Chapter 5 Promise

• TJ's POV
• I'm here in the classroom now and I have this one friend, a person who can't stop walking back and forth.
• "Nathan, could you please stop?"
• "So, what's happening now?" he asked about me and Zack, trying to change the topic.
• "Under my control, of course," I answered. "You're making me dizzy, Nathan. Stop walking!"
• Nathan, you're intoxicated!
• "Where's Jaybi, by the way?' I asked.
• "Im h–here!" He showed up, out of nowhere. While catching his breath.
• "Speaking of the devil, what's the news?" Nathan interjected.
• "Wait! Let me breathe for a second."
• I looked at him from head to toe and went back up again as I watched him catch his breath.
• When I reached his chest I saw a violet rounded-like, a bruise, that was about to show because of his messy wearing of uniform. Nathan was looking at it, probably noticed it too.
• "What's this, Jaybi?" He pointed at it.
• "Were you beaten again?" I asked.
• "I'm okay," he murmured, "it doesn't matter anymore. Well, anyway, As what I'm trying to say—"
• "You were beaten up, right?" I asked again. "He still doesn't want to stop?"
• "It's not important anymore," he repeat.
• I threw a hand on him, "What do you mean, not important? Do you want to die?"
• "If you want to die, you can just ask me," Nathan joked, but I was surprised and laughed at what he did.
• "Tsk! I said, I'm okay. So, listen to me, and don't try to stop me." I could hear the annoyance in his voice, "So, what I was trying to say is I heard them saying that this coming wednesday will be Zack's birthday," Jaybi explained.
• I stood up, smiled at him and gave him a thumbs up, “Okay! We will celebrate it!"
• I told Jaybi and Nathan that I want to talk to Tom for Zack's birthday, so I requested to meet him up.
• "Tom, he wants to ask about Zack." The person on my right side who named Jaybi pointed at me.
• "Sure, what's that?" Tom said, confidently.
• "So, they said this coming wednesday—"
• "You want to know what you should do about Zack's birthday, right?" he cut me off.
• I nodded.
• "Actually, we're best friends for almost 5 years now, but not even once did I see him celebrate his birthday."
• The three of us, Jaybi, Nathan and me, looked at one another, confused.
• "Huh? What do you mean?” I asked.
• “I knew it, and even me, I was shocked, too. Who doesn't celebrate his own birthday, right?"
• "Maybe he has his own reason," Nathan came up with something.
• Jaybi looked at me first before Nathan. Putting his back of palm on Nathan's forehead, seems like trying to know if he is hot or something, "Nathan, are you sick? Why do I feel that you're not your self right now."
• "Don't be like that to Nathan, Jaybi." After Isaid that, I immediately looked at Nathan, "Are you okay?"
• "Tj!"
• Tom just laughed at us first, "Yehuh, he really has a reason."
• The three of us looked at him, and chose to listen to him seriously.
• "And what is it?" Nathan asked.
• "I don't know if I have the right to say this to you guys but…" He stopped for a second, "fine, I'll say it."
• And he started to say something. After knowing the reason, it excites me more to celebrate his birthday.
• This past few days I've been pretty busy at school and at the same time preparing what to do for Zack's birthday.
• Wednesday…
• 6 pm and our class is over. I rented a place to celebrate his birthday.
• "How's the balloons?"
• "It's okay now. They're already glued to the ceiling and the other, I'll just spread them out," Nathan answered.
• "How about the cake?" I asked once again, but this time to Jaybi.
• "Inside the refrigerator, just tell me if I'll take it and light it up," Jaybi replied.
• "Happy 21st birthday Zack, is this okay?" said Tom, the reason why I nod. He read the one on the wall.
• It was all set now.
• "Okay. Nathan, spread the balloons. And Jaybi, the cake."
• I smiled at them, I'm really grateful to have this kind group of friends. And now, it's my time. I'm starting to dial Zack's phone number now.
• "Zack, I will tell you something." After answering the call, I spoke immediately and a little crying, of course for him to come here immediately.
• "What's wrong?"
• "Come at XXXX." And I hung up.
• I took the cake with the lighted candle. Tom and Jaybi were holding confetti poppers and ready on the side of the door.
• After 5-10 minutes…
• There was a sudden knock on the door, maybe the person we were expecting was already there. We looked at each other before Nathan touched the door knob. There was a loud knocking again before he finally opened the door. The confetti was thrown to him after we saw him.
• "Happy birthday, Zack!" We greeted him.
• There was a small pause, he was just standing there and looking around, processing what was happening. But when he saw me, and our eyes met, I saw the unease plastered on his face.
• "Tj!" He shouted, angrily. "Don't you know how worried I was? It was like you were crying earlier when you called. I'm so worried yet, yet…. nevermind!"
• This is not what I expected.
• "I'm sorry, okay?" I apologized.
• "By the way, who said you can celebrate my birthday?" Then he looked around and stopped when he saw Tom, seems like he immediately gets. “So it’s you?”
• “Zack, no,” I forbid. “I asked Tom about it. Don't blame him."
• I looked at those three and nodded to them, giving them a sign to get out and they got it right away and went out.
• He looked down and sat on the floor, shaking his head, "You don't know anything."
• "I know, Zack. I know."
• "You knew it!? Maybe Tom again…. but you still did, why!? "And he started to break down, that's why I went after him.
• Flashback…
• "I don't know if I have the right to say this to you guys but…." He stopped for a second, "fine, I'll say it."
• We didn't say anything. We are just doing nothing, but waiting for his next word.
• He took a deep breath first, "Zack's birthday. It was the day that his grandfather passed away. From that day, he didn't celebrate his birthday anymore."
• End of Flashback…
• The three of us were shocked to hear that but I realized it was also the day my Papa died. I asked him to blew the candle first before I put the cake inside the refrigerator again.
• I'm walking towards him, "It hurts, right? But we need to face it, that's how life works and we can't do anything about it."
• "Don't come!"
• But I didn't listen to him, I just walked straight. I am now in front of him and gave him a hand, “Will you come? I want you to see it."
• He hesitated first, but still accepted my hand.
• "Who is this?"
• "It's my Papa," I answered.
• We're at my Papa's grave now.
• "Really?"
• I looked at him and nodded.
• "You see, it's my Dad's 10th deathanniversary today. So, don't say I don't know anything, 'cause I know how hurt it was."
• "I'm sorry," he said.
• "Well, did you miss me? I told you I would be back. Pa, I'm sorry, I can't still find that person but I won't stop because I promised, I won't stop until I found that person."
• I always come back here, like every year just to visit my Papa and talk to him.
• "What are you talking about? What promise?" he asked with a serious look.
• "I promised to look for the person whom he had given his heart so I would take care of it."
• "I'm sorry, I don't know," he apologized.
• "No, it's alright." And smile at him. "It was a serious accident, so he chose to give his heart to the needy."
• "Are you okay?" He handed me a handkerchief and then, just now, I realized that I was crying all this time.
• I accepted the handkerchief, as I smiled and wiped my own tears, "I'm okay."
• To be honest, I should be the one comforting him now. To what happened to his grandpa, I feel sorry.
• After 10 minutes, we chose to leave the cemetery.
• "Want to have some drinks?" he offered.