"Helen.."

Helen looked at Dodo in despair. Tears flooded in her eyes.

Is this the time? If only time could stop forever...

She remembered two years ago, when Dodo rejected her love. When she cried all day, and the next day she decided to continue fighting for her love.

One year, she took one year to get Dodo’s attentions, and she succeeded. Dodo accepted it. But the reality wasn’t as beautiful as she had dreamed.

Dodo is a leukemia patient. This is the main reason why he refused Helen. Since birth, he was only expected to live for 8 years, but miracles did happen. He made ​​it through for the next 9 years safely, although he had to go back and fro to the hospital more than hundred times. But now, his body was at the final point. The doctors couldn’t do anything but to let him do whatever he wanted to do for the last time.

After hearing that fact, Helen was crying again. Crying about Dodo, herself, and their destiny. The next day she returned to Dodo, promised to accompany him until the time comes, although she knew Dodo would leave her somehow.

Helen always felt that God was unfair to them. They were only given two years to meet, fall in love, and be together. Even Helen spent their one last year to accompany Dodo’s therapy. No fun date in the playground, no romantic dinner for them, it never existed.

But Dodo precisely thanked to God, for he was given the living to the age of 17 years, and even he still had two years to spend with Helen. For Dodo that's enough.

Once Dodo said, since the beginning God certainly wanted to bring them together, so He gave him a little more time. And Helen cried again.

And now Dodo is lying on his bed, his face pale and thin, which Helen can’t bear to see.

"Helen..." he calls weakly.

"Yes, I'm here," Helen says in a trembling voice.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry I always make you cry, even at this last moment..." he says haltingly.

"No, don’t apologize. I’m the one who insisted to be with you. I should be the one who said sorry..."

Dodo smiles weakly, "Thank you for accompanying me until now. There’s one last request I want you to do..." Dodo looks like in pain as he said that.

"Don’t talk anymore! That’s enough!" shrieked Helen, can’t afford to look at her dying lover.

"No... You have to promise me first, after I die, you have to find another man who loves you more than me, and can take care of you better than me..."

Helen is silent for a moment, "Okay, I'll promise as long as you also promise, you will always be with me..."

Dodo smiles bitterly, "That's impossible, Helen."

"As well as your request! How can you tell me to look for another man, while I could never stop thinking about you?"

"Please Helen, just promise me. I know I don’t have enough time, at least with your promise I can stop worrying about you..."

Helen wipes her tears which had fallen, "Okay, I promise..."

For the first time in her life she sees Dodo’s sincere smile. There is no sadness or regret at that smile. There’s only happiness and gratitude that can't be described.

Slowly his hand that Helen gripped starts to freeze. Dodo closes his eyes as he continues to smile. The heartbeat detector stops in a straight line.

Helen releases his hand and places it on the side of Dodo’s body. Her eyes were blurred with tears that continue to flood.

She knows Dodo has gone away. A hole in her heart adds to the pain she has received since she met Dodo. But at least she feels a little relieved when she saw Dodo's last smiling face.

Helen smiles to herself. Hopefully someday I can meet you again, wherever it is...

~***~***~

I'm holding back the tears
I ran adding to the weight of my faith
To a place that Is neither high nor low
When a different me stands again
With a small smile I can laugh

 

~***~***~