Love Life At School (Epilogue)

“He’s fine. But he has not regained consciousness, therefore, I strongly advise you not to enter yet. He’s wounds are quite serious but if he eats properly and is positive in time to come, he’ll recover very quickly.”

“Thank you, doctor. Thank you,” Uncle Tom was relieved.

The rest of them heaved sighs of relief. Hebe felt the burden on her shoulders lessen. She couldn’t help feeling happy and sad at the same time. She was happy nothing happened to him but she was sad because she didn’t know how to face him when it was time. Should she forgive him and return to him? Or should she reject him and never bother about him ever again? Or maybe she shouldn’t even think about anything but just let fate decide everything?

Yes, she thought. That should be the way. Just let fate do the job.

But what if she didn’t like the outcome? What if anyone came to harm? What if they stayed that way forever until their last breath? What if.. What if..

That was all she could do. Nothing more. Just merely thinking what could happen.

She needed more time to think. Pray, she thought. Let me think this through once and for all. Let me make the right decision.

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Jiro could not have felt better in his life. Just a moment ago, he was feeling panic and was almost at his wits’ end. Arron was safe, he thought. The moment he comes to, I’m going to be the first one he sees. Wonder how he’ll react, he imagined Arron lying on the bed, wide eyed.

Jiro smiled.

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“I think you should all go home and rest. When Arron regains consciousness, we’ll contact you,” Uncle Tom told them.

“Are you sure? Uncle Tom, you’re not getting any younger. You should be the one to rest. Why don’t you let Wu Chun, Jiro and I stay while you and the girls go home?” Calvin said.

“No, it’s ok. I’ll stay here. Jiro can too if he wants. But the rest of you should go back. Your parents should be getting worried,” Uncle Tom sounded insistent.

Calvin sighed. He wanted to be there for Arron, his long lost brother. But in no way could he persuade Uncle Tom to go home. Instead, he was the one making them do so.
“I’ll stay here. Don’t worry. If anything happens, you’ll be the first one to know,” Jiro assured Calvin, as the rest of them headed towards the exit after saying their goodbyes.

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He opened his eyes and was greeted by the morning sunlight. The sun so bright, shining at him from behind the curtains. He looked around. This place didn’t seem familiar. Instead, it had a most different feeling. One that he had never felt. So unfriendly. It was peaceful yet its peacefulness was emitting some kind of danger. It was calm yet it wouldn’t surprise him if anything terrible was happening at that moment. He felt distant. Like he was not there at all. Like his existent didn’t matter. What was this feeling?

Something moved at the corner of his eyes. It caught his attention, making him look, his eyes full of curiosity. Then his mind went blank. That figure, he could not mistake. That hair, that skin. So beautiful, so delicate. Who was it? It was so near yet so far. It was smiling yet sadness could be seen and felt. Those eyes. How strange. A mixture of feelings?

But wait a second. What, or rather, who, was he looking at? He seemed to know but was uncertain. Perhaps he was just looking at an illusion. Was he really imagining it? Or perhaps he was afraid to acknowledge it? He looked straight into the eyes of who he was looking at and..

“NO!!”

Arron woke up with a start. Before he could do anything else, someone barged into the ward.

“Arron! What happened? Why did you shout? Your injuries hurt? Are you ok? What... Hang on. Arron! You’re awake! Uncle Tom! Uncle Tom! He’s awake!”

Arron looked bewildered. He was stunned at what was happening.

“Jiro?”

Jiro stopped moving. “You remember me? You remember me! Great! Uncle To... Oh there you are! Come on!”

“Arron? How are you feeling?”

Arron felt the hands which had helped him since young. Whenever he had problems, it was the owner of these hands who comforted him other than Jiro. Sure Jiro was a great friend. But this person, this man, seemed almost fatherly. Arron could not help himself. He let a tear roll down his cheek as he hugged him.

“Uncle Tom,” he said.

“My, what happened Arron?”

“Nothing. I.. I just missed this feeling,” Arron replied, feeling stupid.
“You may seem grown up but you’re actually still a child,” Uncle Tom said, gently, as if he was talking to a young boy. He had flashes of memories going at fast speed. He could still remember finding Arron in an old house. He remembered how Arron had been afraid of him, but slowly opening up and making friends. He remembered Arron as a small boy to a young adolescent. From that same young adolescent to the young man he hugged now. All those memories melted his heart.

“Come here,” Uncle Tom motioned Jiro who had been watching them the whole time to join the embrace.

Jiro smiled slightly and hugged both of them. All three of them had been together for so long. It was like a reunion of a family except that there was no mother. After a while, they let go of each other. Jiro and Arron smiled foolishly and caught each other’s eye.

