A Hero of Mine

16 years ago...

"What do you want to be when you grow up, my daughter?" asked the father to his little daughter.

The daughter was seriously writing a full page of her name when her father asked that. She turned to look at him with such an innocent look and showed him the result of her writing.

"What are you writing? Let me see that paper." he asks while carried his daughter and let her sit on his lap. She still didn't answer the question nor did she know what to answer. Just keeping on quite to let her father answer his own question. She only thought that it wasn't a question for a child at her age.

I just want to play with my friends and go to school and be happy, she said silently.

"What a good handwriting, sweetheart!" his eyes began to sparkle and a smile crooked his lips.

"Do you want to be a teacher? Just like Dad and Mom?" he asked again excitedly.

Her expression changed after he threw an option. Her brow furrowed and she hesitatingly nodded her head in agreement.

"Or maybe a nurse? You can take care of Dad when Dad grows old."

"I guess a nurse is a good choise." the daughter finally answered.

"I will take care of Dad, so that Dad won't sick again!" such an exhilarating answer beside the fact that she still has a very long way to go, and the father doesn't have long left to live.

୨୧

As years pass by, she only wanted to say that,

"Thank you for being my hero. Thank you for always being there when I needed of you. And thank you for taking care of me when I was younger. Now, I've grown up to be a beautiful, smart, and incredible person you used to pray for.

I really miss you and I'm hoping to meet a man like you someday."