CHARLOTTE'S GOODBYE
They drove very fast through the suburbs, screaming at the song that played on the radio player. Ethan made sure he took the car to the junkyard. They left, he carried Charlotte on his back and walked the lonely round as the sun went down.
"What is your biggest wish in life," she whispered in his ear as he walked.
"My biggest wish in life? My biggest wish is to stay happy," Ethan replied.
"My biggest wish is for a lot of people to learn to appreciate life."
"People appreciate life."
"Not everyone though. If I was given a chance, I would live to the fullest, but I'm fading each day."
"Shhh."
"You don't need to hush me anymore because I would soon go silent for a very long, long time, never to be heard again."
Ethan stopped walking. "Are you alright?"
"Why won't I be alright, when I'm riding in the clouds?" Charlotte's voice was getting fainter. "I need a long, long rest."
Ethan went to the corner of the road and gently lowered her down to the grass. She sat down and he sat beside her. She placed her head on his shoulders.
"Thank you, I haven't gotten an opportunity to say that to any of you."
Ethan held her to him. "Why are you sounding like this?"
"I'm fine. I'm scared of leaving, the world is indeed a beautiful place and life is a treasure we should guide with all we have." Tears were trekking down her eyes and wetting Ethan's shirt.
"I will let you say all that you want now, but please don't cry."
"I lied," she said and raised her head from his shoulder, looking at him. "I lied when I said I was strong, I lied when I pretended that I was alright. I'm so scared and I'm getting lonely already, I feel the coldness, I feel the clutches of death, but I am still holding on to dear life because I'm afraid to let go, I don't know what awaits me beyond. Laughter? Piece?Chaos? Damnation? Quietness? But I know one thing is certain, I won't be able to talk anymore, I love talking, but I won't be able to do things I love anymore, I won't wake up ever again to see your beautiful face first thing and I won't be able to laugh so hard anymore. So I am scared to cross over and find out what's really happening over ther…"
Ethan drew her closer and kissed her, tears were streaming down his cheeks. "Please, don't die."
She smiled as tears ran down her cheeks. "I won't, I won't," she whispered.
He stood up immediately and hefted her up, carrying her on his chest. She snaked her arms around his neck, put her head on his shoulder and relaxed on him.
"Please, hang in there!" he pleaded running with her.
"I'm hanging on you," came the reply.
He ran as fast as he could with her so that he could get to the bus stop where they could get a bus or means of going back to the hospital. He let his tears fall as he ran. Luckily, he heard the rattling of a truck behind him. He stopped and turned back. A rickety truck was skidding down the road. He started flagging it down, but the truck driver seemed like he wasn't going to stop. He ran into the road with Charlotte and closed his eyes.
"Help!"
The truck stopped a few inches away from him. He slowly opened his eyes and saw that the truck had stopped.
A few minutes later, he was at the back of the moving truck with Charlotte lying on his chest. He placed his hand on her chest to make sure she was still breathing. Their stolen items beside them.
Faith got into the apartment and off the phone with Charlie. She had gone to get some groceries after Charlie saw her off at the hospital. She decided to make some noodles soup for Charlotte since she requested one. She wondered if Ethan was around, she was ready to confront him. She looked at his door and started towards the kitchen to drop off the groceries.
A noise came from the kitchen and she halted. He must be in the kitchen. She went towards the kitchen, she was going to make it look like she ran into him. She went over to the door immediately and pushed it open. A lanky guy with curly, brown hair turned to her. She became alarmed, completely forgetting that someone had come to see Ethan in the morning. She held her bag in front of her in defence.
"Are you okay?" the guy asked.
She dropped down her bag a little and peeped at the guy and she recalled that he has come earlier in the morning. Who was he? Was he Ethan's younger brother? She looked him up and down, he looked too lanky to be Ethan's brother. She composed herself and cleared her throat.
"If you are moving in, Ethan should have discussed it with me."
The man bent his head. "I'm not moving in here."
She noticed he was shy. "Well, you scared me. Who are you?"
"I'm Tyler..." He started to say but the ringing of her phone cut him off.
She took out the phone from her coat jacket and looked at the screen. She scowled. "Why is he calling me now!" She answered and put the phone to her ear. She knew that there was no way Ethan was going to stay a whole day without calling her. She smiled. "Hello, Mr Floyd."
Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped from what Ethan told her from the other end. The grocery bag she was holding fell from her hand. Tyler stared at her curiously.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
But she was already at the door, flying out of the kitchen. He looked down at the grocery bag that she dropped on the floor and went over to pick them up.
