The hospital became normal, chemotherapy became normal, the withering image of a man who refused to say goodbye became normal. My father did not want to die, he cried, not out of pain, but for the farewell he knew was inevitable. Thus, the morning of October 4th, 2005, the phone rang with an almost eerie cry. I, so meticulously trying to tie my shoes, kept undoing the knots until they met my high standards. Knot after knot, I battled my way until I achieved near perfection. That was the last thing I remember before my grandmother’s wails filled the house, sending chills down my spine. Provided, being the insightful child I was, knew it could only mean one thing. That fateful morning, I cried my hysterical cry.…