2 8
H O P I N G
The next day couldn't get weirder than Dr. Falcon coming to my room and leaning against the door. He gave me a look that said that he knew it all. To say it didn't creep me out, was a lie.
"What?" I raised my eyebrow and asked out loud.
"How was last night?" He asked as he came into the room. He took it on himself to make some coffee using the coffee maker and prepared two cups.
"Last night?" My eyes widened. I ran a finger through my hair and looked at Dr. Falcon, wondering whether he meant the same thing I did.
"He's my nephew after all. This old man knows more than you think he does," Dr. Falcon chuckles.
I sat up straighter in my bed and Dr. Falcon sat next to me and handed me a cup of coffee. I shook my head and told, "I'm not gossiping with you, Dr. Falcon, if that's what you're trying to do. You're not girl enough for me to gossip."
Dr. Falcon laughed sincerely and replied, "Neither did I expect you to. I'm just really happy that Luke's happier and brighter now. So, I guess, thank you."
I merely shrugged. "He makes me happier. I should be thanking him rather."
"How are you feeling now?" Dr. Falcon asked.
"Pretty good," I smiled.
Dr. Falcon looked at me briefly and continued, "You know you're not going to —"
I understood. I had felt it for sometime and even though it pained me to face facts I had to. I knew it. I knew it all along. I cut Dr. Falcon with a monotonous voice, "I know."
I sipped on my cup of coffee in silence and so did Dr. Falcon. He took the moment to start a conversion with me and said, "I want my daughter to meet you. I bet she'll like you."
"Your daughter?"
"Garcia Rose Falcon. She's my angel," and thus, Dr. Falcon began squealing over his daughter. I'm pretty sure I zoned out halfway through the conversation.
It made me smile. People around me smiling made me smile. Something I found marvelling was the mere fact that someone's happiness could sure bring you the same. Right now, Dr. Falcon gushing over his daughter and occasionally, his pretty wife. He loved them. So much.
That's when it hit me slowly. I need my family. I need my family more than ever. I needed my mum and dad to sit with me and laugh over old memories. I needed mum to cook me food forever and I want to squeal over it for eternities. I needed dad to teach me self defence so that I can kick guys' butts. I needed them to sit with me and play monopoly.
I needed Ella and Tori to come over and eat pizzas with me. I needed Ella to keep cursing to make me smile. I needed Tori to be lively as ever and lift the mood. I needed Ella to make me feel awkward with her talks of dirty stuffs with Trent. I needed Tori to remind and assure me that loving myself is all that I ever should be bothered with.
I needed Luke to love me. I needed Luke to remind me of all the features in me that I've forgotten to love on my way. I needed Luke to make me feel loved. I needed Luke to create memories with him. I needed Luke to love him. I needed Luke to make me smile and I needed Luke so that my throat didn't quench and burn.
I needed them all. And goodness, I'm glad I knew them.
"Danielle? You with me?" Dr. Falcon called out to me, snapping me from my trans-like state.
"Yeah, sorry," I replied quickly.
"I must be boring you, huh?" Dr. Falcon laughed, and it almost seemed like he was embarrassed.
"No, definitely no. Oh my god. Your daughter seems like a beautiful person. So does your wife," I confirmed.
"Danielle, darling, I've been talking about my dog for at least five minutes," Dr. Falcon laughed.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," I looked apologetic for a minute but then this embarrassing situation got me laughing soon enough.
A nurse came into the room after knocking. She called for Dr. Falcon to his room since he had a new patient waiting for him. Dr. Falcon apologised and took his leave soon, leaving me yet again, all to myself.
Meh, something I'm definitely used to, here.
•••
Later that evening, as I flipped through the channels hoping for something nice to pop up on the television, Luke walked in. With two huge purple balloons and a box of chocolates.
"Hey, Luke," I greeted. Luke walked towards me and as he pecked me on the forehead, he smiled and wished, "Good afternoon, Ellie."
I look at Luke, quizzically and then at all the goodies he was carrying. Raising an eyebrow, I asked him, "Whose birthday?"
"Haha, very funny, Ellie," Luke mocked me as he spoke sarcastically. "It's for you."
"Ah, what a gentleman," I retorted in a high pitched dramatic voice.
"So much for caring," Luke sighed and then laughed as he placed the chocolates on my table and tied the balloons to the bed.
"How was your day?" I asked him eagerly. And that set Luke off. He began telling me everything with precision and details. He told me of how the debate session at the university was flawed, and how lunch was just a bore. He didn't even miss out on the details of Ella's and Trent's frequent make out sessions.
Luke gave out a boyish charm, something that could make anyone instantly like him. He wasn't always cheerful or happy, but then people found something alluring in his solitaire and silence too. That was the thing with Luke; he was pretty darn attractive.
Luke asked me the same question; and I didn't have much stories to tell. I never did. Danielle Amor Calingham was not the same girl. She changed. A lot and I did not intend to bring the old girl back. Metamorphosis has happened and I'm pretty glad at how things how turned out.
"Nothing much. Your uncle came over and gushed over his family," I chuckled as I replied. Ah, Dr. Falcon and his love for his family. Something so magical could never be witnessed by me again.
