Cold Summer Breeze

by: GirlquinndreameR

Carlo walked down the white hallways.  He has walked down this path for the last 12 months, memorizing the cobalt blue nametags passing by.  Everyday at 12:09, as he continued to walk, an old woman in a wheelchair would roll herself out of her room and try to stand up and walk.  When he was first here, the woman usually took two steps then turned around and crouched to her safe chair.  Now, 12 months later, she would walk to the end of the hall where the vending machine is, buy a bag of corn-nuts, and then walk back to her safe chair.  “Good afternoon,” she greeted him like she did everyday.  He smiled back.  The old woman wheeled herself out of sight as he walked passed her.  He had a blue and black backpack flung over his shoulder and a single pink rose in his hand.  Carlo walked down the hall.  At the end sat a small window against the wall; it allowed a soft cold breeze to run through the halls.  They echoed with whispering voices beyond comprehension.  Carlo headed to the door right next to the window and turned its silver doorknob.  There, he saw her.

            A young woman lay still on the white sheets.  Her long black hair was pulled back, her head wrapped in bandages.  Carlo stood at her bedside and put his backpack to the floor.  He faked a warm smile and voice.  “Good afternoon, Nina,” he said.  Her eyes were loosely closed.  He placed the rose in a vase.  The glass pear shaped vase was overflowing with yellow roses.  The single pink rose stood out among the bundle of yellow petals.  “How are you doing?” The response he received was the pulsing of the machines connected to her.  They were slow and very steady.  He slowly, almost hesitantly, ran his fingers down her right cheek.  Her skin felt cold; the complete opposite of the weather outside.  The lines he traced on her cheek with his fingers had a slight hint of pink.  They slowly disappeared, as if struggling to hold the color.

            Just then, the silence was interrupted with his cell phone ringing.  He turned away from Nina’s lying body and unhooked the device from his belt.  He held it against his ear.  “Hello?”

            “Hi Carlo!” came the voice on the phone.

            “Oh, hi Vanessa,” Carlo’s voice held an air of nervousness.

            “I was thinking after Asian Civilization class, we can head to that new cafe on campus,” Vanessa suggested.  “What do you say?”

            “I don’t know.  We’ll see, ok?”  Carlo responded quickly, wanting to get off the phone.

            “Ok, sure.  Bye!” Vanessa hung up her line. 

            Carlo ended the call and clipped his cell phone back on his belt.  He turned to Nina, a little embarrassed.  “Sorry about that.  She usually doesn’t call me.”  He pulled up the chair from the corner and sat next to her bed.  “You’re probably a little confused because I told you I was thinking of ending it.  I know I haven’t told her yet, I’m sorry.  It’s just really hard.” He looked at her blank face.  “I’m trying!  Everyday, it gets harder.  I don’t want to see anyone hurt!” Her body remained still.  He popped out of his seat and strolled to the window.  Carlo looked to the people outside.  At the corner of the building an ambulance drove in.  EMTs wheeled in an old man lying on a stretcher, with his wife following.  He watched them, envious.  “How long do you think they’ve known each other?”  He turned to her, then back to the window, closing it.  “Yah, probably.”  He returned to his seat.  He put his elbow on his knee, cradling his chin in his hand.  He sat in that position, in thought.  A few minutes passed.  He turned to her.  “Why you, huh?  You didn’t do anything bad to get stuck here?  I keep asking myself that question everyday...but I’ll never get an answer...”

            He opened his backpack and pulled out a Discman and two small speakers.  He popped in a burned CD of his favorite slow songs.  “Hey, this song is really good,” he said as one started to play.  He turned up the volume a little bit.

            Carlo leaned back in his chair, both arms laying on the armrests.  He continued to look at her body.  He counted the tubes connected to her: the IVs, the sensors, and the oxygen mask...his eyes got lost in the web of plastic.  He sighed.  “I keep praying that someday you would wake up.  Ever since graduation, things have been upside down for me!  Why did you leave me?” he slammed his fists hard against the wooden armrests.  “Come on, Nina.  I...I miss you.  I know I’ve been with Vanessa for more than a year but...I can’t stay in a relationship if I don’t really feel love for her, right?” 

            He leaned forward, talking softly.  “I know you can hear me even though you can’t respond back.  Just listen.”  He took some more deep breaths.  “I...I’ve been wanting...waiting for you to wake up.  When we were on the phone before your accident, you told me that you wanted to tell me something.  What was it?” He leaned closer to her.  “Well, I’ve been wanting to tell you something.  I know I’ve been dating Vanessa on and off since last spring but...I don’t know.  I realize between the break-ups that I can live without her.  Ever since you left, my life is different.  I can’t see my life without you.”

            He sat silent for a few moments, with the sounds of the pulsing beeps from the machines filling the room.  One by one, the pulsing increased. 

            “I can’t believe I just admitted that,” Carlo ran his fingers back through his dark brown hair.  He sighed in disbelief.  “It’s true, though.  You were there since six grade when my puppy died, you gave me my first kiss, and you stayed up on the phone with me when my parents fought.  You are in my thoughts before I go to bed and when I wake up.  Somehow, you’re always with me.  If I’m not reminiscing on memories of you, my head is filled with dreams of a future together.”

            The pulses continued to increase.

            “I know this is lousy timing and I know I should have told you earlier...I guess it’s easier to spill all these words out because I don’t have to worry about how you would react.  This whole year made me truly realized what’s going on and what I really want.  I...I want to grow old with you.  I want to argue about where the new china cabinet should go.  I want to complain that our kids don’t call us when they’re in college.  I...I want to see who loses their hearing first!  I know that sounds ridiculous but it’s true. Nina...” Carlo placed his hand over hers.  “...I love you.”

            The machine flat-lined.

            A strong, cold breeze shot at him like a knife, stabbing his skin.  He tried to stand up from the shock but he felt something pulling him down.  His heartbeat increased, speeding faster and faster.  He looked down and saw Nina’s hand gripping his.  “Nina!”  A flood on medical personnel came into the room.  A nurse escorted Carlo out the room and shut the door in front of him.

            He pressed his forehead against the glass window of the door.  He fogged a small part of it with his breath.  His insides felt torn.  He felt so weak, he wanted to faint but his body was frozen from all the shock.  As the doctor began to yell, “We’re losing her!” it echoed in his mind like a broken record.  The words carved itself in his brain, ran through his veins and poisoned his soul. 

            “No,” he closed his eyes, holding back hot tears.  “I’m losing her.”

            Carlo opened his eyes, catching one last look at her.  Nina’s lips were curled in a soft, serene smile.

Note: This is a result of boring classes; I write.  I like this story a lot, although it’s really sad.  The story and characters are originals of me!