I opened my eyes and I see nothing but white. White ceiling, white light. I can hear murmurs and people talking in low voices. Not too far, but not too near either. I roamed my eyes around and I see white. Where could I be? Two things come to mind; hospital bed, or morgue. Are you expecting me to say heaven? I don’t think there would be anything man made in heaven since it’s a place out of the living human’s realms, right? So, I’m not that of a simpleton to think that.

I can feel my limbs, I can feel people walking around, and I can hear them talking around me. That means, I am still alive so the morgue is out of the picture. I am in a hospital bed. But what hospital? And why am I here in the first place? I tried to remember what happened. What was I doing before ending up here? All I know is that I was in a bus, headed for an out of town trip I planned for my birthday. My name is Bang Minsoo, by the way, in case you wanted to know that. I shifted on my bed and I heard someone speak to me.

“Are you awake?” Came the soft voice of another man from the bed beside me. But I couldn’t see him, I looked to my left then to my right and saw white curtains. Each bed is separated by curtains. I offer no response to his question. I don’t feel like talking at all.

“I suppose you’re still sleeping.” Again, came the voice. I heaved a sigh and breathe steadily. I am alive. That is something to be thankful for now that it seems to me that I have gone on some sort of an accident on the road. But why can’t I remember anything? I touched my head to see if I have any head injury that might’ve caused some sort of amnesia. But I can remember my name, my family, everyone and everything. So how come? My thoughts were interrupted when the man on the other side of the curtain spoke yet again. Man, can’t he rest his mouth?

“You seem to love sleeping, huh?” He chuckled. What’s so funny about that? I thought.

“You were also sleeping when it happened. The accident, I mean.” He continued on. This time, he got my attention. So that’s why I can’t remember anything. I was asleep! Am I lucky or what? I shook my head.

“When the driver announced that we lost the brakes of the bus, people panicked. We were running in a tunnel then so someone yelled that the driver should just let the bus hit the wall of the tunnel to skid it to stop. It was really chaotic. Then the driver yelled that we should hold on tight and that’s what he intended to do. So we hold on to the seats in front of us and boom! We felt the impact and that’s it. We’re alive.” I can sense that the man behind the curtain is smiling as he say this. One positive lad we have here, eh?  

“Back then, I was so scared. I’m imagining how painful it would be when we hit the wall. Will my bones, break? Will my skull be shattered? Limbs cut? And so on. I thought of my family, my friends. Will I ever see them again? In a matter of seconds, my life flashed in front of my eyes. I watched that on TV shows, movies, read them on books, how people see their lives flash in front of their eyes when they’re faced with death. I’ve experienced it and I’m not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing. Now it’s funny how you can be asleep when everyone else in that bus has been busy seeing their whole life right in front of their eyes.” He chuckled. Is he some wacko?

“So why am I alive?” I asked, surprised by my own raspy voice. I wonder how long have I been sleeping.

“Oh, you’re awake. Good to know that.” Again, I can hear him smile. Happy lad.

“Yeah. Long enough to hear the whole tale.” I responded. Obviously, I’m not going anywhere soon with these wounds. Might as well have something to do. “So, why am I alive? You said all the passengers were told to hold on to something as the driver hit the bus on the tunnel wall. I was asleep, how was I able to survive the impact when I couldn’t have braced myself for it?”

“Someone helped you. How else?”

“Helped me how?”

“Hmm… by strapping you on your seat? Holding on to you? What else could be done to keep someone from flying off of his seat?”

“Strapping me on my seat? How?”

“Don’t ask me how. I didn’t strap you there.”

“Oh.” That was all I can say. I was actually waiting for him to say that he helped me, he strapped me on my seat with whatever it is he used, and saved my life. I sank back on my bed, suddenly feeling tired. I didn’t do anything but said a few lines but I feel tired. I let my eyes close.

When I awoke again, I saw a nurse beside me. She was tending to my wounds.

“Hi.”

She smiled at me and said, “Hello. How are you feeling?”

“I don’t know. I don’t feel bad, so good I guess?” I tried to smile back at her. She seems kind.

“That’s good to hear. We have called your famy. They will be here some time today to take you home.”

“I can go home?”

“Of course! Lucky for you, your wounds aren’t grave. A few cuts is all.” Again, she smiled at me.

“How did I survive? Can you tell me?”

She looked at me with patient eyes. “No, I don’t. I wasn’t on duty when you were rushed here.”

“How long have I been here?”

