Can't I Touch Your Heart?

Chapter 52 Choose What You Wish

Ember opened his eyes and looked above at the ceiling. It was dark and quiet. He woke up and looked at the clock, well, it was eight in the morning, why was it still so dark? Later, he realised it's not just the sky, everything seems to be a bit darker than usual. Nothing feels very fun to do. Then, a maid came into his room, "Oh, you're already awake, sir?" She was holding some clothes on her arm, "Your father has asked to get dressed up. He's taking you out,"

It was a sailor uniform. He took a shower and got dressed. The light seemed to fade in slowly, the darkness wept away. He walked towards their car, Loraine and Maple wore a red football jersey and stood beside their father who too, wore a red jersey.

"Dad got a day off and he promised he's gonna take us for a little football game!" Maple yelled, "Isn't that awesome?"
Ember smiled, "Yeah, sounds fun,"
They sat in the car as Chuck started the engine. Ember outside the window, it was getting dark again. They soon reached a football field, it had been rented for that day.

Lorraine and Maple got down from the car and ran into the field with a football in their hands.  "Hey Ember, come let's play football!" Maple yelled.

"Nah, you guys enjoy," He smiled from afar as he stood under an umbrella in his white sailor uniform, right beside his father.
"What? Come on, don't be such a wuss!" 
"Maple, play with Loraine. It's not like he doesn't want to play," His father looked down at him, "He just can't,"

Ember looked away.
"Sit down," His father commanded and he sat down on the chair while his father went towards Lorraine and Maple, to play a friendly game of football.
"Dad, pass! HERE!" Maple yelled. 
Ember just stared at them while they played.

. . .

As evening took over, Rhea was returning back from her crash course centre, thinking about the competition 'Can't I Touch Your Heart' What on Earth should I draw on this?'
Suddenly, a football landed on her face and she fell from her bicycle. Her mind wobbled and all her thoughts shattered. 

"Excuse me, it's my ball, I mean, it's not my ball but... Oh well whatever, give it" It was Neel.

"Should I shove this in your ass?" Rhea shouted as she picked up the ball.
"Which kind of porn are you watching these day?"
"Shut up!" Rhea shouted as she threw the ball in the sky. It landed inside Mr Sharma's house through the window and disappeared.

Both Neel and her stared at the balcony. 
"Chalo, bye," They both ran away into his apartment and sat inside the parking lot. He sat beside her, "Why did you have to do that? Get my ball now,"
"Go get it yourself, it's your fault! You threw it at me,"
"It was an accident!"
"Then, pay for it,"

"Look, you're a girl, if you go, he wouldn't beat you up,"
"He won't beat you up either,"
"Who knows what kind of man he is,"
"If he's a bad man, he'll beat us regardless of gender,"
"As a man, I say otherwise,"

Finally, they decided to go together. The door opened to reveal a middle-aged man standing at the door with a poster in his hand, talking to someone on the phone, "Yeah, Meenakshi, I sent a picture of it to you. You should participate," He talked on the phone, gesturing Neel and Rhea to take the football kept at a corner. Rhea walked in and took the football, when her eyes paused at the poster in his hand, it was the painting competition she was entering in too.

 "You will win, I know you will. You have been painting since childhood, no one can be as good as you," He said while Rhea slowly walked out of his house and closed the door. 
If she really was painting since childhood, 
"There is no chance I'm going to win,"

Neel looked at her, "You're entering a painting competition?"
"Yeah..."
"You just started painting this year, obviously you will not win,"
"...I want to drop out but I have-"
"Why? You don't have to enter just to win. You'll gain experience, that's what matters,"

"...In that case, why didn't you enter too? Don't you want to gain experience?"
"I don't," Neel said, "You and I are in a different situation, Rhea. To me, painting is just a hobby, a way to kill time, because in the end, I know I'm going into politics after my father, that's our family custom, and frankly, I am interested in it. 

But to you, painting is a passion. It makes you feel alive, it's something you want to pursue, that's why this is important for you. Everyone has their own reasons for participating, maybe some are doing it to win, some are like me, just there to kill time, some are doing it out of curiosity,  what's your reason for going into it?"

"...I'm doing it for Ember,"

Neel shook his head, "That is a rough start,"
"Neel, let's go buy some paint. I need a painting partner so we will paint together,"
"Can I say no?"
"Just come," She grabbed his hand, "Get on the bike, I'll tell mom I'll be back in a bit,"

. . .

In the evening, Loraine and Maple walked to Ember after taking a hot shower, "You didn't come, Ember?"
"I don't feel like it," Ember lay in his bed.
"Don't be sad, Ember, it's okay. We'll play next time," Loraine consoled him.

"...I can't," He looked at Loraine.
"We can do it slowly," Maple said, "You don't have to run very fast-"
"Fast or slow, I can't run, why don't you understand?"
They were both speechless.

"Oh, that reminds me," Loraine took out a white packet from his pocket and tore it open, taking out a handful of pills that spread across the table like little toffees, "Your pills,"
He passed him a bottle.
"Don't want these," Ember looked away.

"We're not fighting over this again, Ember," Maple sat down beside him, "Just take it, you know it's for your own good,"

"You must take them regularly. You might not know what may happen to you if you don't,"
He took a glass of water and some pills in his hand, Ember looked at them and got up, "...I wonder it's like to live without these,"
Loraine and Maple looked at him as guilt ran through their hearts, as he shoved them down his throat. He looked at them and smiled,

"How long do you think you can keep me this way?"
"If I could make a wish, I would keep you forever," Loraine looked at Ember.
Ember smiled and looked down and the empty glass, "If I were you,

I'd never wish that for me,"

-To be continued

Ember Helberg
Can't I Touch Your Heart?