I was in the ICU part of the hospital. How I ended up here? Well as soon as everyone finished giving me a welcome back hug, I caught a sight of a long time friend, whom I haven’t seen in years. She stood there crying. I ran up to her and put my arms around her, asking her what was wrong.

“It’s Steph. She needs you.” Her words were like daggers that pierced me. Steph needs me?! Me?! The very one who broken our friendship, and made her hated me. Me!

“I don’t have time to explain. Please just come with me.”,

I followed her to her car and got in. My other friends took my luggage home for me. But the place where we headed was the last place on earth I thought she would take me to see Steph.

Steph had been on labour for the last hour. Two beautiful twin babies she had given birth to.

When I came in, Steph look at me with dead eyes that had finally seen the light. She urged me to come closer and I did.

I walked up to her, and took her hand that she lifted up barely, she knew that I would take it. Even though after what I did, she still knew me inside out.

“Hey.” She said weakly,

“Hey.” I replied with a smile,

“It’s been more than seven years since I last saw you. You look the same as always. Never aging you are.”.

I could only smile at her in reply.

As I saw her eyes changed, I knew it was time she was going to explain to me what was going on. She told me everything, of how she and Shawn had gotten together to how she got pregnant to how he left her after she told him she wouldn’t have an abortion to how her family disowned her for this and that Juin was the only one who stayed with her.

After she had finished this, she knew her time was up, and she saw that I could tell as well. She urged me to go closer and I did.

“I know I have no right to ask you this. Because of what happen but please. There’s no one but you in the end. Please..... Take them as your own and give them a good life. A life I can never give them. Please.... this my last request of......you.....” she breathe her last words.

Tears stream down from my eyes, as the doctor and nurse hanged their heads low, while Juin broke down crying.

After awhile I stood up and walked over to the doctor and nurse and asked them to show me where the babies were.

They brought me and Juin to the room where all new born stayed in the hospital, and there laid the twins, who even newly born looked like Steph.

I smiled warmly at them, as I approached them, and they both put both their hands out as if they were welcoming me.

The doctor then said to me, “She didn’t named them yet, she said that you should have the honours of naming your babies.”.

After thinking and staring straight into their eyes, I said without breaking my gaze from them, “The girl Ruki, and the boy Raki.”.

Both the doctor and Juin look at me, shocked at the names I picked out. But I didn’t break my gaze from my new babies, whom seemed happy with the names I have given them.

“Ruki and Raki, it is. Here is the form signing that you are now their adoptive parent.” Said the doctor.

I took it and signed it, and then asked when I could take them home.

“In two days. They need attention and I think it would be best if you get prepared for them at home.”,

Realizing that I was still living with my friends, I slapped my face and took out my cellphone. I finally found the number I was looking for and dialled it. Within three rings the call was answer.

“Hello?” said the receiver,

“Lee! I need your help big time!” I yelled.

“Hey! I’ll go deaf! What happened? What did Juin and Steph want?”,

I sadden a bit at the mention of Steph, but after a few seconds I said, “Never mind that. Is that house still on sell? The one you were telling me about?”,

“Yeah, why?”

“I’m buying it.”,

“What?! Slow down! Why suddenly?!”,

“Now I’m getting deaf. Cause I need a place of my own.”,

“What’s wrong with my house huh?!”,

“Nothing. I just seriously need my own place.”,

“CONFESS NOW!!!”,

Damn! She knew something was up. Sighing, I finally told her, what happened and that I am now a parent of two.

After a long while of silence, I looked at my phone to check whether I was still on. Yup, I was. The silence just mean a lot of yelling will be happening. And it sure did.

“YOU!!! GET!!! HOME!!! NOW!!!”.

Oh how four words could make you deaf for life. I quickly said yes and headed back inside the baby room, and kissed my babies goodbye and told them I’ll be back later. I was answered by a warm smile by both of them.

Running out of the hospital, I manage to holler a taxi down, and told him the address in fluent malay. When I finally got back to Lee’s place, I saw Lee there, standing at the front door waiting for me.

She immediately pointed to me to the inside of the house, which meant she wanted me in to murder me. This is going to me a long day. Sigh.....  

After what was to me a life time of consistent yelling and arguments, Lee and I finally came to the agreement of that me and my babies will be staying with her. And that she would help me raise them.

We then headed to the mall, looking and buying everything we would need for the babies. The others join in to help us.

“How about this one? No! This one!”, was all I heard from them.

Seeing that they were twins, I decided to get matching baby stuff but in different colours.

We then place the delivery order for everything that we picked out. And then headed to the grocery store, to get some baby food.

Lee told the others to head back to the house and to start cleaning and make room for the babies while she and I went shopping for the baby food.

I stared at the selection they had in the store. Reading through every can of powdered milk, or pre-made baby food, I look for the ones that were labelled ‘Newly Born’.

After getting all the food I knew I was gonna need, I then went over to Lee, who was busy packing fresh fruit and vegetables.

She looked at my cart and smiled, and then she said, “They will need unseasoned food. It’s healthier for the babies. You’re gonna be a good parent, seeing you manage to get baby food that are just right for them.”.

I just smiled in return. Unlike the others, Lee knew when to be serious.

After we finished shopping and packed everything into the boot of Lee’s car, we headed home.

I was busy staring out the window. For some reason, I kept thinking of Jessica and how that maybe perhaps, with her here would complete this new family I have.

“You are thinking of someone aren’t you?” asked Lee,

Damn. She always knew what was on my mind. But then Lee and I had grown up together so it was always like this.

I let out a soft sigh, and said, “I met an angel while I was there.”,

“An angel?” she asked without looking at me,

“Yes.” Was all I could say.

“And what is this angel’s name?”,

“Jessica Jung.” I said, but as soon as I said that Lee slammed on the brakes, and looked at me.

“What?! What?!” was all I could say to her now, as I panicked and looked left to right.

“Jessica Jung! As in Jessica Jung from Girl’s Generation?!”,

I forget that Lee had lived in Korea for a bit before moving back to Malaysia.

“Yes.” I answered,

Lee started to whine, which meant she didn’t like something.

“What?” I asked her,

“How did you come to this?” Lee asked.

Then I told her all that happened to me while I was in Korea. She laughed when I told her about the locals calling the cops on me. But when I finished, she was silent. This is not good.

“What?” I asked again,

“I think you know what you have to do now right?” she asked me.

After thinking awhile I gave her a puzzled look.

Lee sighed, then said, “You have to choose. Since you are so in love with this angel of yours, I know you are more than willing to hop on the next plane back to her. But now that you are a parent, don’t you have to choose which road you must take?”.

Lee words were like a slap to my face. I knew she was right, and I knew that I had to make my mind up. Lee started to drive when she saw that I was thinking hard on what to do.

After awhile, I said, “Please drop me off the hospital.”.

Lee nodded, and turned the car around.

At the hospital, I went into the baby’s room, and saw them sleeping. It was 9:34Pm. I smiled at the clock. Always 9:34 when something important is up. I gazed at Ruki and Raki sleeping peacefully. I could see myself living a full happy life with them, but with Jessica, that was a mystery.

As I gazed at them, I knew I had made my choice. I knew which road I would take, and would never look back on.

‘I will never back down on my word to you Steph.’ I whispered to myself.