Terrified

Chapter 11: The Answer (Part 2 of 3)

Meanwhile, the most troubled one for the day, Yumi is inside her mother's hospital room, trying so hard not to let out a single tear in front of her mother who is being attended by the doctors and nurses in her bed. She cannot even bring herself to look at her mother longer than a minute for the reason that her health and physical condition has gotten worse, too painful for her to look at. And as she stands by at the corner, all she can do is to wait for them to finish and have their official words for her.

"Miss Yumi..." The doctor finally called her attention. He stood close to her as he speaks almost in a whisper, "I'm sorry... but..."

"How many days left? Or should I ask hours left?" Yumi questioned that appeared cold for she is fighting against her emotions killing her slowly.

The doctor unfortunately informs, "Roughly less than two days. With that being said, I need nurses to be here all the time to check on her and I'll be back in few hours. For the meantime, you can talk to her."

The doctors left the room, leaving Yumi together with the nurses behind to watch over her for a while. It's hard for her to step forward and stays staggered at her spot. She isn't taking the information very well as if her mind and her heart are refusing to accept everything that's happening right now. She's rejecting the possibility, the most probable one that will happen after this day or the day after tomorrow, which is causing her to feel like an air as she's trying to empty her mind from all these happenings.

"Yumi... come here..." Her mother barely talked as she called her spacing out daughter.

Yumi snapped back to reality when she heard her mother difficultly talked from her bed. "Mom, please don't talk too much." She said as she approached and seated on her bedside, unstable with her stares on her and occasionally looking away.

"Sorry... I couldn't do... much... for you..." Her mother however kept on talking a tear dropped from her right eye.

"Mom, please stop. Don't say that. You did a lot for me and you still are." Yumi gripped against the blanket but failed for her emotions have taken over her.

Her mother uses her remaining energy she has left in her body to reach out for her hand, squeezing it the tightest she can which isn't actually that strong anymore. With this touch that's cold and feeble, Yumi was forced to look at her and soon broke down in tears. "Have you talked to her?" She then asked, forcing a weak smile out of her dried lips and in between her heavy pants.

"Do we really have to talk about her now mom?" Yumi sobbed and looked up to stop her tears from endlessly flowing down, soaking the blanket where her tears drop.

"It has... to be... now." Her mother insisted.

Yumi shakes off her head and unfortunately informs, "I haven't even seen her mom. I haven't even told her that I love her. I miss her but she's so persistent on avoiding me. What else can I do? What should I do?"

"Do everything... that it takes, Yumi." Her mother breathed heavy and with her hand reaching out for Yumi's face for a caress, she further tells her, "If you love her... do everything you... can. She isn't... as brave... as she looks like... when it comes to loving someone truly... Perhaps, she's as scared... as you... only with a different reason..."

"Yes mom. I know. According to her sister, she's scared to hurt me." Yumi frowned.

"Exactly..." Her mother giggled so weak Yumi barely heard it. "Love... it's not purely rainbows and sugars... not everything is sweet and thrills. There are sorrows... miseries... and heartaches... then comes the fear too... However, the thing is... you have found someone whom you can share all of the bests and worsts in life... yet you can still say... 'I love you' with each other. You have found someone... who have known what real love is... because she exists in you. She was able to break your chains... and she will continue doing so... until the both of you... will walk on a brighter path together... And when I say these things... there's only one person... that comes into your mind, right? If so... then she's the answer. Grab it. Get her." She said in a struggle, coughing in between her words that Yumi couldn't stop her from going on.