We've Still Got Time

Chapter Nine: Nothing more than this.

Last Wednesday, I volunteered to trim John's hair and shave his face. I even did his finger nails. Visiting him has become a routine for me for the next few days. I drop by to see him every afternoon after class, every weekend after my café work. My friends are already curious about him, even Mom; but I kept the details about him classified. It's like I'm starting to feel a little possessive about him. I don't know if it's because of my intentions or something else.

Up until now, I'm still not sure what that 'something else' really is. I wanted to ask Laura what this feeling is, but I am kind of embarrassed in advance if it turned out the way she might be thinking for the past days. What if I'm in love with him? What if I'm starting to fall in love with an anonymous guy in a coma? Is it too soon? Too strange? So I kept the weird feeling to myself.

One Sunday, I decided to make us a weekly To-Do-List. I posted a big calendar I made myself at the corner of his room and labeled it with the things we'd do every day, making sure that every day has a different theme we'd do every week.

On Sundays I'd watch my favorite movies with him while on Mondays we'd watch a movie I've never seen before, whether it has a high rating or a low rating on IMDB. Tuesdays I'd knit him something, like a hat, or a glove, or probably a sweater while binge watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Wednesdays I'd bake him something (even though I know they would just end up inside Laura's bag or my mouth). Thursdays is Disney Day. We'd watch old Disney movies or old-school Disney shows (just to annoy him or force him to wake up since I'm pretty sure he's not the Disney type of guy and he'd just hate it). On Fridays I would read him my favorite books. On Saturdays I would play him the music I've heard on the past week or the new songs I added in my playlist. Basically those are the things that we'd start doing just so everything would be organized and I'll be sure that we won't miss a day doing nothing. I'd make new memories with him, whether he knows it or not.

So that Sunday, I played him one of my favorite movies: When Harry Met Sally. I love this movie so much because of its theme: two strangers who became frenemies, then friends, and then well... it lead to something beautiful. It's kind of cliché, I know, but the characters were just so lovable so I became easily attached to them or something, they made me laugh and cry with everything they do. The theme of the whole movie is basically Harry's stand: a man and a woman can't be 'just' friends because at the end they'd end up just liking each other. I love that it's so honest about how complicated and weird love can be, and maybe, I can see myself in the characters, too: The cynicism of Harry and Sally's hopelessness about true love. And the ending... ugh, it gets me every time.

I looked at John, thinking if he, himself, has a special someone.

I realized that I would probably hate it if ever he has one. Again, it's me and my possessiveness talking here.

After watching the movie, I pulled out my Polaroid camera and took a selfie with John while I'm holding the DVD case of When Harry Met Sally in front of my face. I also decided that I should take photos with him, and then later on, when he wakes up, I'll show them to him and tell him everything that happened the day that photo was taken.

At the back of the developed photo, I wrote the date today and the words: "Watched When Harry Met Sally. Is it really true that two people can't be 'just friends'?"

*

"Hey Loser."

I found Janice's lack of energy on the other line when she called me that night interesting and at the same time disturbing. This was the first time in a while since she sounded less enthusiastic.