Author's Note: This is my first fanfic posted here in Livejournal. So... I hope you'll be all kind. Also, this story is inspired by Train's Marry Me music video.
There she was, doing her usual routine again.
I gazed upon her from my car. I just wanted to look at her from a distance. I wanted to see how beautiful and plain she was.
I am a freelance researcher and right now, I am on a business trip. Leopold Marketers gave me a tough job. Because the job’s giving me a hard time, I am staying at Rio de Janeiro for two months now. The company gave me a year to find all the things they wanted me to find. But after two months, I was done with the quarter of the whole work.
I was a regular customer of Fred’s last month. It’s a local diner not far from the hotel I’m currently staying. It was my way of saving bucks since the food at the hotel was really pricey.
When I first stepped into this diner, there was nothing in my mind but just the thought that I should eat. I looked at the menu and decided what I would eat. I called the attention of a waitress to place my order and there she was, the girl that caught my heart beat.
“Yes, sir?” she said. She even had this melodic voice that’s so soft.
“I’d like to have jumbo burger with fries, please,” I answered.
“What’s your drink, sir?”
“Iced tea.”
“Just wait for your meal sir,” she said and smiled.
I looked at her name plate. Sylvia. Her name is Sylvia. I liked her beauty: simple, not-so-tall, fair complexion, round hazel eyes, cheeky, long-haired and red lips.
With the short time I’ve talked to her, I felt like I wanted to talk to her more.
Since I was consumed by my thoughts, I didn’t notice that my food was in front of me. And it was delivered by another waitress.
“Miss…” I looked at her name plate, “Abby, what time do you close your store?”
“11:00 in the evening, sir,” she answered.
“Thanks.”
I was thinking of catching her when the diner closes and give her a ride home. But I was too shy to do it so I just reserved that thought.
I ate silently until I finished my plate. After eating, I immediately went outside so as not to be struck again by Sylvia.
I was a couple of blocks away from the diner when I realized I left my handkerchief there.
“Damn it,” I said and headed back to Fred’s.
I went to the seat I occupied a couple of minutes ago. As I was walking, I saw her there, cleaning the table with my handkerchief clutched on her other hand.
“Um, miss…” I hesitated for a moment, “Sylvia, that’s my handkerchief,” I said, pointing at her other hand.
“Sorry, sir,” she said and gave me back my handkerchief.
“There’s no need to ask for forgiveness,” I smiled.
She smiled back.
“Thanks, by the way,” I said and went away.
The following days, I did the same thing, leaving my stuff and getting those back when Sylvia was the one who’d retrieved them. We had small talks after each day.
There was one time that I didn’t see her around.
“Miss…” I searched for her name plate, “Erica, where is Sylvia?”
“She’s at the hospital, she’s being treated.”
“What happened to her?”
“She is sick, sir. Why do you ask?”
I instantaneously got money from my wallet, paid for my meal without even touching it, and went to the town’s hospital.
Since I don’t know her surname, I tried my luck in asking for her name at the information desk.
“What is the room number of a patient named Sylvia?”
“Sylvia Manresa?” the personnel said.
“Y-yeah,” I said. I wish she’s the only one here who’s named Sylvia.
“1002.”
I went directly to the room number he said. I found it at the first floor.
I sighed before entering the room. I wish this was her.
I opened the door and saw her, lying at the hospital bed.
Upon seeing me, shock filled her face.
“Mister… Iero?” she spoke gently.
“Yeah. I’m so glad you remember me.”
“How… How did you know I’m here?”
“I asked your fellows at the diner. I-I didn’t know you’re sick.”
“Yeah. I have leukemia.”
I turned around and saw a woman sitting and was just staring at me.
“Ma, this is my friend, Frank Iero. Mister Iero, this is my mom,” she said.
“Nice meeting you, ma’am,” I said and shook her hand. She just smiled and nodded after.
“Just call me Frank,” I told Sylvia.
She nodded.
“Would you like me to leave you, dear?” her mom asked.
She nodded. Her mom went outside the door.
Now finally having the chance, I took all the strength I had to tell what I felt for her.
