Destined By The Waves

What Bravery Means

Faith

It's been seven days, ten hours and twenty two minutes since I last saw Joy, since I last heard his deep, enchanting voice. Every moment seems to drag longer than an year without him. Everything seems empty and meaningless.

When my mom took me back to my place five days ago, I felt like I was being dragged away from my true home into the four walls I had been mindlessly calling that. These bricks and marbles don't make me feel as peaceful and as happy as my soul felt in those two strong, caring arms.

I just can't stop thinking about Joy constantly. Everything that I say or do pulls me back to his memories. In fact the book that I had hated to leave incomplete before going to The Cruise that night, has now failed to interest me completely. After reading and rereading the same page at least five times, I finally had to put it away because my mind couldn't concentrate on anything that wasn't related to Joy.

First three days without him were too restless for me. I kept asking everybody in the hospital about him, about how he was, if he woke up or not, if he will be okay or not. I think I irritated the nurse too much with my questions, because at one point, she began giving me all the information about him without me having to ask for it. Well, I don't even regret it, if I couldn't see him, nobody could stop me from asking about him.

When the doctors were finally convinced that my concussion was minor and my sprain would heal, I was finally discharged. The first thing I wanted to do was run to Joy and see him for myself... to touch his angelic face, to kiss his forehead gently and to hold his hand and stay by his side until he woke up.

But they didn't let me.

They told me that he was still in intensive care, and apparently only one member of his family was allowed to stay with him. I wasn't even allowed to see him from a distance. So I had no other choice except leaving him with those strangers that he doesn't like to call as his family.

I mean I am no one to judge, but who discusses stock market prices and land acquisitions when their son is in a life or death situation? Why were they there anyway, it's not like Joy would know if they were there or not? Maybe they did care somewhere in their heart, after all my sweet, caring Joy was born from them, there has to be some goodness hidden behind those hardened hearts.

After I left the hospital that day, I couldn't stop thinking about Joy, so I kept calling the hospital from mom's number to know about his condition, atleast twice a day. I kept checking on his improvement until the day he was finally discharged and his parents took him home.

I really wish I had not lost my bag on the island that day, I could have given Joy my number so we could have talked over the phone all these days. Now my cellphone is lying on a stupid hill that doesn't even get signal reception, and I can't buy a new one till I get my salary next month. So much for financial independence!

Now finally, here I am, walking through the corridors of our college, looking everywhere for him and hoping he would have come to college like me today. I mean, I know he should rest, but I somewhere hope he misses me as much as I miss him and he decides to come at least for one day.

I have already looked everywhere for him, in the football ground, in the locker rooms, in the cafeteria, even in his classroom, but he is nowhere. I haven't been to this side of the college in ages, and even though it feels strange to be here, I won't stop coming until I meet him. Even if it means running into someone whose face I never want to see again.

"Hey Faith, there's my girl! I have been looking for you everywhere," says a voice behind me and I immediately turn around to see who's been looking for me.