Diane and Clarissa were
childhood best friends. They loved each other much like siblings. However,
Diane suddenly changed when Clarissa became blind when they were 12 years old.
Clarissa had to stop schooling because of that, and since then, Diane started
to have other friends. She often became busy hanging out with her new friends
and always made excuses to avoid seeing her old friend. A few months later,
Clarissa and her family went to the countryside.
One evening, Diane came
home and saw Clarissa sitting in front of the piano.
“What is she doing here,
Mom?”, she angrily whispered to her mom.
“She came to visit you.
Talk to her. She misses you a lot.”
Diane let out a sigh and
reluctantly dragged her feet towards Clarissa.
“Diane?”
“Yes,” Diane replied
plainly. Hearing that, Clarissa’s smile widened. “How are you?”, she happily
asked.
“I’m fine.”
“Sit down. Don’t just stand
there.” Clarissa gently pat the empty side of the long chair.
Diane rolled her eyes and
sat beside her. Clarissa smiled to her direction as if she could see.
To Diane, it felt awkward
being with her again after four years. She looked at Clarissa. She cannot say
anything to her. Nevertheless, she noticed how wan her friend’s complexion was,
and that she became thinner.
“Do you still remember the
song we used to play here before? If it’s okay with you, will you please play
it for me?”
“What song?”, Diane
thought. “I already forgot to play the piano”, she said at once to cover it up.
“Do you not take piano
lessons anymore?”
“It’s been a long time,
Clarissa, of course I already stopped. Besides, it’s more fun to stay outside”,
Diane said exasperatedly.
Clarissa looked sorry.
“I’m tired and it’s late
now. Go home”, Diane stood up and unfeelingly walked to her room.
Later before she slept, her
mom went to her room.
“You’re a very bad child.
Your friend has been waiting for you since afternoon and you just treated her coldly.
You even haven’t asked how she was”.
“Has she complained to you
about that?”
“She hasn’t. What I mean is
she and her family came back just today and you only exchanged a few lines”.
“I’m tired. I wanted to
rest.”
“Why do you always avoid her?
Have you already forgotten she almost always came here every day before but you
told me to tell her you were busy at school? You even didn’t answer her calls.
How come you changed a lot since she became blind? She remained the same
through these years!”, her mom grumbled, then quickly walked back to her room.
Diane shrugged it off and
slept as if nothing happened that day. In the following days, Clarissa did not
come again until a week had passed.
While she was walking home,
Diane passed by the way to Clarissa’s house. She began to feel sorry for how
she treated her that day. To make up for it, she decided to visit her. When she
arrived in front of her friend’s house, she instantly rang the door bell. No
one answered her. She rang it again but no one came out. “They must have gone
somewhere”, she muttered to herself and walked back.
At their house’s doorstep,
she heard her mom sobbing.
“Mom, I’m home.” Diane’s
mother didn’t seem to hear her. She walked to the living room and saw her
mother sitting by the phone.
“Mom, what are you crying
about?”
“Clarissa…”
“Did something happen to
her?”
“She is gone”.
Diane could not understand
what her mother said.
“What happened? What do you
mean? Where did she go that she lost her way?”
“She already passed away an
hour ago”, her mom tearfully replied. Diane could not believe what she just
heard. Tears began clouding her eyes.
“Why? That’s impossible!
She just came here a week ago!”, she exclaimed in disbelief.
“She and her family didn’t
tell us she has had a worsening brain tumor all this time. That was the reason
why she became blind. Her mother said Clarissa didn’t want to tell you that in
fear you might feel sad and worry much about her. They came back a week ago as
she has a scheduled surgery this coming Wednesday. Unfortunately, she suddenly
fainted this noon, and didn’t last long. I can’t believe it. That good young
girl, why must she be taken so early?”, her mom’s sobs became louder.
Diane felt something very
heavy on her heart. She also could not believe it. Clarissa should have told
her about that before. But she realized she did not even give time to make her
friend talk to her. Now, it was already too late…
The morning after
Clarissa’s burial, Diane sat in front of the piano. She tried to remember the
song Clarissa asked her to play the last time they met. Minutes passed but she
still could not remember what it was. “Perhaps I could remember it while
playing the piano.”
She lifted the cover of the
keyboard. She was surprised. A prettily, water-colored envelope lay on the
keyboard; apparently it was from Clarissa. She opened it right away. It has a
letter and a music sheet. She read the letter which said:
“My Dearest Diane,
You love playing the piano a lot so I made a song for you
when we were 9 years old. That time I thought I would only give it to you on
your 18th birthday, and play it for you. However something happened
to me, and I think I couldn’t make it to that day. So as early as now, as long
as I am here, I’m going to give this to you. Please keep it. I know it isn’t a
good song but I hope you would feel how much I treasure you while you play this
and listen to it. Always remember you are the only friend I have all my life.
Sincerely your friend,
Clarissa.”
She took the music sheet
out. She stayed on the piano all day long, playing the last gift her best
friend gave her.
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