Goodbye
Chapter 3
Wish
Wish
"Hi!" Yoh waved his calloused hand while grinning at me like nothing's wrong. Like he was just strolling around and came across me at the park, enjoying the warmth of the glorious sun. "Long time no see, Anna." It's almost a week after I last saw him. And now that he's here waving at me like the idiot he is, it took all my will power not to jump to him and hug him with all my might. I want him to tell me everything' will be fine. That he' will be there for me. My heart begged for him as much as I beg to spare my life from kami-sama. I need him.
But then, the thought of hurting him, of him being alone and after I die, of him crying, of him with his heart broken because of me, of me being a burden to him as the life fades away from my grasp, all of those thoughts stopped me from doing so. I banged the door at his face and clung at it for support. "Go away!"'' I yelled.
"Anna, we need to talk," he said calmly through the closed door. "I know this is a very hard situation for you, but please let me be with you."
"I don't want to! " I said, being hard-headed for his sake. "Go away and leave me alone."
"I can't do that. I love you too much to leave you all alone." He whispered loud enough for it to get through me, to feel his sincerity.
"Y-you love me?" I stuttered, tears now threatening to form on my eyes.
"Yes, so please le…"
"Well, I don't. So just let me be." I scuttled towards my room not bothering to close it. There's no one here anyways aside from me. I plopped myself on the soft bed and whimpered silently, helplessly, uselessly, hopelessly.
I want to dash and fall in his arms, hug him tight, never letting go. I want him to wash away my tears and fears with his lazy smile I want him more than the thought of having a second chance to live. "S-sorry…" I sobbed, broken, when someone pulled me and I felt my fragile being engulfed by a strong pair of arms. My sob sounded muffled for I was crying dejectedly on his chest. I looked up to see the face of the man who pulled me almost out of my misery and saw the most wonderful face peering down at me. "Yoh How did y-," he smiled at me broadly as he dangled the keys on his hands. "Luke…" my eyes widened, realizing who could've given Yoh the only key of this haven.
"Yep. He's a very kind man, you know." He said winking at me while chuckling. Then his face became suddenly serious and whispered, "Everything will be fine. Koishii. I am here now. Share your pain and troubles to me. Let me kiss it all away. Don't isolate yourself from me."
"But that's what I want. I wish you to be used to living without me. And… And…" my voice failed me as I began to whimper once more. "I don't want to be a burden."
"You'll never be a burden to me. You are the greatest gift I've ever received."
"Don't say that. I know you just pity me."
"No, I don't pity you. I still want to live," he chortled. "No one would dare to pity Anna Kyouyama. Hehe. And I swear you'll never be burden to me or to any of the gang."
"Never?" I whispered dazed. I also want to stay with him
"Uh-huh.." nodding his head.
"You don't even know what will happen in the future and what this disease will do to me."
"Exactly! That's one of the reasons why I want you to stay with me. So I can look after you. Although Luke is a good man, you can't deny the fact that he still has his own life, his own problems and his own love ones to take care off. And he'll definitely not care for you as much as I do."
"Oh, Yoh," I whispered. I wanted him to stay with me, to continue hugging and comforting me, to say assurances and promises. How I wish I don't have this twice-cursed disease, "I am still fine, right now. But there'll be a time that I will lose my strength to even hold you r hand…"
"Then I'll be the one who'll hold yours," he said and gently held my hand and smiled down at me.
"I won't even be able to hold a spoon to feed my useless self…" I argued still.
"I'll be the one to hold it for you and give you food and water and everything you need. And no, you are not useless."
"I am," I glared at him.
"No you're not. Staying with me and being the reason why I am still living, why would you be useless? You're the one who still gives me reason to breathe…" he touched my lips lightly with the tip of his finger playfully. I can't help but smile at that.. "Is that all, huh? Anna?"
"No," I released myself from his embrace and sat on the bed, resting my back on the headboard. "You know, Luke told me that there'll be a time I won't even be able to get up and out of bed. I won't even have the strength to sit or prop myself up on my elbow. I won't be able to get up and walk along the hallway and down the stairs nor go watch TV in the living room…"
"Then I'll carry you in my arms, just like how the grooms carry their brides, sounds good, ne?" he asked, sitting beside me. He lifted the blanket and pull it over the both of us. I felt so warm and safe, and contentment washed over me.
"I won't be able to take a bath on my own. I'll stink," I said, my face now crimson as I bore my eyes down at the blanket.
