Lonely Sides Of A Rooftop

II

"Don't be hesitant Sandy. If you feel there's trouble, call for help." Nathan tapped my back and leaved me.

His collarbones are Nathan's highlight. Yet, he's also a mature, defined and a good looking man, I could say it could be a waste because of his height. He's smaller than me in centimeters.

I bowed my head and felt a little pang on my back.

Looks like he forgot I had a serious back pain, it is still numbing even we applied a cold pack or a pain reliever patch at the medic station earlier.

I don't know what to feel ever since Cairo did that. I've never witnessed him hurting other people in the ward, still in shock.

But now, I'm convinced that he's not working well. His parents didn't visit him after they dropped him off here, in the facility. Maybe one of the reasons why...

I can't believe they can do it to their own child, their own son.

All I can do now is shook my head and watched the warm colors painted the clouds.

I sighed as my eyes viewed the city, while standing with my hands holding in a metal grate. In a rooftop full of dead leaves scattered on the floor, and some cable antennas, I am the only one here, in the brilliant sunset.

The wind blew swiftly, caressing on my neck, blowing some of my hair strands even I propped my hair into a ponytail.

"Sandy."

Chill crawled on the back of my neck as I heard his voice, and turned around. The blood from my cheeks starts to flow down as I saw him again. The frightening scene played on my head, and I stand still at my place because of fear.

"How did you find me h-here?" I stuttered and moved a step back, holding the grate behind me.

"Did I disturb you?" he asked curiously and moved a step closer.

I observed his figure carefully. His jawline, his chapped lips, his eyes full of sadness and eye bags, and his face deprived of sleep.

He's too tired of crying everyday, hiding his good looks that also made my sister fall in love with him.

I had to be careful. I can't predict on what he will do next! What if he will did it again? I won't go home with a damaged spine!

I wanted to run away and call for help, but fear seeped into my nerves.

Did the nurses forgot to lock him in after he ate dinner? Or he escaped from the ward.

I secretly slid my other hand to my back pocket of my jeans, "I uh... First, how d-did you find me here?" then laughed nervously.

He walked towards me, "I... I saw you with another guy, then I followed you both until you reached the rooftop."

I could feel the tranquilizer on my pocket.. A good weapon if he became hysterical again. But, miraculously, he never tried to hurt me.

Instead, we stood side by side in front of the view. I can't even read his emotions by his face. He was just normal, as he was used to be before he met Jena.

Silence and the wind are our only music. We never talked, until the sunset leaved, replacing them with the moon and the stars that brightens up the night.

I'm not ready to talk to him, where would I start?

He coughed, trying to break the silence that locks us up for hours, "Did you ever felt that feeling that you're trying? but, those memories, they just flew away with the wind."

Now, I looked at him and replied with a wry smile, "You don't know how to let go, Cairo. Am I right?"

His sad eyes dropped a tear, quickly nodded and bait his lower lip. That painful fact that made his life miserable, is still consuming him for damn 3 years, because of his unending love for her.

I sighed and prepared myself for what he will say. He needs a person who could listen to him. He really needs a listener.

"All of my life, I've dreamed of having a woman who could make me feel better, who could make me smile effortlessly, who could understand me. And, she came. She made my colorful province life even brighter as she entered our village. Her love for kids, her love for every townspeople, everything overflows with love. And suddenly, I've fell for her."

"Cairo.."

"I didn't expect she could love me back. I'm only a mere farmer, I'm not a wealthy being, yet she choose me! She choose me!" he cried with all the sadness, the pain, the heartache.

"We reached our deepest dreams for each other, we did it together. But, little did I know behind her giggles and smiles is her condition. She never told me about anything, Sandy. She covered her hurting self with smiles, pretending she's okay in front of us, in front of me."

I held the metal grate tighter as I cried. I could remember I'd seen her secretly taking supplements in the drawer. She skips meetings, just to secretly have a check up.

She won't even dare to take off the scarf on her head so that she could hide her hair that eventually falling every month because of the chemotherapy, she would only say that it's her new style even if it's not.

"Why, Sandy? Why did she hid it from us? Why do we suffer this!" he asked with unstoppable tears flowing through.

"Why is it so hard letting someone go.." he murmured and took a deep breath.

I could only find wrapping myself because of the pain. Cairo, who had been crying, had put his head to the top of my left shoulder. Leaving my jacket full of his tears.

Together, we cried for her, our agony under the bright moon.

"I can't take it anymore" he said, moving his head closely to my neck.

"Please, give us hope..." I pleaded silently in the wind.