Flat-Line
Flat-Line
DISCLAIMER ~ Don't own nothing. =)
True love never dies as we see in our eyes,
only when we let go that we can truly say goodbye.
A boy off to America, and his girlfriend in the hospital - dying. As important as love is, sometimes people can pick their dreams and ambitions over it.
And at this moment, Robi Domingo had done just that. With a cream that he could only imagine as a child now staring him in the face, he made the decision that in his mind would benefit him.
If only he had thought of the girl he would leave behind, the one living on life support - who's fighting to stay alive to be with him again.
As soon as forever is through,
I'll be over you.
“Robi ... are you sure about this?” my little brother Maro had asked me.
'Of course not, I want to stay with Nikki' my head was screaming. But I didn't say it. My girlfriend, Nicole, is in the hospital. She's dying. Nobody tells me, but I know it. About two months ago, Nikki got into a car crash. Since then, I haven't really left her bedside except to bathe and eat. Well, and now.
About two weeks after Nikki got into the crash, I got accepted into one of the most known schools in America - Princeton University - and I mean, how could I possibly decline?
So I lie.
“Of course” I replied to him, trying to hide every part of my body screaming 'No, I need to stay'.
Before he replies, I can hear people calling my name, so I turn around to find my housemates here to bid my goodbye. As I look at them to remember them when I'm gone, all the girls become teary-eyed, I even saw Nan shed a few tears then and now.
Other than the girls crying, there really is no sound coming from my usually loud and hyper group of friends.
I look at them sadly, knowing that they will try to make me stay.
“She's dying Robi...” Beauty started to say, but then broke down her guard and Alex had to comfort her, because she was having a breakdown.
So Ejay spoke too.
“Rob, she's dying. Yes I know that Princeton is literally a dream come true for you. But dude, she's your angel in disguise. What would she do when she wakes up and your not there?”
And that hit a nerve.
“SHE'S NOT WAKING UP EJAY” I yelled, loudly enough that people were giving me stares afterwards.
And I guess, that hit everyone else's nerve.
As quickly as a blink, I could see Alex trying to kill me, Jolas trying to stop him, and Josef trying to stop Jolas from stopping Alex. This would be so funny under another situation.
I look at the group, and every single one of them is either staring me down or avoiding me. So I sigh, sit down on one of the chairs in the thousands of rows, and expain.
“Guys ... if she wakes up ... I wouldn't be able to come back for her. I can't leave Princeton. It's been my dream since I was 5! Of course I love Nicole, please don't even suggest that I don't. But sometimes, people have to let go of what they love because they need to achieve their dreams” I explained to them, having a hard time in the process because now, I too was crying.
After that, they stay silent.
Better never to have met you in my dream
than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.
Once I hear my plane is starting to board, I pick up all my things. As I start to walk, I could see that my friends were still looking down at the ground, as if they were hypnotized.
Right before I give my ticket, I hear someone yell out “ROBI. WAIT!”.
I turn around, and I see Valerie and Beauty running up to me. Before I could even blink, Beauty's hands are around me giving me the tightest hug I've gotten in a while.
Valerie had a letter in her hand, and she handed it to be while also giving me a hug.
“She knew you were going to leave a while ago. So she wrote this out, and she told me to give it to you the day that you leave. Robi, you've become her heart and soul. But sometimes people have to leave the ones they love when opportunities like Princeton are there” she explained.
I look at the letter, and as I grab hold of it, I can kind of smell Nikki. I wish I could see her one last time, just to be able to tell her that I love her and to hold her one last time. Kahit isang saglit lang.
I take out a scrap sheet of paper and sigh, while frantically scribbling onto it.
“Val. Could you please give this to her once she wakes up?” I pleaded.
“Of course. Can I read it?” she politely asks.
“Of course. Bye guys. Tell her I love her okay?” I say, while starting to board the plane.
They give me one last hug and watch me leave, knowing that I wasn't going to turn back again.
Without you there is no love.
Without you there is no me.
Without you there is nothing.
So I'm asking, baby, please don't leave.
As we watch Robi board onto his plane, Beauty looks at the paper that Robi had given me.
“Let's see his last words, hm?” she suggested.
“Yeah”, I agreed.
So I take the scrumpled piece of paper and uncrumple it, wondering what a man's last words to his dying love would be.
Once we flattened it out, the words we read together broke our hearts. Not for ourself, but for two lovers. Two lovers who would no longer be together, but love each other none the less. One that is in a hospital, holding on to the threads of life that she can still grab hold of. The other, on an airplane, approaching his dream. The dreams of one could crush the other, and maybe she won't see him again. But I'm sure she'll die trying.
Reading these words, I could tell that he loved her. He just ran out of time.
'I miss you. I miss your smile.
And I still see your face every once in a while..'
So maybe one day, he'll see her again. One day, they're hearts will be reunited. Maybe, just maybe, they'll have their own happily ever after. But until then, the thought of her face scarred and hurting will haunt him. But he's strong. He will be able to overcome any obstacle that comes across to get to his dreams.
I was born the day you kissed me,
died the day you left me,
but lived for the time that you loved me
I'm in my seat now, thinking back to the many moments Nikki and I had together. Since I know that we will be waiting for a while before we take lift-off, I take out the letter.
Robi,
Wow. Princeton? Congratulations Rob. I knew that one day, you would get accepted there. I hope that you find success there. I'm sorry that I couldn't be there to say goodbye. I wouldn't be able to handle you leaving me, I guess. While I'm writing this, it is January 8, 2009. Ten days before your flight, on January the 18th. I love you. Please don't even forget that. I know that it's weird to say that I would die without your love, but for fact, I know that without you believing in me, I don't think there would be anything else for me to hold on to. I need you by my side, for better or for worse. Maybe one day, we'll be together again. Until then, I'll wait for you. Until the last seconds of my life, my heart will belong to you,.
With Love,
Nikki A. Uysiuseng
Nicole Uysiuseng.
'I would die without your love' I thought to myself.
January 8th. Two days before her accident. Two days before that idiot drunk driver slammed into her.
Because I swear I'll die without your love...
Promising myself that these are my last tears, I wipe my eyes. I can't love her if she's millions of miles away. Maybe one day. Just not now.
I'm leaving now Nikki. I hope you can learn to live without me. Maybe one day, we could be together again. I hope you get better. But as of this moment, I can't love you anymore.
One day, I'll come back to visit you.
The pilot takes his microphone to speak to the passengers and introduces himself.
“Hello fliers of U.S Airways. My name is Jack Kamen, and I am your pilot for today. We are flying today to Vancouver, Canada. This may be a stopover flight for you, as many of our passengers today are students heading to their respectful universities. Good luck students. Get ready for take-off, please put your seatbelts on and windows closed”.
The pilot puts his microphone down and gets ready for take-off.
“This is going to be a long flight” his assistant said, with a big grin on his face.
I don't try to remember us but when I do,
it brings a smile to my lips and a tear to my eye.
And as a plane took lift-off, a boy took one step closer to his dreams. Nevertheless, his dreams sadly did not include Nicole Uysiuseng. So when he made the decision that he could not love her for one second longer, one more dreamer had flat-lined.
As this plane took off, as Robi Domingo chose his dreams over his love, Nicole Uysiuseng flat-lined.
Because in the end, she died without his love.