Connected

After a while, Xavier and his mother from another side of the door are both calm down.

Xavier is motionless as he wipes his eyes.

"Xavier, where is your father?"

This question broke out after his mother become clear headed.

Xavier also forgot to say due to the emotions that bubble inside of him.

"Dad is in the hospital."

"What is a hospital?" Harvey asks. He is supporting his mother on the other side.

"Its a building...A place where you bring ill patients to nurse them back to health." Xavier thought that the other side doesn't have hospitals or they called it differently there.

"Your father is ill? How is he? Will he be alright?" His mother asks worriedly.

"He is fine now. The doctor said he will be able to go home to recuperate after a couple more days of observation."

"That's good. That's good. Tell him to not push himself. Your father is very stubborn so he tends to do crazy things."

Xavier smiles.

"Dad is not lying to me. Mom, you really nag like me."

"You little---So you get it from Mom..That's good."

Layla once again felt the tears rising in her eyes.

"I never stop thinking of you two. I never once believed that you are dead." She said sniffing.

"........" Xavier thought they were dead. It was unfair how he knows nothing and it is also unfair for the others to know but unable to do anything.

"Dad didn't tell me. About the door. About you guys. He often told me some then when I asked he will not tell me. I never know...that behind this door is my family."

Layla smiles.

"It's fine. It's good that you don't. It is not a pleasant thing to know. How much we desire to meet, how much we thought of each other, this door blocks us and not be able to connect our feelings. But now..now it opened. What happened? How did it happen?"

Asking to this point, Xavier remembers his wound in his hand.

Then he remembers that he smeared his blood on it.

"I got a cut in my hand and accidentally smeared my blood on the door. Then it become like this. If...If I know this will happen...Even if I bleed to death I will do it. Father...Dad misses brother Gerald...Brother Harvey and... our lil baby.."

Layla smiles as she wipes her eyes.

"Don't say that. Your blood is precious to your parents. Do not easily say something like death. My baby, you are our family's lucky star. I missed you two too. Your eldest and second brother and your little sister. She is in mommy's tummy before you left. She is a big girl now." She starts sobbing again.

Harvey helps his mother.

"Third brother, who is with Dad? Why did you leave him in that hospital? Can't doctors visit your home? Is it more expensive to visit the house so you have to send him far?" Harvey wants to ask so many questions.

It seems their world is not the same.

And it seems his father is so poor he can't even ask a doctor to see him at home.

Then what about his brother?

Xavier is startled.

He thought hospitals do exist on the other side but only called differently.

But it seems it doesn't exist and not a normal place.

"No. No. Hospital is specialist in bringing people to health. They have large machines that helps the patients to fight their illnesses. There are people who are looking after Dad every 3 hours checking his vital signs so he is safe. If he needs me, he will call me through my phone."

There is a long silence in the other side.

"Specialist? Machines? Cellphones?"

Harvey sounds so confuse.

But since those are things he asks then the main point was understood by his brother.

Xavier is a bit worried about all the things that is not present on the other side of the door.

"Brother, what is the currency in that place?"

"Currency? Money of course. Copper bits, ingots, silver and gold."

".........."

"Are you still there, Xavier?"

Layla asks.

"Mom, second brother, I will go to dad first and discuss what to do next. I don't dare cross the door without him. It is better if we are together." He said.

"That is good. You go and talk to your father. You have to take care of him and not so excite or agitate him."

"Yes Mom. Second brother, I heard you talking about Eldest brother is sick? And our sister is marrying an old man?"

Harvey and Layla became quiet.

"Do not worry about us. You go to your dad."

Layla said changing the topic.

Xavier realized that they are hiding the problem. In this sense, they are like his Dad.

He said he will be back and went to his father's hospital room.

His father is watching tv laughing at the comedian.

Then he stops, looking at him at the door.

"Xey, what's wrong? Come inside and watch tv with Dad."

Tears slowly run down his cheek.

He hugs his father and unable to speak. He is wondering how painful it was for his father.

Those times he hears him blaming himself now all been clear to him.

His father avoid him feeling the same fear and longing.

He wants him not be burden but that ends up for his father to carry all of it alone.

"Dad..."

His Father is hugging him.

Telling it will be alright despite not knowing whatever is making him sad and cry.

He happily let go and wipes his own tears.

His father stares at him without questioning him waiting for him to open the topic on his own.

"Dad,The door, the mysterious door opened and....I heard Mom and second brother behind the door talking."

His father eyes dilated and he breath heavily.

He feared he will got a heart attack and about to call the nurse but his father grabs his arm.

"Layla....Harvey...Layla and Harvey...You heard them...You hear them."

He is crying.

His face is so  wrinkled from crying.

But it was happy tears.