Senior

POV: James

It has been exactly two months since that fateful morning. I had been meaning to ask her if she decided something to do about this. I have one worst fear left. I do not want to see her alone. I knew though; that it will end up this way after all is said and done. But in the end, I did ask her twice, but both times, there was nothing. Somehow, I should help Jessie move on. It may seem impossible, but, I hunch that if she believes that is what makes me feel at ease, which is, she might agree.

But that was not all. The effect the news had on her is still unfathomable to me. She might seem perfectly alright, but there was a drastic change. Though I could clearly feel it all, there was nothing to point to.

"Potato."

"I'm listening." Desna just decided to ruin this day. He felt that he should treat me to lunch. And now, inside this rich hotel that he said he always frequented, we are sitting in a dark corner.

"Then why won't say anything?" He wants to know how my wife reacted to the news. He has been breathing down my neck for the past one month about telling Jessie the truth. Because his torture has become unbearable, I told him that I informed her.

"Why are so excited?"

"Hey! What kind of attitude is that? I am asking because I care about you. You are like a little brother to me." Did that even answer my question? I don't think so.

"Is it because you are so single that you are eager to see us break apart?"

Desna was once a good for nothing rich heir. When he told me about his life I could hear how proud he was of himself. This rich heir found a passion for treating people somewhere along the road of his life and then, he joined the top university in the country, the same as mine. We did not know each other though we studied there for two common years, meaning, he is my super senior. Now here is the deal. This prideful and arrogant, if I may add, rich heir did not have any kind of qualifications to join there. In fact, biology was not even his major in college. He is an economics guy, buy geared into medicine smoothly with the use of money and power. Being the only son, all the love and care of the world was his and so the prestigious seat in the college. If he had not told me, I would never doubt that even a great college like that harboured secrets that are fated to me buried deep with their history. By the end of the course, he surprised everyone with his ability. Sure, the black spot on the college's integrity was erased just like that.

He is yet to find a person to love and care though. When he attended my marriage, which was held just a month after I joined this job, he was surprised and he started lecturing me on how I was being a complete fool. He also told me that I would regret ever meeting my wife and that she was only there to suck the life out of me. I tried assuring him that it was not the case. But because we just made friends and he was my senior nonetheless, I could only laugh awkwardly. Thankfully, no one overheard him.

"Look, I am not excited, I'm apprehensive. It may look the same." I see.

"There was zero reaction."

"What zero? Doesn't she love you?" There was a time when he told me that he believed in love watching the two of us. He and Jessie met a couple of times after their introduction at the wedding. He changed his opinion quickly after that.

"Well, it's not zero. She just does not speak about it."

"This is serious, isn't it?"

"She isn't that week though..."

"Did you tell her everything?"

"Yeah. I told her that I will die in three years." I smiled at him. This doctor is the one that tried to fool me saying ten years.

He suddenly started choking on his food and gulped down a glass of water.

"Who told you three years? That is the worst of the worst situations, James!"

Telling that I would live any more than three years is like giving false hope in all its sense. What's more, I did not want to argue with him regarding my own case.

"Senior, what if you are in my shoes and you are going to be a father in four months?"