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Finishing the task at hand, ken went back to his house. Freshen himself up and left his house. He wore a black baggy jacket with white strips running from its side. His jacket was complemented by a blue lower and red earphones in his ears. Briskly walking down the streets of the city… He brought pink orchids and went straight to the hospital to meet Ellie and gave her the news.
“ Congratulations Ken! That’s great news. Why don’t we celebrate? “.
“ Ya, we will celebrate once you get out of here…… So rest up really well and don’t put yourself any kind of stress “.
“Don’t worry about me …… I will be out from here very soon….. And then we will have a great time together [ Ellie said with a very voluptuous tone to her voice and pulling ken towards herself]] “.
Keeping his hand on Ellie’s head “ Don’t worry I will make sure that you are out of here very soon… And I am going to work really hard for this”.
Ellie’s face went from white to red as she blushed and left Ken’s jacket. The situation become really awkward for her as she hadn’t expected Ken to retort like this. But to her relief, Ken’s mobile phone rang.
Picking up the phone. “ Hello, miss….. Sorry I am a bit late but I will be there soon… Besides, I want you to meet someone…..”.
As Ken put his phone on video mode, a hologram popped out the mobile screen and it was Ken’s aunt who was visible in the hologram.
[ Holding his phone from its rear] “ Miss, she is Ellie….. The friend about whom I told you before and Ellie she is Miss Ayako Yukki… my godmother “.
“ Nice to meet you, Ellie… How is your health now…. Ken told me about it earlier “.
“ Nice to meet you too ma’am…. And I am more then healthy then what I was before….. All because of ken! “.
“I did nothing….. She is the one who kept herself strong and is bravely enduring these tough time”. Said Ken.
“ Enough about myself….. So, ma’am, you don’t seem to be from here? “.
“ Oh! Yes, actually I am a retired Japenese military officer and currently a senior officer at the Japanese military training branch. I came here for some work and eventually met Ken. “
“ Oh! Wait… You said that your surname is Yukki… Is it possible that our pizza outlet owner is one of your relatives? “.
“ Oh! Yes… Actually, he is my brother….. He is usually preoccupied in his business only and hardly takes out time to look out in his outlets in other stuff” Ayako said with joy in her voice.
Disturbing the conversation….. A nurse walks in and says “ Excuse me sir….. Will you come to the reception for a moment……. The are few bills which are needed to be paid”.
“ Oh! Miss…. I will pay the bills…[ Ellie threw her blanket and began to get up] “.
Ken rushed towards her and made sure that she didn’t leave her bed.
[ saying to nurse] “Yes miss….. I am coming “. Then saying to Ayako “ Miss you and Ellie talk… I will be right back”…. Ken left the room with the nurse….. Leaving behind Ellie and Ayako.
“So miss Ayako….. How was Ken in his childhood days….. Like was he this emotionless as a child also….. Or is it because of something in his teenage? “
With a smile on her face, “ oh! I don’t think that Ken will ever mention this to anyone….. But I am not Ken’s real godmother……. [with a pause and taking in deep breath]… Actually, I took in Ken… When he was 9 and since then…..there has been a very special bond between us. “
[Continuing with a choking tone] .. “ I was so afraid that he will never cheer up in his life…… But when I saw him today…. He seemed to be a bit more cheerful and he seemed to have a goal in his life”. With this, Ayako couldn’t hold herself back and tears started to roll off her wrinkled but smooth skin.
“ I didn’t mean to make you cry Ayako…..i didn’t know that it would make you cry. So, please forgive me, miss”.
[ Holding herself back] “ No! No! I am very sorry for breaking out like this….. It’s just that Ken had been through so much in his life… That whenever I think about it…… I can’t hold myself back. But I am very happy to see that Ken has found so beautiful and caring friend like you “.
“ No! Miss, I am nothing close to what you said [ she said completely blushed out] “.
“ I hope that you will always remain beside him….. And keep supporting him in his life “.
Ayako had done it now. The already blushed out Ellie was now feeling so embarrassed that she wanted to run off somewhere. But somewhere in her heart, she also wanted to be close to Ken. It was that feeling which Ellie couldn’t justify for herself only. Whether it was love or just affection for a friend?. Ellie herself didn’t have the answer to this.
Replying in a low and soft voice (to make sure that Ayako couldn’t hear this),“ I also hope to do the same”.
“ Ha! Ha!…. You should have said that more quietly “.
“ No! No!…. It’s nothing like what it sounded like….. I mean I want to be with him as a friend “.
“ It’s ok Ellie…. I was just Kidding. You are very kind and caring…… Your parents must be very proud of you! “.
With a sad texture to her voice… She said “ I wish they would be! “.
“ Your reply didn’t seem right…… What happened Ellie “.