Arron looked down. He still felt like he owed Jiro something. But before he could straighten out his thinking, a hand appeared in front of his face. Arron looked up. Jiro had extended his hand out to him while he faced a different direction. Arron was very surprised yet he smiled and took the hand.

“Friends?” Jiro said, this time looking at Arron.

“Friends,” Arron replied as he stood up, pulled Jiro’s hand and hugged him.

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“So, you’re ok? Injuries don’t hurt?” Calvin asked.

“No. I’m fine. That’s practically the only question you’ve been asking me,” Arron said, smiling.

“Oh. Sorry.”

“Too worried? Hah. Come on. We know we are all close but you’re acting like he’s your brother,” Jiro said, laughing.

Calvin was dumbstruck all of a sudden. True, Arron was his brother. But did he want to reconcile with him? Did he want to have a brother he can be with? Or did he want to remain brother-less? He had thought a lot before Arron regained consciousness. A part of him wanted to acknowledge him yet the other part didn’t. He wasn’t even sure if Arron remembered having a brother before. For all he knew, Arron could have forgotten every thing that happened when they were young toddlers.

Perhaps it would be better to tell him. It would be better to take the risk of trying than not at all. Calvin nodded and spoke. “Arron, do you have a brother?”

“How.. how did you know?” Arron appeared surprised.

“Do you remember him?” Calvin ignored his question.

“I.. Uh.. Wait. How did you know this? I’ve only told one person about this and it was not you. Could it be that she told you?” Arron looked at Hebe who looked equally surprised.

“Arron, I’m your brother.”

“What?!”

Both Arron and Hebe looked at each other even though they weren’t on talking terms. The rest of them stared at Calvin as if he was nuts. Calvin on the other hand, merely stood where he was and did not do anything else. Arron was appalled. He could not believe what was happening. For more than ten years he lost his brother and now without even realizing it his brother was there with him all the time. He could not utter a single word.

Hebe was shocked. All this while she had been friends with Calvin, though quite annoyed with him at the beginning, but he had never told anyone about his life. And apparently, he had not even told Angela. It seemed he didn’t want anyone to know. At least Arron told her. Arron...

Wait, why was she thinking about Arron now? She should be thinking of more important things like the relation between him and Calvin. But why? Even now when Arron was there, she couldn’t help thinking about him. Arron was like an addiction. She needed him, she wanted him. But oh, she had to control herself, for the fact she might not be able to pull herself out of the addiction if she depended too much on it.
But how difficult it was. No matter how she tried, no matter what she did, she was still addicted. She needed him, she wanted him, she loved him. For now, for the future, for ever.

“Calvin?” Arron spoke, destroying the silence and interrupting Hebe’s thoughts. “How do you know?”

“I’ve been finding for you and our parents since I was of age to understand. Although they sold me off but they were still my parents. If it were not for them, I would never have met you guys or my new family. And without my foster family, I would never have found you, my long lost brother.” Calvin stretched out his arms, indicating a hug.

Arron smiled and he got up despite his injuries and hugged Calvin. “My brother,” he whispered, happiness overwhelming him.

“Come on! Don’t I get a hug too?” Jiro whined like a small kid.

Arron and Calvin laughed and let Jiro join in the merry making. “Sorry I didn’t tell you, mate,” Arron told Jiro apologetically.

“Ah, it’s ok. Just remember to tell me before you inform anyone else about a secret ok?”

“Ok, buddy,” Arron smiled. “I’m friends with Jiro again and I found my brother. How could my day get better.”

Then, silence.

Everyone paused at what they were doing. They knew what could make Arron’s day better. Hebe. But was Hebe ready to do so? Or was she going to make his day miserable? “I’m going to buy some food. The hospital food is not edible. Coming anyone?” Jiro quickly announced.

“Me. I’ll go. Coming Angela?” Calvin responded and Angela nodded.

“I’ll get some drinks. The drinks here are so.. erm.. undrinkable,” Chun said, escaping too.

“I’ll follow. Come, Selina,” Ella replied, pulling Selina out together with her.
The door closed. Only Arron and Hebe were left in the ward. The silence was intense. Neither of them said a single word to the other. Arron was actually surprised she had willingly stayed behind to perhaps, talk to him. Maybe she wasn’t angry anymore. Maybe she was willing to love him back and forgive him. To know the answers, he had to open his mouth.

“Hebe,” he said. “I know what I say might not change anything. But I’m willing to try to open your heart. I’m sorry for everything that happened and I know what happened can’t be changed. I did not want it to happen. I honestly didn’t. All I can say is this. I did what I did for you.”

