🌟All it takes is one day to shatter the dreams of forever."
My eyes widened in search of the source, when I finally located it, my heart stopped.
A middle aged woman had her knees to the floor, her face swollen and bathed with tears, her hair short and scanty like it'd been uprooted from her scalp. Beside her, on the floor lay her outer wrapper, and in her hands, clutched so tightly and unwilling to let go was a hand of someone who's entire body was covered with an immaculate white sheet. Her grip was too tight, the two staffs transporting what I already realized to be a dead body, each held the two ends of the stretcher tightly so the deceased wouldn't topple.
My sympathy went for the poor women. Who knows if it's her husband, child or relative.
Shaking my head thrice, I looked beside me to Anthony, only to find the spot he'd occupied, empty. Then, I heard a rapt thud of feets on the stairs that indicated someone was either in a hurry or running away. The latter was more convincing when after scanning around, I couldn't find Anthony. Quickly, I bounded down the stairs unsure as to what was going on and why he raced off.
"Anthony!" I yelled at him in panic when I saw him go on his knees outside the hospital. The scream he let loose like a tortured soul, frightened me. I took hold of his shoulder, shaking him slightly for him to look up at me.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!" I barked in anger.
Anthony stopped moving. Like a statue, he craned and looked me in the eyes. My legs began shaking at what I saw indebted in them. So lifeless like that of the death.
"Anthony..." the quivering of my legs spread to my hands. So unsteady I let go of his shoulders. "What. Is. Going. On?"
"Daniel... is gone."
Like a twisted woman, I released a boisterous laugh that had no business to do with humor, but everything to do with shock, disbelieve, anger, confusion. "What did you... just say?"
"Daniel is dead! It was him you saw lying on that goddamned thing! It was his mother crying her life out!" He gestured widely all around as wild as his eyes flew.
Bit by bit, reality came tumbling down. "D-d... NO!!!" I cried at the top of my lungs tearing back to the entrance door. Strong arms grabbed me holding me back. "Fucking let go of me!" I screamed uncaringly at the people around me. I stared at the door in utmost shock. How could that be? Is this some kind of a dream? I saw him just last night.
"Why are you stopping?" I demanded, furiously struggling his hands off me. But they were as strong as rock.
"Because... he made me promise not to let you see his body. He knew it would break you when you do," Anthony cried, his hold loosen on me. "Please, respect his wish," as he pleaded his heart boomed matching the tempo of mine. I felt the back of my top soak in his tears. "I'm sorry, Isabella. It hurt us all." He dropped his hands from around me. Giving me the will to go ahead or doing as Daniel had made him promise to. As much as I wanted to disagree with his decision, I knew the reason why he'd wanted it. If I had set my eyes on him, I'm not all too sure to have let him go without a fight.
My legs gave out under me, the surrounding became dim and dimmer at each tick of time. Giving in to the power pulling my consciousness in, I let go of myself as the sky turned dark.
__________
"Am I in heaven?" I asked as I opened my eyes to sparkling brightness. The surrounding white and glistering. Is this what heaven looks like?
"Finally, you are awake."
"Awake?" I looked up to stare at a face. It couldn't be possible that we all died together, could it? "Anthony?" I said not too sure if he'd answer or not.
"I'm right here. I'm grateful you are finally awake after five hours of being unconscious."
Oh, so that is it...
Memories flooded back bringing along with him anger and sadness. Without thinking, I leaped off the bed, the needle passing up drip into my veins, yanked away and landed on top of a tray on a table beside the bed. Anthony's gasp of alarm rang.
"You shouldn't leave just yet until the doctor permits it."
"Why don't you try and stop me." I glared at him. Shoving my feet in my shoe, tearing the door open, I marched out a moment from running into a young man who I detected to be the doctor considering the uniform he was wearing.
"Ah, you are awake..."
I shoved past him down the hall.
"Isabella? That's your name right? I need to know how far you've recovered."
Totally ignoring him, I clambered down the steps and out the front door. Soon, there was the sound of footsteps coming closely behind. I didn't turn to know who it was. All my instincts at that moment where to get back home.
"Isabella, there's something he asked me to give to you." That stopped me in my tracks, I jerked around to face him.
In the bag that had been on his shoulder the entire time, he brought out a book—a diary, I discovered by taking a close look at it. The very diary I had been nosy on the previous day. Hesitatingly, he handed it to me. "There is a letter, and in it, you'd find the answer to the question you seek to know. And reading all of it is the last wish he asks of you." he said gently looking specifically at the diary.
I wrapped my hands around the thick book to my chest like it was the last thing I've got left. "Thank... you."
He licked his dried lips. "You're welcome. Can you find your way home?"
"I'm not a kid nor an old woman," I joked dryly, forgetting entirely what it was like to smile.
He nodded in response. "Goodbye, then."
I pressed my mouth in reply; veered and headed home.
