Tittle: An Angel’s Gift

By: S.M.K

“Konnichiwa~~”

The third day, when I was just about to give up hope, his voice appeared again.

“Ueda!”

Unable to contain my excitement, I cried out his name.

“Heh heh heh...So you did miss me...”

He walked over and held my hand.

“Come on, let’s go out today.  It’s a fine weather.”

I held back...

Ueda tightened his grip on me and stopped his movement.

I knew it meant a form of encouragement...

I knew he wanted me to take the first step...

Since I was here...

I had never stepped out of my ward before...

Honestly...I was afraid...

Nervousness gripped me even now we were not moving...

I...

I gingerly took a step forward...

Ueda brought my hand to his lips to show that he was smiling.

I gave a half-smile back.

He opened the door...

“Kamenashi-san, be careful.”

Along the way, I heard the gasps and warnings of many nurses.

I felt dizzy...

It’d been so long since I walked such a far distance.

Ueda brought me to garden, I think.

The ground was soft... the grass tickling the sides of my feet..

It was shady.. the light which fell on me was cool...

“Close your eyes and feel your surroundings...”

Ueda said, which I followed suit.

Many sensations...

I did not feel before..rushed toward me..

Touch... of the gentle breeze...

Hear... of the cheery chirping of birds above... the rustling of leaves when the wind blows...

Smell... of the spring that’s arriving... and fragrance of newly bloomed flowers..

All my senses were aroused... to the great nature...

...to little things which I never notice before I lost my sight...

For the first time after the accident...

It felt great to be ALIVE...

The joy of just being to live...

“Go for the operation.” Ueda’s voice rang suddenly.

For a moment.. I was stunned...

How... how did he know...?

My sight could be regained...

If I went for the operation...to remove the blood clot...

“40% Sucess.”  That’s was the words of doctor said.

I did not want the operation...

Fear...

Of waking up to darkness again...

Now.. Ueda...he...

“How about seeing the world again?  I’m sure you miss it.” Ueda said cheerfully as if it was some easy task.

“I...” I hesitated.

“It’s better than you do not try at all, right?”

“Think about it.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

On the night before the operation...

Ueda came to visit me again...

“Tonight I’m telling you a story, ok?”  He plopped down beside me.

I nodded my head...

Fine..anything to distract me...

“Since the beginning of time...

Everytime when a bell chimes... a angel will be born.

At the same time, somewhere on Earth... a baby will be born too.

This angel and this baby are bonded forever.

Mortals normally called them guardian angels.

As the baby grows, whatever happens to him, the angel will know.

It is also the angel’s responsibilty to take care of his mate.

The stars you see in the sky... actually represent every pair of angel and mortal.

When a star falls...

It means the death of a mortal... and his angel...”

Ueda looked over at Kazuya who had fallen asleep half-way.

“That’s why I’m here... 

to help you...”

 Don’t be afraid...

Your operation will be a success....”  He leaned over and kissed his forehead.

“Goodbye~ I’ll be watching over you...”

He smiled... his image slowly fading away....

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Hey Onichan! Come over quick!” a child’s voice called.

“Ok, I’ll be there in a minute.”  I picked up the necessary equipments.

 As I turned to go...  my ward came into my sight..

Ex-ward, actually...  It had been a year.

The operation was a success.

When I opened my eyes again... My family was there...including some of my old classmates who had heard about the news... But he was not...

Of course I waited for him...

Strange to say.. it was during the period of waiting when I realized that my parents had not met Ueda before...

And... I didn’t knew where he lived and contact number...

On the fifth day after my operation... I was discharged...

I asked the nurses about him... But they claimed that none of them had ever seen a guy in my ward before, even though  I’m sure that some of them came in when he was around...

Ueda never seemed to exist.

I was devasted then...until...

One night when I was looking at the stars...

And remember...

The story he told me.....

About angels...

Could he be my guardian angel...?

Came down to help me...?

I became a volunteer at the hospital...

Just like he helped me... I was determined to make a difference to the children’s lives...

Thank you, Ueda...   for being there...

Thank you... where-ever you are....

~END~