The Void Between Hearts ~~ongoing~~

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   "How?" I don't get it. "I'm confused. Are you being serious?"

   "At the hospital, yesterday, the doctor told me." she folds her arms and swallows.

   I feel my eyes start to burn, like they're about to leak acid.

   "Five months is not very long but it's all I have."

   "FIVE MONTHS?" I can't believe my ears. "Did you say five months? Five months till what?" I whisper.

   "After five months. . ."

   I turn away, looking anywhere but at her, squeezing everything I can squeeze in my body, my fists, my eyes, my abdomen, my lips, all to hold back on the waves of pain that threaten to overwhelm me.

   "Ivan, you have to listen to me," she pulls my shoulder around. Looking at her just builds more hurt.

   How can she die? And five months, she'll not even turn 18?

   "I know it's hard and I'll very much like to tell you that I'm joking, but I'm not," she says.

   "Bo, even forever isn't long enough."

   "I don't have forever. Nobody does." She wipes my face with her palm. I find myself leaning into her touch but she pulls her hand away.

   "I can't do life without you Boma. We just started. This is so unfair. If it's because I left all those years, I'm sorry." I want to collapse, and burst into a million pieces.

   "It's not that. Just a nasty complication from the heart attack I had five years ago. I didn't want to tell you because I felt like you'd get scared and leave."

   "You felt that way?"

   "Not many people know how to deal with stuff like this."

   "I'm so sorry."

   "You don't have to be." She says.

   We're both silent for a while, just thinking and absorbing as much as we can from each other.

   "What are you going to do?" I ask.

   "I don't know, after prom, would be the wedding, and there's their honey moon, I didn't take UTME this year, so no university. I'm basically set up to wait till . . ."

   "Don't say it. Forever is what you make it."

   "How about you? What will you do after?" She asks.

   "I don't know what after is without you." I say.

   She rolls her eyes, "Ivan, you really don't have to."

   "I know and I'm not doing anything out of my will. You're my friend, friends don't go running when storms come, they dance together in the rain."

   She smiles, fixing a straight gaze at my eyes. "There's no storm, or rain. I'll die, and you'll have to move on."

   I hear it well. My brain analyses it, tears it apart, understands it. Being away, I found hope knowing she was in Port-Harcourt, what will I do this time, not knowing where she is, where to find her?

   "Does Chinny know?" I ask

   "No. Chinny won't be able to handle it. I'm not going to tell her."

   "That would break her to pieces."

   "I don't know if it's the best choice, but I can't handle living while she knows I'm dying soon. It's just going to be too much for her."