Monday, 17th of January
That evening....
"Hey Connie. Came to visit Mona?" Alex asked while holding my hand and leading me into his car.
"Yeah, I did. I feel like the more I come here, is the more I feel guilty of her predicament. It's just..."
Alex started the ignition, revved up the engine and drove straight out of the hospital parking lots.
"I mean it's just that she was my best friend..."
"She is my best friend too, you know." Alex interjected.
"And the way you blame yourself about Mona is actually pitiful you know right? Her getting Leukemia isn't anyone's fault. For all we know it could've happened to anyone of us. And as for how things are right now, it is quite unfortunate that it had to be Mona."
As Alex finished pouring out his feelings, I just had to admit that he was correct. I had the foolish habit of blaming myself for the shortcomings of others if I was involved.
Silence boomed all through the car ride. I knew that I just had to say something.
"I'm sorry Alex. It's my bad. I should've known better than to blame myself for Mona's illness." I said admittedly.
"It's alright Connie. I mean it is painful, but we have to be the best versions of ourselves to make Mona live the rest of her days in happiness." Alex said with his usual cheeky smile.
Slowly pulling up to the front of my porch, Alex gave me a kiss goodnight and I alighted from his car, watching as he drove away. 'After all all he had said was true' was what rang through my brain.
I fished out my keys to open the door, and as usual, Mom wasn't home.
My Mom worked at a real estate agency, where she posed as the head of marketing. She worked mainly at different branches, either from where we lived in Norfolk, or at other branches in Maine, Ohio and Texas maybe. So whenever she's home, I try to savour the time we have together.
As I locked up the door behind me, I turned on the lights in our living room and sat down to watch Netflix. Just then, a text came in from the infamous Alex.
'Hey you' Alex texted.
'Hey. You just practically left my house you know'
'There is no law that says I can't continously check on you, Connie.'
'Weirdo' I said apparently reminiscing the Alex I've known all these time.
'You're going to school tomorrow right?'
'Yeah.... don't forget to come pick me up though.'
'Surely. Yeah, and that reminds me. It's Mona's birthday tomorrow. And I'm sure as hell you know what that means.'
'Obviously moron.' I scoffed to myself.
'Alright then. Goodnight peanut'
Peanut? Seriously? That boy needs to get a girlfriend. I mean Seriously. There was once a time, when Mona said that Alex had a crush on me. I simply laughed it off and shrugged saying:
'Alex and I are like practically siblings. It's just like two siblings in love with each other. Weird isn't it?'
Feeling a hinge of hunger, I picked up some left over Chinese takeouts that I and my mum had the night before and I selected a movie to watch.
After a while, the final credits rolled and I picked up my phone and went straight upstairs to my room. As I was settling down into bed, I felt this awkward chill run down my spine. The time was 1:30am.
Barely, I managed to shut my eyes and then a really vivid set of memories played right in front of my eyes.
The scene was just before the first grade, just before I met Mona. I was dressed in my best dress and I stood, right beside our family car as my Dad was packing up the luggage we were going to use for our trip to the wildlife fantasy castle, where the supposed Lion king 'Simba' lived. I was so excited that I told all the kids in my class, street and Sunday school.
"Daddy!! You have been packing in like forever! Are we ever gonna go?" I whined almost at the brink of tears.
"Aww, Pumpkin! We're almost set. It's just for mommy to cooperate with us and get you a pack of your favourite sandwiches! How does that sound?" My dad said.
"Amazing!!" I said as my dad swooped me up and put me on his shoulders.
Soon enough, we were all set and ready to go that my mom came over to give me and my dad numerous kisses. Also handing my sandwiches over to me.
"Constance dear, please try not to finish the sandwiches before getting halfway there" She pleaded as she knew that fell to deaf ears.
"No promises Mommy!" I said still indiscriminately happy about everything that had been happening.
Mom watched as the car drove away not knowing what news would come after.
With my Dad and I driving for hours, we got bored. And I had already finished my sandwiches.
"Daddy how long till we meet Simba??"
"Soon Connie. Let me turn on some mixed tapes I ran up when I was in high school!"
"Awww man" I said pouting and looking out the window.
As the music started to play..
'Roses, Roses.... is all you are to me'
'Roses, Roses... that's all you're offering m-'
Just then a large trailer that zoomed from a far distance jammed and tossed our car into the bushes. Our car didn't stop there. It continued to somersault until we slammed against a large oak tree.
At first all I could hear was the exhaust pipes bursting and the faint wheezing of my dad.
"C-Connie? Are you....okay?"
"Dad?"
Only to see that the shards of Glass from the windscreen had already punctured most parts of his back as he was trying to save me.
Within seconds or even minutes, bystanders came, dragged us out of the car and called the ambulance. I just faintly remember most of my Dad's body parts were unrecognisable.
Tears in large quantities rolled down from my eyes as both of us were dragged away into different ambulances for medical attention. All of a sudden I lost consciousness.
In a few hours, I woke up seeing my mom in tears right beside me, holding me tight seeing that I had woken up.
"Mommy?"
"Yes, sweetheart?" Apparently tears also dropped from her eyes.
"Where's Daddy?" I asked hoping to hear that he lived.
