Chapter 45
In the afternoon, my mother and I planned to go to the hospital to find Dr. Hoang to ask more about my father’s condition. My mother told me to wait outside, and she went into the office alone. I thought this was a good opportunity to test the effectiveness of the camera in my mother’s bag, so I found a quiet corner to sit down and opened the application. The image in Dr. Hoang’s office appeared clearly. My mother knew I was watching, so she cleverly placed the bag in a position that could cover the whole scene.
Mom sat across from Dr. Hoang, recounting all of Dad’s recent strange behavior. Dr. Hoang listened attentively, then asked: “Sister My, what you just told me, the story of Thang seeing a goddess in a dream, then debauching with a few other men, and that goddess looked very much like you… have you ever seen or experienced this scene?”
After hearing that, Mom paused for a moment: “No, never. I don’t know where the scene in my husband’s head came from.”
I know my mother is lying. Who would expose family scandals?
Dr. Hoang continued: “Ms. My, the scenes in your husband’s mind could be things that really happened, it’s just that this shock has caused part of his memory to be broken. When he has a headache, it’s very likely that his brain is trying to remember. It wants to connect those fragments of memory into a complete picture, so at that time, his head will hurt. But this is a good sign, as long as he tries to patch things up, sooner or later he will be able to put them back together. That’s also when he regains his memory. So, congratulations, your husband’s illness still has hope of being cured.”
After hearing this, Mom looked a little stunned, but quickly calmed down: “Doctor Huang, why is it that every time my husband has a headache, his desire is especially strong? Every time we make love, his headache disappears. How should we understand this?” After saying this, a blush spread across Mom’s cheeks.
Doctor Hoang explained seriously: “My, the phenomenon you mentioned is called self-anesthesia in medicine. That is, when the body is in pain, the brain will automatically find another, stronger stimulus to suppress the feeling of pain. It is a self-protection mechanism. The craving and sex you mentioned are the substitute stimuli that his brain has chosen. In other words, the more pain, the more aroused. Unless the root of the pain is resolved, this phenomenon will never disappear. And to resolve it completely, we must restore those fragmented memories. That is the only way.”
After listening, Mom pondered for a moment: “Doctor Hoang, what you mean is, the more pain later, the stronger the desire, and the necessary push must also be stronger, right?”
Doctor Hoang nodded: “Ms. My, you understand completely correctly. Your husband’s current pain only needs a push from sex to change direction. But later, when the pain continues to increase, if sex alone is not enough, your husband will most likely seek stronger pushes. And what that push is, I cannot know.”
After hearing this, Mom’s expression changed and she asked, “Doctor Huang, does that mean that if the push my husband needs is not met in the future, his brain will automatically try to patch up the memory until he remembers it completely?”
Dr. Hoang replied: “That’s right. When there is no external stimulation, the brain will try to heal itself. But when it can heal, no one can say in advance. If the patient has a strong will to remember, it will be very fast. But if he is constantly distracted by external stimulation, the end result is only one: the memory will never be mended.”
Mother continued to ask: “What you mean is, if the patient is constantly disturbed by external stimuli, the memory will never be able to recover?”
Doctor Hoang confirmed: “That’s right. Because the process of mending memories requires continuity. It can’t be mended just a little bit, and then interrupted by another push. Then the next time you want to mend it, you have to start from the beginning. Therefore, if you want the patient to remember, you have to create a quiet environment for him. For example, if you want to help your husband, I have two pieces of advice: One, in the future, the two of you should not have sex, let him face the pain himself, create a forced environment, like drug addiction treatment. Two, if this drug addiction treatment is too difficult, your husband’s need for stimulation will continue to increase. If sex is no longer strong enough, he will seek out more stimulating activities, and what those are, I cannot know. But by doing so, your husband’s memory will not be able to be mended, until one day all the pushes are useless, he will still return to the path of self-healing. No matter how many years pass, in the end there is only one way.”
After listening, Mom asked the last question, her voice trembling slightly: “Doctor Hoang, what you mean is, as long as the stimulation can satisfy my husband’s craving, he will never remember it for the rest of his life, unless one day there is nothing left that can stimulate him anymore?”
Doctor Hoang replied: “You understand correctly. But memories also have their expiration date. If after 10 years they still cannot be mended, they will gradually fade away, until they disappear completely. And once they disappear, they will never be found again.”
After hearing this, Mom breathed a sigh of relief: “Thank you very much, doctor. This time, there is hope for my husband’s illness. I understand everything. Thank you!” After saying that, Mom and Doctor Hoang exchanged a few more polite words before leaving.
I met my mother in the hallway. She said: “Huy, you saw everything we just talked about.”
I replied: “Yes, Mom, I saw everything. I want to know what you think now.”
Mom pulled my hand: “Come on, let’s talk about it when we get home.”
When we got home, my mother and I sat down on the sofa. She looked straight into my eyes and said seriously: “Huy, I want to ask you, do you want your father to be cured or not? I want to hear your honest answer.”
On the way home, I had racked my brain over this question, so when my mother asked, I didn’t hesitate: “Mom, I love Dad, but I love you more. I can’t lose this family. So, I don’t want Dad to remember. That’s my sincere words.”
Mom raised her hand to stroke my hair, her eyes gentle: “Huy is really grown up, he knows what is important. Mom feels relieved to hear you say that. Mom will also tell me what she thinks, we can discuss it together.”
I said: “Yes, Mom, go ahead.”
Mom said: “Doctor Hoang said it very clearly. The only way to prevent your father from remembering is to constantly satisfy his cravings, so that he doesn’t have time to patch up the broken pieces in his mind. As long as he can satisfy his cravings for 2 years, then after 2 years, those memories will disappear forever. This is the key.”
I said: “Mom, isn’t this simple? If you and dad just keep fucking each other for a few more years, won’t it all be over?”
Mom laughed, but her laughter sounded dry, like the sound of dry leaves breaking: “Huy, you think too simply. If it was that simple, why would I still worry?”
I asked, bewildered: “Mom, I don’t understand. I think mom and dad fucking each other is the most exciting thing in the world. Is there anything more exciting than fucking mom?”
Mom smiled again, a smile of someone experienced: “Huy, you are still young, you do not understand men. No matter how beautiful a woman is, in the eyes of men, there will come a time when she becomes boring. Besides, your father and I are already an old couple.”
I half understood: “So what if mom is not strong enough to stimulate dad anymore?”
Mother replied, her voice helpless but full of determination: “This matter can only go as far as it goes. There is only one thing that cannot be changed, and that is to satisfy all of your father’s cravings. Only then can we keep this house. Therefore, from now on, your father will be the king at home. You and I, both of us, must unconditionally obey all of his requests!”
I helplessly muttered: “Okay, I’ll do as you say.”
I replied sadly: “Okay, I know, I will take good care of Dad!” I thought to myself, Mom really exhausted herself for Dad. Who would have thought that the mother who called out to a hundred people at school, who was as arrogant as a queen, would return home to be a servant, even a slave, just to make her husband comfortable .
I did as my mother told me to, put tea and fruit on the table, then went into the kitchen. My mother was washing vegetables, I asked: “Mom, is there anything else you need me to do?”
Mom replied, her voice tired but a little joking: “Your dad’s alcohol tolerance has gotten a lot better lately, he wants to have a glass every day. That’s what he says to get him in the mood. Go to the supermarket and buy two bottles of wine, one white, one red. Mom has to drink with him too, otherwise he’ll be bored drinking alone. Mom’s out of options now, staying at home is no different from a woman who’s always horny.”
I said: “I know, I’m going to buy some wine.” After saying that, I shook my head helplessly and slunk out of the house.