It was a gray day outside and the town's hospital looked gloomy in the later afternoon light.
Somewhere a storm was gathering, but only a small cloud had scattered some raindrops lightly, causing a cold rush of air into the reception where a little black curly haired boy wearing a black leather jacket, a purple scarf, and black pants stood staring in the direction of a ward room with a confused expression, his deep, blue eyes was looking tired and worn.
What's going on? His ten years old brain couldn't register the happenings around him and he felt like he was in a mystery movie.
The last thing he remembered was being forced out of sleep by his nanny and she telling him that his mum needed to see him.
But where is his mum? He turned around to look at his nanny, she was watching him with a blank but soft eyes, her face pale.
"Nanny."he called in a thin voice and she smiled faintly.
"Come here big boy."she opened her arms wide for a hug, her protective eyes not leaving his face. "I can bet on it that you are hungry."she joked, trying to make him laugh but the little boy said nothing.
He merely casted his eyes downward as he walked towards her, sliding to a stop when he heard the creaking sound of a door opening.
He quickly turned in the direction and saw a doctor in a white lab coat emerge from the ward room.
His face brightened instantly and his eyes lit up as his mouth broke into a smile."Dad."he raced over to the doctor and hugged him tightly. He had never been so happy to have his dad around, he needed someone to explain this mystery to him.
"Hey chap."the doctor's voice sounded tired. He slowly disengaged from the hug and stepped back. "Why are you here?" He whispered through lips that did not move.
"Mom,"the little boy blinked, raising up to him his eager face, "I came to see mum. Where is she?"
The doctor, his father made a guttural noise deep in his throat, swallowed hard, and finally spoke. "Your mum is...Your mum is...….."A waterfall of sweat began to pour down his face and his breaths came in short gasps.
Your mum is dead! How the hell was he gonna tell him that? Gosh! He had no ready answers.
"Did she make it?" His son's nanny voice jerked him out of his troubled thoughts and he moved his gaze to her, she was standing right behind his son and was staring at him with huge brown eyes incredibly sad.
He shook his head slowly, too scared to utter the word.
"And the baby?" The nanny felt her lips quivering, heard her voice cracking.
"We lost both of them."Tears welled up in the doctor eyes and he turned his face away so his son wouldn't see it. "Take him out of here." He croaked and walked away with his head hanging low.
The nanny squeezed the upper part of her nose between thumb and index finger, blinking her eyes to stop the burning tears. "Let's go home child."she reached out to clasp the little boy's hand, but he took a step backward and frowned. "I want to see my mum." He screamed, drawing attention to himself, but he was lest bothered.
Lost both of them! What does his dad mean by that? Is his mum lost or something? He felt so confused and didn't know what to think. What then about the little sister she promised to give him? He lifted his face to stare at his nanny. "Where is my mum?" his eyes searched hers as he waited for an answer.
His Nanny eyes was darkened with sorrow. For a moment she simply gazed into the little boy's eyes, and then she drew a deep breathe. "Your mum is fine."she tried to smile, but her lips felt tight and compressed. "Your mum is fine."she repeated the words, nodding her head vigorously.
The little boy watched her silently, noticing for the first time a marked change in her demeanour—she looked as if she might have been crying. "Did something bad happen to my...….."his voice was drowned out by a loud scary scream which shook the entire hospital, followed by a loud bang.
"Clear the way please." Four nurses in blue uniform hastily rolled a stretcher into the emergency ward close to the reception. Laying on it was a little girl who seemed so helpless and pitiful.
The little boy could only catch a glimpse of her in her unconscious state, she looked so pale, almost dead to him.
What could be wrong with her? He wondered and slowly began to walk to the ward, absolutely astounded when the nurses came out of the ward, leaving the girl all alone.
Aren't they meant to commence treatment on her? He stood watching her through the glass window for a few minutes before stepping into the room. Yuck! It smelt like antibacterial and he wrinkled his nose in disgust.
"Don't go in there baby."he heard his nanny's voice distantly and cringed.
Baby? Only his mum calls him that.
He ignored her and strode closer and closer to the bed, his eyes slowly taking in the pale girl full form.
She looked around his age, maybe younger. Black hair with pale white skin, chapped lips, so skinny and malnourished.
His heart ached with pity for the unknown girl and he found himself reaching out to touch her.
"Gwapo."The girl suddenly coughed out, startling him. He jumped away with a push and began to move towards the entrance in a trance.
"You came to see me, Gwapo."The girl's voice stopped him, she spoke slowly enough for him to catch the meaning.
He spun around and saw that her eyelids were wavering, she was struggling to open them.
"Gwapo." She called out again and the little boy scoffed.
What the heck is a Gwapo? His thoughts jumbled as he moved closer to her, careful not to let the heels of his boot make a noise.
"Hey,"he greeted nervously.
"Please tell the doctors to help me, I….don't….want….die."the girl's voice was filled with fear and pain, "I…..don't….want…to…die…Gwapo, please I….don't….want…to….die."she broke down and began to cry.
The little boy stared on at her helplessly and a strange emotion stabbed his heart. "You won't die."his mouth felt dry and his voice was barely a whisper.
The girl's eyes flickered open for a second and she smiled.
"You won't die." The little boy reassured her, he hesitated and then reached for her hand. It was so cold. Her fingers squeezed his gently as she pressed something cold against his palm.
The door suddenly creaked and the little boy quickly withdrew his hand.
"What are you doing here?" His dad's voice boomed from the door way.
"Erm…. Nothing…."He casted a puzzled glance at the cold neck chain before tucking it into his pocket. "I was only curious about her."
Sighing, he walked towards his dad and stopped when there was just a step distance between them.
"You shouldn't be near her." His dad spoke sternly.
"But why?"The little boy retorted sharply, " Is it because she is gonna die? Just like mum." He whispered to his dad.
His dad turned pale immediately and he looked at him, open mouthed.
"I'm no fool dad," Tears swam in the little boy's eyes and rolled down his cheeks,"I saw you cry, you cried just like this sick girl....."he paused for a moment or two to stare at the girl who was now sleeping and breathing heavily through her mouth before he continued. "People who lost a loved one cry, People who are about to die cry. Did mum also cry?" He began to whimper and his dad sank into a squat beside him, pulling him into a tight hug.
"I'm sorry son," he cried out and his throat suddenly blazed with a sharp pain, "I'm sorry for not saving your mum."
"Then save her," the little boy fury, pain, and sorrow choked him. "Save the sick girl." Gosh! He didn't even know her name. "I don't want anyone dying anymore."
His dad pulled out from the hug and gaze into his son's eyes for a long time before speaking. "It's not as easy as you think. This girl has an acute leukaemia and the heavy bills aside, we still need to find a donor with the AB negative, the rarest of the eight main blood types....."
The little boy gulped and just stared blankly at his father. He didn't, couldn't understand a single thing.
...."Just a handful of people have got this exact blood type, special people like your mum and..."
"Me?"The little boy raised a questioning eyebrow and his father nodded his head slowly, uncertainty in his eyes.
The room fell quiet for several minutes and then the little boy exhaled deeply.
"Save her dad."he spoke in such hushed tones he was barely audible.
His dad didn't say anything. He merely looked towards the girl with a look of desperation on his face...…"
Intericate.
All Atarah Jones ever wished for was a decent life, she journeyed all the way from the Philippines to Seattle United States in hope for a better life.
But unbeknownst to her grandma, she had a secret fantasy—to meet and get together with her childhood crush.
Confusion sets in and Atarah is caught in the middle, her fantasy had only been a foolish mirage.