prepared.

Grandpa prognosis is grim,
3 to 6 months left for him.
I knew that metastasis would happen,
given time and after halting treatment and of course, his continued puffing of cigarettes.

I sounded apathetic, or even unsympathetic when mum called me
but that's because I have expected it, not because I'm not feeling anything.
Pardon me for replying only "Orh ic" and "Okay"
but there is little left for me to say.

What mum seek is reassurance that "everything will be okay"
but in truth, in reality, death stalks her father; my grandfather every day.
i hope deliverance from this period of hardship gets to her soon,
and the clarity to accept and see past whatever comes.
and not like younger sister in all her simple thinking, remains foolishly and naively believing that this phase of "grandparents passing" would not come.