A kiss for Ree

Chapter 6|Phonetastrophy

"He's alive, but-"

The rest of his sentence didn't register. I sank to the floor in overwhelming relief.

He's alive!

He's alive! Alhamdulillah, he's alive. Alameen is not going to die! I wanted to scream in gratitude, to shout for joy-but all I could do was cry. Hot tears of relief streamed down my cheeks, wordless but sincere.

When Alameen's mom returned, she was still weeping as she helped me back into my seat. Her usually fair complexion, so different from Alameen's, was now flushed and red with grief.

She dropped heavily into the seat beside me and buried her face in a handkerchief. When she finally looked up again, her voice was broken and shaking.

"He's alive... but they don't know if... if he'll make it. They don't know... if my boy... will live."

Her words were soaked in tears. Her breathing was labored, ragged, like it hurt to even speak.

I still couldn't find the strength to say anything. All I wanted to do was pray. I needed to pray with everything inside me-to beg Allah to protect Alameen, to keep him safe and breathing.

Maybe it would be the first real, heartfelt prayer of my life.

I leaned back, unable to stop myself from sobbing out loud again. My vision blurred, my eyes burned painfully, but I didn't care.

"Akorede," her teary voice called out with a sniff, "you should go home. It's getting late. I shouldn't keep you here. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have bothered you. Thank you for coming. Thank you so much."
She sneezed and sobbed between her words.
"You have school tomorrow."

I'm not going to school if Alameen won't be there. Never! Who even cares about school right now?
But I did have to go home. My phone wasn't with me to check the time, and I couldn't bring myself to ask anyone else. The words simply wouldn't come out.

"...I should take you home."

I shook my head. "Cab is waiting outside," I lied in a whisper, barely even hearing my own voice. I couldn't bother her, not now. She looked far too tired.

Mustering all the strength I had, I rose to my feet on shaky legs and blurred vision.
"I'll... I... I'll be back... tomorrow."

"Thank you," she whispered. I think she said, "Call me when you get home," but I wasn't really listening anymore.

The brightness outside was purely artificial, the street lights, the hospital's fluorescent glow. The sky itself was thick with darkness. I stepped out of the hospital grounds, my feet unsteady as I reached the roadside.

He's alive!

I stood there in silence, under the dim crescent moon, trying to catch my breath.

I'll see him again.

He's alive.

Then something occurred to me.
I didn't have any money with me. I had paid the taxi driver and jumped out without collecting my change.

Gosh, I'm an idiot. What the heck am I going to do now? Start walking?

"Oh God!" I dropped to my knees, helpless.
I just sat there, catching my breath, trying to steady my thoughts. I was still too overwhelmed to panic properly, just grateful he was alive.

A horn blasted through the air, nearly startling the life out of me. I looked up, disoriented, my eyes struggling to focus.

Levi.
Levi?
Wait... what?
Levi!