“Sylvia… I-love you.”
She just smiled and touched my face. I touched her hand that was holding my face.
“Thank you, Mister- I mean- Frank, for loving me. But, I think I’m not the woman suited for you,” she said while looking at my eyes.
“Why-why can you tell that?” I was on the verge of tears. No, she’s the one for me. I could feel it.
“Because I’m a vulnerable person. I don’t want to be a burden for you.”
“You’ll never be a burden for me. I love you for who you are.”
“Yes, that might be the case but… I’m sorry. I cannot reciprocate your love.”
Those words hit me like arrow piercing my heart. The searing pain drove my tears to my cheeks.
“I want to hug you,” she said.
I went closer to her and hugged her as gently as I could.
“You don’t need to cry for me. Please stop crying. It hurts me too to see you like that,” she said as she stroked my hair.
She wiped my tears gently. I stood up and wiped those off with my handkerchief.
“I can love you, Frank. But only as a friend. I don’t want to hurt you even more if I will make our relationship deeper. I just have a month left to live.”
On my second month, she’ll die, the inspiration I had. I finally understood why she refused me.
I kissed her on her forehead and bid her goodbye.
“Don’t worry, you’ll never see me again, if that’s what you like,” I assured her. I could not stand seeing her suffer.
She just smiled and nodded.
I saw her mom sitting outside the door when I got out.
“Ma’am, I just want to ask… why is she working if she’s sick?”
“That… We tried to stop her, but we couldn’t. She said she wanted to have a normal life and help us, so she worked. She doesn’t like the feeling of being a burden. She never told her employer about this since she will be definitely fired.”
“Oh. I see. Thank you, ma’am,” I said and turned to the direction of the exit.
Waves of pain hit me as I was exiting the hospital. I couldn’t believe the things I’ve learned that day.
That was the last time I’ve talked to her. I swore to myself I’d never see her but I couldn’t stop myself from doing so. I wanted to see her everyday.
After a month, now, she has barely a week left to live. I just sat in my car and looked at her from afar. I just murmured to myself, “if you will just… marry me,” and sighed.
There she was, doing her usual routine again.
I gazed upon her from my car. I just wanted to look at her from a distance. I wanted to see how beautiful and plain she was.
I am a freelance researcher and right now, I am on a business trip. Leopold Marketers gave me a tough job. Because the job’s giving me a hard time, I am staying at Rio de Janeiro for two months now. The company gave me a year to find all the things they wanted me to find. But after two months, I was done with the quarter of the whole work.
I was a regular customer of Fred’s last month. It’s a local diner not far from the hotel I’m currently staying. It was my way of saving bucks since the food at the hotel was really pricey.
When I first stepped into this diner, there was nothing in my mind but just the thought that I should eat. I looked at the menu and decided what I would eat. I called the attention of a waitress to place my order and there she was, the girl that caught my heart beat.
“Yes, sir?” she said. She even had this melodic voice that’s so soft.
“I’d like to have jumbo burger with fries, please,” I answered.
“What’s your drink, sir?”
“Iced tea.”
“Just wait for your meal sir,” she said and smiled.
I looked at her name plate. Sylvia. Her name is Sylvia. I liked her beauty: simple, not-so-tall, fair complexion, round hazel eyes, cheeky, long-haired and red lips.
With the short time I’ve talked to her, I felt like I wanted to talk to her more.
Since I was consumed by my thoughts, I didn’t notice that my food was in front of me. And it was delivered by another waitress.
“Miss…” I looked at her name plate, “Abby, what time do you close your store?”
“11:00 in the evening, sir,” she answered.
“Thanks.”
I was thinking of catching her when the diner closes and give her a ride home. But I was too shy to do it so I just reserved that thought.
I ate silently until I finished my plate. After eating, I immediately went outside so as not to be struck again by Sylvia.
I was a couple of blocks away from the diner when I realized I left my handkerchief there.
“Damn it,” I said and headed back to Fred’s.
I went to the seat I occupied a couple of minutes ago. As I was walking, I saw her there, cleaning the table with my handkerchief clutched on her other hand.
