A Couple's Daily Life

Amnesia

Ria felt devastated. She saw with her own two eyes, she was traumatized. She sat a chair beside the bed Lazari was lying on, an oxygen maskbwas covering her face. Ria thought she looks so peaceful, like she was-

She didn't finish the thought. Lazari's chest was heaving up and down. She was breathing with the help of the machine.

They had just been taking a walk like usual, enjoying their time together when a car continued to drive even though the crosswalk's light was already green. The driver waa drunk, Ria found out later and almost beat the sh*t over him. It was about to hit her. But Lazari, of course just had to be a hero and take her place instead by pushing her away.

Now, Ria was always by her lover's side, not leaving even for a moment. Since visitors was not really allowed at a certain time, she goes home as soon as that time passes and comes back when visiting hours starts. She goes to work only on the first two weeks of Lazari's hospitalization nonstop so she could take a lomg break from work. She won't leave until Lazari woke up -at the side, the food stays untouched- nor will she eat unless needed.

One day, Ria realized she was standing in front of Lazari. She and Lazari was facing each other. Lazari opened her mouth and started talking but Ria couldn't hear a thing. She tried to get closer but she can't move her body. Then, when she did manage do move, she finally heard a bit of what Lazari was saying.

"Goodbye, ..." she said.

Ria's eyes widen before she sat up straight from her nap. Without her knowing, she had fallen asleep and used the bedside as her pillow. The dream shocked her and her hands were shaking.

She reached for Lazari's hand and closed her eyes, stabilizing her breathing. She had trouble breathing earlier when she woke up.

"Love... Love, please wake up..."

Desperation was in her voice. Pain, grief, longing. She doesn't know how long she had been there. But looking at the molding food in the trashcan, she knew a long time had passed since Lazari was in a coma.

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A finger moved. Ria stood up and hurriedly called for a doctor.

They said she was going to wake up sooner or later.

Ria hoped it was sooner.

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A week after the revelation, someone visited. She doesn't know who she was but assumed she was Lazari's sister or cousin. So she let her in.

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A month later, Lazari woke up.

She looked at Ria who was kneeling on her bedside, clutching her hand tenderly against hers.

"Who are you?" she asked.

Ria felt like she was thrown deep into the abyss of doom.

The white flowers at the windowsill was bright and full of life. It was obvious it was well taken care of. But even it's own purity cannot wash away the darkness of Ria's heart.
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Ria kept visiting her even after she knew that Lazari had forgotten her. The next day when Lazari woke up, she held her hand but Lazari slapped it away. "Don't touch me so casually as if you're someone dear to me."

The words stabbed Ria's heart cruelly but she kept her smile. And kept her distance.

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Sometimes, she saw the woman from before visiting Lazari too. Lazari was laughing with her. She felt relieved. Whenever she was with Lazari, she never smiled and treated her like a stranger. Which she is now.