Chapter 6: The Sudden Death

Seth’s stomach almost hurts when he laughs. Simon raised his eyebrows and looked at Seth. Simon sat on the couch, with Seth on the other side. Sam and Ella were standing across from Simon.

“Uncle, frankly, you don’t seem cool at all. You look more like a criminal.” She bites her cheek inside to avoid laughing.

“What were you thinking and agreeing with Seth’s nonsense?” said Samuel.

Simon hasn’t answered his question. He just took a deep breath.

“And as for you, Seth? You seem like a young, uneducated guy, and you always screw up your Uncle Simon. You have no respect at all,” said Samuel.

“This will be the last time you tease Uncle. Once you do it again, I’ll make sure you get locked up, Seth,” said Ella. “I mean that too.”

“I have to rest,” said Simon.

Simon stood up and went to the second floor of his room. She signed for Seth to apologize to Simon, but Simon was already in his room.

Simon walked into the room. He was sitting on his bedroom balcony and looking up at the sky. It was a quiet night with a few visible stars.

“Marina wasn’t ill when pregnant with Seth, but why does he seem different from Ella? He’s pulling my leg. Doesn’t he take drugs?” said Simon.

He took one deep breath, pulled the phone out of his pocket, and watched the news. The news is keeping him from paying attention.

“The virus circulating worldwide today is deadly, but I’m still alive. The news is way from the truth. You never know whether television news is true,” says Simon.

He did not know how much time he had spent outside the bedroom. He just sat there, staring into the sky.

-

A knock on the door woke Simon. He cast a glance at the wall clock above the TV. At 2:30 in the afternoon, he couldn’t believe he had locked himself under the blanket for nearly a day.

“What’s the matter with you, kid? Are you going to break the door to my room?” Angry, said Simon, opening the door.

“Uncle Ella…” Seth looked worried.

“What about Ella?” asked Simon.

He suddenly got nervous when he saw his face.

“She’s in the hospital,” Seth said.

“What’s she doing in the hospital? What’s the matter with Ella?” he asked.

“She just got her checkup, uncle,” said Seth, laughing about how Simon responded.

“You deceived me again!” replied Simon. “You are such a nuisance!”

He instantly removed the slippers and was about to slap Seth, but he ran fast. He went after Seth down there. Seth was happy about how he did it. Eventually, Seth’s phone rang, and he answered immediately.

“Secretary Anne, why were you calling?” Seth asked for another line.

Simon caught up with Seth and planned to kick him in the stomach, but Seth turned and started crying.

“Uncle, my dad,” Seth said.

While Seth was holding the phone, his hand was shaking.

“What the hell is this, Seth?” Simon asked. “If you have any plans…”

“They took Papa to your hospital, Uncle. Papa had a heart attack.” Seth said.

Simon’s phone rang. He gets a call from Clara. He took Clara’s call. “Yes, Clara?” asked Simon on the other line.

Set sat on the couch and cried. “Doc, Sir Samuel is in the emergency room. He’s had a heart attack.” the woman said.

“All right, I’ll go there,” Simon said.

Simon canceled that call right away. He grabbed his car key and dragged Seth off the couch.

-

Along the way, Seth spoke to Ella. She’s already in the hospital, waiting for them. Seth could hear someone speaking with Ella. Seth overheard everything that was said to Ella.

“Ella, what happened to Dad?” Seth asked.

He could hear Ella crying across the line. “Ella, what are you crying for? What happened to Daddy?” Seth asked.

“Seth, Daddy is…” Ella was weeping. “Daddy’s gone.”

“No, it is not true. Uncle and I were on our way.” Seth wept.

“Seth, what’s the matter?” asked Simon.

“Uncle, Papa has gone,” Seth said.

And then Simon stepped on the brake. “Uncle, why are you stopping? Let’s go to Papa.”

