In Her Memory

10 Years After

"She's been like that since she woke up this morning and the rest of the week now, staring in space blankly, not telling us what she needs or what she wants and if we ask her anything the only answer she gives is a name of a woman. - - Althea? And then she'd be really disappointed, sad maybe, every time we tell her that we can't find Althea or Althea won't be coming today."

"It's okay doc, I found Althea, she's outside is it okay if she comes in?"

"Let's see shall we? At this point we are desperate for interaction, for help."

I am nervous, and my nervousness is making my palm sweat and my hearing sensitive, I could hear Batchi talking to Jade's doctor. Jade. that name brought back a thousand feelings I've been trying to flush down the drain. Her name feels surreal even if I've repeated it in my mind for the last 24 hours, before I agreed to come to this hospital when Batchi told me that Paul wants to see me. It's been 10 years. 10 years of solitude, trying to move on when in reality I can't even take her off my mind even just for night. She won't let me rest. She won't let me un-love her.

This sucks.

This feeling of nervousness sucks.

After all this time Jade? what have you done to me? Why do I still get nervous even after 10 years of not seeing you?

Batchi broke my deep thought with a tap on my back, and all at once my mind was blank.

"She's fine, it's just that she's in the verge of depression and longing for you. Are you sure you can do this? We're not sure if she can recognize you, but then if she's looking for you and always asking if you're coming back then maybe she would, right?"

"I don't know Batch, I'm so nervous, what if she's just after some made up version of me in her head? I haven't moved on from her remember and if this experiment of her family fails I'll be broken twice as hard as before." I surrendered.

"You know maybe you can just get in the room and try? And if she doesn't recognize you then we'll leave. I'm here for you so don't worry."

"Alright then, here goes nothing?"

Batchi nod and gave me the most encouraging half smile she could and slightly pushed me to open the door.

I was already in front of Jade's room not sure if I should knock or just open it. I am staring at the signage infront of me the first line was her name which should be normal but the second line etched in black letters stopped my breathing 

'Early-Stage Alzheimer's'.

I looked again at Batchi sitting 10 feet away from the door, she looked at me and nod with the trace of pity and concern.

I gently opened the door with no idea how I am going to face a 44 year old Jade who's slowly being robbed of all her memory starting from her short term memories to god knows where. She was seated in front of a sliding window with her back facing me. She's wearing her signature pink clothes, her brown hair still in the same length when I first met her...

20 years after I first laid eyes on her she's still breath-takingly beautiful. painfully beautiful. tears started building up on the side of my eyes, and there's a lump on my throat, I was nailed to where I am standing cautious not to shock her with my pressence.

"Jade? Honey?" I said almost a whisper in the air.

There was no movement at first. And I already felt defeated. My head dropped and I was about to turn away when...

"Althea?" her voice is still music to my ears when she say my name. I raised my head and then our eyes meet and I felt that instant connection not fading, not wavering even after 10 or 20 years.

"Yes lab-lab?" the first of the many tears started to fall when she moved from her chair and started walking to me with the wonderment of a child. Oh Jade. My. Jade.

"Lab-lab?" she's now a few inches from me. she raised her hand and caressed my face which sends those familiar wave of electricity from my face to the whole of my body.

She remembers me, with tears on her eyes she remembered me. And for now that's enough.