The best people in our lives.

How is your elder brother? I heard a voice from behind.

I turned back to see my friend parking his motorcycle by the side of the bench I was sitting.

He came to my side and sat gently.

I sported an artificial smile.

What happened? Asked my friend again.

You see, life lessons are harder sometimes. It reveals the truth about life.

"I asked about your elder brother, but you are talking about life!" exclaimed my long-time friend.

True. I started to narrate……

The suffering elder brother

The elder brother came to our rented house in another location one day.

I saw him ordering chicken via Amazon the next day, and he started to cook the chicken.

I was surprised and alerted him during the holidays. "Will it suit your body to take chicken?'' he didn't reply.

After two days, he came back from his home telling me that he has got a fever. I reminded him that it was due to the chicken that he got the fever.

He dismissed it by saying it has nothing to do with this fever and after a few days, I heard him consulting a doctor for his diabetes. The doctor also checked him for fever. The doctor advised him to take a covid test.

He didn't undergo the covid test on a particular day. When he met the doctor after two days and took the test, he came to know he has Covid-19.

Once I said he was having a fever and asked him to consult his doctor, I immediately sent a message via WhatsApp to his elder son. I told him to reply soon. He said he will ask his dad. He replied later, telling me that it was for the routine test. But after two days, he tested positive.

The hospitalization drama

Even though he was tested positive, he went to the hospital again to get himself admitted for treatment. He was impatient for some time in the queue and he returned home. The message was given to his both sons and also I called a few hospitals about the availability of a bed for Covid patients only to get a negative answer. Most hospitals with covid patients were full with patients.

Somehow, they managed to get a bed in a private hospital, which was very expensive. During the few days there in the hospital, along with the heavy medical bill, it was also announced that the patient has suffered a stroke leading to paralysis.

This created another crisis for the family which was already in a difficult situation due to the strained relationship between my brother and his wife and son.

The reluctance of sons

Since the family was separated, the son showed minimum care for the Covid patient. it is clear that due to many years of negligence on the part of the husband that both wife and two sons had minimum care and minimum commitment to her ailing husband and the suffering father of the two sons.

The lesson

The lesson is very clear because this kind of critical situation calls for commitment in person and monetary commitment in spending for medical bills. These are essential to protect and even save a person from critical and crisis conditions.

This was what happened to the elder brother, yes, who will look for and who will take enough care if a person doesn't care for his family for a long time.

The limited commitment of wife and sons

Now, it was advised by the hospital to take the patient to the intensive care unit in the nearby city Hospital having advanced medical care. It was going to be expensive and very complicated.

Both the sons and my parents called several hospitals in the nearby popular city Coimbatore to find a bed for the covid patient.

Even though some of our relatives advised him about a particular Hospital, subsequently, the elder brother was admitted to a government hospital and he got a bed for a week.

The limited care of hospital

the hospital which admitted him initially took limited to care of the patient for a week. later they advised his son to take his ailing father to a well-known hospital in the same Coimbatore city.

The dominating younger brother who works in a foreign country suggested taking his elder brother to another popular Hospital in the City.

It was hard and expensive. The patient's parents, despite their age, took care of the son by visiting the elder son in the same Hospital a few times a week. Despite a home care nurse by the side of the patient the care and parental affection were extraordinary.

The treatment

Yeah, the home care nurse took good care of the patient for a month. With purpose and timely treatment, the reputed doctor asked to discharge the patient apart from his advice to do Physiotherapy for 3 months.

Physiotherapy at home

Following the doctor's advice physiotherapy was done for a month. The improvement was very little. It was hard and tiring not only for the patient who had a little movement of the body, it was hard for the home nurse and also for the physiotherapist to look after the suffering patient.

The pain in the face, the emaciated body, and the tasteless tongue refusing to take any solid food was a nightmare for those unused to such suffering.

It was only liquid by a tube that saved his life. The tubes helped him to piss and helped him to survive the impact. It was traumatic.

The key message of the physiotherapist

Now, despite medications and Good care with liquids and food supplements, it was clear that Physiotherapy being a form of exercise helps a bedridden patient to recover.

"We can give Physiotherapy for half an hour daily and let the patient also attempt the same type of physiotherapy exercises in the evening too to get a recovery"

This was the key message given by the physiotherapist and a very essential one to recover from the paralysis. What was the reason behind the sudden change of decision to halt physiotherapy...

