Strawberry Kisses

Sandy’s steps had an extra spring on it as she went down the stairs. Today, she’s finally graduating from High School! Nana, her father’s mother, will be proud. Sandy has been living alone for a year now. Nana was living in her hospital room since her illness had developed. Good thing her grandmother has health insurance. The hospital bill for the past months is enough to give Sandy a heart attack. “Meow,” her Russian Blue kitten, Pollux, approached her at the foot of the stairs. Sandy scooped Pollux with one hand and released him on the kitchen counter. “Good morning, handsome.” “Meow.” Behaving akin to a well-mannered gentleman, the kitten sat patiently on the counter. It’s as if appreciating his human is taking action to make his meal. “Yeah, yeah. I got it. You had me swathed around your furry little paws. I knew it the moment you shot me those eyes when Bommi dropped you in my lap.” Pollux came from an animal shelter where Bommi used to volunteer. They rescued him along with his litter from a dilapidated warehouse. After a week at the shelter, Pollux's siblings got adopted one after the other. Bommi took a liking to Pollux and wanted to raise him but her mom is allergic to cats. So she gave Pollux to Sandy as an advance graduation gift. Since then, Pollux kept her sane when missing Nana is getting too much. She opened the cupboard where she kept the cat food. But her fingers found nothing but space, annoying her. “Huh? Where have your food gone?” “Meow.” Searching around, she got a chair and dragged it below the cupboard. Her five feet and one-inch height are not much of a help this time. She had to improvise. Now feeling seven feet tall, she hunted for the last tin of cat food. “Found it!” She set Pollux on the floor and let him eat in peace while she made food. After the program, she plans to drop by the ward to meet Nana. She wished to see her every day but her grandma refused to listen. Nana said twice a week is enough. Sandy has school and her being sick is not an excuse for Sandy to slack off. She needs to work hard for her to get a good GPA to get accepted to a reputable medical school. The kitchen phone rang. “Good morning Sandy!” a shrill voice addressed her ear. “Good morning too, Bommi. What’s up?” Sandy scanned the clock mounted on the wall. It read 6:05 AM. The noise of rushing water was distinct. She must be in the shower. Bommi’s voice echoed once more. “I’m just checking if you’re up and to make sure you won’t be the slowpoke that you are. God knows you’re annoyingly slow.” “Yes, Mom. I won’t be late.” She resisted rolling her eyes. Bommi is such a nagger. “The ceremony begins at 9:00 AM, it’s only past six. My house is just five hundred meters away from school.” “That’s why you’re always late. You think you’ve got so much time just because you live near our school,” Bommi scoffed. “Quit nagging, Miss Park. I haven’t had my breakfast yet you’re already causing me indigestion.” “Alright. My bath is full now. Gotta go. Bye!” “Bye.” The line went dead. Shaking her head, she went to continue where she left. Fluffy golden pancakes with strawberries, a steaming cup of coffee and the morning newspaper completed Sandy’s breakfast menu. As she surveyed her handiwork, she felt something was missing. Ah! The breakfast table looked bare. Flowers! Nana always tells her to put flowers on the table. With scissors in hand, Sandy pushed the door open that leads to their backyard. Nana kept an herb and flower garden at the back of their house. When Nana got sick, Sandy made sure it was well-maintained. Nana loves her garden to bits. Everything her grandmother loves is precious for Sandy. The old woman is her last living family as far as it concerns her. Sure, her mother has two living sisters, but they were never close. She only got to see her relatives from her mother’s side when her parents died from a car accident. She was nine years old then. It was Nana who raised her and made her the person she is now. She gathered a bunch of pink peonies. She might as well bring that to her grandmother later. Sandy divided the flowers and arranged the rest in the vase for the breakfast table. Satisfied, she sat down to eat. Halfway through the meal, Pollux came rubbing his tiny body on Sandy’s bare feet dangling from her chair. The kitten’s short fur tickled which startled her. By reflex, she withdrew her feet, earning her an annoyed ‘meow’ from Pollux. “Don’t give me that look, you little tyrant. I’m not giving in,” she said. Pollux had enough of being ignored. After a while, he strutted out of the kitchen like a boss, leaving Sandy with her coffee and pancakes. She’s on the bath for a considerable amount of time. When she turned off the shower, she heard her phone ring. It must be Bommie and her nagging again. Humming a tune under her breath, she took her sweet time just to annoy her best friend. She can