Story 6 -END
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Ming Yu 91, Xihan 88

Death, Farewells and a Love Letter

-

Xihan finally arrived home after a short walk outside.

 "Father! Where did you go! Didn't I tell you not to go anywhere?!" Xiao Bao who had long joined the oldies group as a 69 panicked and carefully grabbed Xihan's arm to support him.

"Careful with the roses." While in the middle of his walk he decided to drop by a flower shop and ordered a bouquet. The passage of time didn't affect his way of thinking at all.

"Is he awake?" Xihan asked with a weak smile.

"Father, won't you ... really consider taking Dad to the hospital? I-if you do he'll-" Xihan chuckled and reached his hand out to pat Xiao Bao's shoulder.

"Ah Yu doesn't want to spend the time he have left on a hospital bed. There's no cure for old age so let him do what he wants and be happy ..." This was the toughest thing to accept so Xiao Bao was unreconciled and this he understood.

Their son wanted more time with his parents even if it's just a little while longer ...

"Is he awake?" Xihan wanted to change the topic.

"Dad woke up just now ..." he pinched his forehead before kneading it hoping it could alleviate the pent up stress he'd been keeping these past few weeks.

"Meng Bao ... go sleep on the couch. You've been up all night. Honestly, you didn't have to bother coming here. You yourself aren't young anymore ..." Just a week ago, Xiao Bao suffered from a bad coughing fit and even went to the doctor.

"I'm good. I'm good ... i'll go sleep then." Even if Xiao Bao would cough out blood, he had no intention to be away from Ming Yu who, since the day he collapsed, had been pinned on the bed all day. 

Xihan kept his gaze on Xiao Bao as he slowly walked into the living room.

He gathered the bouquet of roses in his arms and opened the door. Inside, he saw Ming Yu with both hands hovering in the air. When he noticed Xihan, Ming Yu waved his hand with a smile and patted his side, ushering him to climb up their bed and sit beside him.

Xihan rested the flowers on his husband's before sitting down. The roses brought out a sweet chuckle out of Ming Yu's mouth and this made Xihan very happy, leaning down to kiss his wrinkled forehead.

Ming Yu might have thinner hair, a wrinkled face, deep eye bags and leather skin but in is eyes, his wifey had remained the same since the first time he had met him in this world.

His beautiful one and only husband and wife.

They held each others' hand and what was reflected in their eyes was only love. Deep infatuated love.

"The album ... give it to me." Ming Yu stared at the bed side table where it was and Xihan gently handed it on to him.

Their time was spent on attentively watching every picture in each turn of its pages and reminisce about the past. After looking through half of it, he looked outside the window as the strong breeze that disturbed the peaceful trees caught his eye. Gingko leaves were taken by the wind creating a golden trail and wow ... they were so pretty...

"I don't think ... I can make it tonight ... i'm really tired." Ming Yu didn't hide this fact and calmly said it.

"You know. . . out of all the lives we shared. . . i love this life the most."

"We spent our childhood together. . . growing up together. . . everything."

"I was really happy to be by your side all the way."

"Really. . . really happy."

Xihan shifted closer and tenderly pulled Ming Yu from the bed into his arms. Ming Yu kept his eyes on the flowers in his embrace with a smile. His husband's heartbeat was soothing to hear, like a lullaby that was cradling him to sleep. 

"I ... shouldn't be too greedy ... right?" Xihan kept his silence and simply kissed Ming Yu's hair.

If love had it's peak, then maybe Xihan and Ming Yu's affection had reached it.

The atmosphere in the room wasn't one of sadness but warmth, coziness. It was as if a person was sitting on the fluffiest bed that offered the best comfort not only physically but also at heart.

This was special.

This couple was special.

And all the more so are they full at heart despite the impending death.

The longer time seemed to past, the colder Ming Yu felt. He groaned and snuggled closer, wrapping his arms around Xihan's neck for more warmth.

"Sleepy?" Xihan patted his back with a smile.

"Mmn." Ming Yu hummed in reply.

"Are you going ... to be alright ... without me?" Ming Yu weakly whispered through his ear.

"No." Xihan confessed. " I'll miss you a lot. You know I need you and without you, it'll be hard."

"I'll miss you too ... a lot." Their feelings were mutual but he was too weak to say more.

"I love you ... i'll only love you. I love you lots." Ming Yu said this before it was too late.

"I love you lots ... forever." Xihan also said his piece.

Ming Yu slowly broke away and kissed Xihan. One, two, three ... a fourth and he hugged him back again.

"That's good ...  you're not crying." Ming Yu said before he closed his eyes ...

