Smile For Me, Ressler

SPECIAL CHAPTER PART ONE

SPECIAL CHAPTER PART ONE

Tamara

Tables were all set. Food was being served to the visitors.

A smile appeared on my lips while watching my family eat and laugh together.

Ram's carrying his youngest daughter, Mara, in his arms. Ram's wife, Bree, was standing right beside him while holding their eldest daughter Ramee's hand.

I felt so happy and relieved that my son ended up marrying Brook's daughter. Now, they had two kids. Actually, Ramee wasn't a kid anymore. She's already an adult. The age gap between Ramee and Mara is too big, but their love for each other is even bigger.

Napatingin ako sa kamay ni Ressler nang bigla niyang hawakan ang kamay ko.

"I really wanted to ask you this for years," bigla niyang sabi. Hindi ako umimik at hinintay lang susunod niyang sasabihin.

"Why did you put on a show?" he added. Nagtataka ko siyang tiningnan. Wala akong ideya sa sinasabi niya.

"When I finally woke up from the hospital, you wanted me to believe that you were dead. Does Zild know you're alive the whole time?"

Ah. That.

My lips curved into smile when I suddenly remember those times.

"Zild didn't know anything about it. I told them I wanted to die somewhere far from them. From you. The doctor kept telling me that I have only few days left. What do you expect me to do? Wait until I die in front of them? In front of you? I couldn't do that. I lost hope. I was ready to die. But my brother didn't give up on me. He said I should get treatment in US. His friends introduced a specialist to him from US. They said he can make anything possible as long as he puts his mind into it. I didn't want to believe that at first, so when I started getting treatments from him in the US, I told my brother to tell everyone that I'm already dead. So you guys won't wait for me anymore. I didn't want to get your hopes up. I wanted all of you to move on with your lives and forget about me."

I saw tears coming out from his eyes. "Why do you always choose to suffer alone? Why are you so selfless?"

I flashed him a genuine smile and wiped away his tears. "You've already suffered enough, Ress. I didn't want you to spend the rest of your life taking care of someone who could die any minute."

I heard him let out a small chuckle. He cupped my face, gazing at my eyes. "But you didn't."

Hindi ko napigilan ang pagpatak ng luha mula sa mga mata ko nang maalala ko 'yong hiling niya para sa 'kin no'ng 28th birthday ko.

Happy 28th birthday, Tam. More birthdays to come, please. I want to be with you until your 80th birthday.

After everything I went through, life has proven me that eagerness is all that matters.

The eagerness to live.

The eagerness to survive.

The eagerness to be happy.

As long as I am willing to fight for my life, I can always beat cancer.

Ressler gave me a soft kiss on my lips. "Happy 80th birthday, Tam."