almost imagine Bommie’s perfectly trimmed eyebrows clashing and her manicured fingernails clicking on her phone. “She truly doesn’t know when to give up,” Sandy muttered under her breath when her phone rang again. She then stepped out of the shower. She had already chosen the outfit she planned on wearing under her high school academic dress the earlier night. She had almost forgotten about her phone when it rang again. Sighing, she grabbed it without looking at the caller ID. She’s more concerned about the unusual pallor of her skin today. Her late nights studying her ass off finally caught up with her body. “Hello?” “Sandy? Come, child. Your grandmother has been asking for you.” It was her grandmother’s nurse, Matilde. Her voice had a grave quality in it, making Sandy’s heart skip a beat. “H-how is-she?” The words made it through her lips. Her knees buckled that she needed her dresser’s support to keep her from dropping on the hardwood floor. “Come. Delay no minute longer.” The longest fifteen minutes of her life was the bus ride to the hospital. She had to endure two stops though. It took all her strength to prevent herself from screaming at the driver. She couldn’t keep still in her seat. Every time the bus stops, she clamped down her jaw and gritted her teeth in silence. Her torture ended at the last stop. Sandy scrambled to get off the bus, ignoring the looks from her fellow-commuters. She didn’t care about what they thought of her. She needs to see Nana ASAP. Dashing like a mad woman escaping from an asylum, she headed towards the hospital’s direction. She ran past the street performers singing of lost love, past the hot dog stand, past the mini-kiosk of an old couple selling flowers. She didn’t slow down when a customer stepped out of a nearby coffee shop; past the bagels, croissants and pastel-colored cupcakes visible on the window display. The world around her seemed irrelevant. She was past caring, saved for her urgent need to see her grandmother. By the time Sandy stopped in front of the hospital’s glass doors, her legs were throbbing a dull ache. Swallowing a mouthful of air sent tiny pricks of pain to her chest. “Wait for me, Nana. I’m coming.” But first, she had to take care of her blurring vision. Nana won’t like it. Sandy carefully stepped into her grandmother’s room. Nana was lying on her bed, ashen hair scattered on her pillow. Her bed looked so big for her frail form. The gray curtains are allowing a few shafts of sunlight to spill peeking through the gaps. Matilde had her back towards the door. She had her clipboard on her lap while scribbling down on it. “Matilde…” The woman turned around and gave her a sad smile. Sandy had to dig her nails into her palm to keep her from sobbing. Matilde’s face was answer enough for her voiceless question. “She’s been waiting for you.” Matilde gave her a light pat on the shoulder and left. With a heavy heart, Sandy approached her grandmother’s bed. “Good morning, gorgeous.” Nana opened her eyes. Her smile, oh god! Clamping her lips is a must if she wanted to keep a brave front for her grandmother. Nana is a picture of complete peace. It is far from the look of someone at the brink of death. Sandy’s clammy hands met Nana’s. She kept her grip in check though. She wanted was to squeeze hard, to never let go. “How are you, child?” her grandmother asked. Nana’s bony hands had surprising strength in her grip. “Well, last time I checked, the sun shines bright. Today’s my graduation day, Nana. I came here to take you to my graduation.” Sandy smiled. She brought her grandmother’s hand against her cheek. Keeping her tears at bay, she felt like she’s being ripped into shreds. Nana swallowed. She beckoned for Sandy to come nearer. “I’m sorry. You’d have to go on your graduation ceremony without me. I’m tired. I want to sleep now I’ve seen with my own eyes you’re doing well. And you’ll continue to do well even after I’m gone.” The pain at the back of Sandy’s throat came back with full force. She rocked back and forth in her seat, tears now freely streaming down her cheeks. “N-no Nana. I s-still need you. Please don’t say that. You’re going live long. Long enough to watch me become a doctor. We promised, right? We’re in this together.” Nana just weakly shook her head. “Silly child. Listen to what Nana has to say. These are my last words,” she said. Sandy can’t do anything but nod. “Don’t live like me, enslaved by money. I want you to live your life without regrets. I want you to love like there’s no tomorrow, laugh like it’s your last. Treat each day as if your last. Take each day as if you would never wake up for the next sunrise. Promise me.” A fresh batch of tears pooled at the corner of Sandy’s eyes. “Yes, Nana.” Her grandmother drew a very deep breath. “Pinkie promise?” She held her pinkie, waiting for Sandy’s. When their pinkies met, Nana smiled and finally closed her eyes.