Yen Lee
One hundred. Marked on Arthur’s calendar was one hundred. That was as long as she would be with him, as long as she would live. He had come to accept that Lucy wouldn’t live past one hundred days, wouldn’t see herself become sixteen, wouldn’t be next to him, wouldn’t exist, in a hundred days. He had so much to still tell her, to do with her, yet his only regret was that he still had not found away to show he truly loved her.
The phone rang and he would have not heard it if it had not been for dead silence in the room before it was shattered by the monotonous ring.
“Hello?” Arthur asked. The phone was silent for a while, and for a moment, Arthur thought that his depression had finally hit his mind hard. Out on the other side of the line, a weak voice came.
“Arthur, I’ve missed you,”
“Lucy?”
“No, it's me Tina.”
Tina. The name brought back memories so old that they were buried too deep to remember. Tina, the regret of Arthur’s life, the girl who he had left alone to care for the half mute and blind friend that his heart had suddenly shifted towards. Tina had no faults during their relationship, Arthur merely felt his love for her dying.
“Tina, it’s been awhile... but I’m busy right now. I am sorry,” Arthur said, ever so softly.
There was a small sniffle and then all he heard was phone. She had hung up. He had proved himself a failure. Arthur’s mind whirled in confusion as he remember Tina, burrowing back up from the darkest corner of his mind. He decided to call back.
“Tina, are you…”
“Sorry I’m not available right now! If there’s anything you really need or if we’re doing a project or something, just text me!”
Arthur sighed. He hung up and held the phone for a while before making another call to Lucy. She picked up.
“Arthur?” She said. Her voice was dry and slow.
“Hey Lucy,” Arthur replied. “How are you doing?”
“...Fine, just fine. You know Tina called me right?”
Arthur was surprised.
“Really?”
“Arthur, you never told me about this at all. You shouldn’t have left her… you shouldn’t have been… so cruel.”
“Lucy, you were hurt, you needed help, we were friends…”
“You should have told me still.”
“So what do you want me to do!” Arthur yelled. There was a whimper and a silence.
“I want you to love her when I’m gone, as much as you did for me Arthur.”
“Don’t say that, you not going to leave me,” Arthur realised how stupid it sounded for him to have said that.
“Arthur, please don’t lie yourself. I have to go Arthur, but please, think about it… be happy and move on and back to who you belong.”
Arthur was silent and soon the phone went silent and then the room. Although the summer day was clear and bright, the room still felt as cold as the winter air.
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