She started walking again. She walked to the pool store on the next lot with all the really nice, really expensive pools. She opened the door and walked to the back of the "shopping" area. In the back was a pool made into a bed. There was another pool, a smaller one, right next to it with medical supplies. There was a lamp between the two that didn't give off a whole lot of light. As I got closer, my heart started beating faster, not knowing what I was about to see. Closer. Closer. I stared to see the perrson I had met in 9th grade, almost like time went by and his appearance didn't change. I didn't see the beaten, swollen, hurt 'Chior that everybody else had saw. I saw the 'Chior that loved the world he was in. That saw the good in almost everything.
All I saw was his face. I couldn't get any closer. Not right then. I walked back towards the front door, holding back tears.
"What are you doing?," barely above a whisper comes from behind me. Louder this time: "What are you doing? Come 'ere."
I put my head down. Sniffed again, turned around, and looked up at him. That 9th grade vision I had a couple minutes ago washed away like rain. At the same time, my tears were coming down like rain.
"I can't do it."
"Yes, you can. Try."
"No. 'Chior, you don't understand. I've been around family, sometimes really close friends, who got sick, and died. I've had death around me for a long time. The whole, I've stayed strong. Walked it off, but that's when I had people beside me to help me up if I fell. but thats my point. Now I have nobody to help me up."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Hundred percent." I said.
"I'm sorry. You're wrong. You have your sisters, you have Hannah A."
He sounded like he stopped short. I would find out why in...
"Sometimes thats not enough people." I say.
...3...
"How much people do you need?!" he said in a joking way.
...2...
"Just all the important ones." I seriously answered.
...1...
"I'm here. Okay? I'm right here. I'm not leaving."
Searching... searching... nope. Couldn't figure out where that came from. I couldn't figure out if I'm glad he said it. i didn't know.
I walk closer. no. forget closer. I walked up to him. He grabbed my hand. Jokingly, I asked:
"Shoulldn't it be the other way around?"
He had nothing. His face lit up like the Fourth of July and he stared laughing, forgetting he was hurt. H estopped, but kept smiling. Then he stopped that, too.
"What's wrong?"
He searched my eyes before replying, and briefly hesitated before ending the question.
"Can I - ask you something?"
"Yeah. Sure. Anything. I'm right here."
