History 3: Make Our Days Count

A Year Later....

"So what are you planning to do now", Sun Bo asked him.
"I don't know anymore....I mean of course I want to go to America to see him but my parents are pestering me about this and that. I wish I could just escape them all but the thing is, I don't what to hurt my family anymore than I already have", Hao Ting said with a sigh.
"What do you mean by that?", Sun Bo curiously asked.
"You know the past year since his accident and the events following on after that were just too much for me to handle. My family really had to pull me out of bed, bathe me, feed me and even drag me to work and classes because I lost all initiative to do anything. I lacked enthusiasm and I just felt numb all the time. As much as I love him and what to fight for him, I won't be able to do that if something happens to me", he told his friend.
"So what are planning to do now like I asked you", Sun Bo insisted.
"I'm going to achieve the dream that we both promised each other, even if it takes me longer than it should", Hao Ting said with determination.
"That's the spirit my friend and when he gets better he'll surely come back and find you", his friend cheerfully said.
"I hope so", Hao Ting sighed.
"Hey! Where's that bubbly friend of mine gone? Your lover being in a different country doesn't mean you should be drowned in sorrow", Sun Bo said; holding his friend by the shoulders and shaking him. Hao Ting gave him a faint smile; got up from the floor and walked to close the curtains.
The night has been coming quicker for the past few weeks, making the day pass like a time lapse and the night feel like a repetitive dream as it dragged on longer than it should. With these long nights, loneliness engulfed the shadows of Hao Ting's bedroom; ripping apart every last thought or feeling of happiness just to lock him up in the darkness, that no matter how much he screamed or ran, no-one would hear and there was no way of escaping it. The night brought cold sweats, sick gut feelings, a clog in his heart and stripped him off his ability to taste or feel. Hao Ting manoeuvred like a walking corpse most nights but other nights he couldn't even get out of bed as if every muscle and nerve in his body gave up on him. On nights like these did he want to cry but no tears came, he wanted to scream but no sound escaped his lips, he wanted to ran away but the thought of living elsewhere wouldn't make him feel again, he thought of dying but each time he held a knife to his wrist or went to the rooftop of his university and tried to jump off; he saw him. It was as if he was telling him to not go though with it and he would immediately stop; regretting that he'd come back and not find him here — which made him incredibly guilty that he'd rather die than live away from him. Hao Ting had to always remind himself during these moments that he's not dead but sick and when he recovers, he'll definitely come for him, he just had to be a little more patient. Yes, patience will always bring you towards good things, he would tell himself in the mirror every new day that he survived the night.
The day was different from the nights, people filled the streets; women, men, children, youth, workers and all sorts; piled every single inch of the city and transportation as if they'd been freed from their cages. The weather didn't help either, the sun rioted its heat on the earth; creating so much humidity and the feeling as if we were all being burned alive. No wind came to help the civilians during this hell that had befallen them, air-conditioning felt like a child learning how to blow, cold showers was like drinking warm water, taking naps during the day was the worse decision you could ever make; everything just sucked but for Hao Ting he enjoyed it. When he saw people constantly fanning themselves, crunching on ice, pouring ice cold water on their heads, couples refusing to be cuddly cause they didn't want the other's body heat to add onto the heat that they were already feeling; it made him smile a little. He felt amused by how the sun had caused such a disturbance in the livelihoods of others that he got a sense that the earth sympathised with him. Even though, he knew that the blazing sun was just a distraction from what usually happens to him at night, he embraced every minute of it as if it was his last.

"When are you going back to school again?", Sun Bo asked him.
"Some time after this week I'm not really sure cause one of my professors keeps changing the time and his class is the first one back", Hao Ting frustratingly said.
"Why is he sick or something?", his friend said as he got up from the floor.
"I'm not entirely sure on that about that but what I'm hearing from the class group chat, he's abroad and his flight keeps getting cancelled so he doesn't know if he'll make it in time for the first lecture", Hao Ting told him.
"Okay but why don't he just cancel that lecture so you all can get the first day back off", Sun Bo said as he walked up to his friend; whom was standing by the window.
"My sentiments exactly", Hao Ting sighed.
"I guess he's one of those teachers that must sustain their perfect record of not missing a class. That reminds me of that high school teacher of ours, what was her name again?", Sun Bo asked him.
"I don't know, you brought her up. I can't remember much of high school anymore", Hao Ting told him.
"You can't remember or you don't want to remember? There's a difference, you know. I didn't learn much from school but I can tell the difference", he mocked his friend.
"Whatever, I don't really care much for what is what these days to notice", Hao Ting mumbled as he looked at his hands. He lost himself in them; thinking of how warm they used to get when they came in contact with his. How they used to intertwine and rest ever so smoothly with his, how his slim fingers were a contrast to his own but looked so beautifully structured. The more engrossed he became, the quicker tears stringed his eyes; his heart clogged and the air felt cold. He wiped the tears using his sleeve; turned to his friend, smiled and walked towards the door.
"Where are you going?", Sun Bo queried.
"Let's got out for a drink tonight, my treat since you came to see your emotionally exhausted and depressed friend!", Hao Ting turned to him and exclaimed. Sun Bo wanted to suggest to his friend for them to just stay in and talk but he knew that talking would just lead him to cry again so he laughed; took his jacket off the bed, put his arm around his friend's shoulder and they skipped out of the bedroom.