IV
Other Side of the Coin
"Cliff"
Cliff gasped in shock at the sudden call of his name and turned around to see who it was. It was Carter. Not like that was so surprising, he was in the church and not many people come in the weekends. Except for Jeff, but they never talked.
"Carter! Um…do you need something?" Cliff asked through blurry eyes.
Carter's face saddened instantly, walking a bit closer to give Cliff a pat on the back.
"You're crying again." He stated simply, shocking Cliff with the statement. Ever since he moved from the mountains, there have been times when he suddenly cried for no reason whatsoever.
Actually…there was a reason. Claire.
Cliff looked back down at the floor and smiled sadly, wiping away a tear with the back of his fist. It has been 4 years now that he left his home in the mountains, left his mother, his family, and the only girl he ever loved. For 4 years, he has been crying silently from the pain that she left him, and for 4 years, he still loved her. He loved her every single torturous day that passed and longed for her every single second.
"Tell me about her." Carter said softly, taking a seat next to him. Cliff looked up, confused with what, or to be precise, who Carter was talking about. Carter smiled kindly before answering Cliff's puzzled gaze. "Claire, tell me about her."
Questions about how Carter even knew Claire's name swirled in his head, threatening to burst through Cliff's lips, but instead, Cliff said, "It was about…"
17 years ago I think. I was 7 years old and Claire was 5. Even before I even knew who she was or talked to her, I thought she was most beautiful girl in the village. She had the bluest eyes you'll ever see, the softest hair you'll ever feel, and the most angelic voice you'll ever hear. I had a major crush on her.
Every year, we have this festival in the village, and it was packed that year. I think it was said that that day was the day that most kids get lost. Anyway, back to the story, I was helping my mother with her curry stall when I saw Claire walking around, looking lost. Well, she was lost actually. Without a second thought, I ran up to her with a bowl of curry in my hand and gave it to her. I then helped her find her parents and we became friends ever since.
I was never that talkative nor was I popular, not like Claire. She was like a Goddess in the school.
"Please refrain from using the Goddess's name in vain, Cliff." Carter interrupted.
"Sorry…"
She was like the most beautiful girl in the school, and there I was, the silent friend who hangs with no one. And I still had a major crush on her. I knew at that time that she would never be with me, not when there were a thousand other guys (not literally thousand though, there weren't that many people in the school.) out there that can make her happy. But then in my senior year, when I was 18 and Claire 16, she told me she liked me and we started going out as a couple. Those days were the happiest days of my life. Unfortunately, my mother didn't like her as much as I did. She thought Claire was an obstacle, an anchor. She forbade me from going out on dates, if possible, she would have forbade me from even seeing Claire. But I used to sneak out of the house to go see her at night or we would sneak out of school some days to roam around in the mountain. Then the rumors started…
"What rumors?" Elli, who came from nowhere, asked curiously.
Cliff stared at her for a moment, but then continued with the story.
News about how I couldn't take her out on dates spread in the school, guys were talking behind my back, saying things like how I can never make her happy. And it was true. How could I make her happy when I can never take her out on dates or celebrate her birthday with her? Whenever I save money to take her somewhere, I lose it at the very last second, and whenever I buy her a gift, it disappears on her birthday. I was a bad boyfriend. Even though Claire always told me that it was okay and that she loved me, I know that one day, she'll be tired of having a guy like me as a boyfriend.
Then one day, my mother asked me to go into the woods to find her some mushrooms for dinner that evening. I did as she asked, but I found something else instead. I saw Claire standing alone and I was about to go say hi when another guy ran up to her. I stopped dead in my tracks, hiding behind a tree instead. I didn't hear or see what happened, but when I did turn back to look, that guy was kissing Claire. I was devastated, but I should have seen it coming. From that day, I started distancing myself away from Claire, using excuses whenever she asks to see me at night, and not answering whenever she asks something. Claire was probably also at her limits with me because one day she told me that she has had enough of me. I left the mountains the very next day to go the city, and it was the last time I ever saw her.
"And yet, until this very day, I still love her, I love her even more every second if possible." Cliff said quietly. Carter patted his back in consolation and Cliff looked up to smile to Carter…and Elli. Both Carter and Cliff stared at Elli in confusion, wondering why she was here in the first place. Elli wiped a tear from her eye, still touched with Cliff's story.
"Elli, why are you here?" Carter finally asked.
"Oh! Oh right, I'm sorry. Um, the Doctor asked me to come ask if Cliff could go to the clinic with me."
Carter and Cliff exchanged glances before looking back at Elli.
"Popuri and Rick found a girl washed up on the beach and she has been saying your name for some time now."
Cliff frowned a bit in confusion, a girl calling for him? If it wasn't Ann calling him to get Carter's lunch, then he doesn't know anyone else who would call him. He got up and silently followed Elli back to the clinic. When they got there, Elli motioned him to the bed that was behind the curtain. Cliff followed to where she pointed but when he saw who it was, his knees almost buckled, causing him to trip towards the bed.
He looked down at the woman laying dead (asleep) on the bed and said her name quietly as if it was a prayer.
"Claire…."
A/N: Yes yes, i know, i suck...I should've written this a lot faster, but here it is, the latest chapter and Cliff is finally in the scene. Thank you everyone who read this story, and especially thank you NaviIchigo for emailing me to continue this story. You know, i actually wrote like 3 more chapters for this story already, until my laptop broke that is. So now i'm trying to remember what the hell i wrote so i can re-write it again. I really will try to finish this story, so please stay tune.
