It’s the story of a lively young man whose life turns upside down after a series of incidents that take all the sweetness and crème out of his life, turning it into a dark coffee…
At 35, Dave has a personality that can put the majority of men at envy. He stands 6 ft. tall and has a strong built. Dave is full of life and is passionate about his work. He’s an automobile engineer at a luxury Car Company in the small city of Limpio, Paraguay, South America. There wasn’t a car in the world that Dave couldn’t fix.
Dave was truly in love with his beautiful wife Hannah, who he thinks is the prettiest women in the world. Hannah too loved Dave dearly. She’s employed at the consulate office. The couple was living happily until the first instance that took place, after which their destiny started taking reverse steps, and they started giving all hopes. Even today, they get deeply saddened as they recall it, while one thing that pulls them up again and fills them with positivity, is their countless memories of the beautiful time they spent together in the last 30 years of togetherness. Hannah and Dave have always been the best of friends and they shared a great bond in their younger days too.
Hannah and Dave knew each other while they were in elementary school and Dave’s family moved to Limpio. Hannah’s mother had separated at a young age. Both Dave and Hannah studied in the same school and had been great neighbors too.
It was Friday afternoon. Dave didn’t have much to do today. He rings Hannah. “Sweetheart, how about we go for a long drive tonight, followed by your favorite wine and candlelight dinner. We have been postponing it for a while now. Let’s just go today. Be ready by 7.
Hannah: Sure… there will be no excuses this time?
Dave: C ’Mon Hannah, you know sweetie, how things have been with me.
Hannah: O yeah, you are the only automobile engineer in the world.
Dave: Now, don’t get started, sweetie. I promise, I am going to compensate for all this lost time, and we will have a wonderful evening. Will you be my lady tonight?
Hannah: Felt pampered now. Love you honey, will be ready. Bye
Dave: Bye sweetie. Dave starting whistling “the summer of 69”, as he crossed the corridor until he heard someone calling on him. It was Mike, his boss.
Mike: Dave! Dave, where were you man? I have been looking for you.
Dave: Hey Boss, how are you? Yes, how can I help?
Mike: We have a situation, Dave, and you will be the best person to help me with it.
Dave: What happened, Mike? Anything serious?
Mike: Yeah. The new SUV model we sent to the lab, failed safety test.
Dave: Can’t be. I made this car on my own right from designing till the last screw. I don’t believe there can be even the slightest issue with it.
Mike: That’s what I was thinking, but see what this report says. We will have to examine it and fix the issue over the next three days or we will lose the dealership.
Dave: What? I can’t let that happen, Mike. We will fix it, no matter what, and starts reading the report.
“Mike, it says; it’s the airbag that has not been installed properly and can be dangerous. I remember examining it myself before it was sent for testing.
Mike: Did we do a stress test?
Dave: Probably not, we didn’t have much space that day for doing a stress test, but let me open up the airbag system on Monday.
Mike: This is urgent Dave. We will have to fix this right now. If we can’t fix it in the next three days, we will lose the deal. For the next three days, both of us will have to work together. Don’t worry about the weekend, I will send you on vacations once we win the deal.
Dave: Can I leave now today at least, please. I have planned an outing with Hannah tonight. Have been so unfair to her.
Mike: Dave, I will send you guys on your dream destination once this gets over, let us win this deal.
Dave: Alright Boss, as you say. You owe me a coffee right now. I can’t work without it.
Mike: Let’s go to the workshop, and I will arrange for your coffee. How much sugar and crème?
Dave: One crème and triple sugar will be good.
Dave got so engrossed in examining the car that he forgot about the coffee that Mike got for him.
Mike: Hey, Dave, here’s your coffee man, and gets on a call with laboratory guys for scheduling another date for car testing. He started using all his negotiation skills, but the guys were hard to agree on a date in the next three days.
All of a sudden, Mike hears a loud scream with a bang. He rushed to the next room and found Dave on the floor, there was no blood, but he was unconscious. Mike quickly called the ambulance and Dave was admitted to ICU. He called up Hannah from Dave’s phone.
Mike: Hey Hannah, it’s Mike speaking.
Hannah: Hey, how are you doing Mike? Where’s Dave?
Mike: We are in ICU. Dave had an accident at work and is being examined. We are at the City hospital.
Hannah: Screamed, Oh my God! I am coming. She just rushed barefoot, while her gown sweeping the floor. Hannah didn’t bother having mascara on just one eye. All she was thinking of, was Dave. “Jesus, keep my Dave safe, Please God”, Hannah was constantly crossing her heart and praying. This made her makeup wash away. Her left cheek now had streaks of gray, while the other one still looked perfect, it was her mascara that washed away with tears. As she pressed the breaks reaching the parking lot, Hannah closed her eyes for a while, to compose herself; and rushed in.
