24 Hours

Fiction/Non-Fiction

I was sleeping at least I thought I was until I saw a figure in front my bed. I open my eyes bigger. It is a small girl with bright lights around it. I can’t really see her face but she looks sweet. Suddenly I can hear her voice, it was low and sweet saying, “You only left 24 hours to live. The time will be count from the time you are awake. Spend it wisely, do what you want before it’s too late” and she sound like a friend of mine. Then not long, I fall back to sleep, peacefully.

I woke up around 6 a.m., do my regular task and then head for my daily walk at Fairy Dane. After a walk, I went to Central Perk for my breakfast. As I walk in, I can see the same old regular customers. There nearby the window, I saw Sam (Samantha) Ben (Bennie) and Joey. We became friends after seeing each other hanging in the same shop few years back. I walked up to them.

“Hi, guys. What’s in the menu today?” All of them looked at smile and me. Their smile was a faint one. “Hey, what’s up? Why so down? Where’s Jol (Jolly)? Aren’t she supposed to meet us here?” All of them looked down and wouldn’t face me. Then I have this bad feeling and asked Ben “Okay, please do not tell me is true” The tears in her eyes have answer me. “Oh my god, how did it happen? Tell me!” I shake Ben and then Sam said “ They found her body in her apartment this morning. We didn’t know until Ben went to fetch her in her apartment. They said she commit suicide because they found a letter stated for the four of us” I broke down and cried too for she was my good friend. Today the breakfast was silence. After the breakfast we went to the hospital to take her body. She has no relatives in New York. Same like us, all staying alone except for Ben, she stays with her aunt.

After we went to the hospital, we went to a nearby church to bury her. Her funeral was a simple one and the only guest that came to pay her last respect her was the four of us. We went to her apartment after the funeral service. We sat at her living room and opened the letter. In her letter, she asks us to take things that she have left for us and then tell us to appreciate the time we have now before it is too late. She left me a diary. A daily diary of hers.

When I reach home, I open her diary and starts reading it. It tells me how lonely she was since she moved from Pittsburgh to New York, the first day we meet and all the activities that we did before. Everything seems normal until the last page she had wrote, that she is happy with the last 24 hour that she had spent with us. Then something struck me, 24 hour, that’s exactly what I dreamt last night. It is true? I continue reading it until the part where she wrote, “Natalie, spend your 24 hours wisely. You may think I’m nuts but trust me there are really an Angel in this world. She had come to take me to heaven and gave me a chance to tell you that you’re next so that you can do what you want to do before it’s too late. I’ll be waiting for you, I love you my dear friend” I close the book and I’m scare. If it is true that means I only left around 19 hours to live. Wait should I believe this or not? My mind is so mess up. If it wasn’t true still it won’t hurt me that I enjoy my day to the fullest. So I grab my key and head to the bright city of entertainment, New York.

As I was driving I was thinking where I should head. Try something that I have never had the gut to do. Let me think. A visit to the gigolo club? Smoking? Grab any cute guy or actor and kiss him? Kick a policeman butt? No, I shall go my enemy office and slap her. If I’m not going to be dead as what it predicts I’m going to be in big shit! Hahaha, bother, I’ll be pretty busy by then. I stopped at nearby gas station and full my tank. After that I drove to Chinese restaurant to eat my lunch. Order all the food that I’ve never eaten before then head to a sushi shop. Park my car in a nearby park and walks around, bought myself an ice cream and hotdog sat and look at the beautiful lake. All sudden, I’ve never noticed that everything around me is so beautiful. After that, I head for cinema and it’s almost five now. So I went home and get changed into a beautiful black dress I’ve bought just now. Then out again. I call my gang and asked them to see the opera with me too. On my treat. It costs me almost my whole salary.

I went to a drive-out restaurant and ate in my car then heads to see Phantom of The Opera. That ticket cost me a lot. When we’ve finished the show, it’s already eight. So we head for a bar nearby and dance to the fullest until I bump to this cutest guy I’ve ever seen. I dance with him and have a drink too but that’s all. It’s ten thirty now. We departed and I think I know what I want to do last in my life

I went to a bar nearby the beach. I like to come here whenever I have time. I enter the bar and get a chair in the front row where I’ll be facing the band that’ll play everyday starts at eleven. After I had order my drink, I can hear all the applauses. I turned my seat and looked at them, should I say the drummer. I had a crush on him since the first time I came here. He’s just so cute and gorgeous. No words can explain how cute and gorgeous he really was. Then they start singing. Everyone plus me just get into the dance floor and starts dancing. After midnight around one, they stop. The drummer came down walking towards me and said “ Hi, Natalie. Alone?” I smiles and said “Hi, Ferrero. Yeah, they have to work tomorrow” He chuckled and said” How about you? Don’t you need to work?” all I did was smile and he continue “ Let’s have a walk at the beach” I nodded. How can I miss this chance.

As we walked along the beach, all I can hear is my hearts beat. “Let sit here”, he said. So we sat in the sand in the middle of the sea. Facing the beautiful sea with stars shine upon it. I turned to look at him, saw that he’s looking at the sky. I was trying to find my courage to say what I had kept in my heart years ago. Then suddenly I heard his voice saying “Why so quiet?” he looks at me and said, “Isn’t the star is beautiful tonight?” “Yeah” it was what I answer, I felt so stupid. Then somehow I feel this is the time before it is too late. “Ferrero” “Yeah?” “I have something to tell you” He turned and looked at me “What?” I held all my courage out and said “This” I kissed him on his lips. After that all I just stand up and run for my life.

I just couldn’t believe what I had just done. I heard him screaming for my name. Then suddenly I felt a weight behind me and I fall into the sand with him on my back. “Why did you run after what you had done to me?” he said. He stood up and helps me up. I look at him and said nothing. Then he said, “When it first started?” I said with courage “Since the first time I saw you and I’m sorry if I scare you. It’s just that I only left around three to four hour to live. I know you might think I’m crazy but…” He cut me off and I feel his lips on mine. Then after the surprise kiss, he said “Actually I wanted to do this a long time ago too” I was so touched and hugged him. Then we spend the hours by hugging each other watching the sunrise. My very last hours.

When I woke up, I realized that everything around me is cloudy and so peacefully. I was wondering where am I until I saw this figure beside me, it was Jon. I was speechless by then because I knew that this mean my time has finished, in the arms of the guy I once love. She was smiling at me held her hand out for me. I touch her hand and followed her. We never spoke a word until we reach the judgment gate.

I look up and all I saw was a figure that has been covered by brightness. I heard his voice asking “What is the happiness moment in your life” and I answer “Everyday” then he ask me another question “ Are you angry or feel that you haven’t do something that you’ve always long for?” It took me a few minutes to answer it. Then when I was all prepared to answer suddenly the figure said, “ Pass! But your time is not yet to come so go back where you’ve come from”

“Hey, Natalie. Wake up!” Huh. It’s a dream all along or….. I turn my head around and I saw Ben, Sam, Joey and Ferrero.

.....to be continue