Take me home for Easter, son, please. I’ll sit in the corner and not bother anyone. I can’t continue.

“Son, would you mind taking me home for Easter? I’ll just sit quietly in the corner and not disturb anyone. I really can’t go on like this.”

The son firmly declared, “Without a doubt, I will take you.” He added, “The holidays are just around the corner.”

“Long live my son; you truly make me proud. Not all children are as thoughtful. When I return, we must visit your mother’s grave. Did you remember to bring flowers? She always adored them,” the father expressed warmly.

The son briefly met his father’s gaze before turning away. After bidding farewell, he exited the room. The father began marking the passage of time, eagerly informing fellow patients of his imminent return home.

Back at their residence, the son sat on the couch, deep in thought. He hesitated to broach the subject with his wife, finally turning to her and saying,

“I promise to bring dad home for the holidays,” he implored.

His wife responded sharply, gesturing anxiously.

“You may have overlooked the risk of us contracting tuberculosis from your father. Moreover, with the holidays, we’ll have numerous visitors.”

“But the doctor assured us that he’s no longer contagious,” he countered.

“Do you truly trust the medical profession? Their understanding is limited,” she retorted.

Their conversation reached an impasse.

Later, guests convened around a sumptuous table, enjoying their parents’ anecdotes and encouraging their children to be kind-hearted individuals. After Easter service, the morning was filled with warmth and family unity.

They tidied up the table and the apartment once the visitors departed before retiring to bed, feeling utterly exhausted. Despite his fatigue, the son found himself unable to drift into sleep, troubled by something weighing on his mind. Determined, he resolved to visit his father in the morning. The hallways were unusually quiet, with hardly any people around as he made his way through the hospital.

The nurse informed him that many patients had been discharged to spend Easter with their families. With a heavy heart, the son bowed his head as he climbed the stairs to the eighth floor, where his father’s hospital room awaited. Approaching the door, he contemplated how to express his apologies when he realized his father’s bed was empty. Hurriedly, he made his way to the physician’s office, where he observed the doctor conversing softly at the doorway.

“We tried our best, but unfortunately, we couldn’t save him,” the doctor softly explained. “He has passed away. His last words were, ‘I am so disappointed in life, in myself, in my son, that I have failed to raise a decent person.'”