My grandma, for once, agreed with me. "Kirk, even a child as young as Candace understands. How could you not? I raised you, and now I'm sick. Will you just watch me die?"
My dad's face turned pale as he said, "Mom, how about letting Candace get tested? She's young and healthy."
He just couldn't bear to sacrifice himself. He knew all along that donating a kidney wasn't a good thing.
Hearing his idea, my mom rushed over and pleaded with my grandma, "Mom, Candace is too young. You can't take her kidney. Just take mine as we agreed on."
I felt both heartache and frustration.
Thankfully, my grandma slapped her. "You can't even bear a son, and now you want me dead? It's settled. Kirk will do it tomorrow. Now get out and let my son have the bed."
With her final word, I quickly pulled my mom out of the room.
As we left, I looked at my dad's miserable smile and heard his trembling voice. "My mom, does it have to be me?"
3
Of course, my dad's kidney was the best option for grandma.
It was perfect timing for this mama's boy to show his filial piety.
"Candace, maybe I should do it instead. Your dad is the breadwinner of the family," my mom said.
I pulled her away, but she was still worried about my dad who had caused her death in my past life.
"Mom, grandma doesn't want your kidney," I told her.
I was speechless at my mom's naivety. How could she still not wake up to reality?
"Mom, do you really want to donate your kidney to grandma?" I asked.
"Your grandma has it tough too. Besides, I can live with one kidney. I'm not afraid of a little pain if I can contribute to the family," she replied.
I sighed. Getting my mom out of this family was the real challenge of my rebirth.
Before we left the hospital, my uncle, Tyrone Giles, blocked our path.
"Lydia, why are you here? Are you running away from the surgery tomorrow?" he asked.
I stepped between them and said, "Uncle Tyrone, my dad decided to donate his kidney out of filial piety."
Tyrone was astonished.
"Kirk is truly filial. That's great. After the surgery, you'll have to take care of both of them," he said to my mom.
He was practically throwing his calculations in my mom's face, but she just nodded. "Sure thing. I'll make sure Mom recovers well after the surgery."
Who said it had to be the woman taking care of everyone? Wasn't Tyrone my grandma's son? If only my dad could share some of his mama's boy traits with Tyrone.