Chapter 23-Daniel

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I am finally alone in this hospital room. Yesterday my mom returned an hour later with a box for everyone. I don't know how Gouenji managed but they never said anything about the box but I was glad since I wasn't the only who should suffer. She bought one for each so I won't be suffering alone. Insert evil laugh here. Ha, ha. Or else everyone left me alone to suffer. Karma is a bitch and it bites you in the back. Everyone swallowed their foods with difficulty but I found mine was extra bitter since they included head medicine for head healing and such, traditional medicines to be precise.

Gouenji took my parents home to sleep at his house despite their protests to sleep at my little apartment. According to him my apartment is too little for them. It is little but I don't think it would be a problem for a few days but it is for him, after all he is rich and he couldn't even imagine it. Not sounding bitchy here or trying to make him sound arrogant! Just stating the truth.

My mom was on clouds about him. As per what she said he was with me all the time I was unconscious. When they informed my parents about the accident he arranged his private jet for them to come here. By the time they were here, Gouenji was with me inside the V.I.P room they got for me, which doesn't seem like a hospital room at all to me seeing all the facilities it has. He was holding my hand and looked very worried as per my mom. She could exaggerate sometimes, who am I kidding most of the times. He told them my health details, assured them of my safety and sent them to his home asking them to rest because of jetlag. He told them that he would stay with me and inform them as soon as I woke up. I have to praise him since it is very difficult to convince my mom, especially when it involves her only daughter.

I guess my mom was so impressed with him that she decided he was going to be his son-in-law(again my mom's words, not mine). What's even more surprising is that my father never passed a comment about it. Neither supporting nor rejecting that means he is also considering. Yes, woe is me! I am doomed. I really hope she doesn't drop any subtle hints to him which wouldn't be subtle at all. I don't know if it is just me but those subtle hints are very obvious to me. If even I can figure it out, then why not him who is more than a thousand times intelligent than me?

He didn't show any signs of detecting such behavior. What's even more fascinating is that he was very charming to my parents. I mean he is still very stoic but his attitude is different to them. Polite, respectful and charming. If I was a parent I would definitely wish he would be my son-in-law so no wonder my mom is so. She is already gullible and now add the charming Gouenji in the equation and you have the obvious result.... Don't worry ma, your daughter is very sensible she will withhold your honor on your behalf!

They have college today but they wanted to stay with me. I threw them all out of my room, not literally but insisted that they leave for college. I sent my mom and dad out too since they were clearly tired. I asked them to go rest and prepare something for me. Yeah, I know but if I didn't ask her to prepare something she would never leave so I had to use that, no choice.

Knock.

Who is it at this time? Don't tell me that they bunked the college and returned! They might even do it just to bunk the college. But they aren't the type to knock the door. They would just barge in. May be the doctor?

"Yes." I called out.

The door opened and the guy I saved, twice in fact, appeared. What was his name? Gouenji said something.

"Benjamin?" I asked. He gave me a blank look. Gouenji's junior I thought.

"Uh Daniel right?" Woah, huge variation to the name I said first.

He nodded and kept silent. He just kept looking at me in silence. I raised my eyebrow in question but he didn't respond.

After five minutes of dead silence I couldn't hold it in and opened my mouth.

"Why are you here?" He opened his mouth and then closed it again scratching the back of his head. I was just about to say if you here to say thanks then you are welcome, no need to feel bad for me but then I remembered he was not like everyone. Last time I saved him from a bully he accused me of wanting money. Now I saved his life, will he accuse me of something even bigger? If he thanks me then that's fine.

"Why did you save me?" He asked finally.

"What?"

"Why did you save me?" He said a little louder. Why is that whenever I ask 'what' they just repeat what they said. I am not deaf still.

"What do you mean by why?" I explained my question in detail. I shouldn't use the question 'what' in future.

"I accused you the last time you tried to save me. Why did you save me risking your life?"

"So you do know know that you accused me ha?" I said grinning catching him off guard but still he remained stoic. "Yes, you accused me falsely but I don't think it is an offence punishable by death. And I didn't really mean to risk my life to save you. It just happened like that. I am not that selfless to save you risking my life. I couldn't see you dying and moved to save you but got hit accidentally."

