You take care of him

Tellore

In every family you would get that one weird uncle, fortunately for me though I didn’t met mine until I was fresh from military boot camp. You see, my fiance and I got married and that immediately meant her family was mine. So when I returned and was greeted by her family, I’ve met that one particular weird uncle. He’s the type who’s a rebel in the family, everything the family was against he was for it. Her family was a healthy, Christian family. He was an atheist, personally I don’t care if you don’t believe in God, but he was different. He was an atheist just so he could be on the other side of the family. He’s not a black sheep, he’s a sheep that painted himself black. It’s not just religion too, it could be as complicated as politics, or as simple as where we should eat. Whatever it was…he was against…when my wife and I got married, he walked her down the aisle. Now her father had passed away when she was young, so her uncle walked her down that aisle…and I swear, I’ve never seen a man sneer at me like the way he did. It was as if the girl was his own daughter. But when he walked down and offered me her hand, he would tell me to, no demand me to, “Take care of my niece…”
And I would always reply with, “Always…”

As you can tell, that wasn’t the first time he told me that.

Unfortunately, that weird uncle was also my superior. I couldn’t stop laughing when I found out. Now, I wasn’t a military man, according to him, and he never did accept my marriage with his favorite niece, but I stuck through, I was determined. I was an excellent soldier, a excellent civilian and I’m planning on being an excellent father.

One day though, he got to me. I remember as if it was yesterday, he would always try to grind my gears when we meet at camp. We were stationed at the same place in Afghanistan, how unlucky, I know…

And every day he would shove me, bump into me purposely, tell the other guys of how soft I am. He would go out of his way to try and ruin my day. I didn’t like it. I am a man and thank the lord I didn’t have him when I was much younger, because I couldn’t imagine how traumatizing it would be to have someone like that in your life as a child. I’m not perfect though, it’s not as if I prayed for that man every night. I simply didn’t care. But God…did I love my wife. I was going to make it work, whether or not I had to forge our friendship with my two hands. I didn’t have too much friends when I was in Afghanistan, not that they won’t hang out with me, it’s just that whenever someone would, he would come around and make it harder for anyone, so instead, I wisely stuck by him. Whenever he would try to break me down, I wouldn’t leave his side. His childish taunts, angry rants, complete demoralizing couldn’t even place a finger on my ego. And whenever we’re done with our routinely argument and I was going back to my bunk to chat with my wife via Skype, he would always tell me, whether it be in a loud bold voice, or a small, tiny mumble, “Take care of my niece…”
“Always…” I would reply back with a smile, knowing that deep inside the crusty old man, he cares about his niece.

One day he did get to me…

We were patrolling the sands of Afghanistan, about five of us. It was just an ordinary day, the sound of chewing gum and guns rattling at our side. I could still smell the fresh air, and…and…thats when it happened. Gun shots. The man in front of me had fallen…right in front of me. I took out my gun so fast and sprayed wherever that bullet came from. We were out numbered. There was no way we’ll win this gun fight. So I told the mates who still breathed to go back and warn the base. I laid on the ground…because…there had to be someone to give them cover. And that someone had to be me. They tried to get me to follow them, but I was stubborn. I had to prove myself. When they left, I was flanked. When I was flanked I was shot. When I was shot I was a dead man. I could already see my wife holding unto my casket…but what got to me more…was that old man was right. I am a useless excuse of a soldier, a useless excuse of a man and a terrible father. The first thing that popped into my head was, “Why…God?” Why did anything had to happen like this.

There was nothing…I didn’t hear a single sound, no voice, no nothing. When I finally came to, I found myself on the floor, yelling, god…the yelling. My head never hurt so much…but my chest…it was numb. When I looked down, I saw a hold, right through where my heart should have been.

I felt so cold…

I thought it was done. It was the end of the road…that was until I heard a voice. As if my salvation had finally arrived. And I could see pictures of my life with my wife. I could see the future of my children. I could see myself growing old. Everything. It was all passing in the flash of light.

The voice asked me, “You take care of my niece…you hear me? You best take care of her…say you will…”
“I will…I love her to death…” I naturally responded.
“Alright…hmm…” he laughed, “You’re not as useless as I thought you’ll be…you take care of her…”
“Always…”

Then…what felt like only a few second, was ten days after that. I woke up and found out that old, crusty old man…that old disgusting, vile prick…that old asshole…

“Mr. Johnson…the operation was successful.” A nurse would smile at me.
“What operation?”
The nurse looked confused, “Your heart operation was successfully transferred.”

…gave me his heart.