“Broken Promise”
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“What happened to you?” I asked.
Michael was looking outside the window trying to catch some air after coughing so hard.
“Michael, what happened to you?” I asked again worriedly.
“Nothing…nothing…it’s just a cough. Don’t worry ‘bout me.” He said as I pulled him back to face me. I held his hand…a tear fell…and I told him “What do you mean don’t worry? How can you even say that? Tell me, I want to help you.”
“Alright! Fine Jessica! I’m sick can’t you see?? I have had this cough more than a month now…” he said as he walked all around the room still coughing and finally sat on the bed.
“Oh my God Michael. Why didn’t you tell me before? Did you go to the doctor? What did he say??” I asked trying to stop sobbing but couldn’t.
Michael kept quiet for awhile then slowly whispered “The doctor said nothing because I didn’t go there. I didn’t want to go there because I was scared. Scared of the result, the way people would react if they knew I was sick and…” he paused, cried, and managed to talk again and said “and…I was scared of how you were going to react if ever you find out that I’m sick. I was scared that you won’t love me anymore and just leave me to die. I don’t want that to happen.”
I walked towards him, sat beside him and stared at his eyes. I couldn’t think of anything else but just the longing to hold his hand and hug him tight. I took about couple of seconds before I had the strength to tell him “Michael…you know I wouldn’t do that. I wouldn’t leave you just because you’re sick. Even if you tell me to, still I wouldn’t. I love you and you should know that. No disease or sickness can separate us apart. I promise you, I wouldn’t leave you.” I held both of his hands which were both resting on his lap. I kissed his cheek and whispered to his ear “I’m never letting go…never…I promise.”
Upon hearing those words, Michael looked at me half-smiling. He hugged me tight and before I knew it, I was hugging him too. We talked and talked. Reminisced the days when we were not yet together. Remember the great times we had, the laughs and the cries. Photo albums were scattered on the floor as we looked at them one by one. Michael stopped laughing and asked me seriously.
“Did you really mean what you just said a while ago? I mean…were those all true?”
I looked at him, tried to stop laughing and said “of course Michael! I meant all of that. Come on! You don’t really think I just made that all up, do you?”
He gave me a weird smile and said “Yeah, I really think you just made that up to make me feel better. Am I right?” then he laughed.
“Hey! Those were real silly! Fine! Then don’t believe me. I’m not forcing you anyway.” I said as I pushed his back and laughed along.
“Jessica…”
“Yeah”
“I want you to promise me one thing…things might happen to me and whatever might happen to me…promise me that you wouldn’t shed a tear for it…not even a single tear ok…promise?”
“But Michael, nothing’s going to happen to you and if ever something does—“
Michael interrupted.
“Sshhh… just promise Jessica. Please.”
“Fine then. I promise.”
A week passed, Michael and I agreed to meet at our favorite place—the Park. I brought a picnic basket full of pastries that Michael really loves to eat and some utensils as well. I drove down to the park which was just half an hour away from my home. I arrived at the park and was surprised to see Michael sitting on the grass with a complete set-up of a picnic in front of him.
“Michael! How long have you been here? Sorry if I kept you waiting. I didn’t know we were supposed to be early.” I said as I was walking towards him.
“Oh no, it’s ok Jessica. I really wanted to come here early so I could surprise you. Well, were you surprised?” he asked as he stood up and took the picnic basket from my hand.
“I sure was surprised. Well, let’s get started. I’m starving already.” I joked as I sat in front of him.
We ate and saw the setting of the sun together. From where we were sitting, you could see the sun slowly coming down in between two mountains. It was getting late and so we both decided to go home. While we were walking hand in hand, Michael was looking pale, his lips were dark and he couldn’t breathe.
“Jessica…Jessica…wait.” panting while he was pressing his hand on his chest and the other had a tight grip on mine. I stopped walking and looked at him.
“What’s happening to you??” Michael…Michael!! Talk to me…please!” I shouted out of shock and fear at what was happening at the moment. Michael fell down on his knees coughing so hard that he just suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed.
“Help!! Somebody help me! Please!” I cried as I try to wake Michael up.
The bright fluorescent bulb from the hospital room heated Michael’s body that he woke up. He couldn’t open his eyes. His hands were shaking.
“Ahh…where am I?? Je…Je…Jessica?? Where are you?”
“Michael…Michael…calm down…I’m here.”
“Where am I?”
“You’re at the hospital and I—“
“What am I doing here?? Get me out of here!!” he shouted as he tried to take the oxygen out of his nose.
“Michael…stay calm…please…when we had our picnic…and when we were about to go home…you just lost consciousness and collapsed so I did what I thought was the right thing to do and that was to take you to a near hospital.”
Michael took hold of the pillow on his head, placed it on his back and sat conveniently. He stared blankly outside the window looking at the one bright star that caught his eyes.