He tenderly cupped my chin and tilted my face towards him and said, "Don't worry, I'll still love you even if you smell." He crinkled his nose, pretending to sniff some stench and laughed at the horror look on my face.. "Well, it's true that I will still love you even when you stink like hell, but do you really think I would let my beautiful Anna to smell?"
"I do not want Tamao to give me a bath." I pushed his hands away from my face.
"Did I say that I will let Tamao give you a bath?" he asked me raising an eyebrow.
"I do not want to be bathe by other people, okay?"
"I know," He murmured, leaning closer to me. "That's why I would." I was really shocked to hear this from him. He will bathe me? That would be so embarrassing!
"No!" I shouted."I- I- I-…"
"You don't have to be embarrassed Anna. I am your fiancé after all."
"But…"
"No but's and if's," he said looking like a stern teacher. The only missing props would be Yoh wearing a thick rimmed glasses and a stick.
"I won't have the strength to go to the bathroom to pee or to.. uh… well, I would be like a baby."
"Well, you really are my baby, I don't care at all. Anna, I do not care if you won't have the strength to do all the things you need to do. I don't care. I am here. I am your strength. I will be your hands if you need to hold your cup of tea.
"I will be your feet if you need to do go to the john. I will carry you in my arms if you want to watch your favorite soaps downstairs. I'll bathe you; I'll comb your glorious hair. I'll wash you. I'll feed you. I'll love you no matter what. Understand?"
I don't know what to say anymore. I just stared at him and tears started to fall down from my eyes but this time I am not crying because of the physical state I am in now but because that I have Yoh, that I have him as my fiancé. And now I am so sure that he truly, deeply love the same way I do.
He wiped my tears away with his calloused hands and said, "I don't want you to endure everything on your own. I want you to trust in and believe. Everything will turn out fine. For now, just take a rest and sleep. I'll pack your things up. Once you wake up, we'll go home."
Home… I smiled as he tucked me in my blanket and kissed me softly. Touching my cheeks lovingly, he whispered, "Sleep tight, Omae." I started to feel sleepy as my eyes slowly drooped down and my lashes fluttered, trying to fight away the sleep. "You have to take a rest Anna. So sleep first then I'll take you back."
"I am afraid to close my eyes," I mumbled. Yoh walked to the other side of the room to get my bag in the closet. He whirled and looked at me. "Huh?"
"I am scared that…"
He nodded to let me know he wanted me to continue.
"…you might…This…know…I mean… might just be a dream. That when I wake up, you'll be-," he walked back towards me. His face showing so much tenderness and love. " This is not a dream," he sounded like he's assuring himself. "No., Not a dream" he said once again as he slipped under the blankets beside me. He pulled me in his warm embrace and said softly, "Let's sleep together then."
My face turned crimson at his words. Seeing the reaction his getting from me, he chuckled. "Oh, no, Anna. It's not the way you think it is. You really need to sleep. We can do more of it in the future. Now sleep and I'll pack the things up later while you are preparing to go back to the Inn."
I closed my eyes let his arms enfold me as I welcome happy dreams…
Yoh's POV
I woke up feeling warm and great all the same. A smile brightened my face as I saw the lovely lady sleeping safe and sound beside me. I admire this beautiful creature with some more when someone suddenly spoke.
"Did you have a good sleep?" I looked at the owner of the voice who's sitting contentedly in Anna's bedroom.
"Luke!" I hurriedly got up while trying my best not to wake up the sleeping beauty. "I am very sorry fo-,"
"It's okay. I already packed all of her things, seeing how you managed to convince her." The doctor flashed a knowing grin at me.
"Ah… yeah… well," I felt the heat making my face turn scarlet. "Uhm. Luke, May I ask you something?"
"Sure," He said, now looking more serious because of the tone of his voice. "What is it?"
"Is there really no other treatment that would cure her?"
"Actually, it cannot be cured at all. We can just slow its progress, relieve symptoms and also try to make her more comfortable and happy even though she's in this condition." He does not want to break this news to him but there is no other choice and it they can't avoid it. "There are only some medications that we can give her but after that we can only hope for miracle."
"Yoh?" Anna was now wide awake and panicking for not seeing Yoh beside her.
"I am here, sweetheart. Are you awake enough to pull yourself up and go home with me?" I asked smiling enticingly down at her.
She blushed as she saw Luke smiling at the both of us, smiling at our antics. "You should give your fiancé a chance to love you, Ms. Kyouyama. Now, hurry up. So I can give you and your beloved a ride back home."
"Really?" I exclaimed. "That would be great! I don't have enough money with me to rent a cab. Thank you so much!" When I stole a glance to Anna, she sent me an icy glare. Hehe. Dying or not she's still the same. She went to the restroom after seeing me still in the room to tidy herself before she emerged refreshed and ready to go.
"Yes, so hurry or I might change my mind," he said, chuckling as his feet led him out of the room.
"Eh? Wait! Come on, Anna!" I dragged Anna with me and we both ran to catch up with the good natured young doctor.
AaAaA
Anna's POV
It's been four months now after I went back to En Inn. I was pretending to watch the soap on TV, boring my eyes on the scene that didn't even reach my ears. I sensed every one of them doing their duties at the Inn. Nothing changed that much. Well, nothing changed, except me. I can feel my strength ebbed away day by day, every minute, every second and I know my time's about to come. My life slowly slipping from my grasp but still, everyone tried their best to keep the way things are before I was diagnosed to have this disease.
I can hear Tamao and Pirika's soft and swift gestures while in the kitchen, cooking our dinner. Horo probably busy wolfing down our stocks of food, Ren, practicing with his power spirit. Manta helping Ryu scour the floor in the hallway and Chocolove playing with Mic outside. They still do their respective chores dutifully and, I must add, excellently. They don't complain anymore, they just do it without me even telling them what to do nor how to do it properly. They worked as if the chores are already a part of them. Yeah. Nothing changed except for…
"Anna, it's time to eat you dinner," Yoh entered the room, carrying a tray of food. It's only porridge and a glass of water for I am now having a hard time chewing the food and even harder swallowing it. "Here," he said, putting down the tray in front of me. He sat beside me and lifted me to sit on his lap. "Open your mouth," he whispered. God. Even opening my mouth felt as hard as carrying a bucket full of water.
Yoh did every single thing for me, just like what he promised to me that day he went to drag me back home. When I started to lose the strength I have bit by bit, he was there to fill up every ounce of strength I am losing. I can feel death in every bone and muscle aching within me. I know my time is already coming to an end and I know that. There will be a time that I won't even have the power to open my eyes and the strength to breathe. I know that that time is so near now.
But still, I feel so happy, I'll die with a smile on my face, knowing that I am far now to what I had been before: cold, isolated and heartless. I am all but those now. And I must thank this wonderful man beside me for working miracles in my life, a short but very meaningful, happy life. I am contented. I've come to realize how much loving someone and being loved in return can change a person in the most astonishing ways.
If I didn't listen to Yoh and kept on pushing him away, I would probably be dying with tears on my face and with a heavy broken heart. I am very glad I chose to be with him. Now I can rest in peace, with you by my side until my final breath.
"Let's go, Anna. You have to rest now," Yoh took me in his arms effortlessly and marched up the stairs, cautious of his every step.
I rest my head on his shoulder and whispered, "Your training really did a great job on you," almost not audible.
HE smiled down at me. "Yeah," he chuckled lightly and planted a gentle kiss on my forehead. "Are you feeling sleepy now?"
I just looked up at him and smiled, my lids slightly feeling heavy and I just knew at that moment the time has come. He gently lay me down the bed and was about to tuck me in the warm blanket when I touched his hand. Well, tried but not succeeded in doing so. It does not matter for he saw my gesture and understood what I wanted. He got in the bed as he pulled me to him.
"Yoh?" my voice sounded dull and lifeless to my ears.
"Hmmmm?" he grunted, his eyes closed but his lips formed a heart stopping smile. "What is it?
"Kiss me good night, please." I said, trying my best to articulate the words, those few words. He chortled at that and opened his brown eyes.
"Sure" he answered, as his face lowered to fulfill my request, his lips touching mine ever so sweetly. I gave him a wan smile after receiving the heavenly gift from him and said. "Aisheteru, Yoh. You'll always be in my heart and in my soul."
"As you are, too, within mine..." he murmured. "Go get your sleep. It has been a very tiring day for you..."
"Yes, beloved. Aisheteru." I whispered and drifted my dreams…
AaAaA
YOH's POV
A knock on the door woke me up. "Yoh?"
Manta…
"Yes?" I asked, rubbing the sleep off my eyes.
"There are some visitors who wanted to see you and Anna."
"hmmm." Still not fully awake. I didn't hear the rest of what he said but caught the last part of his news.
"…I think it would be great to have them back after so many years. They'll be here for Anna's birthday too!"
"Do they know of Anna's condition?" I asked.
"I think not, we have lost contact with them for almost two years after the tournament and the last months had been pretty harsh."
I turned my head toward my sleeping angel and smiled. "We should make her birthday the happiest one."
"Yeah. You better wake her up now." Manta smiled. "I'll go ahead and prepare breakfast for both of you," he shouted as he ran down the stairs to get to the kitchen. I heard the clatter of utensils signaling the beginning of Manta's task.
"Anna?" I gently touched her cheeks to wake her up. "Wake up now, sweet. Breakfast time." I whispered in her ears, reaching at to touch her hands. "Anna, dear, time to wakey-wakey, breakfast is ready."
She should be opening her eyes now, I thought, dreading the thoughts entering my mind. My heart started beating so fast and I feel myself getting worried by the second.
"Anna… please wake up now. It's not a good joke, love." I pleaded. "Anna," I whined, while shaking her shoulders gently. No Stir. Tears began to form in my eyes as I felt myself panicking. "Oh God! Please, Anna, wake up! Wake up! Open your eyes… please," I was already shouting; I could hear my friends running up to our rooms with heavy footsteps.
"ANNA!"I can only hope for a miracle.
AaAaA
The End
A/N: Whew! It's the end! ^^. I hope you all like the third and last chapter of Goodbye. I still have an epilogue to post maybe next week.
Thank you very much to those who read the story and also to those who review, alert, favorite, and etc. I appreciate every little thing and I hope that you'll also read the other stories.
So, how was it? I would be very glad to hear more of your reviews, thoughts, criticisms, and all. I would base the epilogue from what you wanted to happen to the story this time.
Thanks so much, minna-san! 'till the epilogue!
I woke up feeling warm and great all the same. A smile brightened my face as I saw the lovely lady sleeping safe and sound beside me. I admire this beautiful creature with some more when someone suddenly spoke.
"Did you have a good sleep?" I looked at the owner of the voice who's sitting contentedly in Anna's bedroom.
"Luke!" I hurriedly got up while trying my best not to wake up the sleeping beauty. "I am very sorry fo-,"
"It's okay. I already packed all of her things, seeing how you managed to convince her." The doctor flashed a knowing grin at me.
"Ah… yeah… well," I felt the heat making my face turn scarlet. "Uhm. Luke, May I ask you something?"
"Sure," He said, now looking more serious because of the tone of his voice. "What is it?"
"Is there really no other treatment that would cure her?"
"Actually, it cannot be cured at all. We can just slow its progress, relieve symptoms and also try to make her more comfortable and happy even though she's in this condition." He does not want to break this news to him but there is no other choice and it they can't avoid it. "There are only some medications that we can give her but after that we can only hope for miracle."
"Yoh?" Anna was now wide awake and panicking for not seeing Yoh beside her.
"I am here, sweetheart. Are you awake enough to pull yourself up and go home with me?" I asked smiling enticingly down at her.
She blushed as she saw Luke smiling at the both of us, smiling at our antics. "You should give your fiancé a chance to love you, Ms. Kyouyama. Now, hurry up. So I can give you and your beloved a ride back home."
"Really?" I exclaimed. "That would be great! I don't have enough money with me to rent a cab. Thank you so much!" When I stole a glance to Anna, she sent me an icy glare. Hehe. Dying or not she's still the same. She went to the restroom after seeing me still in the room to tidy herself before she emerged refreshed and ready to go.
"Yes, so hurry or I might change my mind," he said, chuckling as his feet led him out of the room.
"Eh? Wait! Come on, Anna!" I dragged Anna with me and we both ran to catch up with the good natured young doctor.
Anna's POV
It's been four months now after I went back to En Inn. I was pretending to watch the soap on TV, boring my eyes on the scene that didn't even reach my ears. I sensed every one of them doing their duties at the Inn. Nothing changed that much. Well, nothing changed, except me. I can feel my strength ebbed away day by day, every minute, every second and I know my time's about to come. My life slowly slipping from my grasp but still, everyone tried their best to keep the way things are before I was diagnosed to have this disease.
I can hear Tamao and Pirika's soft and swift gestures while in the kitchen, cooking our dinner. Horo probably busy wolfing down our stocks of food, Ren, practicing with his power spirit. Manta helping Ryu scour the floor in the hallway and Chocolove playing with Mic outside. They still do their respective chores dutifully and, I must add, excellently. They don't complain anymore, they just do it without me even telling them what to do nor how to do it properly. They worked as if the chores are already a part of them. Yeah. Nothing changed except for…
"Anna, it's time to eat you dinner," Yoh entered the room, carrying a tray of food. It's only porridge and a glass of water for I am now having a hard time chewing the food and even harder swallowing it. "Here," he said, putting down the tray in front of me. He sat beside me and lifted me to sit on his lap. "Open your mouth," he whispered. God. Even opening my mouth felt as hard as carrying a bucket full of water.
