Neda sat on the floor, massaging her dad's feet, dangling in the pot of a water, her head was bent almost into her chest, her hands were at work, and tears were gushing down her face; but no one could see those tears since her loose long hair was covering her face which was bent low, low, almost at the level of the pot of water. Her father knew she was crying. All of a sudden she was his little girl again. He put both his hands on her shaking shoulders. She looked up. He saw her teary face. She saw his deplorable eyes. He stooped enough to hug her.
"I feel better, sweet heart." He kept saying with a voice that was unrecognizable to Neda. Was that change for his getting older or for his being sick. But Neda noticed that how hard it was for him to breathe and speak.
"No, dad, we're taking you to the hospital now!" She looked towards her mother and Sima and then continued:
"No one can stop me!"
She Stood up to get her father ready. Sima had moved. Now she was next to Neda.
"No, you're not. This is my house and it's my decision and responsibility what to do and how to take care of him!"
Neda fired back:
"I know it is your decision and responsibility to kill him. Haven't you done enough damage? You've torn are family apart since your arrival!"
Sohrab and Maryam came to Neda's aid. They could not believe her passion, her capability for forgiving her father! But after all anything was possible from Neda. To them she had a passionate heart, a heart of a poet!
Neda was busy to get her father ready for removal from that house of horror. Sima wanted to fight her! She was terribly offended. Mother had gone to Sima and Jalal's bedroom to bring fresh clothes for the old man. Maryam also came to Neda's aid. She pushed Sima aside, stood in front of her so she could not interfere with Neda. Nobody had noticed that Mina, the fourteen years old daughter of the old man and Sima, the present occupant of Neda's girlhood room, had come to the room and standing by the door and crying. She was clung to Mehri instead of her own mother. Mehri knew that Neda was very serious.
"Do you want anything else, sweet heart?" She asked Neda
Neda by now was done drying her father's feet. She was putting clean socks that her mother had brought only a moment ago, on him. She turned to her mother and said:
"No, mom, we don't want to waste time. Just put some clothes for him in a bag. We just wrap him in a blanket. Some fresh air is not bad for him." Then she turned to Sohrab:
"Honey, get the car key from my bag and go start the car."
Sohrab did not object to anything his sister did. Neda with Maryam's help lifted her father. Now that he was standing, she noticed that he weighted almost nothing. She wrapped the blanket around him, helped him to put his sleepers on, and then the two women, each on one side of him, practically carried him down the stars. Mehri was a few step ahead of them. Sima had stayed in the room. Mehri was crying uncontrollably and involuntarily. When they were in first floor hall way, Sima showed up. She revealed no emotion or nothing that was visible to others. She was only red in face and neck. Maryam and Neda helped the old man to walk to the yard. Others followed. Neda looked one more time to the empty place of the cherry tree, where the pot of plant was sitting on the stump of the cut tree. Was that what happening to her father?
Mehri wanted to go with hem, but Neda said:
"Mom, we have no room in the car. You know where we're going. Just call a taxi!"
Sohrab drove Neda's Fiat. Maryam sat in front. Neda in the back seat had her father's head on her shoulder while touching his face and kissing him anywhere she could!
To Be Continued
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