Bring me a Yellow Rose
Chapter 3
Anna and I lived a pretty much normal life. Okay, maybe the marriage wasn't perfect. We quarrel over some small, silly things occasionally. Yet, it was fun being married to Anna Kyouyama, and I mean it. Besides, we love each other. That fact was merely enough to let us going in life. We celebrated our first month of marriage at the beach, two days, and three nights, together with my friends, doing nothing but barbecuing all day and playing beach volley. She made it, after the three-month limit given by the doctor. She seemed determined to fight, and to live. Time passed by quickly. Before I knew it, we were celebrating our first wedding anniversary, amidst joy and hardships. She proved the doctors wrong. She lived for a year and a half...
Anna woke me up in the middle of the night, one cold Friday. I sleepily asked her why. She replied in a rather impatient voice, "Look, I want to go to the hospital, are you coming or not?" I nodded and readied everything. Somehow, I knew this was it. She would just go and never return with me.
In an hour, we were there. The doctors were all expecting her arrival. Anna was admitted at once and was given proper medication. I never left her side that night. She asked me to sleep beside her; after all, she knew I was tired. I smiled, held her close, and cherished the moment, maybe the last night she would sleep beside me.
The next morning, family, and friends arrived. I went out to eat something, as Anna wanted to talk with my family, in private. I wondered why. Next, she talked to my friends. That's when I knew; Anna already felt that she was about to go. I sat in the lounge, listening to my CD, the only thing that could give me comfort at that time. Hao arrived. I smiled in recognition. "Anna's inside, talking with my friends." He smiled back and replied, "Yeah, I know." The same know-all reputation, I thought. Hao went inside her room. A few minutes later, my friends went out. I don't have to ask the reason why. Anna now wanted to talk with my brother alone. I left the hospital to buy her the yellow rose, remembering that I have not yet given her one that day. I roamed the place, looking for something to take my mind off Anna, and lighten this heavy feeling. The afternoon passed by quickly.
I went back to the hospital. I found my friends and Hao outside her room. Anna had been waiting for me, for about an hour already. Breathing hard, I opened the door and entered. I found her sitting in her bed. She faintly smiled at me as I approached her. I smiled back, and sat beside her bed. I kissed her softly, as I gave her the bouquet of yellow roses.
"I guess you miss me already." Anna started, as we broke the kiss.
I grinned at her, caressing her cheek. "Yeah, you've been talking to my family and friends the whole day. You have not said a word to me." I kissed her again.
"Explains why," She took the bouquet of roses, and counted them. "18 roses! You've been spending a lot of money for these!" She said, in mock anger.
I laughed. "18 roses are a lot better than one."
"That doesn't excuse your reckless spending, Yoh."
I changed the topic. I don't want to argue with her over some roses. "How are you feeling?"
"Dying," She replied nonetheless calm. I regretted I did.
I looked at her. "Don't say that."
She faced me, her eyes, somewhat sad. "I told you to prepare yourself for this day."
I didn't say anything.
"Listen to me," She continued, her voice, firm. "You'll take care of the house. I don't want your friends messing everything up. I talked to them about that matter. You know I wanted everything to be clean and in order."
"I always clean the house." I reminded her.
"You clean the house, because I said so, got it?" Was the reply of my clever wife, "I want you to continue your training. Now that you're the Shaman King, it's important that you train, not sleep, and eat all day. I don't want a lazy husband in the first place. Understood?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Defeat every shaman that challenges you. I also don't want a loser for a husband." She paused, "On second thoughts, I don't want you turning into an arrogant jerk like your brother was before. Better a lazy bum, than an arrogant jerk, okay? Just do your best, remember your principles, and enjoy the fight, like before. That's what matters. Clear?"
"Clear."
"The last and most important thing," Anna looked at me, now angry. "Stop this stupid game of yours. Stop blaming yourself. It's nobody's fault, not yours, not mine." I didn't say anything. "I don't want you doing the most stupid things in life right after my death. I don't want you lamenting over me, like there's no tomorrow, or starving yourself to death. I want you to move on, though it hurts, everything would be okay. Not once did I hold your fate. You could still exist without me, and stop thinking that you can't. I want you to be happy, Yoh. I don't want you turning into a cold, hopeless person just because of me. Trust me, you wouldn't like it."
I weakly nodded. I helped her adjust her position.
She sighed. "I think that's all. Take care of my roses, I don't want them dying too."
I smiled at her. She smiled back. I carefully held her in my arms, and softly kissed her. "I'll miss you, Anna." I took her hand in mine.
"Me too."
"Anna, you know I'll always love you." I kissed her softly on her forehead.
"Yeah, I know that. I love you too." Silence reigned between the two of us.
"Yoh?" I heard her whisper. "Thanks for everything. Thanks for loving me."
Those were her last words.
She fell into a deep sleep, not waking up, ever again. The Shaman World lost their Queen, shortly before midnight, when the first snowflakes of the year started to fall.
Final chapter: out next week
I know it's sad. All my reviewers told me that. Heck, what can I do?
I'd been thinking about editing the first two chapters, you know details, and all that stuff. What do you think?
Thanks for all reviews...
Again, lblue apologizes for the late update, she'd been busy, you know... Busy sleeping, recovering the sleep she lost the past weeks. Yeah, she went through the crucial week, and was able to pass all the requirements, term papers, projects, reports, etc. Now, she is currently preparing for another crucial week, the fourth quarter exams. Excuse her if she didn't upload the final chapter next week. The week after next week would be examination week. She has to study you know. Yeah, it's two weeks before vacation time...
Next fic suggestions are very much welcome!