By the time Hannah reached, Dave gained some consciousness, wasn’t able to speak though. He kept looking at Hannah without a blink and said, “I am sorry, Sweetheart, again, I couldn’t take you out”.
Dave! Screamed Hannah, and hugged him. She noticed a nodule on Dave’s neck that wasn’t there this morning. What’s this Doctor? I didn’t see this thing in the morning. What is this?
Doctor called the front desk. “Arrange for MRI right now”.
Hannah: Why MRI? Dave is alright. It’s just a silly thing.
Doctor: Please be patient mam, I know what I am doing. Please let us examine him.
It took hours for the MRI report to be out. Doctor calls Mike, and Hannah, and tells them that Mike had a rare thyroid cancer that’s malignant, and it grows really fast. That was the reason, the nodule that didn’t appear until this morning, was so visible on Dave’s neck now.
Doctor: We’ll have to operate Mike fast.
Dave was sent back home the next week post his radiation session, his nodule was taken out. All this while, Hanna looked after Dave well and had been with him every single second. Hannah resumed work in two weeks. It was hard for Dave to sit idle in the house the whole day, and was waiting to get better so he could join work in some time. He thought of organizing a surprise candlelight dinner for Hannah. Dave started setting up the dinner table, with her favorite orchids and candles. Dave wrote on a huge pink card, “a special evening for the love of my life”.
The clock was ticking 6, Dave drove down to the bar in the nearest plaza, to get Hannah’s favorite wine and food. As he stepped out of the bar, he found a group of young boys and girls surrounding his car. One of them was standing on Dave’s car, and they were too loud and creating a ruckus.
Dave: Hey Guys, what’s up?
Boy: who was standing on the car: What’s the deal man, f&%$ off.
Dave: Dude, that’s my car. Could you please get off? I got to go.
Boys now started making fun of Dave, as they saw both his hands occupied with bags. One of the boys pushed him hard. Dave had almost fallen, he somehow was able to retain his balance.
Dave: Let’s not fight guys. Let me go home. God bless you all!
The boy jumped off the car now and grabbed Dave’s collars. Who are you stupid a%^%#&^&^? Just go.
Dave: Let’s not get into all this. Please leave me.
Boys now started beating Dave, and of them hit Dave in the head. It was an iron rod, he hit Dave with.
Dave: Fell on the ground unconscious and was bleeding.
Next, Hannah got a call from City hospital. The nurse called to inform her that Dave had an accident and was in ICU again.
Hannah couldn’t understand what was going on with them, as if life was now taking some kind of revenge from them. She immediately drove down to see Dave. She found Dave’s head and left eye covered with bandages all around. She didn’t say a word, just sat down with Dave holding his hand.
Dave could hardly see Hannah, he could see blurry images from his right eye, while the left one he had lost sight in this accident.
Dave: Hannah, you should leave me. I want you to have a better partner and a good life ahead. Don’t spoil it for me.
Hannah: Hugged him hard. Said, “I will be there with you for life”. Don’t you say a word now. Just sleep and don’t stress over it.
After a week, Dave’s bandages were off, and he got released from the hospital again. Hannah straightaway drove to church and prayed for Dave to get better. All this had stressed them out a lot.
Even today when Dave recalls this instance, it seems so fresh to him, and he feels all that pain again. He asks God, “Why me?”. Dave wants to get back to normal and again join work, but his condition got worsened with each passing day. It’s been 7 years since then, there has been no improvement in Dave’s vision. He gets chemo sessions every year and is put on steroids. All this harsh medication has turned him bitter towards life and towards Hannah too.
Dave doesn’t even go out now. He doesn’t want people to know that he can’t see properly and spends the majority of the day in his room. Lights or no lights hardly made a difference to him, his life was dark now.
Hannah still tries hard to keep both of them positive. The moment she’s home, she brews coffee for Dave and tells him about people around and how beautiful life will be again for him, while Dave doesn’t have any will towards life.
Whenever he recalls this instance, all he says is, “I forgive you, my evil doers. My life is ruined. I don’t want karma to spoil yours”.
Hannah was late for home today. The moment she reached home, she found Dave waiting on the sofa with a mug in his hand.
Hannah: Honey, how come you are sitting here so late?
Dave: What time is it doesn’t really make a difference. To me, it’s always dark, dark like this coffee that has no crème, no sugar, it’s just dark.
Hannah had no answer to this. She too shared the dark coffee with Dave.