Ephemeral

February 11, 2021

[A/N: Trigger warning: please read with care. Some content may be unhealthy for some readers.

PS. I used English language in this story to practice my vocabulary. Should you notice some grammar errors, I'm very willing to be corrected. Teehee.]

Story begins here:

~~~~

February 11, 2021.

Luckily, today, we have no classes because of some school field trip I choose to not attend. I, instead, put on my pants and hooded sando to visit Lily at the hospital.

I bought some fruits like apples to keep the doctors away, oranges to remember how the sun sets and rises, and banana. I don't have a particular reason for banana, I just saw them in movies so I brought them along.

I watched the fruits sweats dripped from the plastic bag down to the gray carpet of the taxi I'm riding that was going so slowly. If only I accepted the car my father offered last time. I declined it for some stupid reason as I'm going to die soon, anyway.

I watched the rode from the backseat window and I can even see some bicycles keeping up with the taxi's pace.

After some time, finally, I'm here. The taxi driver dropped me off near the hospital gates. The sun is actually too bright so I decided to run from the gates to the building entrance.

I walked freely but the guards stopped me and said that the visitation time is not yet up and it will start by 1 o'clock in the afternoon. So I roved my eyes inside as I saw some benches in line on the lobby and asked them if I could stay there, instead. I travelled for an hour and I don't want to waste another two hours for going back and forth.

I sat on the bench watching the clock hands move slowly. Every ticking sound feels like an hour when waiting and I hate it.

To cure my boredom, I moved my sight around the hospital lobby until it landed on a disturbing poster of some dental complications on the wall just near the bench I'm sitting. I analyzed those bleeding gums and misaligned teeth and imagined a way on how to fix them using a Photoshop.

I, then, decided to stroll outside to kill some time but before I can even remove myself from sitting, I saw her mom sat on the bench in front of me, crying on the phone. I guess, she did not recognize me.

"I can't afford the transplant... I don't know what to do. It is her only option."

I stared at the dental poster again as to prove myself that I'm not eavesdropping but I could hear her clearly.

"I thought she was going to leave me already... I saw how she bends down and how her whole body stiffened. I was so scared."

All I know is Lily is fainting often, but is it a heart attack this time? I hope it was just a chest pain.

"The doctor even told me she will not last long..."

My heart jumped to my throat.

Suddenly, I couldn't hear anything clear and everything became blur. She's lying, right? She was just scared, right?

I was staring at the dental poster long enough that I do not find it disturbing, anymore. I've been staring at it way longer after Lily's mom went back.

Her mom's words stinged me. But Lily... she has the will to live. I know she'll survive it. I know it.

My heart was pounding - whether it's good or bad, I don't know.

Soon enough, it's 1 o'clock already. Without grabbing any lunch, I went straight to her room. My mind was dazed but I set aside what's bothering me to gave Lily another sweet smile she wanted. I saw her mom outside the room on her phone, again.