Chapter 14
From the first crush you’ve developed, the feeling of liking someone becomes very intense. You grew up knowing that it’s always sweet to know there’s someone whom you look forward to everyday.
During secondary school was the age of love discovery as relationships might blossom for the very first time. That’s for those who are fortunate; the rest of us whom are less fortunate will find ourselves secretly liking someone.
What do we know about love at the age of 13?
We knew that when you love someone, you have to do everything for her/him.
If she likes shopping, you would have to love it too.
Then you would have the chance to at least go out with her.
If he likes to cycle, you would have to learn it too.
Then both of you can have the chance to cycle at east coast park.
We knew that we have to dress well as most of the girls have a very sense of fashion.
Color combination is vital when we go out. Pink don’t go with black and you don’t wear yellow & blue straps shirts. Once you go into the wrong book because of your dress sense, it would be very difficult for her to even notice you.
We knew in order for the girl to like you, we must also be accepted by her friends.
Her group of female friends whom she always hung out with.
You have to be nice to everyone she knew so that they will give her the thumbs up.
We knew that it’s always not easy to express ourselves.
We will try to be romantic, writing letters and buying flowers and teddy bears on her birthday. Never mind the little pocket money that remains throughout the month. Saying “I like you” is always not easy and might not always work.
Lastly, we knew that sometimes our guy friends will like her too. Then it’s the battle of guts & looks as the two of you takes on each other. The creativity and romantic book is thrown away as the better looking guy always gets the girl.
So think back about the times when you were young and now.
What were the differences between the meanings of love?
Our definitions of love will change when we grow older, when we gain more experience from relationships, when there are more sadness, when we learn to cry less.
This is Love.
Mark held her tight in his arms.
He didn’t know what to say to her.
He had questions he didn’t dare ask.
“It’s ok, Jade. Everything is fine now”
That was the only sentence that came out as he continued to hug her and pat on her back.
It took awhile before Jade recover from her shock.
“I’m….. Ok now…”
Jade whispered as she leaned on his shoulders.
Mark let go of her.
“I think I can remember how he looks like, let’s call the police”
“No…NO… Please don’t’”
Jade’s emotions came back again.
Mark couldn’t believe it, he knew something was wrong. He just not sure whether it’ was ethically correct to ask as he knew her not long enough.
“He’s your boyfriend?”
Jade shook her head.
“He’s my ex. We broke off a month ago.”
“Then why did he hurt you? I mean I don’t understand.”
“He came to ask me to abort the baby”
“What?~??!! You’re pregnant?”
“Yes.. It was only when we broke off that I realized I missed my mens, did a checkup only known I was pregnant…”
Mark helped her up.
“I don’t I should be asking this but why both of you broke up?”
“I caught him cheating on me. The woman was his colleague”
Jade stopped talking as she covered her mouth.
Tears were flowing.
“He used to love me a lot… We used to go beaches to watch the stars.”
Mark comforted her as he held her.
“Its over, don’t keep on walking in circles. Besides, what makes you want to keep the baby?”
Jade shook his hands off.
“Is this what you men only care about? Something that you’ve done in the moment of pleasure and choose not to live with it? The life inside me is innocent.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean what I say. I just being logical”
Just then Mark realized a stream of blood was flowing down from her blouse.
“What’s that?”
“Oh my god.. It’s blood..”
Mark quickly carried Jade to the road side to hail a cab. Jade started to develop pain in her lower adnominal area on the way to the hospital.
She clings onto Mark with agony and frustration.
“Am I going to lose the baby??”
Jade was put on immediate medical attention at the hospital. Mark can only stay outside the operation theater. Even though there wasn’t going to be any life threatening operations. Waiting outside the theater will get anyone nervous and panicky.
The doctor came out first before the nurse and porter pushed her bed out.
“Sir.. I’m sorry.. But I couldn’t save your child. We had to abort to save the adult. Your wife is very weak now as she lost a lot of blood, we’ll have to ward her for a few days to monitor her health. Please take care of her.”
“I understand..”
The doctor pat on Mark’s back before he left.
Jade was conscience but looked very pale as she continued to cry as she was moved to her ward.
Mark followed her bed.
Jade was transferred to a personal ward. She cuddled to her pillow when the nurses helped her to her bed.
Mark just sits on the chair beside her bed.
There was nothing he could say to make her feel better.
He can only wait for her to calm down.
“You have my belongings with you?”
“Yeah.. It’s with me”
“Can pass me my hand phone?”
“Ok.. Here you go” Mark took her phone out of the bag.
Jade dialed some numbers.
“Hello… Mum?”
Jade tried her best to sound normal despite the operation she had just did.
“Yeah it’s me… Jade”
“I’ll be staying over at colleague’s place tonight, we need to rush for our financial closure. The company is sending us to Taiwan for a few days, my colleague will drop by tomorrow to collect my luggage and passport ok?”
“Ok.. I will..”
Jade hang up the phone.
Then she picked her phone up to key in a sms.
After sending, Jade threw her hand phone towards the wall before covering herself with the blanket.
Mark picked up the phone and saw the message.
“The baby is gone, there’s nothing left between us anymore. I hope you are happy because I’m worse than hell.”
Mark knew she was crying again as he put back her phone near her bed. He didn’t went home that night, he just sat beside her incase she needed someone.
Tiredness won him over and soon he was sound asleep on the couch.
It was morning when he woke up. There was a blanket covering him.
Jade was staring at the ceiling as she laid there motionless.
“Hey… Good morning…”
Mark tried to start a conversation.
Jade turned to him.
“Don’t worry… I’m fine now. Don’t sleep without a blanket in future. Your bones will be weaken by the cold”
“Mark, can you do me a favor?”
“Yes?”
“I don’t want anyone to know about this. I need you to help me pack some clothes and bring my passport out for me?”
Mark nodded.
Jade jot down her address on a piece of paper and pass to Mark.
She lived in Bukit Batok which explains why everyday he sees her.
But Mark could not explain why she preferred to take this route as it’s longer compared to travel from Jurong.
Nevertheless, Mark return to his house before making a move to hers.
A lady opened the door.
“Hi Auntie, I’m Jade’s colleague. I’m here to collect her luggage”
Mark pretended to be cheerful even though he was emotionally sunk in too by this incident.
“Oh.. she called me yesterday. Wah.. I didn’t know Jade got such handsome colleague.. So you single or not?”
Mark just smiled as he entered her flat.
“At least you are better than that Don.”
Jade’s Mum showed him her room.
The design of her room was pretty simple. Definitely not those girly types of room filled with soft toys and huggable stuffs.
Jade’s room was filled with books though. There was a huge shelve filled with books that she had read.
As Mark roams her room, there were a few pictures hanging.
It showed her and another guy hugging looking very happy in the pictures.
One of the scenery attracted Mark’s attention as he had been there too. Then he got a shock when he studied the photo, the photo which Jade took with her boyfriend had Mark and his girlfriend in it too. Mark and his girlfriend’s side view were on the extremely right side of the picture.
Mark just laughed at his discovery. Fate has it that the four of them were actually at the same place at the same time.
Jade’s mum enters the room.
“I’ve packed her stuffs for her. It’s for 4 days right?”
“Yeah.. It shouldn’t be long”
“Ok, by the way. Her passport is at her drawer.”
“Thanks Auntie”
Mark reached for the drawer and found her passport.
There was a black and white photo in the drawer too.
It looked as the setting was in the train.
Mark picked up the photo.
It was him…
[To be Cont]
