IN THE EYE OF A HEARTBEAT • offgun ✔

9. Come Back

God has his own plans. Even though humans live to choose, still at the end of time, God knows best what will happen in the future. Life and death are all in His will. How do people want to beg, no matter how loud they pray to Him, still if God wills that, what can't be done. This makes Gun Atthaphan unable to do anything but reflect and blame himself for the death of Off Jumpol.

10 hours have passed by Gun. This time, he was standing right in front of an apartment door. There were two other men accompanying him, standing on his right and left. A few hours ago, they attended the funeral of a person who matters in life. The all-black outfit symbolizes the three men in mourning. The sky outside also brought down raindrops that were slowly getting heavier, as if they were sad because there was a pair of Soulmates who could not be reunited in the fabric of a love story.

"I miss him so much," said Gun in the midst of the unsteady silence. One palm rested on the door, then fingers run down it.

"So do we, Gun." Arm lowered his head.

Closing his eyes, Tay massaged his temple. "This whole thing feels so sudden and unbelievable."

". . ."

In silence, Gun, Arm and Tay enter Off's apartment. Neither of them spoke in between, each one occupied with their thoughts. From the start, the three men planned to help Off's family in tidying up all their belongings. Arm and Tay cleaned the living room area as well as the kitchen. Luckily they didn't bother much because Off was quite a perfectionist. Everything is very organized, maybe only a few items that if they have expired such as foods or drinks in the refrigerator.

However, it was different from the room that was being cleaned by Gun. Off's room looked a mess. Lots of used snack wrappers and soda cans lying on the carpeted floor. The condition of the bed is still messy. Blanket dangled down, pillow fell at the foot of the mattress, and the bolster was nowhere to be seen. Gun was silent for a moment when he found out that this situation was very different from the living room. He sighed, limply getting to work doing the cleaning. His heart beat slowly.

Less than 15 minutes later, Gun's chest felt so tight, he was also gasping for breath. Not strong enough, the little man sat on the edge of bed. Right hand holds his left chest while the other holds the body from behind. His fingers seemed to touch something. Gun turned, grimaced in pain and found a book hidden under the blanket. Gun struggled to reach and if looked closely, something was tucked between the pages. Without caring about the contents of the book, Gun immediately pulled out what he thought was a bookmark.

Turned out, a polaroid photo. Off and Gun are seen enjoying the sunset on a beach. Two words are written below, while behind it there is a continuation in the form of a sentence.

"For Gun,"

"I missed you, Soulmate. Come back to me."

Smiling faintly, Gun's bronze brown eyes—glazed—looked at the clock on the wall. 20 minutes to midnight, the little man's time was not long.

In a minute, will I?

Gun sat cross-legged, the minutes ticking by and heartbeat slowing down even more. Before long, the little man lay down on the carpeted floor. His two shiny eyes were as beautiful as bronze. Eyes that also belongs to Off.

Don't worry, Off. Soon, we will meet.

Maybe, Off and Gun as Soulmates aren't a good plan for God to will. Maybe in the world, they are brought together so that they can learn from each other, understand what it means to struggle to achieve a dream, be patient in waiting, and feel regret when making the wrong decision. Life has taught Off and Gun not to waste time. As long as universe still revolves under the feet of a human, then opportunities will always be there and come to them. Because it's possible, at some point or another, that a well-prepared plan will evaporate in the air—along with all the hopes.

In the blink of a glance and a heart rate. In the eye of a heartbeat.

At 00.00 AM, a man who owns a pair of eyes with his dark brown slowly closed. His heart stopped beating as he took his last breath. The little man's face seemed to glow when faint in hearing and dark in vision, he heard whisper of a voice that was so soothing.

You're back, Gun Atthaphan, sweetheart.

—THE END—