A Second Chance

              The clouds enveloped the open horizon, leaving only a track for the birds going towards the sunset. The sun’s reflection glistened through the river where pink blossoms floated. The gentle wind whispered through my ear, bringing his deep yet gentle voice to reality. It was the perfect scene, a moment I would never want to miss. But not every moment lasts long; sometimes, even too short. Sometimes, a perfect time and place may be just too perfect.
              It was the crack of dawn. Arnold rode his motorcycle heading towards my house, three miles away. He ran smoothly, feeling the cold morning breeze brush through his ebony-black hair. As always, he was careful with his driving, but not all early drivers did the same.
              On the other road, a mile away from the road where Arnold was, a car chase was on the go. It seemed like a  group of drug dealers introduced themselves as factory workers, driving a truck loaded with supplies of some sort. The police, doing their jobs, ran after them.
              The intersection seemed clear, so Arnold went and drove pass but before he could reach the other side, the truck from the car chase  caught up with him. The truck that ran, met up with Arnold.

              I just got up from bed, about six in the morning. The sunlight shining through my window, and the thought of Arnold woke me up. I headed my way to the kitchen when the phone rang. It was Arnold’s mom. Her voice was shaking, crying perhaps. I told her to calm down and tell me what had happened. “He’s gone…” these were the only words I could hear in my mind repeating over and over.  What?  I couldn’t believe what I have  heard. No way. That’s not true. I kept denying the truth, the truth of Arnold’s no longer existence.
              I dropped the phone. It’s like my whole world stopped. I didn’t know what to do, nor what to feel. The tears rushing down my cheeks were the only signs that gave me the slightest hint of my feelings. My mind couldn’t make a proper thought.
              Since then, I locked myself in my house. I didn’t bother to go out, nor eat nor make a clear idea. My friends would call every now and then to check up on me, but no one answered them except the answer machine. Their voices growled with worry but every time I pushed myself to stand, my body just wouldn’t move. I just sat there, not making any movement nor any sound. All that’s heard in the house was just the sound of my breathing and the beating of my heart which once beat together with Arnold’s.
              I had to live. I had to live for Arnold’s sake. But as much as I wanted to protect that promise, the thought of Arnold’s death kept me on a limit.
              My friends came to my house after giving me almost half a year of silence and space. They found me lying on the couch, watching static electricity with a bag of biscuits beside me; which were probably the most of what I ate for the past five months. Good thing I didn’t die.
              My friends kept giving me food, meals my tongue had never tasted for such a long time. They kept talking to me, but I just couldn’t understand what they were saying. My mind was full of thoughts of him.
              When Arnold died, it’s like he took my soul with him and every part of me was incomplete without him; and for a moment, Arnold reminded me that I had to live on. I felt his cold yet warm embrace wrapped around me. I could hear his gentle voice whispering to my ear, saying, “It’s time to let go, Meagan.”
              A tear fell off my eye, and the emotions just bursted out. My friends went running, pulling me close to them and wrapping me with their warm and gentle arms. “I’m okay,” it was the first time I said something for so long and I actually meant it. My friends’ eyes lighted with joy and their smiles lifted up to the highest heights they could reach. At that moment, I knew I really wasn’t alone, my friends were always there. I was never by myself.
              Knocks rounded the door, we were in the kitchen by then. “Oh, that must be him!” said one of my friends. I wondered who it was. The gang was complete at the time being. Who was missing?
              “Hello everyone,” a deep but gentle voice spoke. The voice sounded familiar, like I’ve known it from somewhere. My heart beat so fast, it was like it has known the voice since long ago. I turned around to see who it was, the person that would complete the gang. The person who owned the voice my heart recognized.
              Black-ebony hair. Blue-green eyes. A six-foot-two physique.
              “Arnold?”