Let me tell you a story.Despite what someone might say about emo-ing...
There was a girl, who knew this boy since primary school. They practically grew up together, and were good friends. The boy was quiet and reserved, but he was outstanding in several aspects: sports,academy,competitions, you name it. He sure did well in school.
They ended in the same high school.Due to the similarity their names pronounces, they were often tease by their classmates. Because of a certain reason, they cease talking to each other. In school, they brush past each other like strangers, not even 'hi' and 'bye' were uttered. Though the girl refuse to let the situation persist, she didn't take the first step to initiate a conversation.
Time flew by. One day in school, the boy fainted. The teachers sent him to the local hospital. And for the first time, the boy and the girl talk to each other. When asked why he fainted, he explained that he had some accident recently and was experiencing vertigo at the time. But whatever it was, the connection between him and the girl was linked once again.
Years went by. As expected, the boy scored well in his exams. This time, they ended up in different colleges.The girl went to a place farther from home, and the boy started his tertiary education in a local college. He insisted to his parents that he would go to the place the girl went to, but his parents refused to let him out of their sight. So, he settled where his parents wanted him to.
So after a while, the girl thought of visiting him, so she went over to his place. His parents was packing his things and explained that he had been staying in hospital for two days already. That was the time the girl realized he had cancer since many years before. Since the time he fainted in high school. He kept this from all of his friends, and struggled to move on, all the while undergoing the excruciating torture of chemotherapy. Yet, he did not complaint for once. He sees each treatment as a battle for his life, and fought valiantly to be healthy again. He wanted to be independent, to be capable, and not be relying on his parents.
After about a year, the girl went to a meeting for her Buddhism association. The person who led the prayer, announces that one of their member from the young man division had been hospitalized as he was in a critical condition. He expresses his hope that everyone present would pray for his recovery.Who knew? Coincidentally, the girl and the boy was also in the same Buddhist association.
She realized then.The damaging effect of the disease undermining the boy's health condition finally set in. Later that day, she and her friends went to the hospital to visit him. But this time, he refuse to see them. He'd even told his mom to prevent them from going into his ward. He says that he'd recover, and when he does, he would be the one to contact them so that they could go out together. For supper or tea. Someday,when he recovers.
But that day did not came. The last word he uttered to his father was:"I lost". He had lost the long-hard battle for his life.
This seems like a story we all read in essays. But it's real. Real enough for me to be hearing it for the first time from the girl yesterday.
Sometimes, the mountain we've been climbing, is just a grain of sand. Come to think of it,the problems some of us face everyday are no more than our exams, relationship, family problems, and so forth. I'm not saying as if it is easy for any of us or anything... We fought to stay above our problems, but he fought to stay ALIVE.I couldn't imagine each battle meant the next breath I take.
The girl later expresses her hope for everyone listening along with me: Don't wait if you wish to talk to your friend. And she and her friends later learn to take initiative to call each other up, and not take each other for granted.
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