“Why do you want to know if you have cancer? If you are feeling okay, why don’t you just let it be? You keep saying you don’t want to be in the hospital in the last days of your life.”

“Yes, I don’t.”

“Then why do you need to know?”

“I need to know how long I have. For far too long I’ve been living off my investments; I keep saving them for later; so I can still be independent when interest rates are lower and inflation is still higher; and when the money from the pension funds will not be enough. Once I have an idea, I’ll know just how much more planning I need to do. It’s not the age, it’s the damn fiscal scenario that tires me.”

“You have us, we’ll take care of you. Trust me.”

“This is not about trust, my child. This is about self-esteem; I must take it to my grave.”