The promise
Everyone knows what a promise is and what it can do to a relationship. It depends upon the person if he/she will make that promise a dream come true or break that promise into tiny pieces but whatever decision he/she will make, the important thing is how he/she kept that promise alive. In this short story, you will see that not even death can stop a love and a promise from being rendered because true love keeps a promise alive no matter the situation is.
It was only every summer when Leslie and Michael see each other. They are childhood friends who only see one another when Leslie, a city girl, goes to her grandfather's farm for her summer vacation. Michael on the other hand is a typical teenager who lives in a quiet home near a lake with his parents. They knew each other since they were only 3 years old due to the fact that Michael's parents work for Leslie's grandfather's farm.
Their friendship grew strong as time passes by and little did Leslie know, Michael was now falling in love for her. It was when they were on junior high when Michael finally admits to himself that he was now falling in love with his childhood buddy, Leslie. Leslie did not have a clue on what she meant to Michael, the only thing she was focused about was graduating and pursuing a career as a doctor. She really was not your ordinary girl because even though she was rich and popular, she was neither boastful nor arrogant about it; she is still down to earth and is always thinking of others before her.
Everything was now almost perfect for this little love story, until a small accident that changed Leslie’s life occurred. She fell down the stairs and she was rushed to the hospital. Afterwards, the doctor told her she was all right and there were no major problems. The truth is, the doctor made a mistake, she had a mild concussion on her head but it was not detected because during that time, there were no special machines that can detect even the smallest or minor hemorrhage in the body. She was now carrying a living time-bomb in her head and only God knows when she will die.
A couple of months passed and that was only when the symptoms started showing up but Leslie ignored it, thinking it was only stress. She began having serious migraine and torturing body pains for several days but afterwards she will be fine for another couple of weeks. She did not tell anyone about what she was going through until Michael saw the blood on her handkerchief during their boat ride along the lake. As they were talking about their careers, Leslie suddenly coughed and turned away from Michael. Michael being worried held her and asked her if she was all right. Leslie only said. ''I am fine; the breeze probably made me dizzy. Let's go back to the villa. I want to rest.'' Michael replied, ''Are you sure? You look pale and you’re cold. Maybe we should take you to a doctor, Leslie'' She looked at him as if she was begging him to keep everything a secret and spoke softly as a little smile draws her lips, ''I am fine, I am going to be a doctor, right? I can handle myself. You don’t have to be so worried. You silly boy''
They went back to the villa and then Leslie collapsed in her room feeling so weak and in pain. At first she did not want to believe that she has now something severe but then, the agonizing pain she felt kept on reminding her she really do have an illness. After that incident she kept away from people, fearing she will cause sorrow and make them worry. So she kept her condition to herself. She was alone and afraid of what the future might bring to her, what's worse was when Michael confessed to her.
One night when Leslie was alone in her room trying to figure out how she will recover, Michael broke into her room through her terrace window. He said to Leslie as he was slowly entering the room ''Leslie, I don’t know what’s wrong and why you kept on ignoring for these past few weeks but I can handle whatever it is, please tell me what is wrong.'' Leslie looking surprised stood up and turns the pages of a medical book to close and spoke, ''Now, is not a good time to talk about this matter. I'll see you tomorrow, meet me at the old oak tree near the farm house and I will tell you everything. But for now, you have....'' before she could say another word, Michael hugged her and whispered in her ears. ''I don’t want to lose you Leslie; I loved you since the beginning. Please don't make me go away. I should have said this a long time ago. Leslie, I love you so much and i do not know what I'll do if you leave me. Please let us be ok again.'' Leslie started to cry, it was mixed emotions but the fact that she knew that she is now limited to this earth made her cry even more.
Michael left Leslie with a kiss and waved to her goodbye. Leslie on the other hand was still in shock, she just now realized, she felt the same for Michael and was now scared in facing and telling him the truth. But she kept her promise in seeing Michael at the oak tree. That night, she researched every medical book she can read and found out the truth when she remembered her fall. She got scared and cried that night but she was determine to fight the illness and find a cure to it because she knew she has now more than one reason to live. She found out that she can still recover from it. There was now hope and the light of life finally shone onto her.
The day had arrived. She went to the oak tree and saw Michael sitting on the grass. She approached him and sat beside him. “Michael, this is for you. I hope you understand and I hope you can wait for me. I like you…no…I love you so please do this for me if you really like me that much.” Leslie gave Michael a letter and ran off back to the villa. Michael got confused and opened the letter. It says there:
“Dear Michael,
I am sorry if I cannot answer your question if I could be with you forever but for the mean time I want you to promise me, you will bring me a single rose for every single day until I answer your question. This will prove to me that you really are serious with me. I hope you can wait.
Love,
Leslie”
Michael smiled and was determined to win Leslie’s heart. Weeks past and then months but Leslie was not yet answering his question. During this time, she is actually finding a cure for her illness so that when he finally answers Michael’s question, they can live a normal and happy life. But on the 3rd month, on the 90th rose, Leslie died. Her illness was never been cured and she died of internal bleeding, alone in her room. Michael could not believe what had happened and was devastated to find that the love of his life died early and what is worse is that he is not beside her during her final breath. After Leslie’s memorial, Michael kept on visiting her grave every single day for the past 40 years bringing a single rose to her grave, hoping that she will now answer his question but the truth is, he knows, in the back of his heart, what the true answer is. He intentionally kept his promise to her and that made the promise golden and forever will be treasured by him and Leslie even in the afterlife.
THE END