North Family Letters

The disputes and helplessness at the bedside

In the first few days after their father was admitted to the hospital, the six sisters were still united, none of them mentioning taking turns to care for him, and they all stayed at the hospital and refused to leave. But as time went on, the pressures of work, family, and life came one after another, and this unity slowly began to crack.

The eldest sister, Song Chunyan, has to take care of her grandson and manage household chores. She can only come once in the morning and once in the evening to bring two hot meals and help her father bathe. She has to leave in a hurry after only two hours. She always says that she can't get away from her family, but she feels guilty. Every time she leaves, her eyes are red, and she repeatedly tells her younger sisters to take good care of their father.

The third sister, Song Qiuling, married nearby, but she was busy managing her family's small supermarket. It was normal for her to leave early and return late, and she could only spare an hour or two in the afternoon to come and relieve her for a while. Sometimes, when things got busy, she was nowhere to be seen. She always complained that the supermarket couldn't function without someone. She was afraid that if she didn't watch over it for a little while, things would get stolen and business would be slow. Her words were full of helplessness, but she also lacked real companionship.

The fourth sister, Song Dongxue, comes from a modest family and has to do odd jobs to earn a living. She can only come every other day. When she comes, she works silently, turning her father over, changing his diapers, and cleaning up his excrement. She doesn't talk much, but the fatigue on her face is undeniable. Occasionally, she will complain that she has to earn money and take care of this, and she is really overwhelmed.

The fifth sister, Song Xiaoman, and the sixth sister, Song Xiaoya, were the youngest and had no experience in caring for a patient. At first, they were flustered and clumsy. They would hurt their father when wiping his body and spill food on the blankets when feeding him. As time went on, they became apprehensive and always seemed hesitant to help. Most of the time, they would just sit by the bedside and silently shed tears or lend a hand. They were not capable of taking on the main responsibility of caring for their father.

As a result, the usual warmth and care around Father's bedside gradually faded. During the day, often only one or two of his younger sisters were there. Sometimes, when everyone was busy, Father would lie alone, only able to groan softly when thirsty. No one would help him turn over, his lips would be dry and chapped, and the sheets would occasionally be stained. The beeping of the monitor became the loneliest sound in the ward. Resentment among the sisters quietly began to grow. The eldest sister complained that the third sister didn't come often enough, the third sister complained that the fourth sister was only concerned with working, and the fourth sister felt that Xiaoman and Xiaoya were too spoiled and unwilling to contribute more. Everyone felt that they had given the most, and everyone felt that others weren't attentive enough. An invisible barrier spread among them, and no one was willing to be the first to apologize.

When Song Xiahe dragged her exhausted body into the ward, the scene before her eyes instantly ignited the anger that had been building up all the way.

The father on the hospital bed was emaciated; his cheeks were sunken, his lips were cracked and bleeding, his hospital gown was wrinkled with food stains on the collar, his hair was disheveled and stuck to his forehead, and he looked listless, his eyes half-open and lifeless. A faint, unpleasant odor filled the room, the water glass on the bedside table was empty, the warm water had long since gone cold, and no one was there to take care of him.

Song Xiahe's steps froze instantly. The tears and worry she had been holding back all along instantly transformed into overwhelming anger and grievance. She whirled around, looking at her sisters standing behind her, each with a guilty expression. Her eyes were red, her voice trembling with anger as she questioned them, each word laced with sobs and laced with piercing resentment:

"Is this how you take care of Dad? I'm thousands of miles away, my heart is constantly in my throat, afraid he'll suffer even the slightest grievance. I'm rushing back day and night, afraid I won't make it in time to see him one last time! But what about you? You were right there, why didn't you take good care of him?"

"Eldest sister, you're the eldest in the family, why don't you keep an eye on things? Third sister, your house is the closest, is it so hard for you to come over and stay a little longer? Fourth sister, and you all, Xiaoman and Xiaoya, can't you all pay more attention? He's our father! The father who raised us his whole life, just because he fell, he's like this, can't you spend more time with him and take better care of him?"

She became increasingly agitated as she spoke, her body trembling uncontrollably. Pointing at her frail father on the hospital bed, tears streamed down her face, her voice hoarse from crying: "I worked so hard outside to earn money, thinking that when things got better, I could bring Dad over to enjoy his retirement. But I've only been gone a short time, and he's already suffering so much! You were all by his side, how did you take care of him, letting him become like this!"

The eldest sister, Song Chunyan, was speechless when asked the question. Her face turned red, and tears streamed down her face. She opened her mouth to explain, but couldn't say a word. She could only cover her face and sob softly.

The third sister, Song Qiuling, lowered her head, her fingers tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, and whispered in defense, "Second sister, it's not that we don't care, it's just that I really can't leave the supermarket. If it's closed, there's no income..."

"No income? Is no income more important than Dad's life?" Song Xiahe interrupted her sharply, her eyes filled with disappointment. "Money can be earned anytime, but Dad is your only son!"

Fourth Sister Song Dongxue's eyes were red-rimmed as she muttered softly, "I also have to work to support the family. I can't just stay at the hospital every day without earning money..."

The fifth and sixth sisters were too frightened to speak, their heads bowed as they wiped away tears, utterly helpless.

For a moment, the ward was filled with the sounds of crying, arguing, and complaining, a cacophony of suppressed emotions and helplessness. The father on the hospital bed seemed to hear his daughters arguing. He slightly opened his eyes, his cloudy gaze sweeping over them. His lips trembled slightly, and a weak, dissuading sound escaped his throat. Tears welled up in his eyes and silently slid into his pillow.

He wanted to tell his daughters that he didn't blame them, that he was the one who had burdened them, but he couldn't even utter a complete sentence. He could only let the heartache and helplessness spread wildly around his bedside. The once harmonious family, under the heavy pressure of illness and reality, eventually developed estrangement and shirking of responsibility, leaving only a heart full of bitterness and an uncertain path of care.