The Path to Redemption

source

By Rick Fischer

---

The smoky taste of scotch reminded him of his youth. When you could just buy this stuff on any corner store. These days it had to be smuggled. You could trade a bottle of this for a week´s worth of food. Of course, as a party official, it wasn´t very difficult for him to get. As he took another sip his mind was still focused on her face. Her eyes, those beautiful green eyes.

He had been one of the last physicians who got to finish his training abroad. He had left for Europe a couple of years before the foundation of the People's Republic. Before the Islamic revolution in Europe, he was a cardiologist there. He was about to retire as one when the Muslims took over. When he fled back to his tropical fatherland. A couple friends in the right places landed him a place in the cardiology department of some People's Hospital in the capital city. Somebody had to take care of the heart infarctions of the politburo's members. A couple years later he ended up running the department.

The day prior he had been interviewing the “candidates” for residency. Of course, all of them were family of some politburo member. But all he could think about were her eyes. Amongst the lowest ranking physicians in the ER he saw her. Amidst the chaos of the dying and the starved, like a dove in a swamp.

2020 read the year of her birth on her application… the communists changed all they could but it was still 2020 years after the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. She was the right age. Second last name Moreno.

“Comrade Dr. Diana Rojas-Moreno Party number 24.601.563. It is an honor to welcome you to the residency program of Internal Medicine and Cardiology…” As Head of the department, he was solely responsible for picking the residents. As she entered the office of the department director. She saw the old, bald, heavy man. His thick glasses on the desk. “You must be surprised by my decision. I know we never had a formal interview but your attending physicians spoke wonders of you.” Said the old man signaling for her to seat and turning on a signal jammer as he closed the office door. “I don’t have family in the politburo. Why are you doing this for me?” The makeup and perfume she was wearing made clear what she was expecting to give as payment for such favor. Perfume was a very scarce commodity these days. The smell brought him back to happier days. When doctors didn’t have to do house visits for cans of baby formula. He grabbed her by the waist and stared at her eyes. “you have your mother's breasts.” Said the old man and laughed. She blushed but didn’t say anything. “That's not that what I want from you, Diana.” Said the old man with a sad face. “Is Patricia still alive?” Said the man with tears coming to his eyes. “My mother? yeah, she lives with me.” “I want to see her.” Said the old man with a broken voice.

He parked his car in front of the house. He could feel his heart pounding in his throat. Tears coming down his cheeks. The once big house was later expropriated and turned in to a pension. The derelict people in the entrance were surprised to see a party member there. The exact spot in which he said goodbye to her thirty years ago, the house's garage, was now a room in which an entire family had to live. Diana led the way to the third floor. He saw the house in which he had lived with her. The kitchen in which she would cook for him with such delight. As they made it to the third floor he saw her. Her once dirty blond hair was now white. Her face was wrinkled but the eyes were still the same. She was in her grandmother's rocking chair.

“I am very glad to see you again, Tricia.” Said the old man trying to hold tears. “I thought you were still in Europe,” Said the old woman rocking on her chair. “Are you all right, do you have enough food?” Said the old man putting packs of butter, citric fruits, beef, and sugar on her lap. “We´re fine. How is your wife? Robert.” Said the old woman with scorn. “Dead, suicide bomber. Never made it out of the Caliphate of Almanya.” Answered the old man. “I feel sorry for her. You married her so you didn’t have to come back!” Said the woman even more scornfully. “I am sorry. I am sorry I didn’t tell you on time.” Said the man tearing up. “Get over it! I got over you! I got married! Had my daughter! Don’t give yourself so much credit! The world didn’t end for me the day you ghosted me and married some old hag!” Screamed the woman her eyes now in tears as well. “I know! But I never stopped loving you, goddamn it!” The room felt in silence. The old man sobbing and sniffing was the only thing that could be heard.

A couple of weeks heard the doorbell at four am in the morning. He knew what awaited him. Passing up the firstborn of one of the people's secretary's for a promotion would get you that. But he was no martyr Diana's tenure was already approved by the people's committee for medical regulation. Her position was secured for life. He rolled in his cozy warm bed as the political commissars broke through his front door. The tripwire detonated the charges he had set. After the first two goons fell to the shrapnel. The other two patrols that arrived were far more careful. In the end, it was the grenades that got him. As he bled out lying on his bedroom floor all he could think about was her green beautiful eyes.

---

the end

thanks for reading folks!