[The Legacy Series] REDAMANCY - Love's Timeless Path

36th Note

(Haira)

—

When I read the message from Giandra, I felt as though my heart had stopped. She informed me that Jendra had tripped and tumbled down the escalator till he passed out. I had a hard time making my way from my office building to the basement, where my car had been parked, keeping my sanity in light of this unexpected revelation and the reality that I am no longer Jendra's fiancé or girlfriend.

My hand slowly pressed the engine start button on my car before pressing the gas pedal and driving to the hospital without thinking.

When Giandra sent me a brief message on my phone during a meeting, I was perplexed. I instinctively grabbed Pra's hand that was beside me. Asking for the moral support I needed until our meeting was over.

The hospital I was going to is not too far from our company building, but somehow it felt far away, and the roads were full of traffic jams. I felt like cursing and kicking the cars in front of me.

I put my head on the steering wheel. Feeling tears roll down my cheeks because I was so worried. I'd be lying if I said I asked to break up because I didn't love Jendra anymore. I'd be lying if I said I asked to break up because of other trivial things. Because even now, my heart feels like it was sinking when I found out that something bad happened to Jendra.

My love for him hasn't changed at all.

I was shocked when suddenly I heard the horn so loud. Forcing me to come back from my reverie before I could finally press the gas pedal and head to the hospital.

*****

The sterile scent of disinfectant assaulted my nose as I rushed through the automatic doors of the hospital. The world had blurred around the edges of my important client meeting, the words of the presentation morphing into a meaningless jumble. All I could focus on was the image of Jendra, vibrant and full of life, crumpling to the floor.

The waiting room was a microcosm of human anxiety. A woman cradled a whimpering child, and an old man stared blankly at the wall, his hand clutched by a tearful woman who could be his daughter. Giandra, a whirlwind of energy personified, sat uncharacteristically still, her eyes red and puffy.

"Giandra." I called out, my voice barely above a whisper. The room seemed to hold its breath. "What happened? Is Jendra okay?"

Jagad and Wimar were also there. They all looked panicked.

"We don't know much yet. The doctor's just seeing him now."

Jagad stopped his pacing, his voice gruff. "He hasn't been sleeping well, and has been pushing himself too hard. Typical Jendra if he is in thick stress."

"His anxieties must've caught up with him, followed by exhaustion after his never ending surgery." Wimar added.

A pang shot through me. Jendra, with his laughter, had a tendency to overextend himself. I hate to admit it, but I still cared for him—a deep, underlying current that defied definition.

The minutes stretched into an eternity when, finally, the door to the examination room swung open, revealing the doctor. Relief washed over me like a tidal wave as I saw the reassuring smile on his face.

"He's alright," the doctor began, his voice calming. "But he was quite a bit dehydrated and overworked. I could feel his body tense, maybe it's stress and pressure during work. He needs some rest and a change of pace."

The doctor left the room before inviting us to enter. I rushed over to Jendra, who still hadn't regained consciousness, before grumbling.

"Why did that doctor make it sound like Jendra was on his deathbed?"