Alive//z.m. au

Alive ➸ Day #4 "Why that look?"

"If you can't give me seven reasons, we jump together, right?"

She confirmed, he nodded.

"And what if you do?"

He looked at her confused.

"We should have a pact for that too."

He scratched his neck.

"How about, we'll never meet each other again?"  She suggested.

"That's too dramatic."

She giggled.

"But thrilling."

"Yeah."  He admitted. "Okay, deal. If I happen to save your life, we'll never see each other again."

They both smiled as she instantly changed the topic, not letting the air between them get sappy and asked about his plans the day.

"The children's ward."

"Hospital?"

She asked warily.

"Yeah. Why that look?"

"I don't know. The atmosphere really gets to me."

"You know that's all about to change."

"Is it?"

He flashed her an expression that conveyed see-for-yourself.

The drive to the only hospital in their small town barely took few minutes and they spent all their time, playing with the kids. The group consisted of kids younger than twelve and very cute, in her opinion. They were all diagnosed with diseases we wish to never come in contact with. But while she spent time with them, she realised how happy and joyful they seemed to spend their time in. They had counted days, counted breaths and yet they seemed to live better than most of us. They valued their lives, more than us.

He had signed the both of them up to volunteer and spend the whole day with the young people. They solved puzzles, played oral games, taught them a few poems, talked to them about their lives uptil now and not a second of that beautiful day passed when they both didn't wear face-splitting smiles.

"Oh my God."

He exclaimed.

"What?"

She roamed her hands on her face, understanding the look on his was was due to something ugly on her face.

"There's something on your face."

He pointed what she thought.

"What is it?"

She panicked.

"A smile that shows your teeth."

She giggled at how cheesily the stupid boy in front of her was behaving.

"Shut up."

She smacked his arm, playfully.

"That's another reason." He folded his hands and smirked. "Has anyone ever told you how beautiful that looks on you?"

She couldn't help but blush.

"Will you stop?"

She raised her hand showing she could hit him again.

"Okay. Okay."

He laughed and surrendered his hands up in the air.

"But seriously, you look pretty when you smile."

Having said that, he jolted away from her as she trailed behind.

Being eighteen, with the kids, both of them had turned into mindless young teens.

And so the day filled with smiles went by. Another day that she lived with him, taught her to smile and live better.

No, smiling doesn't vanish your problems into thin air. It merely helps you to gain the courage and fight back what the world harshly, shoots at you.

For whoever said that the world looks brighter from behind a smile, was true to each syllable and because of him, she could now see herself and her life, from a different and a much better angle.

~to be contd