Wish Upon A Snowflake [[finished]]

Chapter 17: Alcohol (Eva)

Chapter 17: Alcohol (Eva)

“Ethan and I… used to date while both of you were in a relationship. He broke it off with me the day you caught us.”

Why don’t I have problems like school or something? I just had to encounter a cheating problem didn’t I. I’m so sick and tired of all this love bullshit that I didn’t even react the way Jen probably expected me to. “For how long?” I ask her. That was the only thing that bugged me the most. I wouldn’t want to know that Ethan dated and loved me for all these years, while celebrating an anniversary with another girl too. Jen shoots me a look that says ‘that’s all you’re going to ask?’ but continues on with the verbal way. “6 months or something.” She stutters. Suddenly, relief washes all over me like cold water on a hot day. The silence prolonged for a long time, until I crossed my hands and Jen noticed my displease go away. “Do you love Ethan?” I ask out of the blue as she almost jumps to the sudden question. “Do you?” I repeat, completely insisting and intimidating her, but I wanted to know. “I don’t.” Her voice says as she looks down to her feet. Jen was saying the truth. I knew, by the fact that she smiled. Her smile spoke more than a thousand words, and I understood them all. “Don’t hate Ethan, blame it all on me. Trust me please, whatever he sends you a message about, listen to him.” She tells me, literally almost on her knees begging me. “Why should I believe you?” I say, doubts still swarming in my heart. “You have the right to not.” Jen inhales a deep breath. “But it’s the last thing I want you to do before I change schools.”

My head goes back and forth as I try to balance myself by placing my elbows on the bar counter.  The cute bartender in front of me wiped the glasses with his classical piece of rag. “What shall you doeth to make your ex maketh the loveth of your lifeth.” I twist my tongue in a possibility to mumble the words out to the bartender that made zero sense. He ignored me, but kept watching as he could monitor how much I drank today. The wine glass stood before my eyes, as it was filled with the solution of martini and grenadine. Don’t forget the cherry for the garnish. I drank the last drops in an instant and suddenly feel the urge to puke, but I don’t. My phone vibrates, indicating an SMS message. I open it and see the name ‘Ethan <3’ pop out instantly. I make an annoying face before I open to read the content.

‘Eva, I beg you to assist me and celebrate our fifth anniversary together in—‘

Before I could finish the sentence, my vision goes blurry and soon everything inside my head blanks out. I can hear my hard landing on the checkered marble floor, but oddly I don’t feel any pain. Screams of waitresses’ arise, but I’m still confused. I want to speak and ask what’s happening, but I can’t and soon I completely faint.

My eyes feel heavy, so when I try to open them I have to use a lot of force. I feel a soft surface beneath me, so I know I’m in bed. But in whose place? I observe the room. It’s pure white everywhere and there is apparatus in each corner. I realize I’m in a hospital room. My hands instantly feel my phone, so I switch it open and see the time. 11:28pm 24th December. It was still supposedly Ethan and I’s anniversary, so I congratulate myself on the special fifth year and the last. I can feel tears forming in my eyes, but I’m too tired to cry. Needles and injections are going through my veins and solutions are running into my veins. It was boring, not being able to move and staring at one and only painting in front of me of a naked woman being devoured by a snake. That’s very motivational. Minutes pass by slowly, and right before I feel like falling asleep again a man in a white coat walks in. He is dark skinned, but very eye pleasing as the second he walks in, I suddenly feel comfort. “Ms. Enoph.” He tells me with a reassuring smile. “Yes. That’s me. Doctor, what has happened?” I say, but my voice crackles and it’s extremely hard to speak – while concealing my tears. “Ouch Ms. Enoph. My apologies, but I don’t have such good news.” He taps his checklist with his pen and I give a nod of approval. “Ms. Enoph, you have been diagnosed breast cancer and throat cancer due to over excessive consumption of alcohol.”

And that’s how easily a human’s life can break apart into pieces.

I close my eyes, calm myself down as best as I could.

“T-That’s not a mistake?” Another voice comes in from the door. Suddenly, balloons in all shades of red and pink arise. Hearts and bunnies enter the room, as the strings all connect to one person that staggers to see me motionless in bed. Ethan. His eyebrows arch sadness, and he puts a palm over his face in disappointment. Suddenly he drops down to his knees, curls up and starts softly sniffing. My heart shatters into fragments seeing him so helpless. So weak. Not able to speak, I signal the doctor a beg to leave us alone. He quickly understands, pats my shoulder, displays pity and walks away. Now, Ethan and I were left alone in the room, him crying the reality away, and me observing him without uttering a word. After a while, Ethan rose his head up and faced me with his shining grey eyes. He was red and his eyes were puffed up. Using all his might, he stood up and motioned slowly towards me. He sat down again next to the bed on the chair. “Eva. Oh Eva.” He mutters and his tears start forming instantly again. “How could I. How could I do such things to you, and allow this to happen. It’s all my fault, oh god it’s all my fault Eva. I’m so, so sorry.” He says and plants his head on my hands, while keeping hold of it. I still didn’t cry, but my soul inside was dying. All those years when Ethan tried to stop me, this is the consequences I have to face and I deserve them. Ethan doesn’t. Ethan doesn’t deserve all this suffering. He keeps whispering comforting and assuring words to me that soothe my shock down. I eye him again, signal him to look at me and he listens.

“I love you.” I say with all my might trying my best to fight over my throat cancer. Maybe, this will be the last time he’ll ever hear me say these three words.