"How do you want me to thank you?"

"Well, I do know that this is definitely not the way to thank me. You are, in fact making me angry by asking that. It feels like you are accusing me again by asking that. But in case you are asking me because you really don't know how to thank me for saving your life then just a 'thank you' is enough. Moreover you already paid my medical bill. Neither of us are hurt, I mean not seriously since I am obviously injured, so it's fine. So as per our old understanding you don't know me and I don't know you or else do you want to hear the reason like last time?" I asked him a little doubtful that he would accept my explanation.

He stood there silently not moving an inch and I stayed silent too. I replayed what happened to think was there any other reason to save him. I then remembered how he looked down before the accident and didn't respond even neither when the truck horned nor when I shouted at him. I need to know if the accident because he couldn't really hear or because he didn't want to live any more.

"Are you really deaf?" I asked looking at him.

"Isn't that why you made sure that you talked facing him?" He asked me back.

"No, I did that just in case you really were deaf. I can't blindly believe what he said. He could just be teasing. I couldn't hurt your feelings by asking that question and if I talked without looking at you I thought it would be bad on your part. I am really sorry for that. I am asking you this question now because I have to know why the accident happened."

"I lost the ability to hear slowly after I reached the age 10 because of an unknown cause. I can't hear at all."

"Thank god! I was really scared." I exclaimed without thinking. He looked at me in question.

"I am sorry I shouldn't respond like that. I am sorry for what happened but I was happy to hear that because otherwise I would have to assume that you didn't want to live. Before the accident I was standing by the road looking randomly waiting for Aram. I saw you standing there looking very sad, as if you lost something. Then you didn't even respond to the horn nor my calls so I was afraid that you wanted to die and I couldn't let you die like that. So when I knew that wasn't the case I was happy."

"Why do you care if I want to live or not?"

"How can I just let a person die like that? I will try to help as much as I can and make them hope to live."

"What reason do I have to live?"

"Why do you think so?"

"Do you know what my dream is?"

"I won't if you don't tell me."

"My dream is to become a singer. I want to release albums, music is my life."

"Okay. I will root for you. I don't really buy CD's but if you release I will definitely buy yours."

"Do you really think I can do it?" He asked me.

"I don't know but I know that it is really difficult to become famous. I can only say that you work hard. It depends on your talent and other things. I don't know whether you have talent. My taste of music is sweet and melodious ones. I don't like most of the famous band's songs too, so I can't help you in that too. I can't do much except wishing that you succeed."

"Life was really difficult after I lost the ability to hear." He said telling me his story even though I am not sure why he is telling me. I decided to just listen quietly. "People even started to bully me based on that and about my dad's riches. Only one friend encouraged me. I was really happy about that. But then one day as usual when he was saving me after he turned around I couldn't read his lips so I don't know what he says, but that day there was a mirror before him and I looked at it by accident. I received shock to know that even he was making fun of me, he turned towards me and said great words about me. I then understood that he was doing that to gain my favor to become an actor. He took advantage of the fact I can't hear and that I read lips to know what others say, so just before me turning around he made fun of me along with others. I really wanted to die then but somehow managed till date. What reason do I really have to live?"

"Do you know what was my first impression of you? I saw you first that day in the middle of the crowd. You sat proud in the crowd not really caring for what others said. I really wanted to be like you because I know if I was in your place I couldn't be like you. You were so brave. You know I really think that your ability to read lips is great. You don't want to die. You are trying to convince yourself that you want to die but in fact you don't want to. If you really wanted to die, you would have died a long time ago. You want to hear the world again somehow. Isn't that why you learned how to read lips? Just because one person did something despicable like that not everyone wouldn't be so. There are still good people out there. This world is still beautiful. You are really great! You came here on your own legs irrespective of the bullying."

"Don't you think that is because of my wealth?"

