her as soon as I saw her tremble.

She was crying again. Not that I would blame her.

"Don't cry." Grandpa Qin said with difficulty. He tried to smile but it did not reach his eyes.

Then with the same loving look he looked at me. He did not said a word though.

Why he is looking at me like that? I think I am mistaken. Yeah that would be the case. I am definitely seeing things.

He was looking at BaiBai and I am imagining things because of the lack of sleep.

"You need to live well, ok. I just want you to be happy." Grandpa Qin said with tears brimming in his eyes.

"Why are you saying things like that? I will only be happy if you get well and come home with me.

Grandpa Qin slowly shook his head.

I noticed that Qin Feng did not said a word since we entered. Even when I was looking at him he did not notice my gaze.

There is no way he did not noticed, but he showed no reaction, as if it doesn't matter to him what is happening in the world right now.

I can sense his sorrow even from this much distance

He just stood by the bedside blankly.

"I don't think I have much time left." Grandpa Qin said. I heard BaiBai mention some coronary heart disease, and she said that he had other problems too. I am not aware of his condition, so I don't know how serious it might be.

"Grandpa don't say that. What I will do without you?" BaiBai said as I helped her take a seat beside Grandpa Qin's bed.

"Make sure to take care of your brother, you know how he acts."

He then looked at both of them, and I again thought he looked at me too and said.

"I am proud of you all. Don't cry too much, ok. I don't like seeing you sad. I have lived my life pretty well. So you should focus on your own."

It was strange scene. He was lying on the hospital bed, and yet he was the one who was comforting these two.

He kept on telling them to live well.

What he said next shocked the hell out of me.

"Now, Can you please leave me and LiLi alone? I want to talk to her." He said suddenly.

Well I can't say it was just me because the other two people in the room were also as shocked as I was. It was obvious from their faces.

Still they complied and left the room leaving only me and Grandpa Qin.

"I am very grateful that you are here with them." He said after the door behind was closed.

Will someone tell me what is happening? I was just chilling last night, and suddenly I am facing all of this. I don't even know what relation I have with them. A friend? Or maybe a relative? I don't know.

"I am just doing what I could." I reply which was also how I felt.

"Can I ask you for something?" Grandpa Qin said suddenly.

I tensed up when he said that. I mean I don't know what he is going to say. Still, I don't let it show on my face.

"Yeah, what can I do for you?" I said to which he replied.

"I won't ask something big from you, I know it's been hard for you, but you have seen how these siblings are.

Xiao Feng is a very emotional person. I know that might come as a surprise for you, because he hides his emotion very well.

He was just like a normal kid before his parents passed away.

After 3-4 years he started helping me in running the company, since I was not in my best condition.

He was very young at that time, but he never complained.

He never expressed his emotions openly after that, but deep down I know, he still care very much about his sister and me."

He sighed. He was having trouble in speaking.

It might look to the outside world that we are a very powerful family, we might be in some terms, but my two grandchildren are the weakest person I have ever known."

He finally said what he was meaning to tell me all this time, "I hope you can protect them."

He told me all of this, why?

He willingly told me about their weakness because he trusts me. And I don't understand why he do that, when they have seen betrayal of people who had been close to them, then how can he go and trust someone.

"I know it's a lot to ask from you, but please protect them." He said again when I did not responded him.

If someone heard this they would laugh at me for sure. I can understand about Bai'er but Qin Feng, why he would need someone to protect him.

If it would have been any other time even I would have thought that he is joking.

But he is not. I know he is very serious at this moment.

I take a deep breath to calm myself down so that I could think properly.

Humans are very strange creatures. Some of the strongest people could be the most vulnerable in some situations.

I don't know about anything else, but I can try my best to become the friend they need. That's the least I can do.

The rest will depend on the fate.

"I don't know why you trust me so much, but I would try my best to not disappoint you." I tell him.

He finally smiled completely for the first time since I entered the room.

I tried smiling back at him but failed to do so.

Suddenly I am feeling that I have a big responsibility on my shoulders.

"You know, you remind me of someone?" he said suddenly.

I am stunned by the sudden change of topic. Still I ask, "Who?"

"A comrade of mine."

His face had a nostalgic expression as if he was reminiscing about the past.

"He was never afraid of challenges. He would never hesitate to help someone even at the cost of his life."

"What happened to him?" I ask curiously.

Grandpa Qin's face had a pained expression as he said, "Sadly he passed away early on."

I did not ask anything more since it might affect his condition.

Since our conversation was over, and grandpa told me what he wanted to, I asked Feng and BaiBai to come inside.

BaiBai kept on talking to Grandpa Qin and Qin Feng just stood with a blank expression.

I can't comprehend what he was thinking.

Out of everything, there's something I don't understand.

Why is Grandpa Qin so sure that he won't be able to make it?

Was he hiding something about his condition from us?

Look at me, I am saying as if I knew his condition in the first place. Maybe they were already aware of everything. After all I don't know the matter of their family at all.

I brought myself into another mess, but I am going to try my best to live through it.

At night the monitor which was showing Grandpa Qin's heartbeat slowly showed a straight line.

The doctors apologized for not being able to do anything, but that was all they could do.