“For me? You broke up with me after that incident, found Rainie and hooked up with her. And you say you did it for me?”

“Hebe, about Rainie, I’ve never liked her. She was the one harassing me. Even now, she still calls me but I don’t answer her calls. I don’t care how she blackmails me anymore. She can say I got her pregnant and have it on the newspaper, but I didn’t. If she really was pregnant, where was the evidence. Even if she was pregnant, we can always check the DNA of the child. It will never match mine because I did not go to bed with her. Hebe, I love you only. And no one can replace you in my heart.”
Hebe looked at Arron, her eyes glistening with tears. “But why did you go out with her?”

“I was stupid. So stupid and gullible I actually believed her. Hebe, please. I’m really sorry. Don’t cry,” Arron’s own eyes were getting watery. Just looking at Hebe feeling sad made him sad and guilty. It was all his fault he knew it. If only he hadn’t been so easily fooled, he would not be lying in the hospital and having this conversation with Hebe.

Suddenly, Arron felt a pair of arms around him. A pair of loving arms. How he missed the feeling of being loved. He looked up to see Hebe crying continuously as she hugged him. He hugged her back. Nothing, nothing will ever make him break the promise he was about to make. “Hebe, I’ll love you forever and never leave you. I’ll always be there for you and never do anything that displeases you. Hebe, forgive me?”

Hebe nodded, making Arron’s tears flow out. He was not ashamed of them. He knew they represented his love, his guilt and his pain. He kissed Hebe on the lips, both their faces wet. The moment was precious, but it was spoilt.

“We’re baaack.!!”

Jiro entered the ward, his hands full of food in plastic bags. Arron and Hebe broke apart, blushing.

“Oh, sorry. Wrong timing. I’ll go out again and you can pretend this never happened,” Jiro said.

“It’s ok. Just come in with the others,” Arron replied, holding Hebe’s hand as they both smiled.

“OK! Guys! You can enter now. They’re back together. We can celebrate!”

“You know, Jiro, you didn’t have to tell the whole hospital about them,” Calvin said.

Everyone laughed and everything was fine.

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“Make sure you wait for us at the school gate and don’t run off.”

“Ok.”

A little boy ran to his school. His parents watching him go as they stood hand in hand, with smiles on their faces. After he disappeared into the school, they walked away. “We’re going to meet them, aren’t we?” the father asked. In reply, the mother nodded as she got into the car, ready for the next destination.

The father drove and in no time, they arrived at a restaurant at which they got off the car and entered.

“Hey! You’re here. You both are the last ones to arrive,” their friend greeted them.
“Sorry, Calvin. We’re were sending Xiao Dong off to school,” Jiro replied.

“Ah, how is he now? I heard he was ill,” Calvin asked.

“He’s fine now. Thanks to his wonderful mother,” Jiro smiled at Selina who giggled.

“So, how is baby Wu Chin?” Selina asked.

“Ah, she’s fine as you can see,” Wu Chun said, carrying his baby up, who had a lollipop in her mouth.

“Aw.. She’s so cute, isn’t she?” Hebe said, tickling her cheek.

“Come on, it’s not like we don’t have our own coming,” Arron said. “She might get jealous.”

“Arron, just because I said she’s cute doesn’t mean ours won’t be. Anyway, Calvin, when are you and Angela getting married?” Hebe asked.

“Tomorrow,” came the short reply.

“WHAT?!”

“Hehe. That’s the reason why we asked to meet you guys. Even my brother didn’t know.”

“Yeah, I definitely didn’t know. You’re good at secrets, aren’t you?” Arron looked at Calvin suspiciously. “How many more are you keeping?”

“Just one. Angela’s pregnant.”

“WHAT?!”

“But she still looks as skinny as before,” Hebe said, stunned.

“I’m less than a month pregnant. So my tummy’s not showing yet,” Angela said, embarrassed.

“Wow. You guys really know how to keep secrets well. Even in the company office you can act so normally,” Arron said in disbelief.

“It goes to show my acting skills are getting better. For all you know, I might enter an acting competition and win,” Calvin boasted.

“If you do join, none of us will support you except maybe Angela,” Jiro laughed.

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Eight of them, Arron, Hebe, Jiro, Selina, Wu Chun, Ella, Calvin and Angela were bound together by a bond so strong it takes a lot to break it. But what made that bond so strong? Experience and hardship. Without those, just a simple misunderstanding would be able to destroy it. The bond, so great, will last till their last breath.

That bond, was friendship and love.

-brenda, co-written with ratana-