___________
Fat tears dropped down the moment I unlocked my door and staggered my way in, falling on a near-by chair. I shuffled through the diary, and just like he'd said it, at the middle was a letter neatly planted. I took it stretching it closer to my eyes to be able to read it clearly without the obstruction of my tears.
At the very top were two beautifully drawn faces, one belonging to a male and the other a female. Then it reads:
I don't have all the time in the world to go on being formal. So I will hit right straight to the point. I loved you from the very first day I set my eyes on you. With everything in me, I loved you. Knowing I have only but a limited time to be on this earth, I decided to keep my feelings to myself so I wouldn't start what I would not be opportuned to explore. Then, I found out you love me, too. It wasn't so hard to discover that little secret you tried bottling up.(Laughs) Believe me, it wasn't funny. I was hurt, because I know in no time my leaving this world will hurt you.
Four years ago, before I got admission into the University, I was diagnosed with leukemia after going through some series of tests. It was natural to give up hope on life, but I didn't. I was with the hope of emerging as a survivor of the deadly disease. I went on to write a jamb and successfully was accepted into the university. I was so focused and aiming to achieve the best in my situation no matter the off and on I was being attended to in the hospital. As time went on, my doctor informed me that I only had three months to live. Seeing no other option to survive, I decided to live my best life. And how ironic that it was the same hour I received the news that I met you in that canteen. Remember the day I left in a hurry in your apartment? I was having an attack of the sickness and wouldn't want you to know of it the reason why I left. Counting the days I've got left everyday was draining me so badly. The complete opposite of what I had said to myself before I met you. I couldn't stand the knowledge of not discovering that which I'd dreamt and fantasized about with you. I took you on a date, YES A DATE, yesterday, I admit it, because I knew it was the last day left for me. After taking my bath, I saw you going through my diary and cursed myself multiple times for being careless about it and revealing what I didn't want to. So I came up with the false story of falling in love with Anita. In truth, I know no one by that name, and it is you I love and no one else. When you bolted off, I realized I'd fucked up and called after you to tell you the truth, but then it was too late for the beast which I'd battled with for years came tearing my inside letting me know it was time for me to give up the fight.
I rushed back home and quickly scribbled this letter. Called you to hear your voice one last time before I shut my eyes forever; I understand you were upset...
I stopped reading as my shoulders quivered . My throat felt like it was going to explode from the pressure weighed on it. "I can't read any further," I cried barely hearing my own voice. The paper fell from my grasp flying to the floor. I shield my face with my hands and continue to weep. Unable to come to the term with the fact that I no longer would be seeing him ever again.
"That is the last wish he asks of you...
Anthony's voice rang in my mind. Picking the paper back up, I kept on reading...
If given the option of letting go of everything of the world just to be with you, I wouldn't hesitate to add more to make sure I achieve that. I wish I could go further on, but the life in me is slowly leaving and I have no strength to keep on. In my diary, is my written journey of life and that of love. If you feel like it, you can decide to share my short story; our unexplored love story. I'm glad to have experienced how it feels like to love. I believe it is destiny, and the work of fate beyond will. Always know that I love you. And one more request, LIVE AND LOVE. That alone will make me happy wherever I am. Goodbye.
No...
There were signs that he was dying. The display in the coffee shop, the occasional words about death he'd thrown. He knew it all along. I can't imagine the pain he had been enduring.
"No..."
"No!" I stood up from the seat, mindlessly trudged out. I threw open the door, surprised to see it was dark already. I heaved a heavy weighty sigh of pain recoiling back, then, something up above caught my attention. Slowly, I looked up. The beautiful sight of the moon millions of feets up ahead loomed, shining more brighter than I'd witnessed in years. The color strangely is a mixture of yellow, brown and red.
I sat on the pavement, not taking my eyes off for the barest moment. "Daniel, I know you are up there having a good time with the angels. I never asked for the world, moon, or sea; all I asked for was for you to be in it, under it and beside it with me. Just know that I will always love you. I promise to live. As for love, I don't think I can ever replace you in my heart. We will always be in touch... forever."
THE END
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THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO TOOK OUT TIME TO READ THIS BOOK. I HAD A TOUGH TIME FINISHING IT UP BECAUSE OF HOW IT WAS GONNA END. WHAT EVER SUGGESTION YOU HAVE, DON'T HESITATE TO COMMENT. AND PLEASE DO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT BY VOTING AND CHECKING OUT MY OTHER BOOK TITTLED MY RUTHLESS BOSS. THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN.
THE END
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THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO TOOK OUT TIME TO READ THIS BOOK. I HAD A TOUGH TIME FINISHING IT UP BECAUSE OF HOW IT WAS GONNA END. WHAT EVER SUGGESTION YOU HAVE, DON'T HESITATE TO COMMENT. AND PLEASE DO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT BY VOTING AND CHECKING OUT MY OTHER BOOK TITTLED MY RUTHLESS BOSS. THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN.