CHAPTER 3

I was smiling from ear to ear as I was walking towards the direction of Liah's room while looking at the black couple bracelet Vish just gave me.

I am so happy that I am already smiling from ear to ear like a total idiot. Who wouldn't be happily thrilled if someone just gave you a couple bracelets and disguised it as a friendship bracelet? Even though he said it's just a friendship bracelet, I'm still happy anyway. No one can take away that little happiness of mine.

Vish just drove me off to the hospital and then left. He just said he will come back tomorrow to check on Liah.

"Miss!" 

I stopped from walking when somebody said that. I turned to my left side.

A girl sitting in a wheelchair in an open door of a room. I think she was about twelve or so. Her skin is very pale. Her lips and the under of her eyes are slightly dark. She is also very thin. Her conditions are emphasizing that she is one of the patients of this hospital.

She doesn’t look good. She’s in a bad state, obviously.

She is wearing a blue colored patient gown. Her one hand is holding the IV pole connected to her wrist.

I smiled at her. "Yes? How may I help you, love?" I asked in a soft and gentle tone.

"Can I come with you?" She asked. Her voice was dull and hoarse.

I was confused at her request. "Where?"

"Outside. I'd like to get some fresh air. I’m kind of tired and bored staying here. I’ve been laying and sitting in bed the  whole day. It is somewhat frustrating."

I looked around us. Looking for someone that is close to her. Then face her again. "Is it fine? Where are your parents? Why wouldn’t you ask them instead? And besides, it is getting late. The nurse or your parents might scold you if you  will come with me. I mean, I am a total stranger, that would sound odd. They might even accuse me of kidnapping you," I said with a smile trying not to sound rude.

She forcefully smiled at me. Seems like smiling like a hard thing to do for her.  "My mom will be gone until eight tomorrow morning. She’s busy. She won’t know about it. And as for my nurse, she will come at two tomorrow to check on me. I'm just going to get some fresh air for a while. It won’t take long, I promise. Even just for ten minutes. Then we'll be right back. It's been a long time since the last time I got a breath of fresh air from the outside. I’ve been depending on expensive oxygen in this hospital. Besides, you look kind to me. You don't look like a bad girl who would take and hurt me."

I smiled at her sparingly.

I pity her. "Alright," I saw her smile widely because of what I said.

I came up behind her then grabbed the wheelchair.

I peeked into the room she was in. It was full of many machines and wires.

I pushed her lightly. I closed the door first before slowly leading her out. She is also pushed her IV pole.

We went straight to the hospital garden. The air in the area is cold. There are also a lot of fascinating stars in the sky.

I placed her on the edge of the only bench.

The girl immediately looked up at the sky. I put the jacket I was wearing on the child's back so she wouldn't get cold before I sat on the bench.

She smiled at me.

"What is your name?" I asked her.

"Merry," she answered simply.

"How many months have you been here at the hospital?"

"Just one more month, I'll be here for one year," she replied, sadness is visible in her tone.

"What haopened with you?"

"I have a brain tumor." She innocently replied. "The doctors are having a hard time curing me, so I'm staying in this place longer than I expected."

My chest ached a little. This poor little girl has been suffering for the past months of her life.

I understand how she feels. "What are you feeling right now?"

"I am sad, of course. It's hard to live here. It's hard for me to wake up every day. But I'm pushing because I don't want to leave mom and dad. They're afraid of losing me and so am I. There are days when I forget. I forget who I am. I forget who mom and dad are. But they are always there to remind me who I am and who they are in my life."

I wanted to cry now but I tried not to. Her simple words weakens my soft heart 

She is lucky. She gets a support from her parents.

"How old are you?"

"Twelve, my birthday is on the first day of next month," Merry said while trying to smile. She's still young enough to go through all this. Her eyes were sad. "That will be my first birthday here at the hospital." She added.

I reached for Merry's cold palm. "I know what you're feeling. It's hard to have such a disease. But you're still lucky. Your family is there, fighting with you. So don't give up, okay?" Merry nodded. "Don't give up. As long as the people around you does not give up on you, do not give up either. You still have a lot to go through. But one day, it will all be worth it. You are still young. Choose always to fight."

She smiled at me. "Yes, I will always fight for mom and dad," she intertwined our hands. "Sister, you seem fun to talk to. Can I have your number?"

I smiled at her. "Do you have a phone?"

Merry took something from her robe pocket. A cellphone. She then handed it to me.

I accepted and saved my cellphone number at the same time.

I handed her the cellphone again. She looked at the name I put on the number.

She looked up at me with a smile. "Is your name Fatima?"

I nodded. "Hmm..."

"What a beautiful name."

"Yours is beautiful too, Merry."

"Let's stay for a few minutes before returning to the top. The air is nice here," Merry requested.

"Alright, but when it's seven thirty, I'll let you in."

Merry smiled broadly at me. "By the way, sister, how old are you?"

"I'm thirty," I answered.

"What is your job?"

"Cabin crew, I'm a flight attendant."

"Are you with your parents too?"

I stared at Merry. It only took a few seconds for me to smile.

"I haven't been with them for fifteen years," I replied sadly.

"Why? Where are they now?"

"They are already in Italy. With my sister.”

"Why fifteen years? It is so long. Why is your sister with them and not you?”

I caressed her bony palm. "Let's just say that our parents don't like me," I tried not to be emotional.

"Is there something like that, sister? Parents who don't like their children? Parents are suppose to like their children? That's why they chose to had children, right?"

"They are different, they are not ready to have me at that timw. They weren't happy to have me. Because of me, their lives became chaotic."

"Eh, isn't there an abortion? When parents don't want to have children, they abort the baby. Why didn't your parents do that if they weren't ready?" the child asked frankly and innocently. She seems to knows a lot.

"I don't know either," I looked up at the starry sky. "Maybe, if they had chosen to abort me then, I would not have experienced these difficulties," I looked down at Merry. "But I'm also happy that they chose to keep me alive. I can do what I want to do now. I feel happy and free. It feels so good. So you, get well. So that you can experience being free from that pain and be happy. You can do more. You will make many more happy memories with the people you love.”

"I promise you that, sister. I will heal for my parents," she even raised her right hand, swearing.

I smiled widely at what she did.

"Do you enjoy your work?" She suddenly asked, changing the topic.

"Of course, being a flight attendant was my dream that is why I am happy. You will also meet a lot of different people because of this job. You get to go to different beautiful countries. You can travel for free. It's really fun," I happily explained. "How about you? What is your dream profession when you grow up?”

Merry smiled widely. Her smile is sincere even though she has almost no teeth. "I want to become a doctor so that I can treat children like me who are sick. I want to help them. I also want to heal them.”

"Just by looking at  you now, I'm sure you can do it. You are a brave girl. No doubt, you will go far one day.”

Merry suddenly hugged me. She didn't speak. She just hugged me.

I hugged her back.

***

I bring Merry to her room. Her mom wasn't there yet so I felt a little guilty leaving her all alone in her room.

But she said it's fine. She said she was used to it. So I just left her and went to Liah's room.

I found Liah sleeping soundly.

My attention turned to the many different colors of flowers lined up on a long couch. There are also those wrapped like presents.

I approached them.

Suddenly the door opened so I turned to it.

A nurse entered. She smiled and bowed slightly when she saw me. "Good evening, ma'am."

"Good evening too. Uhm....where are these from?” I pointed to the flowers and gifts.

The nurse looked at them. "Ah, is that it? When we transferred the patient here earlier, they came one after the other. It is said to be from the patient's friends and family."

“Well, that was fast. There are so many of them," I said.

"Yes, ma'am. They came one after the other for an hour. A lot of people probably love her."

I looked again at the flowers and gifts.

"I'll check the patient first," said the nurse. I smiled and nodded.

I approached them and read the cards that were in each flower and gift one by one.

All that is written purely as "congratulations". Most of them are from our coworkers and airline heads. The rest of them are from Liah's relatives.

A lot of people really love Liah.

I faced the nurse. She is checkinh Liah's heartbeat.

"Where's her baby?" I asked the nurse.

"It's in the nursing room, ma'am. When the patient wakes up, she can see her baby right away. Do you want to see him first?”

I nodded. "Yes, please.."

"Alright," the nurse finished writing first. "Follow me," she said then went out first.

I followed her.

The nurse just led me out of the nursery room and pointed out where Liah's baby was then she left.

I looked at my friend's baby from the mirror. I can't go inside.

He is very small. His feet and hands are so cute. He hasn't slept yet. There is a nurse who looks after and watches over the many babies inside.

I smiled as I watched him.

Liah's ever more luckier now. She has a son and an angel who will always be with her. Although she was looked down upon by her parents, she was srill lucky because of the people around her.

We were both looked down upon by the family. But Liah is different. Her destiny is different from mine.

I'm a very vocal person. I will say everything I want to say. I don't care if you get offended or not.

But there's only one thing I really don't want to say. Those are my personal and silent battles.

I don't want to tell others about it. I don't want them to think I am weak so whenever possible, I choose to look brave in front of people.

They think I'm not going through a lot because of what I chose to show them.