Joshua

Chapter 2: He's Gone

Chapter 2:  He's Gone..

It had been raining all night like God was crying and was letting His tears fall to earth for sympathy. He had just taken one of the best angels He had ever created and gave breath to. Now He had taken Joshua’s last breath to stand next to the other angels in heaven.

 Leila slowly lifted her eyelashes trying to figure out what day it is and what had happened. It occurred to her that something unusual had happened but shrugged it off. Last night she must had turned off her phone ‘cause when she took it this morning she had to turn it on and found tons of messages and missed calls. She called back her sister, Emily, that was now studying in London University of Economics.

“Leila? Is that you?” Emily sounded worried.

“Yeah Em. What’s up?”

“You sound ok. That’s weird… You must be really bad though right?”

“It is weird to sound ok? What are you talking about Em? Why should I be bad?”

“Because of what happened yesterday…I just landed to the airport and I’ll be back home in about two hours. Mum told me that you came home crying yesterday and just fall asleep…”

“Crying?... Wait why are you back to New York?”

“ ’Cause of the funeral Leila! Wake up already. I can’t miss the funeral, it would be so bad.”

“What funeral Em? I don’t understand what you’re talking about…”

“I’m talking about Joshua, Leila… “ Emily paused.

“Look you’ll explain me face to face what you mean ‘cause I got no clue what you’re talking about. See ya.”

 Leila was still astonished by her sister’s behavior and by the fact that she was coming back home. For..the funeral? What had happened? She was like a lost sheep in thoughts and couldn’t find a way back home. 

 Her Mom was in the kitchen sitting next to Dad, drinking coffee, quieter than usual. They both sat up in the sound of Leila’s step and looked deeply each other, giving signals. Leila grabbed a bowl of cereal and sat down, eating like she does every single morning. She then remembered what she had forgotten.

“Hey, Ma”

“Wh-what is it honey?” said Mrs. Windstorm trembling in the sound of her daughter’s voice.

“Today I’m heading to the hospital. Yesterday Joshua had been fooling around and got hit or something so I’ll go and visit him.”

“Honey…Joshua is not.. He is … gone.”

“Mum what on earth are you talking about?!”

“I’m saying that Joshua is dead honey. You were there yesterday…”

“Geez are you stupid or something? He just got hit. And I’m going to go right now and visit him at the hospital! You’ll see he’s alright!”

Leila slammed the front door shut and rushed into the street. There must have been a change in weather and time, ‘cause something just seemed so different. It was still raining and the air was so cold, like the earth had cooled with Joshua’s lost.

 By the time Leila had gotten to the hospital she was wet and tired and just wanted to see Joshua’s face. She headed towards the entrance door and walked unsure towards the corridors. For some very odd reason, she remembered the room number and continued her way, automatically, towards it. The room was empty and it smelled that disgusting smell of… death.

 The old nurse, Leila had cursed yesterday was now slowly taking hold of her hand. Leila gave a small glimpse at her still curious about what had really happened. There was a nametag on the nurse’s robe, “Rose”.

“Rose?”

“Oh, yes.” The nurse tried to smile. “You’re Leila right?”

“Yeah. How did ‘ya know?”

“Well, the boy who was here yesterday kept talking about you…Joshua.”

“So where is he? Did you removed him to another room or something?”

“Oh dear..” the nurse spoke softly. “I tried to tell you yesterday but you were too stubborn to listen to me. Your friend Joshua..”

“My best friend ever Joshua” Leila smiled at her with pride.

“Yeah. Your best friend ever Joshua is now… somewhere else Leila. He has gone to visit the heavens and found love in God’s grace.”

“I really think you’re wrong Rose”

“I know that I’m right Leila. And you need to listen to me. I know that you don’t want to listen to this or hear it but you have to. Joshua’s soul has now gone far away. He is… dead… I’m so sorry.”

“He… is dead? No. No. No! It just can’t be! It just can’t.” Leila was now bursting out in loud crying.

 Rose held her in her arms shushing her like a little baby. “I don’t want him to go… I want to hold him in my arms. His my best friend ever Rose.”

“I know Leila…” But not another word was said after that. Rose kept giving Leila sympathy for an hour or so and then Emily arrived at the hospital with Mom and Dad.

 Nobody spoke, they were all looking at each other with watery eyes, hoping it all was just a bad nightmare. Emily took a long walk with Leila in the pouring rain, in the freezing air with the stronger pain. There was no safe place now, just broken pieces all over Leila’s heart.

“You know… It’s all my fault…” Leila finally spoke.

“What?”

“Joshua died because of me and my nonsense. If I had never believed in a jerk like Drake, if I had never played so foolishly. He would have never start shouting at me and would never go in front of the road to prove that he is right… It’s all my fault” A tear seized Leila’s face and fell on the ground, with the rain.

“Leila look at me.” Emily grabbed Leila by the shoulders and gave her a deep stare. “It’s not your fault that Joshua decided to jump in front of a truck to prove that he’s right, when he simply could just tell it to you face to face.”

“You know what?”

“What?”

“You’re right. It’s not my fault. Boys want to prove they’ve got guts by doing silly stuff that have bad consequences without thinking twice.”

“Yeah. I guess that’s true sis.” Emily was now hugging Leila while they were walking.

“He’s a jerk. He just left me here in the cold so he can prove he’s somebody. I don’t think he’s my best friend anymore. He’s just another stupid guy who messed up my life… What a waste of time…”

Emily stopped, staring at her sister’s never-said-before words than showed so much anger. What had happened in her heart?