Her Last Wish

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter 15

After a fifteen minute drive, the car stopped at the foot of a mall. Magkasukbit-brasong pumasok sa entrance sina Jane at Aia.

“Kung plano mo palang mag-shopping sana sinabi mo na kaagad.” Aia boredly sighed. “Para hindi na ‘ko sumama.”

Bahagyang tumawa si Jane at pabirong siniko ang kaibigan. “Just spare me this time,” ani ng dalaga. “A year or two from now, I’m pretty sure you’ll miss this.”

Agad naman na sinamaan ng tingin ni Aia ang kaibigan. “So you’re trying guilt-tripping me now ‘eh?” nakasimangot na saad ni Aia. “Instead of spending your time shopping, you should focus on your healing.”

Jane sadly smiled and sighed. “It’s a dead end for me,” she said. “Surgery can’t help me. The only reason I can still live my life like this is because of the meds that my parents disguise as ‘vitamins’.” she chuckled.

“They don’t know that you know?” Aia gasped with disbelief.

“Yeah. . .” Jane nodded. “Nalaman ko lang kasi aksidente kong narinig.” She sighed. “That’s why you should always make sure to close the doors.” She then chuckled, humorlessly.

“Sa totoo lang?” Aia sighed in reply. “Hindi ko alam kung maawa ba ‘ko sa’yo o ano.” She shrugged. “You seem to be handling things very well — still smiling and all.”

“Edi ang galing ko na no’n?” Tawa ni Jane.

Naguguluhang tinignan ni Aia sa mata ang kaibigan. “What do you mean?” tanong nito.

“Wala. . . wala.” Natatawang umiling-iling lamang si Jane bago hinila ang kaibigan papasok sa department store.

"Ang galing ko nang umarte kasi napapaniwala ko ang mga tao na I'm okay given that I am not," palihim na bulong ni Jane sa kaniyang isipan.

"What are you looking to buy?" tanong ni Aia.

"A dress or two for you," kaswal na tugon ni Jane habang tinitignan ang mga damit na nakadisplay sa rack.

"Why would you do that?" kunot noong tanong ni Aia.

Saglit na itinigil ni Jane ang pagtingin sa mga damit para harapin ang kaibigan. Jane took a deep breath and gave her friend a nod.

"I'm dying, Aia." Jane sadly smiled. "And kahit na ayoko. . . A-I can't do anything to change my fate." She slightly bit her lower lip and looked away, trying to stop the tears from falling by blinking them away.

"B-But that shouldn't mean that I can't do anything to change the fate of those who are around me." Jane shook her head and plastered a hopeful smile on her lips.

"Before everything e-ends for me, I want to make sure that everyone will be fine. . . and happy." Jane slowly reached for Aia's hand, and then gazed into her eyes.

Wala pa mang sinasabi si Jane ay ramdam na ni Aia ang pagbigat ng kaniyang puso. Kahit minsan ay naiinis siya sa kaibigan, hindi niya ito gustong makitang nasasaktan. Just like how Jane naturally barged into Aia's life without consent, Aia learned to care for Jane.

"I know that this may sound absurd, but would you do me a favor?" Jane smiled.

"Could you take my place after I leave this world?"

-

Tahimik na nakaupo sa loob ng kanilang mini library ang mag-asawang garcia — Arthur was in the middle of finishing a virtual meeting with his secretary, while Kriz kept herself busy by scanning the array of books on the shelf.

"If there's anything else that needs to be discussed, just keep me updated." Arthur slowly took his specs off and gently placed it on the space beside his laptop.

"Okay, sir." His secretary nodded at the camera.

"Okay. I trust your judgement, John." Arthur nodded back before ending the call and closing his laptop.

Arthur then took a deep breath and let out a sigh as he leaned his back on the chair while massaging the bridge of his nose.

"Is everything okay, hon?" Kriz approached his husband. She gently massaged his shoulders to give him some comfort.

"The company's well." Arthur smiled. He held his wife's hand and gently guided her to walk to the front and sit on his lap.

"But. . . I can't say the same thing for. . ." Arthur sighed, slowly leaning his forehead on his wife's chest.

Kriz let out a small smile while running her fingers through her husband's grey hair.

"You're growing old na, hon." She lightly chuckled. "Your white hairs are starting to show."