Next week, lblue would be a year older, and hopefully, a year wiser... :)
Chapter 3
Anna and I lived a pretty much normal life. Okay, maybe the marriage wasn't perfect. We quarrel over some small, silly things occasionally. Yet, it was fun being married to Anna Kyouyama, and I mean it. Besides, we love each other. That fact was merely enough to let us going in life. We celebrated our first month of marriage at the beach, two days, and three nights, together with my friends, doing nothing but barbecuing all day and playing beach volley. She made it, after the three-month limit given by the doctor. She seemed determined to fight, and to live. Time passed by quickly. Before I knew it, we were celebrating our first wedding anniversary, amidst joy and hardships. She proved the doctors wrong. She lived for a year and a half...
Anna woke me up in the middle of the night, one cold Friday. I sleepily asked her why. She replied in a rather impatient voice, "Look, I want to go to the hospital, are you coming or not?" I nodded and readied everything. Somehow, I knew this was it. She would just go and never return with me.
In an hour, we were there. The doctors were all expecting her arrival. Anna was admitted at once and was given proper medication. I never left her side that night. She asked me to sleep beside her; after all, she knew I was tired. I smiled, held her close, and cherished the moment, maybe the last night she would sleep beside me.
The next morning, family, and friends arrived. I went out to eat something, as Anna wanted to talk with my family, in private. I wondered why. Next, she talked to my friends. That's when I knew; Anna already felt that she was about to go. I sat in the lounge, listening to my CD, the only thing that could give me comfort at that time. Hao arrived. I smiled in recognition. "Anna's inside, talking with my friends." He smiled back and replied, "Yeah, I know." The same know-all reputation, I thought. Hao went inside her room. A few minutes later, my friends went out. I don't have to ask the reason why. Anna now wanted to talk with my brother alone. I left the hospital to buy her the yellow rose, remembering that I have not yet given her one that day. I roamed the place, looking for something to take my mind off Anna, and lighten this heavy feeling. The afternoon passed by quickly.
I went back to the hospital. I found my friends and Hao outside her room. Anna had been waiting for me, for about an hour already. Breathing hard, I opened the door and entered. I found her sitting in her bed. She faintly smiled at me as I approached her. I smiled back, and sat beside her bed. I kissed her softly, as I gave her the bouquet of yellow roses.
"I guess you miss me already." Anna started, as we broke the kiss.
I grinned at her, caressing her cheek. "Yeah, you've been talking to my family and friends the whole day. You have not said a word to me." I kissed her again.
"Explains why," She took the bouquet of roses, and counted them. "18 roses! You've been spending a lot of money for these!" She said, in mock anger.
I laughed. "18 roses are a lot better than one."
"That doesn't excuse your reckless spending, Yoh."
I changed the topic. I don't want to argue with her over some roses. "How are you feeling?"
"Dying," She replied nonetheless calm. I regretted I did.
I looked at her. "Don't say that."
She faced me, her eyes, somewhat sad. "I told you to prepare yourself for this day."
I didn't say anything.
"Listen to me," She continued, her voice, firm. "You'll take care of the house. I don't want your friends messing everything up. I talked to them about that matter. You know I wanted everything to be clean and in order."
"I always clean the house." I reminded her.
"You clean the house, because I said so, got it?" Was the reply of my clever wife, "I want you to continue your training. Now that you're the Shaman King, it's important that you train, not sleep, and eat all day. I don't want a lazy husband in the first place. Understood?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Defeat every shaman that challenges you. I also don't want a loser for a husband." She paused, "On second thoughts, I don't want you turning into an arrogant jerk like your brother was before. Better a lazy bum, than an arrogant jerk, okay? Just do your best, remember your principles, and enjoy the fight, like before. That's what matters. Clear?"
"Clear."
"The last and most important thing," Anna looked at me, now angry. "Stop this stupid game of yours. Stop blaming yourself. It's nobody's fault, not yours, not mine." I didn't say anything. "I don't want you doing the most stupid things in life right after my death. I don't want you lamenting over me, like there's no tomorrow, or starving yourself to death. I want you to move on, though it hurts, everything would be okay. Not once did I hold your fate. You could still exist without me, and stop thinking that you can't. I want you to be happy, Yoh. I don't want you turning into a cold, hopeless person just because of me. Trust me, you wouldn't like it."
I weakly nodded. I helped her adjust her position.
She sighed. "I think that's all. Take care of my roses, I don't want them dying too."
I smiled at her. She smiled back. I carefully held her in my arms, and softly kissed her. "I'll miss you, Anna." I took her hand in mine.
"Me too."
"Anna, you know I'll always love you." I kissed her softly on her forehead.
"Yeah, I know that. I love you too." Silence reigned between the two of us.
"Yoh?" I heard her whisper. "Thanks for everything. Thanks for loving me."
Those were her last words.
She fell into a deep sleep, not waking up, ever again. The Shaman World lost their Queen, shortly before midnight, when the first snowflakes of the year started to fall.
Final chapter: out next week
I know it's sad. All my reviewers told me that. Heck, what can I do?
I'd been thinking about editing the first two chapters, you know details, and all that stuff. What do you think?
Thanks for all reviews...
Again, lblue apologizes for the late update, she'd been busy, you know... Busy sleeping, recovering the sleep she lost the past weeks. Yeah, she went through the crucial week, and was able to pass all the requirements, term papers, projects, reports, etc. Now, she is currently preparing for another crucial week, the fourth quarter exams. Excuse her if she didn't upload the final chapter next week. The week after next week would be examination week. She has to study you know. Yeah, it's two weeks before vacation time...
Next fic suggestions are very much welcome!
Next week, lblue would be a year older, and hopefully, a year wiser... :)