"I really don't. I don't think wealth gives you life but if it is true in your case then I am happy that your wealth helped. But something tells me that these words are not yours but the one who bullied you. I think they are just jealous of what you have. Your wealth, isn't that a part of what you are? Don't despise that part of yours. If someone loves you they have to love even that part of you, not love you because of that part of you. I have friends who are rich, sometimes I doubt myself if I am friend with them because of what they have. I know that I will still be friends with them if they lose everything this day but when I hear what others say I doubt myself. I can't help it but it is part of what they are. They are my friends and they are rich and I have to accept that. I can't accept or reject them based on that."

"What about my looks?" He asked me. I have to say though he is very tall and has a good build he looked geeky with a teeth clip and not that good looking but who cares?

"Are you trying to get some therapy from me? If you are thinking that I will say you are looking good I am sorry but you don't look that good. Sure you look good but all my current friends are super good looking and you can't compare to them but then again who cares? Neither am I good looking. Your looks shouldn't matter for your musical career, your voice is what matters. If you want to appear on the video of your album then I think make up artists can make you look more presentable. If you put some effort you will look a lot better than this. You are tall and have a good build. But don't go for surgeries and risk your life. I believe in finding satisfaction with what we have rather than running for what we don't. If you ask me do you want a super good looking boyfriend or husband but with a black heart I will right out refuse."

He looked at me as if asking really. May be I have to say this embarrassing incident.

"Recently I saw a very bulky old guy before me at my part-time job and to be frank I was intimidated by him because of his size but he got a phone call from his granddaughter then, his voice was very affectionate. Then I imagined myself with someone like him, same structure closer to my age but a very warm and kind heart like him. I could stay in his arms and kiss his cheek. I could imagine myself happy with him. I really don't how I would sleep with him since I could be crushed under his weight but I thought we could figure it out." I said sheepishly. That is really difficult to say. That is perverted on my part but I thought I should be truthful to him. He chuckled at that saving me. I was afraid I would offend him or someone.

"It really doesn't matter. What's inside is what matters. Beauty is deceiving. I didn't think you would have problems with your appearance considering you strode confidently to me saying you wouldn't mind dating me. Oh wait! I didn't reject you because of your appearance. I don't really date. I have no interest in younger guys. To change my opinion too, you didn't give me any strong reason. I am not really sure about the love between a man and woman but I can give you plenty of love if it is other kind. You are two years younger than me so you can have the brotherly love. You can be the younger brother I never had. I can really imagine you as my brother."

"How can I believe you? May be you had your eyes on one of those guys. After all they are good looking and rich than me."

"I am not asking you to believe me. If you don't want me in your life I won't be. It depends on you. I just want you to believe in yourself and live well. That's enough for me. I don't want your certificate of character in my life. If I start trying to make others believe about me I believe my character would be changed in the process of trying to make them believe. What I told you is the truth. You can believe me if you want to and don't if you don't want to. Oh wait! Robert has a truth machine in which you can check it but I don't really want to do that because I am generally indecisive about most matters and have to think thrice whether my answer is really true. It is up to you.

What I say is don't care about your looks and what others say. Just move forward. You are very brave to move forward till here and I want you to continue. If I were you I couldn't continue on my dream when I can't even hear. I will sit saying God is unfair to me. But you are not like that. You are still fighting. There are so many people who did the impossible and got into history like you. The future generation will remember you, not me, for doing something difficult, I can't say impossible because there are some people who did that. Consider it a blessing in disguise. I know it is said easier than done but I believe in you. I will always root for you." I smiled at him.

"Wait a second. Why do I feel like I gave you a lecture? I did, didn't I? I am really sorry, I have this really bad habit of saying everything that is inside me. So I said a very long and probably meaningless thing for you. I bet everyone who you met gave what is 'inspiring speech' in their mind but is actually a very boring thing and I did the same didn't I? I am really sorry." I did a grave mistake. What am I thinking trying to give long lecture like that?

"That's fine." He smirked. "Has anyone told you that you are very amusing?" Why do I detect mini-Gouenji in him? Are they related in any way?

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So guys some didn't like the sudden change of Destiny's name to Astrea and some liked it so avoid all confusion let us proceed with 'Astrea Destiny Faith'. All her friend will call her Destiny but Gouenji will be the only one calling her Astrea. That satisfies everyone I guess. I will make changes in the previous chapters as soon as I can.

So till next update read, vote and comment!


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