Nora came out of the bathroom wiping her hair with a dry towel. She had already gotten into her pyjamas. She has been contemplating if she should go to the hospital and visit Charlotte since she was going to Rome with Danny the day after tomorrow. But then, she might run into Faith and she didn't want any awkward moment. She didn't know how she was ever going to apologize to Charlotte for that.
Danny was already in bed reading a book he has been engrossed in for some days now. She scoffed and went to lie in bed eyeing the book he was holding. She lay down and dragged the duvet and faced the other side of the bed, making sure Danny noticed. He did notice and dropped the book beside him. He shifted closer to her and held her shoulder, she smiled but removed his hand from her.
"Come on babe, what's the problem?"
"That book owns all your emotions now, right?"
"How? Why would you even say that?" Danny held her again, this time he cuddled her.
She giggled and turned to face him. He bent and kissed her.
"Okay, honey." She gently pushed him off her. "I need to talk to you about something."
"I'm all ears."
"You know Charlotte. I have not gone to see her after my fight with Faith."
"Why?"
"I don't want to run into Faith, I might mistakenly say hi to her," she whined.
"And you don't want that to happen?"
Nora shook her head and picked her fingers.
"So what kind of a Christian are you then?"
Nora wiggled in bed. "She said hurtful things to me."
"You told me that you said hurtful things to her too. You both were angry and said things you don't mean to each other. Okay, I have a question for you. What if you don't make it on this trip to Italy? I'm not saying we are not gonna make it, but think about how disappointed God would be with you for letting this anger make you lose out. Do you prefer losing your soul over a little earthly discord?"
Nora stared at him. She couldn't stop thanking God for the kind of man he blessed her with. They were interrupted by the ringing of her phone. She glanced towards the bathroom.
"Oh, God, I forgot my phone in the bathroom." She got out of bed and headed toward the bathroom. She picked up the phone and looked at the screen it was Ethan, who was calling her.
Her heart skipped a little, but she took the phone to the room and answered it. "Hello, Ethan." She was silent for a moment. "What?!" she screamed.
Danny who was relaxing back in bed jerked up and glared at her. Nora started running towards the bedroom door. Danny stood and ran after her.
"What's wrong?!" he yelled as he ran after her.
He caught up with her in the living room, he held her hand. "What is wrong? Where are you running to?"
"Charlotte...Charlotte...Charlotte" was all Nora could say.
Danny grabbed the car keys from the TV stand. "There is no way I'm letting you go alone like this."
She followed him out of the house.
Faith barged into the room, her eyes were red and her hair was dishevelled. Charlotte was lying in bed nothing was attached to her body, hands or nostrils now, she looked as white as a sheet, her lips were completely purple now, her eyes were open and she smiled at Faith when she came in. Her mother was seated beside her bed sobbing while holding her hand. Faith breathed with relief as she realised that Charlotte was still alive. She stared at Ethan who was standing by a corner, holding Valentine who was shedding tears.
She quickly moved towards Ethan. "What happened? She is not going to die is she?"
Ethan shook his head and wiped the tears that had gathered in his eyes. Faith went over to Charlotte and knelt beside her bed.
"Charlotte, look at me, you are okay, right?"
Charlotte smiled and shook her head. "I can't lie anymore, heaven is closer to me." Her voice was barely audible that Faith had to bring her ear closer to her lip.
"No, no, no, listen to me! There is no heaven, you are not going anywhere! You will not die." But even as she spoke, she saw that Charlotte's eyes are losing focus.
"God is real, Faith." Charlotte's voice was only a whisper now.
Faith slumped down on the floor, looking dazed for a while. Mrs Hernandez was sobbing uncontrollably now. Valentine went over to her and held her by the shoulders, consoling her. Faith scrambled up again and went over to Charlotte.
"Okay, I know, I know, God is real. Please don't die alright. Doctor! Someone help! Can't you do something?! Is she going to die like that?!"
Charlotte closed her eyes, tears ran down her temples. Ethan went over to Faith and dragged her up.
"Enough, enough, alright. She is going to die, there is nothing we can do about it."
Faith broke out of his grip. She couldn't believe it, she didn't even want to believe it. This was the first time she was going to experience the death of a loved one. Was it this devastating and hurtful? Was she really going to lose Charlotte? She started moving towards the door but the door flung open and Nora ran in. She turned around still looking dazed.
