(A Short Story – Fifth of 6 Parts)

“Why are you talking like that, bro? You’ve been acting strange all day,” I said to Jay.

Jay lowered his head and sighed deeply. We all waited anxiously for him to respond. It felt like an eternity before he finally spoke again.

“Guys, I have prostate cancer. Stage 1.”

Chris shook his head in disbelief while Mario placed an arm around Jay’s shoulders. I wasn’t too surprised by this revelation; I had a feeling Jay was struggling with something like this because he had hinted at health issues before.

“That’s why, Mario, when I saw your Facebook post about your vacation and we just happened to run into each other, I asked if we could all get together. I thought… I thought maybe…”

Jay’s voice trailed off, tears brimming in his eyes, raw and vulnerable.

“Well, it turns out Mario’s not the most dramatic among us… It’s you, Jay. But it’s not the end of the world. There’s a cure for that.”

Chris expressed his thoughts bluntly, and while I almost wanted to chastise him for it, he did have a valid point. Hearing about Jay’s struggles was disheartening, but he had no choice but to confront the situation head-on.

“I’m terrified because my dad lost his battle with prostate cancer. I fear I might have inherited it,” Jay confessed.

We fell silent, absorbing Jay’s vulnerable admission. Mario and Chris chimed in, revealing their own health challenges. Both struggled with high blood pressure and kidney issues that required significant medication. Chris even shared that if his treatment didn’t clear his kidney stone, surgery could be on the horizon.

One thing I am grateful for is that I don’t have any health problems that require doctor visits or medication. Since I’ve been driving for a living, I’ve been following a health program on the radio and adhering to all the advice I hear. The only issues I face are occasional knee and back pain after working on the farm.

“Don’t worry, bro. I’ll take you to a great urologist I know at St. Luke’s. We’ll find a way to fix this. I’ll help you,” Mario assured Jay.

“Thanks, Mario. Thanks, guys. I feel a little better now that I’ve shared this with you. You’re the only ones who know about my condition.”

“Wait, your wife and kids aren’t aware of this yet?” Chris asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

“Mon… Jay’s still single,” Mario chimed in, a hint of concern in his voice.

It struck me how little I really knew about my friends. If I were more connected on social media, perhaps I’d be more in tune with their lives.

“Jay, you can do this. I know you’re strong. You’ll be better by the time we meet again on Mario’s next trip home,” Chris said as he opened more bottles of beer and offered me one.

“I’ll pass, Chris. I still have some left in mine,” I replied.

“Oh, come on, Mon, don’t cheat again,” he teased.

Their laughter filled the room, but they respected my limits when it came to drinking. They understood that while they could down three beers in the time it took me to finish one, I didn’t handle hard liquor well.

“Next week, we’re going to address your issue, Jay,” Mario declared, his tone a blend of seriousness and support. “But right now, I need to concentrate on something else…” He suddenly hesitated, as if grappling with whether to share more. I could sense that he was carrying an emotional weight. Could it be time for Mario to reveal his own struggles?

“Sorry… I need to focus on wrapping up the case I filed against my wife.” Just as I anticipated.

“Yes, I filed for adultery against her three years ago, and the judgment is coming next week. That woman and her lover are about to face the consequences,” Mario explained with palpable intensity.

He recounted the entire saga: the man who betrayed him was their business partner, and his wife had been unfaithful for nearly a decade before he uncovered the truth. A mutual friend had stepped up, alerting him to the betrayal through a Facebook message.

“Do you have kids? What did they say about it?” Jay asked.

“They’re furious with their mother. They couldn’t care less if she goes to jail. We have two sons, both college graduates and engineers. They work alongside me in Saudi Arabia, and my employers have recognized their talents as well.”

The conversation shifted into deeper territory as we focused on the topic of family. I wasn’t surprised by the struggles Mario and his wife faced; it’s a reality many couples encounter when one partner works abroad. While the opportunity for a better future exists through such arrangements, they can also lead to complications if the spouse left at home cannot resist temptation.

“By the way, Mon… Chris… do either of you have families?” Mario inquired, genuinely curious.

I nodded in response, eager to share about my family, but Chris jumped in before I could.

“I have two kids… but no wife.”

Chris seemed to be beaming in confidence when he said that. He stopped abruptly and looked at us.

“Why? Did you guys not even react? I said I have two kids… but no wife.”

“Come on, Chris, we’re not surprised by that anymore. I was even thinking that you have more than 5 children from different women.” Jay retorted. “We know you chase women for a living.”

“Actually, I’m in hot water again. Another woman is demanding child support from me. She says she’s going to sue if I don’t step up. I told her it’s time for a DNA test; she needs to prove I’m the father,” Chris replied, a hint of annoyance coloring his voice.

“Suit yourself, bro. Just be careful—you might end up with more than you bargained for, like HIV, hopping from one ‘hole’ to another,” Jay cautioned, his tone tinged with genuine concern.

“Mario, I’m a wise guy. I always use protection when I’m not sure of the ‘owner’ of the hole I’m entering,” Chris shot back, grinning cheekily.

“What about the two kids you’ve already recognized as yours?” Jay asked.

“They’re with me. Their mothers don’t want to take care of them, so my live-in partner is helping me raise them.”

Chris didn’t seem fazed by the complexity of his life. It seemed as though he was okay with the messiness of things. I didn’t want to judge him, but I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of life his two kids would have with two different mothers. And now, there was a possibility that it might be three kids. What if his live-in partner got pregnant? If Chris were my brother, I’d probably have slapped him back to his senses.

I didn’t get a chance to talk about my family because the conversation shifted to Chris’s chaotic love life. We advised him to straighten up, especially for the sake of his kids.

The drinking continued, and conversations flowed easily. By around six in the evening, we were surrounded by empty beer bottles, and Mario’s Chivas was nearly finished too. Jay and Chris seemed a bit tipsy, while Chris eventually grew quiet and appeared close to nodding off. Every time he started to snore, Jay would nudge him to wake him up. Surprisingly, Mario seemed unaffected; he was clearly used to drinking. I had only managed to finish three bottles of beer, with half a bottle still remaining, so I was doing fine. Eventually, it was just Mario and me left talking.

Jay and Chris got out of the jeep. While Jay went to a nearby tree to relieve himself, Chris ended up throwing up. I went over to rub Chris’s back to help him. At that moment, my phone rang—it was my wife calling.

“Excuse me, guys. My wife’s calling,” I said.

“Uh-oh, trouble’s coming. The commander’s on a roll call,” Chris joked.

To be continued…

What Matters – Part 4

What Matters – Part 3

What Matters – Part 1

What Matters – Part 2