Xihan repeatedly patted Ming Yu's back while keeping his eyes outside the window and for some reason, the song that Ming Yu made for him started playing inside his head and he started to hum.

With your lovely white hands
you used to tie my necktie
I'm vaguely reminded of that

Honey, do you remember those days?

On our eldest daughter's wedding day
we shed tears of mixed emotions
Now, they are all dried up

The youngest son's entrance exam,and the sleepless nights because of himI'm vaguely reminded of that

Honey, do you remember those tears?

The years flow like that
and as our grey hair spread; 
you said everyone else was leaving this world
and honey, I will just hold your hand tight.

The years flow like that and we have come this far;

Life flows like that
and we're at the sunset of our lives

How long will you go on that long journey?

-of no return ... all by yourself?
Leaving me all alone here ...

Honey, why aren't you saying anything?

Honey, take care; goodbye
Honey, take care; goodbye

"Honey, let's be happy ..." Xihan sang the last line and smiled sweetly.

It was cold. The body in his arms was cold and he knew that it became an empty shell.

Xihan looked down and leaned down to kiss Ming Yu's lips one last time. 

And when his mouth met his ... everything stopped for a moment.

[Host has successfully disconnected.]

[World entering deleting process ...]

At this, dusts started to slowly form out of everything present within the room and rose. It started from Ming Yu's fingertips then his toes, ever so slowly it would climb up and crumble the entire person into dust. 

It wasn't just Ming Yu that was meant to crumble. The furniture, the bed. Everything, for they had all served their purpose.

Xihan gently laid Ming Yu onto the bed and took the album with him before he left the room. His eyes roamed around each corner, giving them a long lasting look. 

On the living room was Xiao Bao, asleep with his brows scrunching in the middle from exhaustion but their son was no exception and he was never gonna wake up. The dust already ate away Xiao Bao's feet and fingertips but even so, Xihan picked up the fallen blanket on the floor to cover him up afraid that he might catch a cold.

Xihan's smile didn't fade and calmly, he opened the door to their backyard where the cloud of dust flew through his clothes and like some sort of magic trick, he turned younger again.

It was Xihan in his late 20's.

This sudden change didn't surprise him at all and calmly sat on the bench while looking through the Album before it could disappear. 

He flipped the pages where he and Ming Yu left off. Each picture was a memory, a wonderful memory at that that if someone were to ask which was his favorite, he could only answer that every single one would be it.

The last picture was the one they took three days ago on this very bench. And Xihan, couldn't be more than happy at the sight of it.

The wind picked up and the entire house had already crumbled leaving the back yard and its greenery as the last. 

Xihan himself wasn't an exception of this.

The album wasn't full yet however Xihan still flipped through the empty pages and luckily he did.

Kept between the cover and the last page, was a letter.

-

Xihan,

Do not cry for I am alive, in a world without you.

When tomorrow starts without me, don't be too sad.
For I know how much you love me as much as I love you ... so I worry.

But I'll be well, living, while thinking of you.

Whenever I wake, i'll picture that you're beside me.
Whenever i'm off somewhere, i'll think that you're with me.
Whenever i'm busy, i'll think that you are waiting for me.

So eat well.
Rest well.
Sleep well.
Wherever you are, be sure to take care of yourself.

Listen well to others and don't be too naughty.
And ... think of me, whenever you miss me.
I'll miss you a lot. So you should miss me too.

I won't marry. I won't cheat on you.

I love you too much that I don't think I can marry.

Wear more clothes during the winter and thin clothes during the summer.
Whenever you're sick, go straight to the doctor since  i'm not there to scold you.
Don't always drink coffee, it's bad.
Don't do anything bad just because I left you.
And ...'

I love you, forever.

If there's a chance in another life again, i'll search for you.
So wait for me, and i'll come find you.
But if you find me first then i'll stay put and won't go anywhere.
And whenever you're ready then come meet me. I can wait better than you.

If you don't want me, then i'll die alone. That's fine for me too.

Husband, Wife is loyal and will love only you.

-

The way the letter was written wasn't anything classy but too blunt that it was amusing to read.

"You worry too much ..." the smile on his face widened into grin however, he couldn't hold on the letter for too long and it flew with the wind as his fingers disappeared.

He looked up in the sky only to see it white rather than blue. He felt nothing as his body turned to dust in each second, faster than the bench he was sitting on.

His leg crumbled, then his arm, then ear.

Then the last big gust of wind blew onto him and like sand, he faded away.

The bench.

The bench was still there taking it's time as the world dyed itself into white.

Then from white as if night came, black slowly enveloped the world to turn it into black.

And finally ... the last bit of memory couldn't endure it anymore and crumbled with a burst.

Then everything was back to how it once were.

Into nothing.

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