What shocking news I've heard over the phone made me decide to abandon my dream here in Italy. My young brother is sick and he needs us more than anyone does. Before I flew away from my country, he was an energetic kid who waves at me bidding him farewell with a smile on his face as he send me to the airport.
"Sister, when you come back please bring a robot or a car for me, hmm?" he happily said.
I was taken aback and sadness overwhelmed me when I saw him lying on the bed with a lot of apparatus' on his small body. I close my eyes and ask why? It seems like someone robbed his energy and happiness. He lost weight and you will never see the happy kid he used to be.
"Why don't you come in?" Flood asks.
I shook my head and I can't help my tears to drop. "I can't face him right now, I need to gather my courage first." I replied.
"Hmm..." that's the only thing I heard from Flood then caressed my head then went in. "Hi buddy!" he greets Storm.
I can't count how many times I've stood up and sat on the chair outside his room and I don't even remember how many times did I go back and forth to touch the doorknob to come in.
"Why don't you come in?" asks someone who was behind me.
I turn to look at who was it and it was a doctor who smiles at me. "You look familiar." I said.
His smile widens. "Dr. Air Rooke, the Cardiologist of Storm." He said.
He's more like a toothpaste model to me because of his perfect set of teeth. Air Rooke. Wait! His name is familiar too. My eyes widen when I remember who he is. He's—
"Are you going in?" he asks. I shook my head. "I see… can you excuse me then? I need to check the patient's condition." He said politely.
I gave way. "Sorry, go ahead."
"Thank you." He said then went in. "Hi, Tomy!" he greets.
I crooked my forehead. When did my brother Storm change his name to Tomy? I also heard him explain to my mom.
*It's our acquaintance party which bores me, my twin brother who was supposed to be with me left and went to see his girlfriend and now, my eyes almost turn into an all-white from waiting to this party to end. I noticed the students who are gathering at the dim side of the garden and since I'm curious and I don't have anything to do, I went to take a look.
"Hey, what's that?" I ask demandingly. I was stunned by a guy who stood up from the students who are gathering and smiled at me.
"Hi!" he greets and gets my hand and kisses it. "May I dance you?" he asks.
For an unknown reason, I agree as I nod my head for approval. He holds my hand and leads me to the dance floor. "We're going to dance there?" I sarcastically ask because a0ll of the songs that was been played were all making the people dance wild.
He smiles and leans towards my right ear. "Later, the sound will change into mellow." He whispers.
The moment we stepped on the dance floor, he holds my hand and positioned it on his nape. He smiles again, is he from the family of the dentist. His teeth are so perfect. The moment he positions his hands on my waist, the sound changed from loud, wild to sweet, and mellow. "I told you…" he said while we were following the sound.
We've danced for more than one song and still, he doesn't send me away so I can sit. Does he feel that we were the only people here in this place? He crooks his forehead and slightly nods. He looks at me and smiles. "Are your feet sore?" he asks. I nod as a reply. "Where do you sit?"
"A bit far from here..."
"I'll accompany you there." He said then holds my hand. After he finally sent me to my seat, he lowered his face to my face. "What's your name?"
"Windy, Windy Casper." I replied as if I was hypnotized by the way he look at me.
"Windy Casper." He whispers as if he was chanting my name near my lips. I can smell his breath, so fresh, smells minty and clean. He looked at me straight from my eyes. "Air Rooke, remember my name my Windy." He said as he close his eyes and kissed my forehead.
I found out that he's not a college student but a freshman in his secondary. I always see him on the campus and whenever I see him, he always shows me his perfect set of teeth then he'll wave at me sometimes.
"You know him?" one of my classmates asks. I just smiled as a response. I only knew him by his name and face.
Years have gone by and now I'm a graduating student, and Air Rooke never stops to smile and wave at me. He winked at me earlier but he got knocked on the head by a girl who's white as porcelain. I can't help but smile, I stopped smiling when I saw him looking at me, he scratched his nape then smiled at me.*
Someone cleared his throat. "I know I'm attractive but don't make it so obvious." I heard him crack a joke in front of me.
I blinked several times, I didn't notice that he was now right in front of me. "Wow! Too much confidence…"
He laughs. "Just stating the fact." He said then scratched his nape. "Why don't you want to come in? The patient doesn't have an infectious disease."
"That's not the point." I said then frown. "I'm hesitant because I don't know how to face my brother." I said.
"Hmm... Well, when that boy was admitted here the very first time he was smiling as if he's not sick." He started then looked in the other direction. "Hmm... You want to talk about it in the office?" he asks. "You know it's awkward talking here beside his case is confidential and it'll be unethical for me as a doctor to disclose it to you in the hallway wherein anyone can hear."
"Sure. I want to know all the things about my brother during the time… I wasn't here." I said.
He looked in my direction. "You can come in, I'm not going to eat you." He said in between his laughter. I'm hesitant to come in. "Close the door but never lock it, this is the office of the director." He said. "Do you want coffee, tea, milk, or water?"
"Water…" I replied shortly.
"Cold?" he asks while looking at the bottled water on one of the tables in the corner.
"No."
"Here." He gave me the bottled water then sat on the opposite sofa that I sitting on. "Where did we stop our conversation earlier?" he asks.