"Daddy's gone, Connie. He's left us to bear the fate of this cruel world.
Those words sunk deep into my heart. A little girl who thought her father was everything to her, just lost him.
***********
The sound of my Alarm clock startled me a bit before I finally regained consciousness. As I got down from my woodwork bed, the scent of waffles wafted through my room and that only meant one thing. My Mom was home.
I picked out the clothes I was going to wear for school. Just a hoodie and some track pants and my favourite pair of vans sneakers. As I had my bath, I just suddenly realised I hadn't picked out Mona's birthday gift.
Suddenly I remembered the first time I and Mona had a photo shoot at the mall when we were in the third grade.
That day was a damn crazy day, because my mom sent me on an errand to the supermarket near the mall to get some groceries. And that day was Mona's birthday so I had planned to get her these new choker necklaces that just came out since Mona was one of these goth girls that had this emo look.
After I got them, I spotted Mona and Alex on another part of the Mall. But unfortunately there wasn't enough time for me to make my escape because Alex had already screamed my name.
"Connieee!!! Over heree" Alex said waving both arms.
Reluctantly, I joined them and I knew I just had to give Mona her gift then.
"Hey Mona, Happy birthday. I got this for you."I said while handing the choker in a plastic bag to her.
"Wow, thanks Constance! I'll just add this to my collection of numerous Chokers." Mona said.
Feeling bad, I actually just tried walking away but she called me back.
"Hey, where are you going? Don't you want to see me put it on? She said flashing her extremely charming smile.
Mona was indeed a damsel to behold.
After walking around the Mall for hours, we stumbled upon a photo booth. Then Mona suggested we took pictures.
Me, being as hesitant as ever refused and tried to bade the birthday girl and my best friend goodbye. Then I looked back and saw Mona's once Charming smile fade away. Then I turned back.
"Let's do this and get it over with" I said coming back to them.
That day we took a ton of pictures. I literally got home really late and as expected my mom yelled at me for not bringing back the groceries on time.
Glancing at my album of pictures, I saw the pictures we took that day of Mona in her choker. That would be the perfect gift.
I decided that I was going to get it framed so she could look at it always and remember that she has friends that would stick with her till the end.
After getting dressed, I went downstairs and sat at the dining table.
"Morning Mom. You have a break from work or what?" I asked.
"Yeah, but I'll be going back in this afternoon. Don't tell me you've missed your Mom too much." She said while putting her hair up in a ponytail.
"Of course I miss you! It's been weeks!!" I exclaimed.
"I know, I know. I guess I'll be going on leave next week though. So we'll spend most of our time together. "
"Looking forward to it" I said smiling.
As she set her teacup on the table coaster she sat on the chair opposite me.
"Yeah, um Connie, how about your red haired friend that has leukemia? Is she okay?"
"Mona?" I asked, surprised that she didn't know the name of my best friend who came over ever so often.
"Yeah, Mona. How is she?"
"Well the doctor said that she only has a few days to live, so we're just trying to make her last days memorable."
"I'm sorry, Connie. I mean she is your best friend." My Mom said going back into the kitchen to rinse her cup.
After a while that Alex didn't come over to pick me up, I told Mom to take me instead.
As we drove near the mall, I told Mom to hold on for me while I went over to the customization store to get the photo framed. I got it framed within minutes and we were on our way back to school.
She dropped me off and I headed off to my first homeroom class. The first warning bell had already been rung so I had to get my books fast and rush over to class.
As I got there, my homeroom teacher was already on seat. And Alex wasn't in class.
I wanted to dial his number, but just then my name boomed through the class.
"Miss Martin, would you please take a seat? Class is about to begin."
I muttered a quick apology and got a seat beside Victoria Dunlop. A girl that I used to talk to before my dad's passing, just because after hearing about how broken I was back then, she told practically the whole school everything that happened. Damn Victoria.
Soon enough, homeroom passed, and at 3:30 school was over. I knew that I had to hurry and get to the hospital so I could wish Mona a happy birthday and so I could find where Alex was.
Then Victoria met me where I stood in the front of the school entrance, panting and leaning against the wall.
"Umm, hi Constance. I couldn't help but peek at the numerous texts you were sending Alex at homeroom-"
"Wow Victoria! Reading my chats now huh? I can't believe this" I said walking away.
"I'm sorry okay? I'm very sorry for whatever I've done to you. I just wanted to tell you that I know where Alex is. That's all."
"Fine. Where is he?"
"I overheard from one of his football teammates that he had been in the hospital all day and that something big had happened. "
The world paused around me after i heard what she just said.
"Please can we use my car to get to the hospital?" She asked trying to hold my hand.
At that point I was sure that most of my body was already numb. But I just managed to walk and get into Victoria's car with her help.
With absolute speed we got there, and just that moment, every numb part of my body came lose. I ran upstairs to Mona's hospital room and saw that it had already been cleared up.
Then I saw Alex, coming from the Doctor's office.
"Alex, what the hell's going on? Mona's room's been cleared and you haven't been in school all day." I asked already feeling faint.
Tears uncontrollably rolled from Alex's eyes as he said clearly that:
"Mona's dead, Connie. "