The reason I write tragedies

I was sitting at a bench in the park watching the children laughing, running around, and enjoying their youth. The scent of the newly bloomed flowers hovered over the place as the wind gently blew out the cold ghost of winter.

A while longer, I heard someone whimpering beside me. It was my friend Feline crying over the piece of paper I just gave her.

“Are you alright Feline?” I asked her and handed her some tissues.

She wiped her tears away and I stared at her blankly as she composed herself back together.

“Why do you always write tragic stories Kathy?” She asked me with her swollen watery eyes.

At that moment, a memory from the past began to pull back together. I closed my eyes, reminiscing the reason behind my tragic stories…






“Kathy! Come out! Let’s play!” a young boy whispered through the window.

I hurriedly sneaked out of the house and played with John, my childhood best friend. He was our neighbor for almost 10 years. I was 5 years old when I first met him in an old swing near the neighborhood. I was crying back then because Neko, my pet cat, died.

“What took you so long Kathy?” John asked anxiously.

“I’m sorry John; I got to be careful since Beth is a light sleeper.” I explained.

John is two years older than I am. He always acts like my older brother but I looked at him in a different way.

“Oh! By the way Kathy! Your birthday will be on the next month, isn’t it?” John asked as we walked towards the park.

“Yes! I’ll be turning 15!” I replied happily when he remembered my birthday.

“Well, Happy Birthday Kathy!” John greeted and gave me a red covered slim rectangular box with a golden ribbon on it.

“So early John!” I exclaimed and excitedly accepted his advance gift.

“Well, I just feel like it Kathy” He said with a rather depressed voice.

“Is something bothering you John?” I asked him upon hearing his depressed statement.

“Nothing Kathy” he answered and smiled.

John was really a secretive person. He always keeps his problems on his own. Even if we’ve been together for about ten years, he never asked some advices from me. That’s why I was astonished one day when he asked my opinion about something.

“Kathy, how would you want a guy to ask you out?” John asked shyly.

My heart beats really fast and a spark of hope was upon me somehow.

“Well, I do believe the best thing is that he’ll tell me how he really feels and show a great sincerity in everything he says” I answered and smiled.

With that he nodded.

After that incident, I spend more time in front of the mirror seeing how do I look and if I still looked good. I also began to wear better and pleasant clothes.

A week passed and John phoned and told me he wanted to talk to me in personal. I was trembling with excitement inside.

We met at the park one evening. He smiled when I was walking towards him. I’ve never seen him that happy during the ten years we’ve been together. But then, I smiled back.

“Thank you Kathy. Thank you for your advice. Marie agreed to go out with me. You’re really my best friend Kathy. Thank you very much.” John thanked and hugged me.

At that time, my eyes were flooded with tears; it was as if my world was breaking down into pieces.

I cried all night thinking how pitiful I am to have been rejected and dumped before I could tell him my feelings. The pang inside was killing me, yet I’ve decided to keep it to myself.

A few days have passed and I rarely see John at his house.

“He’s out Kathy, probably with Marie” His mother told me when I visited his house one weekend.

I’ve seen John and Marie together when I was passing by the park one school day afternoon. They seem to be in love with each other. The happiness in their faces and the joy in their hearts were unaware how difficult it is to watch them sharing their laughter while I’m dying inside.

Days passed and I never had the chance to talk to John.
And then my birthday came. I waited outside for him, since usually he’s my earliest visitor. But then he failed me. I decided to go back inside the house when suddenly I saw his mother running towards me with her worried depressed face.

“John is in the hospital Kathy! You must go there!”

I rushed off towards the hospital and sprinted to room 143. And there I saw him laid down on a bed, pale and weak.

“John?!” I called out crying sitting beside his bed.

“Why are you crying Kathy? Please don’t cry.” John said and forced a smile.

“John, don’t die!” I exclaimed.

John didn’t answer.

“I love you John! Not as my older brother but someone I want to be with for the rest of my life!” I confessed to him releasing all my feelings inside.

He clasped my hand and held it tight.

“Don’t worry Kathy, you’ll find someone more suited for you than I am.” He assured and smiled at me.

I cried upon hearing his reply. I dashed to a door. Unknowingly it was the door for the comfort room. I was about to come out when suddenly, someone arrived.

