It was so late but the two men inside the study room were wide awake as an owl.
"You fought with mom?" he asked his father directly.
"She's just upset." he said trying to brush off the topic.
"About what?" Lyndon asked when he saw his father's intention. The man's face turned serious. Lyndon could not help but feel nervous on the inside.
"I forgot our wedding day and our plans together. I also forgot to greet her. That's why she's sulking." he told him the truth and with it, there's a slight change on Lyndon's face.
How come he forgot? As long as he remembers, his father will always be the one to surprise his mother over simple things. They will dine out or just in their home.
Seeing that his son is beginning to think things over, he said, "I am getting forgetful this past months. I don't know why so I took a neurological exam secretly." he paused and he hesitated a bit.
Lyndon's feelings are in mix. He could not understand what he's feeling in the moment but the panic and nervousness from within him is currently surging like a tidal wave.
"My brain is rapidly deteriorating and in the long run, I might have an Alzheimers." Albert said while bobbing his head down as he did not want to see Lyndon's pained expression.
Lyndon automatically slumped down on the couch and in shock.
What? His father will have an Alzheimer's?
"I'm taking medications now for the prevention and for the nourishment of my brain. I just don't want to burden you son, that's why I waited for this moment." he added when Lyndon was still in shock. He could not really sort his emotions now.
He stayed silent trying to calm himself down. Albert did not say anything and stayed standing rooted before his son.
After a while, Lyndon gathered courage to speak and look at his father's face. He looked at it intently. The man who taught him everything and became more than his father, he also became his friend and a confidante. He's too afraid to accept that there will be a day that he will not see his father's face anymore.
"Did you tell mom?" he asked after a long silence in the room. The atmosphere is heavy and he don't know how to break it. Albert shook his head indicating that he did not tell Rodora about his health condition.
"Are you telling her?" he asked again as he stared at hi father's eye. He could tell that despite everything, he still stand tall and accepted everything like a man. He did not see a sadness in his eyes instead, he can see determination and will to live.
"Yeah. I'll be telling her during our vacation to Maldives. And from there, I'll go back to country P. I want to stay there for the time being and it's up to your mom if she will join me." he's afraid that Rodora won't take him anymore if he will gone senile and useless old man. He also don't want to see the same expression he had seen in Lyndon on Rodora's face. He could not bare to see Rodora hurt but he also could not bare to lie to her. He will still chose to hurt her with truth than be happy with a lie.
Before he could think of anything, his body moved and hugged his father.
With that, Albert returned to the guest room and found that his wife is already sleeping. His movements were light as a feather as he don't want her to wake up but it all was late. Rodora opened her eyes for a brief moment and closed it again. She faced the other side of the bed and squirm under the warm bed sheets.
She still could not forget how he forgot their wedding anniversary. She still could not forgive him because all this time she thought that to Albert, their anniversary is special yet he easily forgets it.
She tried to close her eyes and drifted back to sleep with a tear flowed down from her eyes. She's sobbing lightly but it did not escape to Albert's eyes.
He scooped over and tried to comfort her but she just ignore him.
"I'm sorry dear. I'm just getting senile. Hehe" he tried to laugh it off but the pain in his chest did not even subside and increased even more. "You don't want this senile old man anymore?" he teased but it was the question he's afraid to ask even being a joke.
Rodora turned to him and faced him directly. She stared at his eyes and began to purse her lips into a thin line. She even frowned.
"What nonsense are you spouting?" she said in a slightly raised voice.
"I'm just kidding dear but what if I became senile when the time comes, will you still want me?" he asked with playfulness. Rodora looked at him with disbelief.
How could this man joke like that? Nonetheless, Rodora answered him with seriousness but her voice was with a tinge of worry.
"Ha! Now you ask me something like that? How can I abandon you? You are my only family. Whether you will become senile or not, I won't leave you. You! Don't ask anymore about it. I will leave you if you will spout nonsense again."
Seeing that his wife loosened up a little, he smiled because he succeeded in making her talk with him. He suddenly kissed her and made Rodora stunned for a moment.
"Aish! You old man, stop it! I won't fall for your tricks anymore." said Rodora acting like she's angry but her expression betrayed her. She actually missed her man's embrace and his kisses. They were married for over thirty years now but the fire within her hadn't died down. She still yearned his embrace.
"Dear..." he looked at his wife's face lovingly. He hesitated for a bit but he know that he has to tell her eventually.
Rodora looked at him with a puzzled face. She suddenly felt nervous while looking at Albert's face. "What is it? Something wrong? Tell me, I'll listen."
"Nothing.. I'll tell you when we arrive at Maldives." he said. "Let's sleep. It's getting late." he added and covered Rodora and him with the warm sheets.
They finally talked and that's what Albert wanted to happen and he will tell her when they arrive at Maldives about his condition.