"Should I dye it black again?" Arthur brought himself to gaze into his wife's eyes.

Kriz shook her head and smiled. "I like you better this way. It's one of the reminders that we're both human, and that we're growing old."

Kriz then bit her lower lip as she felt it tremble a little. Arthur immediately spotted the sadness in her wife's eyes.

"Hush, hon." He hugged her.

"Why do I feel like what's happening is my fault?" Tears began to fall from Kriz's eyes.

"No, Kriz. It's not your fault; it's nobody's fault."

-

"You don't have to be me." Jane shook her head. "You just have to be there for them especially. . . Jameson."

"Don't you think you're being selfish, Jane?" Aia asked with hints of disbelief lingering in her voice.

"You're not giving them a chance to choose based on what they want."

"I am well aware of that, Aia," Jane replied. "I have never been selfish in my entire life, ngayon lang, Aia. Ngayon lang."

"I'm choosing to be selfish because I want the ones I love to be happy."

Aia released a sigh as she processed Jane's words. She understands that she wants the people she loves to be happy, but a part of her is doubting.

"Will this really help things become better for everyone?" Aia thought at the back of her head.

"Won't it be easier if you just tell everyone, Jameson, the truth?" Aia asked.

Jane shook her head and looked down. "I can't. . . I don't want to."

"Natatakot ako. . . baka kapag sinabi ko sa kaniya ang lahat mas gustuhin ko pang mabuhay ng matagal — isang hiling na hindi kailanman maisasakatuparan."

-

"M'mmy, d'ddy!" Jane happily chirped as she entered their house's main door.

"I'm home!" she then announced, throwing her sling bag on the couch before running her way upstairs to look for her parents.

"Oh, baby." Malambing na niyakap ni Kriz ang anak at ginawaran ng halik sa pisngi. "Did you and Aia have fun?" she asked.

"As usual, Aia was being masungit again, but everything went fine after we had some frozen custard!" maligalig na sinagot ni Jane ang ina.

Kriz smiled as she caressed her daughter's hair. "It's good to know that, hija."

"Oh! Looks like our princess is home," Arthur said the moment he exited the library.

"Medyo OA, dad," ani ni Jane bago gawaran ng yakap ang kaniyang ama.

"Well. . . I just can't help myself, princess." Malambing na yumakap pabalik si Arthur sa anak. "I just love you so much that I miss you every time of the day," hirit nito.

"Aww. . . ang sweet naman ng daddy ko." Jane pouted.

"Let me join the fam hug!" ani naman ni Kriz bago sumiksik sa kanila at nakiyakap na rin.

As the three of them drew comfort from the warmth of the hug, their hearts were silently wishing for time to take a pause.

"Mommy. . . Daddy. . . when I'm gone, please don't be sad too much," Jane whispered in her thoughts.

-

"It almost slipped out of my mind!" Kriz snapped her fingers and turned to look at Jane who was sitting at the backseat.

"Malapit na ang debut mo, we should start mapping out the details," she said.

Jane smiled as her heart fluttered at the thought of her debut. Ever since she was thirteen, she was already visualising what kind of set-up she'd have on her debut. She was deeply stunned by the first debut party that she was invited to. Pero saglit na naputol ang kasiyahan sa kaniyang puso nang maalala niya ang kaniyang kalagayan.

"I'll live long enough to celebrate my 18th birthday, right?" she asked herself.

Kriz immediately noticed the sudden change of emotion in her daughter's eyes.

"What's wrong, baby?" she asked. "May masakit ba sa 'yo? Saan?"

Jane shook her head and gave her mother a small smile. "I'm fine, mommy," she said. "I was just thinking about something."

-

Pagkauwi ng bahay, agad na dumiretso si Aia sa kaniyang kuwarto upang mapag-isa. Hindi pa rin mawala sa isip niya ang sinabi kanina ng kaibigan.

"Could you take my place after I leave this world?"

Napabuntonghininga naman siya bago pabagsak na humiga sa kaniyang kama. Ilang sandali niyan tinignan ang blankong kisame ng kaniyang kuwarto, nag-iisip kung tama bang suportahan ang kagustuhan ng kaibigan.

Nabali ang katahimikan at ang kaniyang pag-iisip nang narinig ang pagtunog ng kaniyang cellphone, hudyat na nakareceive siya ng isang message.