During the process of a patient’s self-administered euthanasia, it’s necessary for a court worker and a notary to be present, and the whole thing needed to be recorded on video.
This recording must be handed over to the police afterwards to prove that it was the patient’s own decision to choose euthanasia, and that no one else was involved.
As long as Alberto hadn’t injected himself with the drugs, he could stop this process at any ti. But Alberto really had had enough of life, and just before going to his death, a glimr of light finally flashed in his eyes.
Grace was his reason for living; without her, he couldn’t find a reason to keep going.
His whole life had been a struggle for Grace!
After he’d signed the euthanasia paperwork, he turned on the drip and waited for death.
The whole thing took only four minutes.
If the butler hadn’t given Rosemary a heads-up, and if Rosemary hadn’t rushed over on a private plane, she wouldn’t have been able to see Alberto in those last four minutes.
In the bedroom were a court official, a notary, a family doctor, a nurse, and a servant.
The large, bright bedroom was deathly quiet; everyone looked downcast.
Rosemary didn’t even know how she had managed to walk to Alberto’s bedside; she choked out, "Grandpa Alberto, are you leaving too?"
"Rose," seeing her, Alberto actually smiled, then looked at Roo and said, "You’re here too."
It must have been the butler who leaked the news.
"Don’t leave alone," Rosemary knelt by the bed, feeling utterly heartbroken.
She knew that to stop this process, Alberto himself had to agree, so she grabbed his hand and pleaded, "Grandma has grandpa with her; you going won’t change anything; you might as well stay with ."
Alberto smiled even more peacefully. "I’ll just watch over her from afar without disturbing her. Wherever she is, that’s where I’ll be. That’s all."
Rosemary knew that with every passing second, his chances of surviving decreased, so she got up to try to stop the injection process.
But Alberto grabbed her hand and said, "Rose, grant this one wish."
Rosemary froze.
"This is my decision, a decision I’ve thought long and hard about. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life in pain and suffering. I want to be free."
"There are lots of ways to find peace. I can take you out and about. I can take you to every place that Grandma wanted to go. I can transplant Grandma’s plants into your garden. And aren’t you supposed to watch grow up? See in my wedding dress."
Rosemary continued pleading, "Grandma’s biggest regret was not being able to see in my wedding dress. Can you do that for her? Can you see in my wedding dress?"
Alberto smiled and shook his head, looking at her lovingly. "There are old friends who can watch you grow and witness your wedding. Let go. You can stop this once, but can you stop it countless tis?"
He really wanted to go to another world, even if he could only watch over Grace from afar.
Rosemary held his hand tightly; her eyes were red.
"Roo," Alberto called Roo’s na, "My granddaughter, I’m leaving her in your hands; if you dare to mistreat her in this life, I won’t let you off even if I’m a ghost. She still has a dozen friends; they’ll help teach you a lesson. You must make her happy."
Roo knew that once Alberto made a decision, it was hard to change it.
He knelt on one knee by the bed, holding Alberto’s other hand, and just said quietly, "This is cruel to Rose."
About a fortnight ago, she had just lost her grandma, and now she has lost her grandpa.
"Sorry, I know I’m being a bit selfish," Alberto knew his ti was running out; he clutched Roo’s hand tightly. "Roo, you haven’t yet agreed to my request."
Roo felt extrely heartbroken. "I promise you, I’ll do my best to protect her and treat her well."
"Good," Alberto closed his eyes in peace. He was glad to have his granddaughter and grandson-in-law by his side before his departure. Whether he was going to heaven or hell, he wouldn’t feel lonely or regretful.
Seeing him close his eyes peacefully, Rosemary couldn’t help but lay beside him, silently shedding tears.
The courthouse staff and the notary finished recording and said a few words before leaving.
The family doctor and nurse also bid farewell to Rosemary with heavy hearts.
In the bedroom, only Rosemary was left by the bed, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably.
Roo gently stroked her back, hoping to provide so comfort.
The butler covered his face, and he tried hard not to cry out loud.
They all knew Alberto’s love for Grace was too deep, a love that transcended the boundaries of life and death.
After an afternoon of grief, the butler gave Rosemary the things Alberto left behind: "This is a video recorded by Alberto before he passed away; he told to give it to you."
Rosemary knew it must contain his last words; she took it and played it in the living room.
In the video, Alberto’s kind face was seen. He first explained why he chose to leave the world this way: because living was too painful for him.
The only thing he couldn’t let go of was Rosemary.
He told Rosemary not to be sad and to live well, and then he arranged his affairs.
"I know you’re still young; you’re already carrying a heavy burden, but please forgive ; I want to be selfish for once, wilful for once. After I die, all my property will be yours for you to inherit. This suit I’m wearing, I was planning to wear it to your wedding. What a pity," Alberto said this with a smile: "I was planning to wear this suit to your wedding; I would have looked more dapper than those old guys. Look at this suit and this hairstyle; don’t I look handso?"
Rosemary’s tears started to flow.
"I’ve arranged for them to be notified after my death, and I’ve also recorded a video for them. They will co to send off. Rose, study hard, be a person who contributes to society, take good care of yourself, and be happy."
At the end of the video, Alberto waved goodbye, saying, "Next life, I still want to be your grandpa."
Rosemary started crying uncontrollably.
Roo held her, comforting her, saying, "This was Grandpa’s own choice; don’t be too sad. Grandpa died happy."
Rosemary knew this was a relief for Grandpa Alberto, but after losing two loved ones in a short span of ti, she was still very sad.
"I’m still here," Roo patted her back sympathetically, like comforting a child, and said, "Stop crying."
Rosemary cried in his arms, as if her world had collapsed, until the other relatives arrived. They held a simple funeral together, bidding farewell to Alberto.
In the blink of an eye, the sumr vacation was over. This sweltering sumr took away her two loved ones. The heat of the sumr drifted in the wind, making Rosemary miss them dearly at this mont.
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