Yoh did every single thing for me, just like what he promised to me that day he went to drag me back home. When I started to lose the strength I have bit by bit, he was there to fill up every ounce of strength I am losing. I can feel death in every bone and muscle aching within me. I know my time is already coming to an end and I know that. There will be a time that I won't even have the power to open my eyes and the strength to breathe. I know that that time is so near now.
But still, I feel so happy, I'll die with a smile on my face, knowing that I am far now to what I had been before: cold, isolated and heartless. I am all but those now. And I must thank this wonderful man beside me for working miracles in my life, a short but very meaningful, happy life. I am contented. I've come to realize how much loving someone and being loved in return can change a person in the most astonishing ways.
If I didn't listen to Yoh and kept on pushing him away, I would probably be dying with tears on my face and with a heavy broken heart. I am very glad I chose to be with him. Now I can rest in peace, with you by my side until my final breath.
"Let's go, Anna. You have to rest now," Yoh took me in his arms effortlessly and marched up the stairs, cautious of his every step.
I rest my head on his shoulder and whispered, "Your training really did a great job on you," almost not audible.
HE smiled down at me. "Yeah," he chuckled lightly and planted a gentle kiss on my forehead. "Are you feeling sleepy now?"
I just looked up at him and smiled, my lids slightly feeling heavy and I just knew at that moment the time has come. He gently lay me down the bed and was about to tuck me in the warm blanket when I touched his hand. Well, tried but not succeeded in doing so. It does not matter for he saw my gesture and understood what I wanted. He got in the bed as he pulled me to him.
"Yoh?" my voice sounded dull and lifeless to my ears.
"Hmmmm?" he grunted, his eyes closed but his lips formed a heart stopping smile. "What is it?
"Kiss me good night, please." I said, trying my best to articulate the words, those few words. He chortled at that and opened his brown eyes.
"Sure" he answered, as his face lowered to fulfill my request, his lips touching mine ever so sweetly. I gave him a wan smile after receiving the heavenly gift from him and said. "Aisheteru, Yoh. You'll always be in my heart and in my soul."
"As you are, too, within mine..." he murmured. "Go get your sleep. It has been a very tiring day for you..."
"Yes, beloved. Aisheteru." I whispered and drifted my dreams…
YOH's POV
A knock on the door woke me up. "Yoh?"
Manta…
"Yes?" I asked, rubbing the sleep off my eyes.
"There are some visitors who wanted to see you and Anna."
"hmmm." Still not fully awake. I didn't hear the rest of what he said but caught the last part of his news.
"…I think it would be great to have them back after so many years. They'll be here for Anna's birthday too!"
"Do they know of Anna's condition?" I asked.
"I think not, we have lost contact with them for almost two years after the tournament and the last months had been pretty harsh."
I turned my head toward my sleeping angel and smiled. "We should make her birthday the happiest one."
"Yeah. You better wake her up now." Manta smiled. "I'll go ahead and prepare breakfast for both of you," he shouted as he ran down the stairs to get to the kitchen. I heard the clatter of utensils signaling the beginning of Manta's task.
"Anna?" I gently touched her cheeks to wake her up. "Wake up now, sweet. Breakfast time." I whispered in her ears, reaching at to touch her hands. "Anna, dear, time to wakey-wakey, breakfast is ready."
She should be opening her eyes now, I thought, dreading the thoughts entering my mind. My heart started beating so fast and I feel myself getting worried by the second.
"Anna… please wake up now. It's not a good joke, love." I pleaded. "Anna," I whined, while shaking her shoulders gently. No Stir. Tears began to form in my eyes as I felt myself panicking. "Oh God! Please, Anna, wake up! Wake up! Open your eyes… please," I was already shouting; I could hear my friends running up to our rooms with heavy footsteps.
"ANNA!"I can only hope for a miracle.
The End
A/N: Whew! It's the end! ^^. I hope you all like the third and last chapter of Goodbye. I still have an epilogue to post maybe next week.
Thank you very much to those who read the story and also to those who review, alert, favorite, and etc. I appreciate every little thing and I hope that you'll also read the other stories.
So, how was it? I would be very glad to hear more of your reviews, thoughts, criticisms, and all. I would base the epilogue from what you wanted to happen to the story this time.
Thanks so much, minna-san! 'till the epilogue!
No comments:
Post a Comment