Once Upon a Star

Chapter 11

“Think of the people who need you, who can’t live without you, who you’ll leave behind; aren’t they your strength?” the guy reminded her. “Papa, Hanna…” uttered Jenny. Jenny and Stanley then looked at one another. Jenny and Stanley went down together, with smiles on their faces. Richard saw them; Jenny stopped and bowed her head. Richard smiled at them.

“Ma’am, it’s time to take your medicine,” Anna, a personal nurse reminded her patient. “Can’t we just postpone it for later?” the patient asked Anna. “You have to drink your medicines on time,” Anna said as she smiled. The patient looked at her, “Will these medicines cure me? Will they lengthen my life?” she asked with concern. “Ma’am Grace,” uttered Anna.

“There’s no assurance, but there’s possibility,” someone answered. He sat beside Grace in the medical center’s park. He smiled at her, “Go on and take your medicines, I’m sure your son would want to see you healthy and abiding,” he added. Grace took the medicines and drank water. Anna smiled and took the glass from her.

“You would always appear,” Grace told Edward as they shared a bench in the park. “But of course, I wanted you to get well,” he told Grace.

Hanna got her exam results; after receiving them, she laid herself on her desk. Debby saw her, “Did you flunk again?” Debby asked, Hanna sat back up and nodded. “You did your best, it’s okay, you still have another chance,” Lyndon comforted Hanna. Hanna looked at her test paper and cried. “Why?” Debby asked, Hanna just cried and hugged her best friend.

[Tears Like Today by Huh Gak] Hanna and Sean got out of the elevator; Hanna stopped, “I… I just realized that this would be my last semester,” Hanna told Sean with a sad face. Sean ignored her and took the package in front of his door and went in. Hanna stood outside, and started to cry. She looked at Sean’s door and touched it. “How dare you ignore me? I’m going to miss everything… Most especially you,” she said as she sobbed. Sean saw her at the intercom screen and turned the screen off.

Sean opened the envelope and saw the documents; he put them back inside and kept them in his vault. “You probably got the documents. I hope I made you happy by doing this. Take good care of yourself, okay?” Sean read a text message. “Thank you,” Christine read Sean’s reply to her text message. She smiled, after reading it.

Stanley was about to leave the office when he saw an open light. He saw Jenny, who was still working overtime. A cup of coffee and bread was placed on Jenny’s table as she read through the documents. She noticed; she then looked up and saw Stanley smiling at her. “Thank you for the coffee and bread, and for driving me home,” Jenny thanked Stanley as they stood at the apartment gate. Stanley got back into his car, “I’m willing to do more than these, Jenny,” he thought and drove away.

Hanna was watching TV when she saw Sean about to go out. “Where are you headed?” asked Hanna as she ate chips. Sean just looked at her and left. Sean went to a hospital; he went to the hospital’s park and looked at someone. He took a deep breath and went to that someone.

Sean stood beside the patient; the patient looked up at him, “You came,” Grace said and smiled at him. “This is a big hospital; I wonder where Sean went?” Hanna asked herself as she roamed around the hospital. Hanna went to the hospital’s garden and walked around. “It’s beautiful here, I feel so light,” she whispered. She crossed a small bridge and saw two patients crossing as well. She greeted and smiled at them that she tripped and fell to the garden’s pond.

“How have you been? Has your father visited you ever since you moved?” Grace asked Sean as she looked at him. Grace felt her son’s face and smiled at him. Sean looked at his mother and was about to answer when two nurses passed by. “They said there’s a girl who fell to the pond at the garden. She looks pretty, but she’s pretty clumsy,” the nurses said. “I’ll be right back,” he told his mom and ran.

“Are you okay?” asked Anna as she sat beside Hanna on the bench. Hanna was covered with a blanket; “Who are you looking for anyway?” Anna asked her with a smile. “I’m looking for… maybe a patient whose surname is Kim?” Hanna said as she covered herself well. “Kim…” uttered Anna, “But there are many patients here whose surname is Kim,” Anna went on as she looked at her.

Sean stood in front of Hanna as she looked at the ground. She saw Sean’s feet and looked up at him. Sean was looking at her with a serious face.

Grace kept smiling at Hanna as she sat on her bed. “So, you’re looking for Mrs. Grace Kim after all,” said Anna as she lowers down the air-conditioning. “So, I’ll go now,” said Anna as she left the room. Hanna sat on the extra bed; she smiled back at Grace and felt shy. “What’s your name again, my dear?” Grace asked Hanna in a soft voice. “Hanna Park, it’s nice to meet you… Auntie,” Hanna said and greeted.

Grace: Hanna Park, simple but delicate. May I know more about you, Hanna?

Hanna: I’m Sean’s schoolmate, I’m 17 yrs. old, I like English… (Should I tell her that I live with her son?) I…

G: Where do you live?

H: I live… right next to Sean’s unit. *smiles*

G: Is he treating you well?

H: *stops and recalls Sean’s cold treatment towards her* Yes, he treats me nicely. *smiles*

G: *smiles* He’s so grumpy that I can’t even imagine how he would make friends. Thank you my dear for being friends with him.

H: He’s actually warm, on the inside… At times…

G: He is. But he’s only warm and affectionate to people he likes. Perhaps, he likes you?

H: *looks at Grace*