Chapter 11: Memories Before Then
If I was to be asked about how my livelihood was today, it was more than I could ever hope for. I realized how much I'm moved with the way matters was then… and 'till this day, our relationship with each other feel so surreal and dreamlike.
We created the days and played it by ourselves, piling all experiential emotional history throughout as I taped all those worthwhile smiles. I found them as if they were my lifelong family as a whole… since I don't have one ever since. Because of damn many, I sensed the need to capture it and paced the documentary with much inspiration rather than the formal and productive ones.
At first I expected that my life couldn't be more reliable if I had to endanger myself… but as I filmed those memories with all my heart, I'd never regret myself being here with the two of them. They made me learn how much life had a meaning of its own… a meaning that made me important for others- a meaning that made me understood how my spirit would be without them.
'The time we shared with each other… I wanted to fulfil it much longer. With them on my side 'forever', every misery collapsed and the cornflower I'd grew fond with will grow again with the presence of love and passion. Knowing how much precious were those to me, the camera I hold unto my arms will always be with me, no matter how decades will grow.
(A month later)
Being on the balcony during the evening was my everyday routine. I would often stargaze at the night sky and munch some chips… and I do study films productions there to work on with my editing… since I barely remember my studies back then. But that night, I was exercising roughly… shirtless as ever while punching robustly the air as the heat merged through me.
That time, I'm so engrossed with so many variety of martial arts and I had the urge to rehearse in such for one single specific thing… (If someone knew the reason, you're a valuable reader.) So I did it... for weeks and I'd manage to get a pack or two. I finished practicing karate, judo, muay thai, aikido, taekwondo, wrestling, jiu-jitsu… and by then, I'm engaging for boxing.
Too hard-core… right? Well… that's how competitive I am. I can fight a gang larger than the metropolis… ohm… too exaggerated but seriously, I would give it ago- before they will trample me to death in a minute.
I swung an uppercut when Kelsy and Christina stared from the bay window, giving me a heavy look as though they were judging my resilience in throwing a powerful jab. Christina pointed at me with a teasing laugh, "That guy been doing those for a while now. What's with him?"
Kelsy chuckled in response as she combed Christina's wetted pale brown hair from the back, "I bet he'll do well in battle… after all, he took a massive blow against his opponent back then. It really saved us." Christina uttered, discrediting what Kelsy had stated about me," No… He's just one of those weaklings every people could defeat of. He is desperate."
Having heard that I cried out as I struck the air another time, imagining her as my enemy. "You've been victimized by Albert for some time… and you did nothing to shield yourself! So who's the weakling now?" She was about to throw a frigid punch on me while jumping out of the window, pissed off beyond regard; when Kelsy crawled out first, ceasing her from launching a hijab on me.
She roamed with a soft whistle as she arrived beside me. Her cinnamon hair was down and her white towel hanged on her shoulder while wearing a pastel pink long sleeve shirt. She squatted down; the scent of lilacs flew through my nose, pleasantly more than ever, "So how many calories do you need to lose?" I answered as I did a push-up after… though my voice was struggling under the pressure, "Enough to beat the pulp out of Albert."
Christina interrupted from behind as she followed up after Kelsy, "So you're still desperate in the end, huh? Quit it… and at least wear your goddamn shirt! Too insensitive." I ignored her… though my expression bulged in anger as I thrust myself up for the twenty-eight time displaying out a furrowed eyebrow.
Meanwhile, Kelsy stared at Christina with a big smirk, "It's okay. I appreciate Aiden for letting his abs breath some air." At that time, my face slapped on the floor as my cheeks flushed in red, abnormally as ever. While Christina trembled; a rosy tone exhibited through her as she locked her cognac eyes on my musculatures, "Kelsy!"
She thumped Kelsy childishly; her eyelids closed in embarrassment as Kelsy tried to ease her, "I'm just joking…" When suddenly, a chorus of voices bellowed out from below jabbing annoying political posters on the hospital's face. One guy protested about freedom and stuff on the contrary of the lockdown measures that spread across the country.
