Just Live

Chapter 27

Note: 3 chapters remaining after this plus an epilogue!

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"I learned that the best way to make the most out of your life is to just live. I learned na hindi kailangan ng grandious events or extreme activities to do that. Just live in the moment and bask in what life has to offer before they disappear . . . Sa lahat ng nangyari, I learned to treasure the simplest things in life. Yung magising sa umaga, makatayo mag-isa, makasabay kumain mga mahal ko sa buhay, kayo."

"Kontento ka na ba, love?" He remembers asking her.

"Natuto akong pahalagahan yung binigay na sakin ni Lord, love. Kontento na ako sa mga nagawa ko at nakita ko and I want to just live the rest of the days He's giving me, but I'd be lying if I said wala na akong hinihiling pa."

Matteo brought his palms to his face while his elbows rested on his knees. That specific conversation with Sarah when they went stargazing has been replaying in his mind over and over, and he couldn't stop thinking about it.

"Anak," he heard her father's voice from behind him.

Ariel stood beside him and held his hand out to Matteo. On it was their engagement ring.

Matteo tightened his jaws as tears began to fill his eyes once more. He took it from Ariel's hand and balled his hand into a fist, the ring tightly kept inside.

"Inabot sakin ng isa sa mga nurse yan," Ariel said softly as he took a seat. "Tama lang na ikaw ang maghawak."

"Thank you po."

Ariel lovingly placed his hand on the young man's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. One simple and quick gesture loaded with so many words and emotions.

"Tito?"

Ariel looked at his daughter's fiancé whose eyes bore heavy emotions, agony and fear standing out among others. "Ano yun, Matt?"

Matteo swallowed the lump in his throat before letting out a long sigh. He looked at his fiancée before turning his attention back to her father. "Do you think lumalaban pa rin po siya because she wants to or because we want her to?"

Ariel was taken by surprise by the question and he felt like a dagger pierced through his heart. He has never thought of the situation that way, but Matteo's question couldn't be more eye-opening. He looked intently at Sarah who lay unconscious and intubated in front of them, appearing so small and so fragile in a sea of medical equipment that were keeping her alive. The more he stared intently at his daughter, the more his heart broke. It wasn't hard to see how extremely worn out Sarah's body was, but it was doing its best to fight death in the face and come out alive.

Ariel closed his eyes and tears fell from them. He shook his head before looking at his daughter again and reaching for her hand. "Hindi ko alam, Matt," he finally answered so quietly, it was almost a whisper. "Gusto kong isiping lumalaban sya because she still wants to, pero kilala natin ang anak ko. Kahit nahihirapan na siya, she will fight for us. Ang sakit sakit makita siyang ganito, Matt."

Matteo put his hand on Ariel's back, attempting to console him as they cried silently together.

"Bugbog na bugbog yung anak ko this past year, Matt," Ariel continued, his voice breaking as he cried. "Nakita natin kung gaano siya nahihirapan sa treatment niya pero never siyang nag reklamo. In spite of everything, she still smiled, she laughed, and she tried to enjoy every moment she could kaya gusto kong isipin na ginusto niyang lumaban para sa sarili niya. Pero eto, Matt, iba toh eh. Iba tong situation natin ngayon. Hirap na hirap lumaban yung katawan niya kaya hindi ko masabi kung lumalaban ba siya ngayon dahil gusto pa din niya, or para sa atin na lang. Hindi ko alam ang isasagot ko sa tanong mo, anak," he told Matteo as they looked at each other, their faces wet with tears and their hearts shattering into millions of pieces inside their chests.