It was 10:22pm when the doctor woke me up from my sleep that night. I brushed my hair and stood up from the chair I was sitting on and fell asleep at.
I glimpsed at Michael’s innocent face then went out of the room to follow the doctor.
“Jessica, I don’t know how I’m going to tell you this.”
“What’s that doc? It’s ok…you can tell me.”
“Jessica, I just got the result of Michael’s check-up and…”
“And what?? Tell me!! I need to know!!” I cried while I was pulling the doctor’s coat.
“And I’m really sorry to inform you that Michael has PTB…”
Just when the doctor said those words…I felt a pain in my heart. I didn’t know how to react. I felt numb…felt as if the world is unfair and so against me. I was scared and feared I’d lost him. All I could think of at the moment was why it was Michael? Why not anyone else? Why him? Does he deserve it?
The doctor kept on talking and talking.
“What’s PTB?” I asked when I got the strength to.
“It is called Pulmonary Tuberculosis. Only symptom of this disease is that you’ll cough and cough every time of the day ad usually lasts more than a month. If not attended immediately, it could lead to death. You know Michael would have not been in this critical situation right now if he just had his check-up earlier and if he had not been smoking. This vice of his triggered more this tuberculosis that made it even worse. And now he’s suffering for it. I’m really sorry Jessica…”
I was left standing there outside Michael’s room looking at the doctor as he walks away. I was left with nothing to say. The next thing I knew I was down on my knees and was crying.
Next day:
The sun’s ray woke me up. I opened the window beside Michael’s bed to let the fresh wind in.
“Uhh…Jessica?” Michael said as he tried to open his eyes.
“Yes…Michael?” I said as I leaned towards him.
“Aren’t we going home yet? How’s the result?”
“We’re not yet going home…the results haven’t come out yet.”
“Oh…ok.”
“Ahmm…I’ll just go to the canteen and get us some food and drinks…ok.”
“Oh sure, take your time.”
I went out of the room and headed to the canteen. While I was buying food and drinks, Michael was staring blankly at the trees and birds outside the window. There was a knock on the door. The doctor came in.
“Good morning Michael. How are you feeling today?”
“Good morning doc. I feel great. Thank you.”
“You know Michael; you better take care of yourself now that your tuberculosis is getting worse. It’s too late for medication now so take a rest alright.”
“Wait…wait..wait…what tuberculosis?? What are you saying??” he said with shock and fear.
“Well…Michael I—“
“I have TB?? You can’t be serious doc…come on! Tell me!!” he shouted as he tried to get up from his bed.
“Michael calm down. Oh my God. I’m so sorry. I thought Jessica already told you. I’m sorry Michael…I shouldn’t have.”
“No…no…you mean Jessica knew about this?! She knew?!”
“Yes…I told her last night. I’m sorry.” said the doctor as he opened the door and walked out of the room. I saw the doctor came out of the room and asked him what happened inside.
“I’m sorry Jessica.” was all he told me.
I came inside the room and was surprised to see Michael standing up out of the bed.
“Michael, what are you doing? Go back and lie down.” I insisted.
“You! You knew! You didn’t even tell me. Why Jessica?? Why?!” he cried
“I was scared to tell you. I was afraid I’d lost you. I don’t want to believe it. I never thought this was really happening. I’m sorry.”
Michael started coughing and coughing again. I helped him go back to bed. I was crying and holding his hands. Never wanting to let it go.
“Jessica, if ever something happens to me right now…let’s say I die…remember your promise to me ok? Keep that in mind.”
“Michael, you know I can’t do that. That’s impossible—“
“But you promised…ok? I love you Jessica. I love you so much.”
“Ok…I love you too Michael…I love you.”
  *cough… cough… cough
Michael was coughing so hard and I panicked so I called the doctor. They took him to the emergency room.
Hours later, while I was walking and walking outside the emergency room waiting in vain, the doctor came out. He gave me a nod which I immediately recognized.
“No! doc…no…this can’t be!! Where is he?! I want to see him now!!” I shouted.
“Jessica…it’s too late…he was not able to breathe. It was his time Jessica…it was.” said the doctor.
“No…no…no…this can’t happen. You’ve got to help him. We’ve got plans for the future…help him…please doc…” I pleaded.
2 days after Michael died…
It was a beautiful morning for everyone except for me. I went to the park where Michael and I would usually hang-out and have a picnic. There, I took a handful of his ashes and let the cool breeze blew it away from my hand. Michael would want it that way. It was the best place I know where he’ll feel the air coming inside his nose down to his throat and calming, relaxing and cleansing his body and spirit. I was just there…standing still…holding the vase full of ashes. I pictured him on my mind and didn’t even notice…a tear rolling down my eye to my cheek. A tear that I shouldn’t have shed. A tear…a single tear of a broken promise.