BECKY IN A BOX

Chapter 39

Becky's POV

At the hospital. I sat down at the bench along the hallway, conflicted.

I just got the letter I've been waiting for years.

"Nurse Armstrong." Dr. Saint stopped once he noticed me.

"Are you alright?." He asked worriedly.

I lend him the letter and read it,

"Oh wow. Congratulations!. W-wait, what's with the long face? I mean you're accepted to serve for UNICEF." He said.

"Yeah, and it had always been my dream." I sincerely told him.

"So, what's the problem?." He said.

"I-I don't think I could leave Freen. I mean Africa is so far, what if something bad happens-I-I just can't." As my voice breaks.

SILENCE

"Remember when I told you that there's something bigger outside of us?. This is it Becky, and it is part of our job, our responsibility to humanity. Families, especially children are starving and dying because of abuse, malnutrition, diseases, natural disasters and conflicts like wars all over the world and we were given the right and capacity to help. I'm sure Freen would understand. Besides, your heart is too big to limit it in loving one person." He sincerely told me.

9 PM

I sat beside Freen on her bed as I held her rock hard hand, sobbing.

"You know how much I love you right?. You know how hard it is for me to leave you behind like this. Call me selfish, call me whatever you want but this time I'm choosing myself. Now that I'm finally given the chance to do and to be what I've always wanted, I'm going for it. But that doesn't necessarily mean that I'm going to forget and stop loving you. I promise I'll be back and we'll get married, okay?. Please wait for me Freen." I sincerely said, finally pulling her in for a warm side embrace even though she's not capable of hugging me back.

I grabbed the book that I've read for her awhile ago and read,

"She had tricked him. She had made him leave his old self behind and come into her world, and then before he was really at home in it but too late to go back, she had left him stranded there — like an astronaut wandering about on the moon. Alone."

— Katherine Paterson, Bridge to Terabithia

AT THE AIRPORT

11 AM

"Take care of yourself and Mommy Freen, okay?. Read her stories every night just like I did. Sing her lullabies when you think she's sad. Can you do that for Mommy?." I told Emily, holding my tears as I saw her crying and hugging me tight, begging me to stay.

"Emily, please--" I begged.

She just shook her head. I went to look at Richie who's standing behind her, looking at us appreciatively.

"She'll be an Armstrong in 2 years." I told him.

"Better be here by that time or else she'll marry a different Armstrong." He warned in a teasing manner.

I looked at him appreciatively and went for a tight hug,

"I'm gonna miss you buddy." He sincerely said.

"I'm gonna miss you more butter." I sincerely told him and finally pulled away.

"So, it's a goodbye then." He said.

"More like, be right back." I optimistically said as I finally waved goodbye to them.

Love is something that can easily be proven with time. It's not about the events of intensity, but about consistency. It was the accumulation of all those little things.

I wrote,

[ Africa is nothing like the world I've been introduced into. There were a lot of children but little childhood and it was heart wrenching.

I witnessed how these children worked on plantations, in mines, quarries or factories that were supposed to be observed activities in adults.

What's even more disturbing is the fact that they are forced to become prostitutes just to put food on the table.

Most child laborers are exploited and have no chance of attending school because they have neither the time nor the strength and resources to learn and attend classes.

Children born in sub-Saharan Africa face multiple barriers to survive and grow: inadequate nutrition, limited access to quality care and expanded vaccination programs, clean water, and scarce sanitation facilities.

Yet most of these deaths would be preventable if health systems were strengthened as a whole. ]

And sent it to Freen.

I wrote everything that happened to me in a day and sent it to Freen even though I never had any response from her in the past 1 year and 9 months.

Well, 3 months more and then I can finally go back home.

I never really felt alone because I have colleagues who basically became family to me, people who had the same vision as I had about the future of humanity.

Until my phone rang one night as I am just getting ready for bed at the barracks. It's an unknown number.

Hello?

Mommy--

Emily--wait, are you crying?.What happened?.

Mommy Freen is getting married.

Tsk. That bastard!.

The next thing I knew I'm already at the Thailand Airport, waiting for my cab.