Drowned
Chapter 6
What would you do for love?
I always thought about this growing up. Especially for me who didn't really have someone to give that to me growing up.
I was an orphan. Living everyday with the same kids, wishing for the day to wake up in a warm house, food on the plate, someone you can call mom—a family to call when you're alone. I yearned for that.
"Gavin, what do you want to be when you grow?" Is what they always ask, and I would always have this same answer. "I want to be a good dad."
On my 8th birthday, I ran from home. Took whatever bus that was available near our place and never came back. Why did I leave?
I wanted to know if they'll try to find me back, search for me, and take me back. But no one came.
I wandered the streets for days, weeks with no food and drink, until eventually someone who works at a bakery found me.
They fed me there, gave me clothes, education, and a bed to sleep in. I felt like I was finally found.
I worked in the bakery after a month of staying there. I worked almost the whole day, and got less to no sleep. But I was happy, I felt like I finally had a purpose in life; all the more when I met her.
Ever since I saw her that day, she never left my mind. I always go in the same direction she took for her class, even though mine was the complete opposite way.
She was beautiful.
"You like her, huh?" A girl nudged me that caught my attention. "Oh, right! Lilac. Her name is Lilac."
"Who are you?" I asked, holding my breath. It was the first time someone talked to me in school.
"My name? Kianna, and you must be—Gavin, right?" She pointed, I nodded with a smile skewing in my lips as we shook hands. It was the beginning.
Kianna would always give me advice on how to approach Lila. She often writes scripts of conversation for me to follow, even though we both know that they would never work. She was the first friend I made in school, and second was Jason.
I wasn't particularly close with Jason since he had the same eyes that I had for Lila to Kianna every time I saw her, and he would be muttering sounds in the hallway everytime Kianna and I spoke.
"Do you think Jason likes you?" I pointed out to Kianna and she shook her head in response. "No way! We're like brothers. That's not going to happen," she denied, but I knew otherwise.
"Just, trust me ok?" Kianna poses. "Wait for her class to be over, then approach her. Just say things, talk to her, do things she likes."
"That would work?" I doubted, holding my chin waiting for the bell ring.
"It will! Just trust, ok?" And as soon as the bell rang, everything changed.
It started from a simple favour, turned to something more. Kianna was right, things would work as long as I trust her. As long as I do.
"Gavin?" A familiar voice spoke from the phone. Even if I haven't heard this voice for so long I couldn't forget. "Kianna?" I answered.
"How have you been? It's been 3 years, I thought we'd never get to talk again." I sparked in joy, but her voice from the other side of the call didn't seem to bite the same coin as me. "What's wrong?" I asked.
And what she told me shattered me into a million pieces.
I dropped the phone as soon as I heard her words. I rushed to my car, and kicked off the engine. This can't be happening.
Everything that I worked for. I won't let it all just go to waste.
I drove around the city looking. I searched every street, and every road will only take me to more roads.
The sun settled down as dark clouds covered the sky. As the night fell, I opened the headlights and continued to cruise down the pavement.
I can't lose you.
And just when all hopes were about to die, I found her. I made it.
Just like everybody else, I did it. I did it for love.
"You're so beautiful." I held her in my arms as she slept in the middle of the road. Her eyes were closed, and it was like a scene from a movie, everything was perfect, not until the rain started to pour in.
"Lila, it's raining. Let's go." I nudged her, waking her up but she wouldn't move. I placed her back down on the ground where I found her, and checked her pulse. There wasn't any.
"No!" I fumbled, threw my hands in her chest giving her chest compression, blowing her air, trying to give life back to her.
This can't be happening.
I can't lose you like this.
We were soaked in the rain, covered in mud, I was hopeless. I couldn't do anything.
"Jason? Pick up!" I rang his phone.
Please, help me. I desperately called out for help. But, when he finally arrived, the rain had already stopped, and Lila was cold as ice.
"Please help me Jason. Help me carry her to the car, we can still make it to the hospital." I cried, begging on my knees while holding Lila wrapped around my arms.
Jason blankly stared at me for a second, and kneeled. He took a great look on the both of us and said, "I wasn't the one who started the fire. I'm just here to watch the house burn."
