61 3.18- The Call, The Meet, The Kiss, The Misunderstanding...BIG Time! (1/2)
Every single classmate of Akira came and went and surprisingly some of my classmates came by too. I guess they are from the same swimming club and had heard the news and wished all the best in recovery for Akira and thanked me for being by her side.
Soon, I was left alone with Akira amidst the helium balloons that they had tied to the foot of the bed. I placed the miniature bonsai plant near the window sill and made a mental note that I'd water the plant every day.
The fruit and flower basket I placed it on the cupboard next to her bed while the 2 Ikebanas I placed it to to the other end of the room where a white round table was situated. I was busy arranging the rest of the stuff in the room when my phone buzzed.
I looked at the unknown number and answered it.
”Yes...? Shiro here. Who is that on the other line...?”
”Shiro, it is me Ayumi. Could you meet me downstairs at the lobby? I would be there in a few minutes... Could I meet with you...?”
”Why don't you come up instead of you are visiting Akira...”
”No, I wanted to just meet with you only...”
”Err... Maybe some other time. I'm doing up some kinds of stuff here in Akira's room. I don't think I want to go down anytime soon...”
”Shiro...! I want to meet you, goddammit...! Why are you still playing hard to get...? I told you I could do better than anyone else, including your little girl...”
”Ayumi-sama... If you think you could do better than Akira, why don't you take your own life and be six feet underground... That's even better than Akira's condition now... I don't have time to waste on you right now...”
I immediately pressed the ”End” button to hung up on that irritating voice, the irritating call that had no meaning and attachment to me at all right now.
Some 10 minutes later, as I was clearing the room to make it more lively, a 40ish lady dressed in a long blue flowery sort of new age sleeveless kimono dress that reached her knees and wearing flat closed-toed platform black coloured shoes sauntered in along with the President of the Sports Committee of Asahigaoka High School closely trailing behind her.
”Akira-chan...!!!” the 40ish lady went and embraced Akira tightly on her bed while the latter showed no response at all. The former had tears brimming while it streaked across her makeup foundation on her face. I stood up and bowed low to the 40ish lady.
”You must be Akira's aunt as what the nurses had told me earlier. They informed me that they managed to contact Akira's next of kin. M... My name is Shiro from Asahigaoka and studying next class to her... I... I rushed in here last night... I... I'm supposed to meet her around 5 pm for supper but I... I was held up somehow... I... I should be there before her and this in... incident shouldn't happen... I... I am truly sorry for what happened...”
I stammered while I with quivering lips mentioned that I should have been able to avoid the incident somehow or maybe I might be the one that was supposed to get struck instead of Akira. I should be in that bed instead of Akira...
”Whoosh...! Slap.....!!!”
A palm ended striking me on my left side of the face that instantly made me see stars. My eyes focused back and I look straight and saw that Ayumi had struck my face and intended to strike once more. ”Boom!” As her left hand nearly landed on my face, I struck out and held her hand just millimetres from my face.