through a tube
she says, remember my husband’s cancer?
i don’t want to have this conversation
but i don't have anywhere to go
because this is my job
maybe she has no one to talk to
yes, i tell her
well they got it out.
fifteen hours of surgery
skin cancer that got trapped in the jaw
can you believe it? she says
i don’t say anything
i catch myself rubbing my chin and stop
that’s why i didn’t pick
these books up on time, she says
because i was at the hospital with him
it’s all right, i say
he wanted to read them so badly
but he couldn’t do much of anything
for a month
he’s staying with his parent’s now
and my son is helping me out at home
that’s a good kid, i tell her
my husband is on chemo, she says
it’s not too bad
but he’s sick a lot of the time
he’s lost so much weight, she says
i nod
the co-worker next to me sighs
all of this sickness is interfering with
his video games and rabid animal videos
the weight isn’t the worst part, she says
what is? i ask
it’s that he can’t eat anything
it’s all liquid, she says
that’s the worst part seeing him like that
taking his food through a tube
she smiles and picks up the stack of books
looks me dead in the eye
my goodness, she says
the way that man used to love a good meal.
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