Chapter 11 - Best of Friends

I went back to our hometown after Lily’s High School graduation. It’s been six years since Amanda died. My parents – yes, thank God they’re still alive – wanted me to have our old house renovated. They wanted to come home and said that they wanted to spend the remaining years of their lives where they build a family.

So I went home. The house was still standing; the garden needs a new garden gnome. The house can still be used. You just have to repaint the walls and ceiling, repair some of the wooden furniture and the wood floor boards and make sure that the stairs won’t fall if someone tries to climb it.

I tried to find some people whom can I hire to renovate the house, some carpenters maybe. I found out that they’re not so hard to find.

This town didn’t change that much. I wanted to leave this town before as soon as I graduate from our local college, but now I realize that here I am home.

I went to the garage and saw my old bike. I took a tour downtown and saw the houses of my old friends. Jeremy’s house was still standing, his parents still lives in town and his dad was the Mayor ten years ago. But the place that I really wanted to see was the short cut.

The short cut is still there, I guess they still use this place when students are running late for school or when they want to have a campfire. I entered the thicket. It didn’t change at all. It’s still the same place that I can see from my memory.

I stopped at the intersection. If I follow the path on my left, it will lead me directly to the road that leads to the market place and to the town. I turned right. This path leads directly to our local college where I graduated, where I met Amanda.

The school, like the rest of the town, didn’t change that much except that I don’t know any students, but the teachers are the ones I recognized, they’re the same people I went to school with.

Life has a very funny way of making you realize that it is beautiful. I have a great life. I have a loving wife that I love and can’t imagine tomorrow without her, a daughter I love above all, and a comfortable life. I can remember a line from the movie The Bucket List, It's difficult to understand the sum of a person's life. Some people will tell you it's measured by the ones left behind. Some believe it can be measured in faith. Some say by love. Other folks say life has no meaning at all. Me? I believe you measure yourself by the people who measured themselves by you.

On the same movie, it was mentioned that Egyptians believed that when they die, there are two questions that they need to answer and it will determine where they belong. The first is “Did you find joy in your life?” I did. I found joy in my life. Even though me and Amanda never had the ending we wanted, even if it was too late when we told I love you to one another, I still found joy in my life. And that joy is Elaine and Lily.

The second question is “Did your life brought joy to others?” I really don’t know what to say. I really hope that it brought joy to my friends, to my wife and to my beloved daughter

I parked my bike on the usual spot where I used to leave it on chains. I closed my eyes and heard another bike stumble behind me. It was like I turned back in time, I picked the bike and make it stand.

“Hey,” a voice said behind me. I turned and saw a girl, she has black hair that extends up to her deltoid, and her face was so beautiful... “Thanks for making my bike stand for me.”

“No-no, it’s okay!” I said quickly, my voice trembling. My heart is pounding abnormally on my chest; I can feel that my face is now filled with blood enough to make it red. Gee, this girl sure is beautiful.

She extend her hand towards me, clearly she wants a hand shake. “I’m Amanda Pierce.” I took her hand, it’s soft but thin. “I’m Benedict.” I said. “Kyle Benedict Belleza.”

I smiled from the vivid memory. I opened my eyes and grind. It sure is nostalgic here, but then they’re just memories now. I still have the rest of my life in front of me and when I die and if I shall live another life I will find Amanda again and I’ll never let her go.