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*Writer's Note*: Thank you for reaching this far. This is the final chapter of my book, and I hope you’ve loved the journey. The ending is something I had planned before the story even began, and I’m excited to share it with you. Some of you might love the ending, while others may hate it. Let’s find out which one you are.
*Back to the story*:
For the next two days, Susan and I have been hanging out at the railway station. We've been talking a lot on the phone, we've kissed and laughed, and at times, it felt like we were the only two people in the world. She was all that I needed, and I tied my heart right next to hers. I wanted to explore what her love felt like even further. I believe I’ve healed her wounds from her previous relationship.
One day, on my way home, I got a call from my parents. They said they had found a donor for my heart. They wanted me to proceed with the surgery, and the doctors were ready. We were supposed to go to the hospital.
My parents and I went to see the doctor. He explained the details about the newly donated heart and said there was a great chance of the procedure going well. My parents agreed to it and asked if I was ready for the transplant. I asked them to give me some time to think about it, as it was my decision too.
They agreed to give me time, but insisted it was what was best for me.
Susan doesn't know about my condition. I’m afraid if I tell her, it might ruin whatever we have right now. I’ll tell her eventually, just not yet. I just want to enjoy what we have for a little longer.
Day 3. The day of the party.
I met Susan at her party at her house. A lot of students came by, some of whom I knew, though we were more acquaintances than friends. I sat down with Susan, and we had a little chat.
"I'm going to tell you something no one else will, everyone in the room is in love with you. Everyone."
Susan smiled. "Oh really? Well, you'll have to prove it."
I leaned in to kiss her. After the kiss, she looked straight into my eyes, but then I felt someone pulling on my shoulder. When I turned around, her ex-boyfriend punched me in the stomach.
Everyone stopped and stared. He was shouting, "Get up! Get up, let's finish this!"
I stood up, knowing full well that I’d never been in a fight before. We all knew I wasn’t going to win this one.
Susan was yelling at her ex to stop being a jerk, asking him to leave. By the time I was on my feet, he punched me twice in the head. One punch landed squarely on my chest, and I collapsed again. This time, I couldn’t breathe. My vision blurred, my voice went completely mute. I saw Susan kneeling in front of me, her lips moving, but I couldn’t hear her.
I couldn’t speak, and my breaths grew shorter and shorter. I think she noticed because she leaned in and kissed me. In that moment, my heart, which had been racing, slowed down.
Her ex boyfriend left she helped me get up and went outside I was limping off with one leg, she sat me down at the swing outside her house and she sat right next to me, I joked with her for a few minutes and she just was enjoying my company. My phone's rings and it was my parents calling saying I needed to be home something had just come up, so I told Susan I was leaving but was coming back she should wait for me.
When I reached home i felt a strong feeling in my heart and fell down, my parents heard a loud noise of something falling down when my parents came out I was unconscious and they called 911 to get me to the hospital, when the ambulance arrived It passed the grocery store where I worked and Ashley saw it and called Susan.
Ashley: Hey, sue, is Jamal there with you?
Susan: No, He was supposed to come here and meet me after the party but he didn't show it's been an hour now, and nobody said they've seen him here, why are you asking is something wrong?
As she was talking to the phone she saw an ambulance passing by, speeding through.
Ashley: There was an ambulance passing here and I think Jamal is inside, I tried calling him but he's not responding.
Susan: (in a worrying voice) wait let me try and call him.
After a few calls she didn't get a reply and that's when she rushed to my place and no one was there, she called my phone again and still got no reply. She waited a little outside of my place Hoping that I wasn't in that ambulance. Suddenly the phone rings and it was my number but it wasn't me on the other side of the call it was my mom and she told her that something had happened and she should go to the hospital right away.
As she was driving all these memories of us came to her and were driving her crazy.
She couldn't wait to reach the hospital and was hoping I was alright.
She finally reached the hospital and came straight to where I was lying, on the hospital bed. She hugged me and asked me what was going on, I had to tell her the truth even though it hurt me the most, with tears coming down in my eyes I told her
"The reason I didn’t want to get a heart transplant was because I was afraid the new heart wouldn’t feel what I felt for you. I was scared I’d lose my feelings for you. All I wanted was to keep feeling how good it is to love you and to be loved by you. I only have one heart, and I want you in it. Without you, I don’t know what else to do"
Susan "Please stop crying" you’re making me cry too, Let me take your mind off of this, there's a place I go whenever I don’t know what to think about, and I just think of you, how we met, and maybe, one day, how we might get married there. When I fell in love with you, I knew I was falling for someone who could literally break my heart, yet I still loved you. I had to. No one looks at me like the way you do. No one smiles the way you do. When you stare at me, I feel like you can see my soul. You always know just what to say I know it’s hard to smile right now, but please, try for me. Falling for you wasn’t part of my plan, but when I saw you, I knew I was in trouble"
She hugged me and laid her head on my chest. I could feel her heartbeat, it was beating so fast. I just wanted to calm her down. I told her:
"I wish I could grow old with you, make you smile every day, and carry you around. I really wanted to be the man who grows old with you."
The doctors came in and asked Susan to step outside so they could begin the surgery. After spending several hours in the operating room, the doctors came out and asked to speak to my parents first. Susan was nearby but could barely hear their conversation. When my mom started crying out loud, Susan knew something bad had happened. She started running through the hospital towards the operating room. The doctors tried to stop her, but she managed to get through.
I wasn't conscious, and the doctors told her I wasn’t going to make it. She dropped to her knees, crying, and then came over to me, holding my hand. She whispered:
Susan: "Come back to me, please. I need you. I really need you—now, forever, and always. Please, Jamal, come back to me."
I could hear her voice but couldn’t respond. A tear fell down my cheek as I took my last breath. The beeps of the heart monitor started to slowly fade away, one beep at a time. She realized I wasn’t coming back. Through her tears, she said one last thing, which I could barely hear:
"I will love you, even when you’re not here. You’ll always be in my heart."