We stared down, curious as always as mobs of demonstrators attempted to hijack through the hospital. They wore no masks and their distancing were disarrayed like a pile of sardines in a can. Bunch of officers stood by in front, trying to stop them from getting trodden… although they could barely do it no matter how blood, sweat, and tears seeped across them.
Kelsy sighed shakily knowing how would it be a pain for them, "Another one. " I complained as the sight freaked me as I crossed my arms over the terrace, "Couldn't they just rally in front of the government? Why this hospital out of all places?" Christina answered as she peeked from the side, "If they were to go there, I wouldn't be sure if they will get the rights they wanted." "The other way is just as you'd said."
At first, we didn't seem to intrude but as we saw a teenager coughing hoarsely from the rear, bowing down to catch some oxygen. We were alerted, perceiving about how it will cause a big ruckus if this suspected COVID19 patient disseminate tons of viruses, for them to take advantage through the mob. I shivered tremendously, imagining a whole new crowd inside the halls, "Kelsy? What are we going to do?"
When Christina jumped beside the fences and scowled at them for distraction, insulting all of them like they were a cluster of pigs. Kelsy ran back again through the window, while fitting in her ppe. While I tugged at my camera and filmed them, catching the obnoxious scene as much as possible. 'They had to at least consider the health workers… Why can't they just do that?... Not to take offenses for their rights or whatever it is… but them being there can loosen the workers chance to mitigate their own. Mild or not… it's still too much for them to work on.'
After hours of work, we finally arrived back to the clinic, tired of the torment we'd manage. We exchanged looks as constant breathing vaporize the atmosphere. Kelsy stood behind the door panting for air, Christina gulped a glass of water down her esophagus, while I scampered through the window as my camera's batteries were emptied.
I regarded at them; my eyebrow tilted outwards in relief, "I heard that the patient had a blood test already. Hope he's not- " Kelsy steadied herself as she grabbed her handkerchief from her lab coat's pocket and wiped her sweats away, "The result isn't out yet… but according to his data, he had no history of any respiratory diseases, making him feasible to have the virus." Christina growled; her forehead wrinkled in exasperation, "Way to create the mood Kelsy!" "I'm sorry I guess…"
I sat down by the beige mat and interrupted them with an enormous sigh, "Well… that- Let's not pry on that." As I suggested, both of them dropped to the ground in sync as they looked at me as if they were waiting for me to start a conversation… although I didn't get the hang out of it.
We dillydallied around in silence for an hour, fidgeting in every places. Kelsy seemed to be thinking about something… to be honest, I was trying to read her mind for a while now. While Christina gawked at me as if I was one of those Grecian statues exhibited in the museum. When did we get this awkward? I'm not sure why. Or maybe they were just taking a breath… until another crisis might terminate them from doing so.
The hot temperature inside the room subsided as the moonlight shined from the window, lacing the furniture in white. The smell of toast smeared the air. The rustling of leaves from outside sounded in the background. Once Kelsy decided to disturb the muteness in the atmosphere, "How about we play a game?"
I gazed at her with a blank face, "What now?" Christina hopped in excitement, jutting me and Kelsy in shock, "How about we play tag!" "Umm… what? Are you a child?" When Christina suddenly touched me, making me the chaser of the game as she and Kelsy darted away from me.
After understanding the situation I'm in, I smiled devilishly totally up for the game, "Try to escape… before I catch you two in no time!" As I screamed myself to start the chasing, Kelsy suddenly tripped over her bed, unaware with where she went to, "Eh?"
In a flash, I tagged her and tried to evade myself after when she pulled my leg, making me the 'it' again, "Aww… come on." Christina teased as she locked herself inside the cabinet, "Hahahah… that's what you get, loser!" I screamed unbelievably at her as Kelsy escaped again away from me, "Hey! That's cheating, you idiot." Throughout those times, we laughed and laughed. Nothing came to intrude us. Just us friends being together in a lifetime.
'I wanted to go back… within those days without emitting drastic changes of a thousand… before another chapter unfolds on its own.'
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