Simon wasn’t moving. Seth tapped his shoulder and gave him a gentle jolt. He looked up at Seth and started the car again. Within 20 minutes, they arrived at the hospital. Seth instantly got out of the car and rushed to the hospital. Simon never left the car. He was holding the wheel and hadn’t even peeked at the hospital. He was just distracted when the guard knocked on his car window.

“Doc, are you okay?” said the guard.

Instead of responding, he restarted the car and immediately left.

-

He stopped his car on the long bridge. Only a few cars passed by. He got out of the car and came close to the bridge’s railing. He shouted so loudly that his lungs almost exploded. Samuel alone became the closest to him of all the people he had encountered and became friends with. It was hard for him to accept Samuel’s death while he was still alive and strong in 544. Although he used to do it, he never expected Samuel to die prematurely. Simon never knew he had heart disease because he never told him anything. He couldn’t help but cry. Simon squeezed the handle on the railings. He sobbed, touched his chest, and cried out again.

“What have I done to suffer like this? Why have you given me this?” Does Simon breathe? “With this kind of punishment?”

As the sky was gloomy, the rain fell as he cried for his suffering friend.

-

And it came to pass. When Samuel was buried, Simon spoke immediately to Samuel’s children, Ella and Seth. Either of them had to take over the company. Though Samuel had already taught Seth, it was still determined if Seth could run the business at such a young age. He was only seventeen and too young to run a big company.

“I’ll back you up. Nobody else can run this company. Keep in mind that your forefathers managed the company. And future generations will reap its fruits,” Simon said.

“I cannot even do that. If you like, you can take over the company.” Seth said, annoyed.

“Why the…” Simon said.

Seth got up and left them there. Simon took a deep breath. Ella looked at Simon.

“Apologize to Seth, Uncle. Dad’s sudden loss is still fresh, and he has many memories of being with him in the company. I understand why Seth isn’t ready to take over the company. I know you understand him, Uncle,” she said. “Please give Seth time to cope with our father’s loss.”

“You should also talk to Seth, Ella. Seth is a man who will take his family when the time comes, so he should just run the company. Don’t turn your back on what your dad worked for. You know how much he loved and cared for the company, so I hope Seth recalls that. I’m not begging for my own sake; I’m begging for the future of both you and future generations.” Simon said.

“I understand, uncle,” Ella said.

Simons is on his way out. “You, Uncle. How are you?” Ella asked Simon.

Simon turned toward Ella and smiled a bit. He said nothing, but Simon put his hand on his chest on the left side, where his heart was. Simon then turned around and left.

-

Simon went back to the bridge. He was halfway through six, and the sun was setting. Simon took a deep breath and was on the verge of screaming when someone screamed first.

“I’m sorry, papa,” a woman’s voice screamed.

Simon had just turned around. A woman stood on the railings on the bridge’s opposite side.

“Why can’t you help me? They called you God, but where are you? Where are you when I need you? Why would you let someone kill my family?” shouts the lady. “And you have done nothing to help bring justice to my family!”

Suddenly, the woman threw herself from the bridge, much to Simon’s surprise. He ran along the bridge and looked underneath it to find the woman. Simon quickly climbed the guardrails on the bridge and jumped to follow the woman.

When Simon fell into the water, the river flowed fast from the bottom and almost got him over the edge. As his head came up from the water, he immediately tried to find the woman. He turned around in different directions. The river water was cold, and, from a distance, he saw the woman, at times, raising her head above the water. With the force of the lower current, it moves her more rapidly. Simon swam towards the woman. He turned to the other side because the current was quicker, so he drifted to the other side. He preceded the woman with the rhythm of the water. Simon immediately took hold of the rock and waited for the woman to arrive.

He immediately grabbed the woman. As the river was strong, the woman changed direction. He’s trying to get through to her until he holds her t-shirt. But the water flow gradually removed her clothes until she was completely naked. She grabbed her clothes and reached for Simon’s hand.

The woman took Simon’s hand and immediately clung to him.