Chapter 127 - Died with Dignity

"I thought I should check on you. He's young and looks promising... " J replied feeling awkward.

"Indeed, he is. We do not come from a rich family, but when he and his sister were young. We tried our best to send them to school. Because we believe that it's the best thing that we can give to them." the woman started speaking looking at a picture of a young boy and girl hanging on the wall. J instantly recognized the boy, in his younger years.

"Being educated, no one will step down on them when they grew up. But I often see other kids bully them because he doesn't have decent clothes or money to buy food in the school. I felt sorry for them. But he was not. He sees the world from a different perspective. He always says that there are a lot of people that are less fortunate than us. He never considers us poor. Because if we call our self poor, what would those less fortunate would call themselves." J looked at the woman as she continued to reminisce.

"Even if we lack in everything, he still manages to give and help others. He said that he is fortunate enough to go to school, eat three times a day and have a parent. There were other kids in the neighbor that can't go to school, so he takes responsibility to teach them what he learned from school. He planted vegetables at the backyard. We eat some while the others he gave it to those that don't have food to eat." when the woman continued, she gave a small smile on her lips. J looked back again at the picture on the wall imagining how the boy had lived his younger days.

"When he was in college, he became part of a society that helps less fortunate people. They help send kids to school, help the sick to be sent to hospitals and be treated fairly, they build an orphanage to house the homeless kids. They even helped him and his sister finished college. I was so proud that he became part of that society. When he died, the society came to us. They helped us with the funeral. They said that our loss is their loss too. We are not the only one who mourns for him but also those that he helped before. And I was glad that he died with respect and dignity that other rich people might not have when they died." J sensed pride in her tone. She was familiar that the woman was talking about the Robin Hood Society. There was silence after that, which made J felt awkward again. She is really not used to this long talk. She is silently hoping that the woman would talk again because she hasn't composed any words yet to reply to her.

When it seems that she is not going to speak again yet she said with a sad smile, "I wish I could've done more to save him... he was my first patient to die in front of me... "

The woman turned her head on her with a knitted brow. She put her hand on J's hand that lies on her lap. "You did the best that you can, and I'm thankful to you for that. You don't have to blame yourself or feel guilty about it." Then she gave her a tight-lipped smile before she withdraws her hands.