ECHOES OF YOU

Chapter Thirteen

It was so dark I could hardly see anything. Then I heard his voice and a sudden light appeared. It was so blinding that it made it hard for me to see. All I saw was the human figure standing in it.

“Leila,” it called out to me.

That voice was so familiar. Without knowing it I was crying and running toward it. But before I could get any closer, he stopped me.

“Are you sure about this?” I was confused. Liam was standing before me and the only thing he could ask! Was I sure about getting close to him?

“Of course, I am, what kind of question is that,”

“You see Leila, me and you are in two different planes. You are in limbo and I have crossed over. If you come any closer, you’ll do the same. It means you’ve made peace with your death,”

“Hold up, what do you mean,”

“Can’t you hear them calling out to you,”
“I don’t hear anything,”

“You are dying Leila. The doctors are fighting to keep you alive. Your own body is giving in. But if you can’t hear them, it means you want to die, don’t you,”

“I don’t know Liam,” and truly I didn’t know. Part of me was happy that all the misery and pain was finally over. But then why was my body fighting against it?

“You know when I died, I saw you. You probably don’t remember but you helped my crossover. We were both going to but you assured me you’d stay to take care of mom and dad for me. You promised to take care of Sheila and you’d tell her how sorry I was and I how much I truly loved her. You stayed behind to fill the empty spaces I’d left behind. You said you were happy that I was at peace. But now seeing you here is quite a shock to me and it only means that you never kept your promise,”

“Everything kind of fell apart after you died. I don’t think I remember us talking about all that. All I know is that I was a mess after losing you. I had no one and everything I did always ended up badly. I’m more broken without you,”

“Oh, little sis I wish I could hug you right now. I knew the pressure you were under and that’s why I tried my best to shield you from the world. I can only blame myself, if I’d never dragged you down my popularity lane, you’d never have had to be under all that pressure. You’d have had a normal life and maybe if I hadn’t been an overprotective brother you’d have learned how to survive on your own,”

“No, it’s not your fault. I’m just too weak and I break easily. That’s why you shielded me, that’s why you protected me,”

“You’re not weak at all Leila. You are the strongest person I know. The only reason all this happened is that you are human and you had reached your breaking point. You were carrying a lot and with time it was all meant to come down. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you,”

“But now we can be, if I just cross over, we’ll be together again, you’ll be able to shield me again,”

“I want that more than anything, but what about them,”

Then I saw it. My body lying there surrounded by everyone. Nathan was holding on to Sheila. She was beyond the console. My mom was lying in a bed beside me, “Sorry Mr. Smith but it seems like your wife had a minor heart attack.” How was I going to process all this?

“You see Leila, people do care about you. You have to just let them in and see how things will be easier for you,”

“But you won’t be there with me,”

“I’ll always be with you, Leila,”

“I miss you, Liam I do,”

“I miss you too other me, I’ll always be with you in your heart and our memories and when you finally die of old age, I’ll be waiting for you right here and I’ll finally hold your hand as you cross over. Now go back and show them how strong you are,”
Everything went silent and then I began hearing voices. I opened my eyes and I saw a bright light but before I could even think about it someone jumped onto me.

“Don’t you ever scare me like that ever again? I’ve lost you twice now, don’t add a third time,” it was Sheila. She was the only one there.

“How long has it been,”

“Three weeks,”

“Where’s everyone,”

“Your dad took your mom home to change and Nathan is leaving today. After what happened at the party he decided to go back and live with his dad. Doesn’t look like he and Kelvin are ever going to patch things up. And he left this for you,”

Wait Nathan was leaving. I couldn’t let him. I don’t know what happened but all I know is that I woke up a completely different person. And this person come to terms with her feelings so she was not going to lose her man because she was stuck in a hospital bed.

“Sheila if you are truly my best friend, you are going to get me out of here and drive me to meet him,”

“I can’t possibly do that Leila, that’s impossible,”

“Sheila, I can’t lose him before I even get him,”

“Well let’s see what I can do,”

She left the room and a few minutes later she came back with the doctor and a wheelchair.

“You were right Sheila, she’s feeling better and it’s okay, you can take her out for a walk,”

They helped me change before I climbed into the wheelchair. Sheila pushed me to her car.

“Your mom and dad are going to kill me, but what kind of friend would I be if I don’t help my best friend get her man,” she said as we drove off.

I didn’t even know what I was going to say to him. All I knew was that I had to get there before he left. And lucky enough we got there just in time.

I opened the door without thinking and fell flat on my face. Nathan got out of the house just in time to see me fall. He rushed to help me up.

“Leila, what’s going on here,”

“Nathan please before you leave there’s something I have to tell you,”

“Is it so urgent that you had to come all the way,”

“Yes, it is,”

“Couldn’t it wait,”

“It would have been late by then,”

“But I was just about to leave….,”

“And that’s why I had to say it now,”

“But….,”

“I know I’m a mess, Nathan. I’m also complicated and I constantly overthink all the good this away from my life. But one thing I’m sure about is my feelings for you. And Nathan I know I’m broken and I’m not talking about my heart alone, so if you’d let me love you with all my broken self. It’ll take time to bring the pieces back together but I want to do it with you,”

And then I felt his lips on mine and my stomach just went boom. It’s almost like I felt fireworks.

“You could have just waited for me at the hospital but this is way hotter,”

“But Sheila told me you were leaving,”

“Come on, don’t give me those looks. It was fun seeing her all worked up. She had to pay for scaring me twice and ignoring me,”

“Just you wait Sheila once I’m all better I’m going to skin you,”

“I know you will but now it’s back to the hospital for you,”

Driving back, I felt relieved. I was genuinely happy. Whatever happened during the accident changed me. I felt more whole like the piece of me that had been taken away was finally back. Although I missed Liam, I knew he’ll always be with me and one day we’d meet. This year my life fell apart and it fell back in place only to fall apart again. But now I know that everything that had happened had shaped me into whom I was going to be.

Everything would eventually fall into place if only took it slow. I had Sheila and now I had Nathan. I was going to be okay. I had fought my own battles and it took me quite a while to set my mental health back in the line I hoped one day I’d help people like me. I’d be able to walk with them through their battles. But for now, I had to think about what was before me. And as I did, I couldn’t help but smile. Nathan proved to me that no matter how broken you are, everyone deserves love. It only takes one to open up to the possibility.

I’d go back to school as the girl with bad luck. Always getting into accidents, having mental breakdowns, and having a stalker boyfriend. But I didn’t care about all that. I just needed to care about these two. Although I hadn’t gotten the opportunity to talk to Sheila yet, I was sure she’d tell me when she was ready. And I’d be there waiting for it. And I was ready to let go now. I’d let Liam live in my memories. For that’s where he’d always be forever.