It was a few days later when I found myself walking to Kat's apartment once again. I couldn't stop thinking about my last conversation with her…
She asked me to sit with her and her grandmother at their little kitchen table. I could tell by the expression on her face she was upset, but I couldn't tell what… Looking back, it feels like it should have been obvious. I reached across the table and placed a hand on her arm.
"Kat? What's wrong?"
She glanced up at me only once. That was the only eye contact I had with her the entire conversation. Her eyes were red, like she was exhausted from crying. Her grandmother sat beside her and slid a piece of paper across to me. It looked like a medical report. I picked it up and began reading it…
My blood ran cold. I didn't understand all of the medical jargon, but there was one thing I did understand:
Kat needed surgery. A heart transplant to be exact.
Unfortunately, she had a rare blood type, and there was no telling when they would get a heart for her in time, or if she would even survive they surgery by the time they found one. One thing was for certain: my friend was dying, and if she didn't get the attention she needed…
I looked up to see Kat crying quietly, her face buried into her hands. I felt tears come to my eyes as well, but I wanted to be strong for her… I came next to her and gently pressed a hand against her back. She responded by turning quickly and embracing me, her tears soaking onto my shoulder. I held her like that for a while. She kept whispering apologies between sobs. I didn't know what to say… All I could think to do was just hold her and gently rub her back while she cried, telling her she had nothing to be sorry for. Her grandmother held her hand. We were all silent, save for the occasional sniffle or hiccup coming from Kat. I felt so numb. Here I thought she would get better. I couldn't believe it…
I wanted to take her out at least once before she had to be hospitalized. The cherry blossoms were in bloom this time of year. Though where we lived was mostly city area, there was a park a few blocks south for the cherry trees. I decided I'd take her to see them before they faded again. I walked upstairs to that familiar apartment and knocked on the door. Her grandmother answered with (to my surprise) a sweet smile on her face. "Well, hello, Haru! I assume you're here to see Kat?"
It was a bit strange in a way to be greeted so kindly by her, but it didn't feel as bad as being whacked in the head with an umbrella. I returned her smile. "Yes. Is she ready?"
She stepped back to let me in. "She's just finding a jacket."
I thanked her and entered, looking back for Kat. She was in her room, slipping her arms into a pink sweatshirt. Even in nice weather like this, she got cold easily with such poor circulation. She zipped it up and smiled at me. "Ready?"
I smiled and nodded. "Whenever you are."
Kat grabbed a basket with a packed lunch for the both of us. She followed me out, only to be stopped by her grandma. "Kathryn! You remember what the doctor told you."
She cringed a bit, then sighed. "Gramma…"
Ms. Takara remained adamant. "You need to keep your strength up. The doctor said—"
"I know, I know…"
That's when I remembered her doctor wanted her in a wheelchair whenever she went out. He said too much stress could easily cause her to collapse again. I walked back with her and helped her into the chair as the lunch was placed into her lap. She looked up at me, her face slightly pink with embarrassment. "I'm really sorry about this…"
I smiled as I took the handles, pushing her out the door. "It's fine. You just sit back and enjoy the ride, ok?"
She chuckled and rested her head back. "Whatever you say."
Her grandmother waved goodbye. "Remember to be back on time."
She waved back. "Yeah, I got it."
We took the elevator down to the first floor and I wheeled her outside and down the sidewalk. There was a nice breeze that day, and it was relatively warm. I was glad Kat and I could get out for a while. We chattered for a while about this and that. I wanted to keep her mind off of things like the surgery, and the fact that she would be confined to a hospital bed by tomorrow… I knew she would hate that. She loved to move around and be active. Laying there all day with nothing to do would be near torture for her.
She sighed. "I never thought I'd say it, but I kinda miss school."
I laughed. "You miss sitting in a classroom for hours and hours, only to come home with more work to do?"
She laughed, too. "No, I mean, I just miss being able to feel like I was doing something important. Nowadays, I'm just lying around like a bump on a pickle." She crossed her arms and pouted a bit.
I sighed. She could be so childish sometimes, but it was refreshing in a way. I didn't have to worry about keeping up with her in terms of maturity or things like that. Keeping up with her energy was another thing, even while she was sitting in a wheelchair.
The cherry blossoms were beautiful. The air smelled and almost tasted sweet as the pink petals drifted lazily in the breeze. We strolled through, gazing around at the flowers. They were a light pink shade. I patted Kat on the shoulder as we kept walking. "Hey, they match your jacket!"
She giggled quietly. "Yeah, I guess they do. I'm glad I picked this one out then!" She looked over, pointed at something. "Hey, Haru! Look over there! Isn't it pretty?"
I followed her gesture to a tree by the water. Sunlight was streaming through the petals and reflecting off the water. "Wow… that is really pretty! Hey, do you want to have lunch over there then?"
She nodded. "Sure, ok."
I pushed her wheelchair over and parked it under the tree, helping her out of it and sitting her down gently in the shade. She looked a little guilty. "Ah, I'm sorry… it seems like I'm relying on you for everything…"
I sat with her and opened the basket. "No, you're not. I'm helping you because we're friends, and that's what friends do."
She rested back on the tree behind us. "You sound like a greeting card when you say it like that."
I rested back with her and got out two sandwiches, one for each of us. "Yeah, I guess…"
She thanked me and accepted her lunch, looking out at the small lake and taking a bite. She gave a satisfied sigh. "It seems like everything tastes better when you're hungry, right?"
I swallowed the bite I was chewing on and nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Like those brownies you made a few months ago, the ones you shared with me at lunch."
She gave me a curious look. "You still remember that?"
I smiled. "Sure I do! They were really good. And I still think it was nice of you to think of me like that."
She punched my arm playfully. "Well, I'm glad you liked them. Maybe I'll make some more some time."
"And I could help," I offered.
She waved a finger like she was mock-scolding me. "Nah-uh! Family recipe, remember? It's a secret!"
I took another bite and laughed again. "Right, I forgot."
She looked up at the flowery branches above. "You know, I've always wanted to come to Japan to see the cherry blossoms."
I looked at her. "But you said you lived near D.C. before, right? Don't they have cherry blossoms there?"
She shrugged. "Yeah, and they're really pretty too. I just wanted to see what they look like over here. They were a gift to America from Japan, after all. This is their native land. I dunno… Something about that strikes me as interesting."
I sat back again and looked up with her. "I guess… Do they look any different over in America?"
"Hmm… Nope, not really."
The day went by lazily, but enjoyably. We sat there, enjoying each other's company, having lunch in the park beneath the cherry blossoms. The thought hit me that cherry blossoms only come a certain time of the year, and then you never see them again until the next year. I thought of Kat like the cherry blossoms; a friend like her only comes every so often. I wanted to enjoy the time I had with her, because, like the blossoms giving shade above us, I only had a limited amount of time with her.
If only she would be able to see them again next year…