“Not long, don’t worry. This is the second day. The accident took place at four in the morning yesterday. I heard the bus driver decided to hit the bus on the wall to stop it and save his passengers. Good thinking I would say, but dangerous.”

“Were there dead passengers?”

“Nope.” She smiled yet again. “Any other thing?”

“The other passenger right there,” I cocked my head to my right to indicate the other man who was talking to me earlier. “You know anything about him?”

“No more than I know about you.”

“Thank you.” I said and she rose to leave.

“Hey, are you awake?” I asked, talking to the man on the other side of the curtain.

“Yes, I am. I heard you were asking about me? Why is that?” Came his soft voice.

“Nothing. I was just thinking that maybe she knows who could’ve saved me. I owe that person my life, you know.”

“What would you do when you meet the person who helped you then?”

“Huh? I would thank him or her of course!”

“Just that? I thought you would say you would give him or her anything he wants in exchange for saving you.” He laughed. He’s really a happy one.

“Well, I haven’t thought of that. I just wanted to see the face of my savior. But thank you for the suggestion.” I let myself laugh. It feels good to talk to someone.

“So now that you thought of that, what would you give to your savior?” I can hear that he’s playing.

“Hmm… let’s see. If that was you, what would you want?”

“Hmmm… I don’t know.”

“How could you not know what you want?”

“I don’t know! Okay, show me. What would you ask if you were on that person’s place?”

“Lemme think. Hmm… A car?”

“A car! Wouldn’t that be expensive?”

“But I saved his life! Surely, his life is worth more than a car, right?”

“You might be right. Can you buy him or her a car, then?”

“What?”

“Your savior, can you buy him or her a car if ever he or she asked for it?”

“Not me though. My dad will do it.”

“Woah! So you were rich!”

“My dad is. Not me.”

“Your dad is rich, that means you are too.”

“Maybe.”

“So?”

“So what?”

“How do you plan to know who your savior is? If you walk around saying you’re going to give him car when you find him, a lot of people will claim they saved you and claim the prize.”

“You can be right. What do you suggest then?”

“Hmm.. ask him about the accident?”

“Okay. Anything specific you have in mind?”

“Ask him what you were doing, what was happening, what he did to save you, where you were sitting, how did he get you out of the bus, and so on.”

I stopped to think this through. Then it hit me. I slid the curtain sideways and saw the boy seated on the other bed. His cat like eyes looked at me. Surprised at first, then he smiled.

“You were the one who saved me!” I exclaimed, not meaning to be overly excited about the revelation.

“Do you have proof of that?” He was smiling, white teeth and thick lips.

I chuckled at that. “What? I need proof that you were the one who saved me? Isn’t it going the other way around now?”

“What? I didn’t claim to save you. You’re the one who said that. So, do you have proof?” He was playing. I know he is.

“Okay.” I sigh, defeated. “You know I was sleeping. It’s one thing to know that I am but it’s another thing to know that I am sleeping even after the bus hit the wall. You must be sitting beside me then.” I stopped, tried to remember the face of the person sitting beside me but I couldn’t. I don’t really remember anyone sitting beside me. Did I sleep the moment I sat there? I look at him and he has this smile on his face. A smile that makes you wanna smile with him.

“What?”

“I was sleeping so I can’t remember whoever sat beside me. But I think that it’s you. Maybe you tried to wake me but I wouldn’t budge. Then you just thought of strapping me to my seat so I wouldn’t fly off my seat.”

“I told you I didn’t strap you there.” He continue to smile.

“Why are you denying? Don’t you want the car?” I’m smiling this time. Something about this boy… I couldn’t begin to comprehend.

“I didn’t strap you on your seat.” He said again. I sat back on my bed. Maybe he was telling the truth.

“Okay then.” I said feeling defeated. Somehow, I want it to be him.

“I sat on you then hold on to the seat in front of us.”

“You what?” This made my head turn towards him. Again, he’s smiling and again, I found myself smiling back at him.

“I didn’t strap you in your seat. Where would I find a strap? It’s true what you said, I was trying to wake you but you just wouldn’t budge.”

“So you sat on me.”

“So I sat on you.”

Silence. We look at each other’s eyes for a good minute before laughing like mad.

“My name is Bang Minsoo.” I offered him my hand and he happily took it.

“Ahn Daniel. And I want a red Ferrari.” We laughed in chorus.

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A/N: Can you tell that this was inspired by my birthday getaway recently? Hehe. If you like this story, can you comment, subscribe, and upvote for me? Thank you soo much! ^0^