LANCE

I'm at a party. Loud music booms everywhere. I see people dancing and jeering to the music. Someone calls me. "Lance." I turn around to see who it is but I see nobody. Nothing at all. I hear voices, but all I see is blankness.
     "Lance? Lance!!" I open my eyes and see Jade, gently tugging at my arm. Mum is behind her also looking worried.
     "Are you alright? Looks like you had quite a dream there. You were seriously shaking."
A dream. It has to be a dream. But it felt so real, like it actually happened.
     "I'm alright." I quietly study her face and it looks a bit swollen.
     "A-Are you alright? Were you crying?" She quickly comports herself, sniffs, cleans her face with her hands and forces a smile.
     "Its okay. I'm alright."  I look at mum, but she looks at me sadly.
     "What's wrong? Please be honest with me."  Mum answers the question.
     "Jade just found out about your....condition." She forces a laugh.
     "She literally cried herself to rest." Then immediately, I understand what all the sad faces were about. I force a smile of my own.
     "We shouldn't worry. If its God's plan for me to leave this planet after the next four months, I will gladly accept. Just keep in mind that I'll be in heaven, somewhere far better than here." Jade and mum smile simultaneously. I continue.
     "Besides, I have four months to do all the things I want to do. So why don't we get on it?" I say with a smile.

JADE

       A week has passed since I found out that Lance is alive. He has made a pretty quick recovery. He has been getting physical therapy and in a week, he was able to stand and walk around his hospital room. I'm in his room, showing him pictures of the people that attended that party. I'm still surprised that he agreed to do this, despite knowing what will become of him in the next four months. "At least let me know who caused my death, before I die." He had said teasingly, yesterday. I didn't take it funny. Back to the present, I spread out pictures of everyone in Sam's party, on the desk in his ward room. I arranged the desk in such a way that it is between the hospital bed and the hospital couch. I am on the couch, while Lance is sitting crossed leg on the bed.
       "All these people went to Sam's party?" Lance asked. I nodded my head. He started looking at the pictures, picking them one after the other. "There have to be over fifty people here at this party. How do you expect me to remember them?"
       "I'm not asking you to. The brain works in mysterious ways. A picture here may tug your memory. That's what I'm hoping for." I say. Lance places his hand atop one picture and starts sliding his fingers atop the rest, as if feeling for something. He stops at a picture, picks it up and studies it. His eyes narrow a bit and he gives a slight frown.  "I don't know why, but this guy looks very familiar." He says. I take the picture from him and I instantly recognise a guy called Hank Reynolds.
       "My! This is Sam's best friend."
       "What is his name?"
       "Hank Reynolds."
       "I wonder why he looks so familiar...... Any way, what are we going to do about me when I go back to school?" He asks. I look at him with utter shock.
       "You're seriously thinking of going back to school? After hearing about your con-"
       "Just because I have four months to live does not mean I can't enjoy those four months. And who knows, when I go back to school, I might regain my memories faster, and I am pretty sure that there are some things I would want to tell some people before I go."  I hate it when he talks about death like this, but I have to be strong, for his sake. I force a smile and say
      "Okay then.  So what do you want to do?"
       "Firstly, I don't want people to know that I have lost my memory."
       "How are you going to do that?" He smiles a mischievous smile and says...
       "By being rude." I look at him jokingly and say.... "I know you don't remember anything about yourself, so let me tell you. You, Lance Lee, no matter how hard you try, can never be rude." He smiles again.
       "Isn't it a good thing that I can't remember that? Now, I can be rude with no reason holding me back." I laugh. I just had to. I imagine Lance Lee, the guy who can't even hurt a fly, speaking rudely. The image in my head just turns up weird. He smiles at me and says.... "Let's just resume school first. I promise, that I will show you I can be rude." I smile at him again.

Lance

       "Okay my time is up." Jade stands up to leave. She pecks me on my cheek and says good bye. Then she leaves my ward room. I sigh as I realise that I miss her already. Although I am happy for something and also sad for that same reason.
       When Jade  entered my room earlier, I suddenly remembered her. Not just pieces and fragments but everything. The memories came like water rushing through my head. I feel like I have always known. I felt dizzy at first but fortunately, Jade didn't notice it. I suddenly became very comfortable with her and I started talking to her like I never forgot her. Though for some reason I can't bring myself to tell her, that I actually remember her. I remember Jade.


© Naomi Obasi


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