by Kelly Brumbaugh

Created on: July 02, 2008

Richard kneeled down and plucked a flower from his garden. He had just found out he was dying with cancer. He was only fifty-three years old and he was only supposed to live for six more months His wife, named Kim, came outside and wrapped her arms around him and said, "Richard? What's wrong?" Richard pulled away from her and turned around. He set the flower down on the steps, turned to her and said, "Kim, I have cancer. I'm only supposed to live for six more months" Kim started crying while Richard gently held her. When Kim looked up she said, "I want to make your last six months the best ever... Let's go away." Richard sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, then said, "Kim I can't leave. This is my home." And that was that. Kim didn't take her husband away for the last remaining time of his life.

When six months had passed Richard was still alive. He went to the doctors and they decided that he still had to take his chemotherapy. Saddened, he drove back home and went inside. Kim was sitting at the table, waiting for the news. Richard sat down across from her and looked down but said, "They don't know. But I must keep taking the chemo. Kim grabbed his hand and said, "Let's not talk about this. Let's go outside and look at your flowers like we used to do when we were younger."
Richard was a gardener before he retired. He harbored a strong love for flowers. About four years before he found out he had cancer he decided that he'd quit his job and retire, growing flowers in his backyard. His wife, being only nine years younger then him, still maintained her job. Thus, they didn't get as much with each other.
Kim and Richard sat on the swing facing their backyard. Both thinking about how their nice life is beginning to start going downhill. Richard played with the small bit of hair he had left, saddened about all of this. They had seven kids. All knowing what is happening to Richard. But the worse part, not a single one of them had come up to help him get along.
Kim decided it was time to take Richard on a trip whether he liked it or not. When she announced the news that they would be spending a year at her mothers home in Hawaii he smiled. He had always wanted to move to Hawaii. He knew that it was very beautiful there and he'd get to see all of the flowers and other beauties there.
For the next year they spent all of their time at Kim's mothers home. Her mother decided to let them stay for a few months past that year. But good times did have to come to an end. Kim's mother died shortly after those few months They had to move back to their home in Ohio.
Seven months after they moved back to Ohio Richard's life came to an end. Kim was surprised, he had lived almost two years after the time he was supposed to die. She blessed god for letting him live for that year and ten months

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