Luke and I talked about random stuffs for a while soon after; eating and sharing those chocolates he got for me. Suddenly, he asked me a question that made me think. Out of mere curiosity, Luke asked, "Do you have anything you want to do with me?"
I quickly looked at Luke for a minute and laughed. The very fact that my brain was filled with erotic possibilities when he asked me that question made me hit myself twice. Luke looked at me concerned. After all, I did laugh randomly.
"Sorry!" I mumbled a quick apology and then continued, "Actually yes. There is something I want to do with you and I want to do it right now."
It was now Luke's turn to laugh. We realised how we could have easily been mistaken for dirty talking. Yet again, you're talking about Luke and I. We were innocent poodles with a touch of sparkle.
"What do you actually want to do, Amor?"
"I'll tell you one you take me out of this room," I smiled. "Into the garden."
"If you say so," and on that note, he gently lifted me up and had me sitting on the wheelchair. He pushed me through the open space and took me out into the garden. The wind finally hit my face and I felt glad. I was alive to feel this. I was alive to see this. I was alive to experience the first hit of the summer wind.
He took me to the nearest tree and stopped there. Luke plopped down onto the ground and say before me. There were these beautiful purple flowers all around us and I doubt I've seen anything as pretty as this today.
"I want you to write," I finally voiced out. Luke paused for a minute there and looked at me as if I grew another head. This was not a still frame, I swear.
"What do you mean?"
I stretched out a bit, making sure I was seated comfortably and then told him, "I want to open these letters or writings of ours - tens years later - next to you, so that I can laugh over it. Moreover, it's kinda of a cliche and is cute, don't you think?"
Luke looked at me, amused and then chucked as he mumbled, "The things I do for you, Jesus."
"Don't have to worship me, mongrel," I joked. "Now, shoo, go get some blank sheets and pens from Dr. Falcon."
"You sound like my kindergarten teacher. Oh my god," Luke's eyes widened. Luke stood up and ran back into the hospital to fetch what I asked him to.
I gently lifted my head up and looked at the leaves of the trees above me. So vibrant and green. They glistened marvellously in the sun and I've always wondered how. However, what marvelled me more than them shining, irrespective of anything, was the fact that they always fell. They feel from atop so gracefully and slowly and no one cares. No one ever cares.
God, I knew it. I've known it for some time and I could do nothing to help myself. Did I deserve this? Goodness, how I would love to change fate.
"Ellie?" Luke called out to me as he stood next to me with papers and pens. I looked straight at Luke and that was when tears rolled down my face. Luke placed the papers and the pens on the bench that was near the tree. He quickly took huge strides towards me and engulfed me in a huge warm hug.
"Everything will be alright," he whispered into my ear as he slowly caressed my hair, over and over again. This small action of his gave me warmth and comfort. It instilled hope in me and damn, it made me stronger. I wiped away the tears and Luke pushed himself away. He gave me a huge smile and not at one moment throughout did he ask me what bothered me. It almost felt like he knew better and that what was more important was the remedy and not the cause.
"So, I got the papers," Luke sort of announced. I smiled at him and told him to bring it to me. He did as I asked him to.
"Is this childish?" I asked Luke. Luke raised his eyebrows and answered, "Do you want an honest reply?" I nodded.
"Yes," Luke answered and I laughed.
"Moron, you're supposed to be a good boyfriend and tell me that it isn't."
"Well, it is and the fact that I'm not a literature student and suck at writing does no help. But, the silver lining has to be the fact it's cute. It really is," Luke explained.
"Are you making up for your mean comment, Fletcher?" I laughed it off again.
"Well," Luke's eyes flickered a certain boyish attitude that I loved often. "Maybe." We laughed again as I decked him.
"Get started," I told Luke. I took a paper from the sheaf of papers and uncapped a pen. "I'll be keeping an eye on you."
"When have you not?" Luke winked at me and I instantly blushed.
"Mean," I whined as I wrote my first word onto the paper, Babe.
"You know it's just the truth," Luke licked his lips and turned his focus back onto the paper that was to turn into a letter or anything of a memoir soon.
We continued writing in brief silence. Around thirty minutes later, Luke was the first to be done with the letter. He folded the paper and looked at me. I asked him to wait as I continued writing to complete it.
Luke got up and tried peeping into my paper. I shook my head helplessly and lightly shoved Luke with all the energy I could muster and finally said, "Go away. You'll see this one day."
"Fine, fine," Luke raised his hands in self defence. I was done in another ten minutes and I folded my paper too.
I turned to look at Luke and asked, "Any idea where we can get a spade to dig and bury?" Luke nodded and went to get one. I waited for him to get back, in silence.
As soon as Luke got back with the spade, we dug up a small area right below the tree and buried our letters deep in it, somewhere where we were sure no one was going to dig it up and read it before we did.
Luke stood up after soiling his clothes and I patted away the soil on my hands. We looked up at the tree with unspoken emotions filling our heart.
Seasons were going to pass by. The flowers will fall and wither in Autumn and then bloom again in Spring. As all these seasons pass by, the days will wait for the soil beneath this tree to be dug up again and for those letters to be read. After all, that's how famous love stories portray these.