Final
The water on my cheek
21st September 2012
“Baekhyun?” I reach forward and feel a face.
“Its me.” I hear his soft voice.
I cup his face in my hands, “I’m having surgery today.”
“I know baby.” He says and I feel him smile.
He pulls me closer and embraces me “You’ll be fine.”
“I’ll be able to see you again Baekhyun!” I say, holding his hand.
“I’ll be here when you wake up.” He says and smiles.
I heard the wheels of my bed turn and I feel myself being moved out.
He lets my hand go and I’m left grasping for air.
“Don’t leave me Baekhyun!” I say and choke a little from the tears.
“I won’t.” he says.
“Do you promise?” I ask but I don’t hear a reply.
Why didn’t he promise?
~~~
“Okay Aparna! Your eyes seem to be doing fine!” The doctor says pointing a light in my eyes.
I feel something wet on my face and wipe it. Strange. The water seemed to be tears.
“How are you? Good?” the doctor asks.
I nod and look at the world again. The world I stopped seeing 2 years ago.
It had been an accident. I was driving a car in winter and I had had a long day at the office. For a second my eyes closed. And that second of darkness became all I would see for the next 2 years.
I see the colours as more vibrant than they had ever seemed before and I look around for the person I love.
“Baekhyun?” I whisper.
A nurse hears me and says “He left before your surgery.”
I feel betrayed suddenly.
He left? Just like that? When I needed him the most? How could he?
I turn my face away not wanting to look at this world anymore.
We had been together for seven years. What was such a big problem that he couldn’t stand two more hours of me?
Maybe he knew I wouldn’t be able to let him go if I didn’t regain my sight.
But how could he just leave?
~~~
21st October 2012
Its been a month since the surgery.
I got discharged from the hospital.
The first place I visited was the home Baekhyun and I lived in together.
It was empty. The furniture was as it was but it was empty. I flung open Baekhyun’s cupboard to find it dusty.
The whole apartment is dusty. Everything that belonged to me is in exactly the same state I left it before leaving for the hospital.
The air is damp.
The house is lonely. It suffocates me.
I can feel an air of sadness, of remorse but I wonder who his sadness belongs to.
There is one picture on the wall above the bed. The rest are gone. I don’t know where. Baekhyun took them?
There is a single picture on the wall above the bed.
It’s a picture of ours that we had pinned together. A picture of me pouting next to a picture of his face making it look like we were kissing.
But theres no cheek. Its just my pouting lips to the side.
I am kissing no one in the picture. I’m alone.
Its been a month since I was discharged. And I have had no visitors.
~~~
15th December 2015
I wrap my coat around myself more tightly.
Its been three years since my surgery. I’ve gotten used to the world again. The colours seem the same now. I have a good job. I’m happy. Or so I try to believe.
The winters were severe this time.
The winds are blowing at a crazy high speed.
There aren’t a lot of people about.
I clutch my coat tighter and walk against the nipping wind.
Just then a running dog crosses my path and knocks me over. I instantly get a angry and turn to yell at the owner to control their dog when I’m met with a strange sight.
The dog rushes to its owner, a man.
The man pats the dog’s head once and smiles. But that smile isn’t even a half smile. It’s a dead face.
The man is thin and unshaven, like he hasn’t eaten in days.
He is wearing all black. His sunglasses are black too.
He reaches for a stick to his side and that’s when I realize he can’t see.
But I pause. That face looked so familiar.
Why?
The man gets up and with the dog guiding him passes me.
A small photograph falls out of his wallet.
It’s a picture of me with Baekhyun.
I draw in a sharp breath and it all fits in.
Why he left. Who this man is.
He’s Baekhyun.
My Baekhyun.
11th September 2012
Baekhyun’s POV
“Are you sure you want to give her your eyes Baekhyun? We may find a donor in a few years.” The doctor sighs and says
“I can’t see her like this. Its better that I can’t see forever.” I say looking away.
“But what about when she finds out?
“She won’t”
~~~
21st September 2012
She cups my face gently and I try not to let the tears run down my face. I get one last look at her face before I can never see her again.
~~~
The surgery was successful. She can see.
I stagger into her room and feel around to get to her bed.
She’s still asleep.
I smile a little feeling the contours of her perfect face.
I bend down and kiss her on her lips once, my tears falling on her face.
“I love you.” I say and turn to leave.
Forever.
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