Till Sunrise

Till Next Sunrise

"After the accident, you'll surely get your eyesight back. It's temporary blindness. After a few months, you'll be able to see again." That's what the doctor told me almost 4 years ago now.

It's bullshit. I've been blind all these years.

The accident happened after Celine's death.

Still, my heart hasn't moved on since. She died because of leukemia. I still remember her phone number clearly and even if I wouldn't hear her answer, I kept calling her.

I memorized her number as well as my fingers that typed the keys on my old phone.

I heard a ringing tone.

I still haven't accepted what happened. Seeing her that last day as I held her hand, wishing she'd live.

"Celine, please, don't leave me."

A tear shed her eyes, as soon as she told me, "I love you."

That's her last words.

Why did she have to leave? It's hard to cope.

My family kept telling me to go outside, especially on Christmas Eve. But I was planning not to go again this year.

To my surprise, I heard a familiar voice. Someone on the other line replied.

"Hello?"

"Celine?"

"Who is this?"

"Um... sorry. I've been calling this number for years now and no one's ever respond-"

The girl on the other line sounded like young Celine. The same upbeat yet soft voice. It's so recognizable. I was curious.

"I just got this number. How cool it is that my number was like a bridge."

My brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Celine and her laughter sounded exactly the same. But I knew it wasn't her. It wasn't Celine who I was talking with.

"Maybe a bridge to us. Don't you think it is cool? Like in the movies we watched -"

"I don't want to hear it. I hate movies."

"Really? All of them?"

She sounded amused rather than discouraged from talking to me.

"Especially romance ones. Can we just stop this conversation? This is going nowhere."

Despite my words, she still seemed unfazed. "Well, why would we end this? I'm actually having a great time talking to you."

I grunted. But instead of putting down the phone, she chuckled.

My gloomy heart melted as I remembered how Celine chuckled, and her face came into my mind. Teary-eyed, I kept listening and strangely, I couldn't end the call.

"It will be Christmas Eve. What if you come here to the coffee shop I'm working at and let's see each other? I have had no one to talk to in a long time."

"I hate Christmas, so no thanks, and I don't like coffee."

Celine knew how much I hate the taste of coffee. This girl is oblivious to it. I frowned hard. But her voice sounded upbeat as if she was enjoying our conversation.

"Well, if you don't like coffee, you could not buy one. Or better yet, you could buy our mango shake. What do you say?"

I admit I love mangoes. They're my favorite. But I still never wanted to leave my room and this house. "I don't want to. Why don't you just let me have my own life and leave me alone?" I said like the grinchiest man in the world. But she still wasn't giving up on the idea. She had full hopes while mine was all lost.