“I was waiting for him around the corner and supposed to bring him to the airport,” said a voice from across where she was.  “He asked me to accompany him because he badly wanted to stop by your place to either try to talk to you, or leave something with you.  I didn’t want to since I didn’t see the need, but he insisted,” the voice continued.  She looked up from her kneeled and trembled state and saw his very good friend, also in tears, standing just above where his head was slumped.

What was said added to her confusion.  “What?  Airport?  What do you mean?  We were supposed to meet up for lunch today,” she managed to ask amidst the increasing noise of onlookers.

“He was leaving the country for good.  From what he told me, it was all because of you,” the friend answered back.

“Me?  Why me?  What did I do?” she asked back.

“Do you really have to ask?” the friend retorted, the voice slightly changing from sadness to slight ire.  “Do you have any idea what this man has done for you?  And how you were to him?”

She struggled to answer as a million random thoughts were popping in her head all at the same time as a rush of different emotions also poured in.  She always counted on him to bail her out of tough situations, relied on him to stick his neck out for her, someone who she can drag along to wherever she wants to go, a shoulder to cry on, someone to cheer her up.  In her universe, he was the eventual savior, the go-to guy, the ultimate friend.  Yet she was still dumbfounded as to why his friend asked her those questions.

The ambulance finally pulled up and the paramedics rushed out to get to the body.  The crowd started to move and make room for them with stretcher in tow.  The first paramedic went over to his right side and checked for potential bone breakage on the neck, back and all his limbs.  Seeing none, his body was turned upright and was checked for a pulse.  Nothing.  Taking the cue, the second paramedic started doing CPR.  She then started to silently pray as she heard his friend seemingly trying to talk to him, saying, “this wasn’t supposed to happen.  Not like this.  Not after all you’ve done and endured.”

“What did he want to talk to me about?  What was he supposed to give me?” she finally managed to utter after a long silence as the paramedics continued to revive him coming close to 8 minutes now.

The friend looked at her misty eyes for a few seconds, looked back at him, and then said, “Whatever it is, both are in your hand,” pointing to hers.

The envelope.  Amidst all the chaos and confusion, she was still clutching it in her hand.  She had almost forgotten about it, never thinking that that envelope was part of the reason why all of this was happening right now around her.  Yet she still wasn’t able to understand why him of all people, would leave something like this for her.  It wasn’t like him.  Though he was always the more quiet one when they’re together, he can carry a good conversation with the best of them.  But she would notice at times that he’d seemingly want to tell her something, but stopped short for some reason.  She never did ask him about it, thinking that eventually, he would just talk to her about it, like with other stuff that he managed to do.

After what seemed like 10 minutes of attempted revival, there was still no response.  The paramedics then decided to stop and call it.  There was no bringing him back.  Silence enveloped the crowd as hers and the friend’s cries were the only ones that can be heard.  They placed the body on the stretcher, covered it, and brought it towards the waiting ambulance.  Overcome by emotion, she was unable to move, still kneeled on the ground, trying to absorb what was going on.  The friend decided to follow the paramedics towards the ambulance and ride with them to the hospital.  The thud of the closing doors and the escaping sirens were the last things she heard as she slowly stood up, not knowing what to think, what to do, or where to go.  The crowd started to thin out as normalcy began to return to the area.  She then made her way to the sidewalk, sat down and looked at the envelope with her name scribbled on it.

Her hands were shaking as she opened it.

(to be concluded…)