“Um, miss…” I hesitated for a moment, “Sylvia, that’s my handkerchief,” I said, pointing at her other hand.
“Sorry, sir,” she said and gave me back my handkerchief.
“There’s no need to ask for forgiveness,” I smiled.
She smiled back.
“Thanks, by the way,” I said and went away.
The following days, I did the same thing, leaving my stuff and getting those back when Sylvia was the one who’d retrieved them. We had small talks after each day.
There was one time that I didn’t see her around.
“Miss…” I searched for her name plate, “Erica, where is Sylvia?”
“She’s at the hospital, she’s being treated.”
“What happened to her?”
“She is sick, sir. Why do you ask?”
I instantaneously got money from my wallet, paid for my meal without even touching it, and went to the town’s hospital.
Since I don’t know her surname, I tried my luck in asking for her name at the information desk.
“What is the room number of a patient named Sylvia?”
“Sylvia Manresa?” the personnel said.
“Y-yeah,” I said. I wish she’s the only one here who’s named Sylvia.
“1002.”
I went directly to the room number he said. I found it at the first floor.
I sighed before entering the room. I wish this was her.
I opened the door and saw her, lying at the hospital bed.
Upon seeing me, shock filled her face.
“Mister… Iero?” she spoke gently.
“Yeah. I’m so glad you remember me.”
“How… How did you know I’m here?”
“I asked your fellows at the diner. I-I didn’t know you’re sick.”
“Yeah. I have leukemia.”
I turned around and saw a woman sitting and was just staring at me.
“Ma, this is my friend, Frank Iero. Mister Iero, this is my mom,” she said.
“Nice meeting you, ma’am,” I said and shook her hand. She just smiled and nodded after.
“Just call me Frank,” I told Sylvia.
She nodded.
“Would you like me to leave you, dear?” her mom asked.
She nodded. Her mom went outside the door.
Now finally having the chance, I took all the strength I had to tell what I felt for her.
“Sylvia… I-love you.”
She just smiled and touched my face. I touched her hand that was holding my face.
“Thank you, Mister- I mean- Frank, for loving me. But, I think I’m not the woman suited for you,” she said while looking at my eyes.
“Why-why can you tell that?” I was on the verge of tears. No, she’s the one for me. I could feel it.
“Because I’m a vulnerable person. I don’t want to be a burden for you.”
“You’ll never be a burden for me. I love you for who you are.”
“Yes, that might be the case but… I’m sorry. I cannot reciprocate your love.”
Those words hit me like arrow piercing my heart. The searing pain drove my tears to my cheeks.
“I want to hug you,” she said.
I went closer to her and hugged her as gently as I could.
“You don’t need to cry for me. Please stop crying. It hurts me too to see you like that,” she said as she stroked my hair.
She wiped my tears gently. I stood up and wiped those off with my handkerchief.
“I can love you, Frank. But only as a friend. I don’t want to hurt you even more if I will make our relationship deeper. I just have a month left to live.”
On my second month, she’ll die, the inspiration I had. I finally understood why she refused me.
I kissed her on her forehead and bid her goodbye.
“Don’t worry, you’ll never see me again, if that’s what you like,” I assured her. I could not stand seeing her suffer.
She just smiled and nodded.
I saw her mom sitting outside the door when I got out.
“Ma’am, I just want to ask… why is she working if she’s sick?”
“That… We tried to stop her, but we couldn’t. She said she wanted to have a normal life and help us, so she worked. She doesn’t like the feeling of being a burden. She never told her employer about this since she will be definitely fired.”
“Oh. I see. Thank you, ma’am,” I said and turned to the direction of the exit.
Waves of pain hit me as I was exiting the hospital. I couldn’t believe the things I’ve learned that day.
That was the last time I’ve talked to her. I swore to myself I’d never see her but I couldn’t stop myself from doing so. I wanted to see her everyday.
After a month, now, she has barely a week left to live. I just sat in my car and looked at her from afar. I just murmured to myself, “if you will just… marry me,” and sighed. #
happy
drained
bouncy
calm
