I HELD Dad’s hand tightly as we crossed the road to the operating room. I just stopped and just staring at him from the closed door.
My tears fell out of fear and anxiety. “Uncle will surely be fine.” I felt Jacky’s warm palm on my shoulder.
“Yes, he will.” I convinced myself, I sat in the waiting area and there my hands were neatly folded before closing my eyes firmly. I haven’t slept for almost two days since the Doctor told me that Dad’s operation will start today. I watched Dad almost every night while they’re checked his vitals.
Relax, a voice whispered in my mind so I took a deep breath. Yeah, that’s what I should do now, relax Cherry. I’ll bend over to myself and pray really hard.
It will take eight hours or more the surgery of my father. So, Jacky and I decided to eat at the cafeteria first while waiting. I haven’t eaten since this morning, because my system can’t accept food no matter how hard I try.
“You need strength. You might get sick by chance.” Jacky pushed the plate of rice in front of me.
“I’m okay with coffee,” I said.
“What? You shouldn’t have drunk that first, you see the result? You’re so nervous!” She tried to pull the cup of coffee when I stopped.
“I’m fine, I’ll eat.” I said again. Eventually I ran out of two cups of rice because of feeling hungry.
“So what’s your plan now?” she asked when we finished eating.
I haven’t been to work for two days, after I’ve talked to Calix. I also did not accept the money he tried to hand me after all. I was so embarrassed by what had happened that I turned down his offer of help.
Rexon also didn’t call me which I’m thankful for. ‘Maybe I’ll talk to him when the operation is over. At this point I decided to just accept his offer to me in exchange for all his help with Dad’s operation.
I took a deep breath before answering. “Yes, I accept the job he offers.” I have no strength to answer.
“What?!” She exclamation.
I widened my eyes at because of her reaction.
“So you mean, you’re going to accept his offer to be his PA?!” she returned the glared eye to me.
“I have no choice, even if maybe if I work for the rest of my life with the money he lent me, I still don’t think it will be enough to save my father’s life,” I have utter.
“How’s your job with Calixto? Will you resign?”
“I guess.” I nodded.
“Yiieeh! I’m so excited!” Suddenly her aura changed as if something was tickling her.
“Hey! What are you?!” I scolded but still went on to smile.
“I’m jealous because Rexon is going to be your boss now? It’s not just that you can always be with him wherever he goes, isn’t it like you’ve won the lottery jackpot!” She screamed.
I frowned. “I’d rather hit the lottery than to be with your Idol!” I stared at her and averted my eyes.
“You know you’re a hypocrite. The person you’re acting like didn’t do anything bad to you.” Iretation is already in her tune.
I was shocked by what she said. She had a point but I didn’t know why my blood was boiling whenever I hear his name.
“I don’t like him! He’s so annoying and air headed. He thinks that almost every girl kneel before. Well definitely not me because, he’s not my type, done!”
“Wow, are someone is asking you?” She raised an eyebrow at me so I quickly averted my gaze.
“I-even, I-that’s also what you’re going to ask.” I defended myself… Still stuttering.
“Oh, wow! As you say.” Her eyebrows rose and she just shook her head.
***
After more than eight hours of waiting the operation finally ended as well.
“Doc, how is my Dad?” My chest is full of nervousness.
She quickly took off her mask and smiled slightly.
“We successfully performed the heart transplant and Gorio’s body immediately accepted his new heart. And we’re praying for a better result. We still need some tests to make sure he won’t have any complications.” The doctor told me.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I expressed my gratitude to God for the good news.
“But we still need to monitor him because he is still unconscious. He is still in a comma, hopefully he will wake up one of these days so we can say the operation was successful.” The Doctor said that he made me very nervous again.
“If there are any other concerns regarding the operation, just go to my office.”
“Thank you, Doc.”
I glanced at Dad who was still asleep until now, as if I wanted to go in and hug him tightly but first forbade the visitor to enter because of his delicate condition. Even if I wanted to cry in his arms and feel his tight embrace, I couldn’t, so, I just fit in looking at him from the window glass.
“He is a fighter, I know uncle is fighting, just trust him.” I heard Jacky say that I knew she encouraged me.
Yeah, I know he’ll wake up. I feel like he’s coming back to me… I whispered to myself.
A week later he was removed from the ICU. And now we are in a private room because this is what Rexon paid for. Dad’s vital sign is getting better and yesterday he flicked a finger which I was very happy. It is said to be an indication that Dad has a subconscious and he can hear the movements and voices around him.
I was cleaning Dad’s body when I heard a knock on the door.
It opened and Calixto’s handsome face appeared with a wide smile on me.
“Hi!” He greeted me with a basket of various kinds of fruit and a bunch of flowers that I immediately met.
“For you.”
“S-thank you,” I shyly said. My two cheeks seemed to blush with intense embarrassment as I reached for the flower from him.
“How’s your dad?” He asked as he laid his basket on the side table.
“He’s getting well, we’re just waiting for him to wake up,” I said as I sat on the couch.
“That’s good, I’m glad, his heart transplant was successful,” he said lowly at me.
“Yeah, I just hope he wakes up,” I spoke softly and slightly pinched the runaway hair to my ear.
“Of course he does, just don’t lose hope, now his heart is okay?” It even whispered without taking its eyes off me.
“Of course.” I smiled at him slightly and looked back at dad. At that point silence enveloped us both. Only a loud thud of my heart rang between us.
No one wants to say a word. While a few sighs he let out as I was tightly holding the flower he gave me.
“How are you?” We asked each other almost at the same time so we both laughed a little.
“All right you first,” he laughed said to me.
“Hhmm… I’m okay, Dad is getting better so I won’t be too stressed.” I answer.
“And you?” I looked at him next to me with my gaze on again. I couldn’t help but be nervous because of the kind of stare he was staring at now.
He became even more handsome in my eyes because of his after shave mustache and beard. He was always wearing a formal attire that added to his handsome face.
“I’m good, doing fine,” He replied smiling at me. I, on the other hand, was stunned to look at his equal teeth with his sly eyes.
“Still hot and handsome…” I added that what I said seemed out of place.
He quickly poke me on the forehead and burst out laughing at what I said so I quickly closed my eyes in pain.
“That’s what I miss about you.”
I bit my lower lip and bowed my head. I just avoided him and laid the flower on the table to fix my messy hair.
“You’re still looking so beautiful with your messy hair,” he said that he even stroked my hair to fix it.
OhI couldn’t speak because of what he was doing. We were almost as close to each other when he stared into my eyes.
“You’re blushing,” he whispered closely.
I want to sink into the seat because of the shame of what he said. I also feel a different nervousness at these times because I can almost smell the breath he exhales to me.
I almost held my breath as he bent down so that we could look at each other close.
“And I wanted to kiss you right now.”
I couldn’t stop swallowing his words that threatening kiss he wanted to do. I no longer had the strength to refuse when his face came closer to me so I was free to close my eyes.
This is it Cherry… You finally have score with Calixto! My brain screamed and waited for my first kiss.
But it was unfortunate nothing happened because we were both startled by the sound of my cellphone