“Marie!” John called.

I opened the door slightly just enough for me to get hidden, witness the scenario and eavesdropped the whole event.

Marie sat beside John’s bed. Her eyes were watery and tears fell down, rolling over her rosy cheeks. John’s paled face on the other hand had an expression of being glad upon seeing his most beloved woman.

“Why are you crying Marie?” John asked with a weak voice.

“The doctor said… you have leukemia and that… and that…” Marie stopped and cried out loud.

John smiled.

“And that I barely have a day to live.” John finished.

Marie cried louder. John held her hand and wiped off her tears.

“Don’t cry Marie.” John requested while maintaining the weak smile on his face.

“Why?! Why does it have to be you John?! Why?! Why must a kind person like you suffer like this?!” Marie’s cry hovered around the room.

“Shh… Don’t be so stressed out Marie. You’re carrying our child and I don’t want him to experience despair just before he’s born.” John said calmly, obviously losing his life energy.

“I love you John!” Marie whispered with tears all over her face.

Suddenly John looked dizzy and sleepy. Yet he forced himself to stay awake and keep a smile on his face. With his weak state, he managed to touch Marie’s ever soft face.

“I love you Marie. You will always be and forever be my one and only until the end of infinity. I love you so much…Marie” John uttered with his last breath of life.

And with that I’ve heard Marie’s cry of pain from the death of her most beloved echoed around the room.

I witnessed the whole scene and was crying secretly not because of the pang of my unrequited, one sided love but because I’ve seen how much Marie and John loved each other.

I’ve witnessed their sincere burning eternal emotions overflowing around the room as they talked to each other one last time. The pain of death and the feelings of love bombarded over the room. It was either the pain is much greater than love or the love much greater than pain. But then perhaps their story taught me that it was only through despair, difficulties and sufferings that one most recognized and cherished the emotions of love. That it was only through a painful tragic event that the feeling of love is being more highlighted; the contrast, irony and reality of human life.

Days have passed, yet my childhood memories with John are still as good as it were.

Ever since John’s death I’ve helped Marie.Her parents inconsiderately abandoned her when they knew she was pregnant.

I saved my allowance and I’ve worked part time job just to satisfy Marie’s needs. It was quite ironic why I decided to help her out, yet I didn’t really know why. It was maybe because of my love for John or because I’ve witnessed the misery and the outcome of their story.

Nine months have passed and Marie delivered a healthy baby boy. I’ve teared upon seeing the baby in the incubator room. It was because I’ve seen Marie and John’s eternal love through the flesh and blood of their child.

I’ve went to see Marie, only to find her cold body already covered with white mantle. I don’t know what to do. I fell on my knees and cried.

I decided to adopt the baby and raise him as my own. But I was still fifteen at that time and still not legitimate to adopt the child. Yet fortunately, my parents welcomed the child to our home and permitted me to adopt him in the future when I told them the whole situation.

One day, I finally opened John’s last birthday gift for me. I forgot about that thing because of the sudden flow of events. To my great surprise, it was the fountain pen I really liked to buy. Also, inside the box was a small piece of paper. I unfolded it and read the message.

Kathy,

I’m sorry, I’m not sure if I can attend your birthday party. But then let me greet you, a Happy Happy Happy Birthday! Continue to live your life to the fullest Kathy Live it to the fullest.



Your best friend,
John

P.S – I really love your stories Kathy, please use this pen whenever you write one and please do continue to inspire and touch others.

I held the paper tight on my chest and cried. It was as if John wanted me to write his tragic ever romantic story...








I slowly opened my eyes and faced Feline.

“It’s my passion Feline.” I replied.

“Mommy! Mommy!” Kyle waved as he climbed up the slides.

“Kathy, in the story you wrote, it ended up when Marie died delivering the child. What happened to the child Kathy? You should have given him a name Kathy, before you ended up the story!” Feline stated and suggested an extended ending to the story.

“The child? He was adopted by someone. And he does have a name Feline. His name is Kyle” I replied.

“Mommy, let’s go home now please.” Kyle requested with his cute little voice.

I stared at him, and smiled as I remembered his parents' great love for each other.

I looked up and watched the blue clear sky above me, wondering how those two are doing up there...



And that maybe though, it wasn’t that tragic after all.



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