The sudden change

Both the parents and I were surprised to find suddenly some stretchers and a few medicos rushing inside the home to take the patient in a stretcher.

The stretchers came and kept the patient in a lying position and sped up. Now surprised and alarmed, I stood there still without winking my eyes.

Parents also wondered. Then they also accompanied the medicos by the medical van to Kerala.

it is not clear now who gave this suggestion. The sudden change of decision against the doctor's advice to do Physiotherapy at home to recover from the paralysis due to the covid was not clear.

"Younger brother had instructed me to take the patient to Kerala hospital for treatment" this was the response I got from the parents later.

The Kerala episodes

the younger brother is adamant and known for his domination over others. He sent a message by WhatsApp to a Kerala hospital. They sent their van to pick up the patient.

This was quite unexpected now. An important point to be noted is the attitude of this arrogant and adamant younger brother. He was working overseas.

He dominates others through his financial contributions. The number of them was controversial. He is responsible for this decision against the doctor's advice of Physiotherapy at home.

The Ayurved hospital's refusal

A new Hospital and a new location with Ayurveda doctors was a new experience for the parents of the patient. They accompanied him all the way to the hospital and upon diagnosis and testing the doctor refused treatment to the patient. The new doctor said "it would take a longer time to recover" and he refused to take in the patient.

The admission by another hospital

The disappointed patient and his parents tried another hospital nearby and they admitted him telling him that they will take good care of the patient who can stay there till he gets cured.

The relieved patient was treated there with the traditional treatment even though it was very difficult to move his limbs. After a month, it was again the same old story.

The doctors found some differences in echocardiograms alarmingly so they also asked the parents of the patient to take the patient to another Hospital. An ambulance was arranged immediately.

The return to the main hospital

The return by ambulance was hard and critical. The patient's parents sat by the side of the patient watching the drips dropping inside the veins of the patient.

How much pain they experienced throughout the two hours of emergency travel by ambulance is anyone's guess.

The ambulance entered the hospital with a few horns and the flash of the red light on top.

In Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, South India the earlier hospital doctor who gave him the treatment was informed. According to his instructions, the patient was readmitted to the intensive care unit.

The Costly blunder

It was a costly-complicated blunder on the part of the arrogant younger brother

His controversial decision of working against the doctor's advice led to this crisis with heavy medical bills and a heavy heart.

Moreover, the enthusiasm, morale, and patience of the patients' family members were inexplicable.

Also, parents were undergoing a test of their lifetime. They stretched the limits of their body and mind in their old age of the 80s. Alas, sons and daughters take care of old parents but here, it is the reverse. Is it their Karma? Who knows.

The insurance

Now the patient applied for insurance. It was not clear initially because of different types of statements from different insurance officials.

Somehow, they managed to submit the claim and the second one which falls under the readmission under the insurance policy is eligible for the Insurance claim.

The borrowing of money

Apart from the Insurance claim, they had to pay heavy medical bills which crossed several lacs of rupees. Parents first borrowed loans from relatives, friends and also got loans from jewelers and financiers.

The times ahead

The parents hope that the son undergoing expensive and time-consuming treatment will get the insurance claims.

The parents are trying to get 300,000 rupees to pay the heavy hospital medical bills for the second time.

They were trying their best even at their old age. They spend their time both in suffering and taking care of their elder son.

Parents affection and expectations

The first son made them the parents. He made the parents called mother and father. Perhaps parental affection they only know.

Parents hope that he will recover quickly after coming back home again, resuming physiotherapy. The parents spent time praying to God not only for recovery but also to get the Insurance claim quickly to pay the hospital bills.

They wish their son to resume his normal routine, as usual, recovering as a normal citizen. This is significant since the patient's age is close to retirement.

"Will he recover as quickly as possible".

As per their expectations, "Will he be able to fully pay Hospital bills through insurance"

"Will the son take care of himself once he recovers from this paralysis?"

"What is going to be his future nearing his retirement"

"Will it lead to the second phase of life? Only time will reveal the lesson."

These are some of the expectations of the aged parents.

Now, let us find the facts here.

Most of us are on the search to find the best people in our lives.

"Our parents are the best people in our lives without a doubt," said my friend with conviction and in a clear voice.

"They brought us to earth".

"They live for us."

"They even die for us."

"One who lives and dies for us are the parents." When I added these facts too, my friend hugged me and I patted his back gently.

"Parents are next to God though they are not God themselves," I said quietly.

Both of us started walking towards a nearby cafe.