Nora ran towards Charlotte's bed. Charlotte smiled at her.
"Nora..." she called in a faint voice. "I'm glad you are finally here, I have held on for too long. Can someone bring me down? I'm floating."
Nora sat down at the edge of her bed and held her hand. She wiped the tears that were running down her cheeks. Danny slowly came into the room. Charlotte's eyes went to him.
"Wow, Nora, it's that Danny?"
"Yes," Nora said amidst tears.
"I got to see his face. Can he come closer, I want to say hi. My hands are slipping away."
Nora beckoned on Danny to come over to the bed and stood beside Nora. Faith was at a corner of the room on all fours.
A crazy idea ran into her head. She glanced up at the ceiling. "God, I don't know if you exist or not, but I really, really want to believe in your existence. Please, don't let Charlotte die, let her live. My father always said you are a miracle worker, take away her cancer, please. I'm going to serve you with all my heart, all my life, all my soul, please." She clasped her hands together, in prayer, begging a God that she didn't believe in.
"Hi, Danny, you look as handsome as Nora described you. It's finally nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too. You are also as lovely as Nora said you were," Danny said and took Charlotte's hand that she was trying to offer to him.
"Are you hitting on me now?" Charlotte asked and took a deep breath, her words were slurring now.
"If that will make you feel better, then I will do it again and again."
Nora bent, placing her elbows on her thighs and supporting her face with her hands. She was weeping. Charlotte has already started speaking the death language.
"I'm happy that all my friends are here with me. I finally feel like I can rest in peace now," Charlotte said. "Can we sing a song, please? It would soothe me."
"What song do you want us to sing?" Nora asked.
"Visiting hours, by Ed Sheeran," Charlotte said.
"Everyone come closer, Charlotte wants us all to sing!" Nora announced.
They all moved closer to her bed and surrounded her bed.
"Can we hold hands, please?" Charlotte said.
They held hands as they surrounded her bed.
"Could someone play that song for me, please? That song has been my favourite these days. You can sing along with me if you know the song."
Ethan quickly took out his phone and played the song. They all sang along with the song.
I wish that Heaven had visiting hours
So I could just show up and bring the news
That she's getting older and I wish that you'd
met her
The things that she'll learn from me, I got them
all from you.
Faith broke down as others sang the song. She was the one crying the hardest after Charlotte's mom. She kept recalling Charlotte's happy days. The first day she met Charlotte, how she had come out from Ethan's room with that brightest smile of hers, she recalled the first day Charlotte made her up.
Can I just stay a while and we'll put all the world to
right?
The little ones will grow and I'll still drink your
favourite wine.
And soon, they're going to close, but I'll see you
another day…
She recalled the first date she had gone with Charlotte and Ethan, she only saw Charlotte smiling she recalled Charlotte's face when she had made her cry, she recalled how Charlotte had hugged Ethan that day she had scolded her, she recalled all the times Charlotte had smiled at her, she recalled the time Charlotte took the pole in the club, she recalled the times they sang in the karaoke, she recalled when she and Charlotte drank to stupor while dancing to Nicki Minaj's 'Starship', she recalled when she, Nora and Charlotte played tag by the beach, their shopping sprees, their dancing competitions, the day she and Nora kidnapped Charlotte, their car race, when she mistakenly pushed Charlotte when she fought with Nora, when Charlotte smiled at her from the hospital bed.
They sang with their heart that no one noticed that Charlotte has stopped singing and that her eyes were now unblinking. They were fixed. Straight. Dead.
I wish that Heaven had visiting hours
And I would ask them if I could take you home
But I know what they'd say, that it's for the best
So I will live life the way you taught me
And make it on my own...
It was Nora who noticed her eyes. She dropped Charlotte's hand that she held. "Charlotte? Are you still there?"
But Charlotte didn't smile her usual smile nor reply. Faith dropped Charlotte's hand that she held and stared at Charlotte wide-eyed. Mrs Hernandez bawled, Valentine rushed to her and hugged her tight, Danny held Nora. Faith fell on top of Charlotte shaking her frantically and asking her to open her eyes. Ethan whose tears were running down his eyes, drew her away and hugged her tight, she cried bitterly in his arms, while he patted her back consoling her, he wiped his tears.
"Goodbye, Charlotte," Danny muttered looking at Charlotte's lifeless body on the bed.
You can listen to 'Visiting Hours' by Ed Sheeran while reading this chapter 😢😭😭