ACHICHIBO~ The little girl I knew

chap11(how stories collide)

We tend to forget that those whom we call abnormal, or disabled, are also human. They lead a life just like we do; with families, and friends around them. 

Sometimes I feel like they handle even more than we do, as they deal with hardships in their way. Sure! They do require quite the attention,  but that never means that they don't give us theirs in return. We have to notice and understand their ways of expressing themselves. 

Knowing the truth made me perceive the two sisters in a different light. The video broke me, in the same way, it built something in me. I might be misunderstanding, or reading into her actions more than I should, but I can't help but see it all as love. 

Lilly said her byes to Jasmine while I was watching the video right outside of the ward, later on, she left the city.  It must've been hard for her, looking at her sister and realizing what she had lost with her hatred; what her envy deprived her and her sister of. She must hate herself now, yet none of us can save her from her guilt, as each of us deals with the severe consequences of what she had done.

Upon her leaving, I felt the extreme need to latch onto Jasmine. I had no desire to leave. I wanted to fill my eyes with her, maybe I feared her disappearance, and maybe I was afraid something would happen and I wouldn't be there for her. I wanted to protect her, and I knew that it was due to the knowledge I have come to acquire in this very short time.

The truth that Jasmine was not like this when she was born, hurts me. The fact that her sister was the cause hurts even more. When her sister dived into her jealousy and hatred, Jasmine cared enough to go crazy when she believed she had lost her.

I closed the window and let the drapes down when I noticed Jasmine slowly drifting off to dreamland. The mild lavender scent filled the room, soothing my heart as I sat by her bed and watched her body relaxing, making sure she doesn't move around and pull the IV fluid and hurt herself.

After a few minutes of silence, I caught my mind playing different scenarios of how it could have been. 

How we could have met. 

How we could have fallen in love?

It even went far to imagine our wedding, our kids...

Us growing old...

I was taken by surprise when a knock obviated my daydream. I turned and glanced at the door, to find Jasmine's mother opening it slightly; just enough to get her head in and check on her daughter before she asked me in a whisper "How is she?"

"She's good. She was a little annoyed with the pain when she moved, but she is handling it well" I murmured, as I rose from my spot and walked to the door, pulling it wide open "Get in"

"Thank you, Toby. You must be tired, yet you are here accompanying her"

"Not a bit. I want to stay with her." I gazed at Jasmine sleeping with a slightly opened mouth, her hair was everywhere and her hands up, like she was at a gunpoint... Couldn't help but think that it was adorable. Every single day, the urgency to just cuddle with her tightly in my arms was growing inside of me. But I kept myself in check, not to cross the line with her in any way or form, even when she was looking this cute and tempting in front of me.

Her mother and I sat beside her in silence, the only sound filling the room were her small sighs generated through her mom's caresses.