Ellie immediately smiling “ I don’t want to bore you with stuff like those….. And besides it a happy day for you that you have met ken after so long…. We shouldn’t be talking about me “.
“ I wouldn’t mind Ellie….. You know my father always used to say that bad memory is like a stream of the river…. Whenever it’s path is blocked…. It destroyers everything and moves on!…. So speak out Ellie… It will only loosen up your heart “.
“ My mother and father were always a happy couple. They had there ups and downs in life but they were always happy with whatever they had in life. At the time when I was born….. My father got a new job in a local newspaper and we moved to New York from Boston. When I was 16…. I used to date a guy from my school.
When we were six months in our relationship, I bought this guy home…. Where he met my parents. Till that time, I didn’t knew that he was a member of a local gang…against whom my father had written an article and got their leader busted.
Six days after his visit to my house, his gang broke into my house… Killed my parents and kidnapped me and took me as a reward for avenging their leader’s arrest. But somehow i managed to… “.
[ till this moment Ellie was completely broken down. Tears roll down her cheeks and with a pause she continued] “ But somehow I managed to kill two of their members and meet the police who saved me and arrested the rest of their members.
With my parents dead, my aunt took me in and I moved here to San Diego. Since then I had been living with the guilt that I was the reason that my parents died. “
“ I never knew that a girl who tackled a disease like cancer with such a happy and heartwarming smile, had so much going on in her past. My dear….. as a parent I am sure that your parents, never for a second would have held you guilty for their deaths. In fact, they laid down their lives for you so that you can live to make your future bright “ Ayako said with a sense of assurance in her voice.
Ken was standing near the door and he was there the whole time…. But Ayako and Ellie were too involved in their conversation to notice him. Ken listening to the whole conversation… Walked straight to Ellie and held her tight with his arms around her. Ellie didn’t expect Ken to do such a thing. She completely blushed out and said “ Ken!… “.
But she was immediately interrupted by Ken. “ Miss, on the very first day of my job, i met a very beautiful and a wonderful lady who cared for everything and everyone around her. From customers to her fellow workers, everyone liked the way she took care of everything. And to see such a wonderful woman in tears isn’t digestible.
Ellie as your friend… No as a man!. I promise that these tears will never ever come touch your beautiful face. I will try everything to get your disease cured as possible so that you could live a happy life and have a happy family “.
By the time Ken finished, Ellie’s blushed out face had became a complete mess. She tried not to cry but she couldn’t control her tears!. Seeing her reaction, Ken said “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I am sorry if I had said anything wrong “.
Ellie gently pushed Ken back [as he was holding her] and said “ Idiot who said that I am hurt. Nothing you say could me hurt… Besides, I never thought that you could also say such things “. Despite saying that she isn’t hurt….tears continued to run down her eyes as she began hitting Ken gently with clenched fists in his chest.
Probably it was because that Ellie’s heart has realized that in this never-ending world….. Someone is still there who cares about him and would never let it go, no matter what comes up in life.
“ Ha ha! I never realised that my Ken had grown up to become such a fine man. I hope that you two always remain like this”.
“ … I never meant anything in that sense…. Miss“.
“ ….. You are too crude Ken!…… Atleast say that with some emotions !.. Idiot “. Ellie said with childish anger as she swelled her cheeks with air from her mouth.
“ Ya! Ya whatever!… Ok, then i am coming to meet you miss. [disconnecting the call] . Ok! Ellie take care of yourself.. I will meet you in the morning!. Bye! “.
With this, Ken left the hospital and putting on his earphones he took a taxi and head straight to her aunt’s hotel.
[Hotel attendant knocking on the door] “ Excuse me miss Ayako, someone came to visit you…. He is currently sitting in the parlor downstairs “.
“ Oh! It must be ken… I didn’t expect him to be here so fast…….. Well! Tell him. To wait I am coming!
“ Yes! Ma’am “.
As Ayako went to the parlor, her eyes searched but she couldn’t find ken anywhere. “ Excuse me! You must be miss Ayako! It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am “.
“ And you exactly are you?. And did you asked for me? “.
“ Well! I am Ken ’s friend… And I am making a video about him as we friends want to give him a surprise before he leaves for the competition!…. So, I wanted to know something about his past….. Can you help me miss? “.
“ Yes! Yes! Sure….. Why not…… Ask me anything you want! “.
This man who introduced himself as Ken’s friend started with some general questions like Ken’s likes, dislikes but eventually he moved onto deeper aspects of Ken’s life. Ayako [who already started to have her eyes full] would have never told anyone about those things on a normally.
But this time, she was too into emotions to control herself and naturally she told everything about ken [from the time they met].. Moved by the story, that man thanked her and immediately left the hotel.
By the time Ayako controlled herself, Ken arrived at the parlour and like good old days, they had dinner and Ken left the hotel, promising Ayako to meet in the morning.