The Fourth Story - Lotus In The Sea (Part 2)
It was Saturday, Jon and Kat went on a date together, and they watched movie and had lunch together. Jon realised his love for Kat. And he could felt Kat's feelings for him too. But neither of them confessed their feelings. They're both sitting on the beach, looking out into the sea at the setting sun. It was beautiful. Kat closed her eyes and the breeze blew on her face, her hair was swept back by the wind and she looked really pale. Jon was worried, Kat's health's getting worse, and she's not telling him anything. Kat spoke after a while, "Jon, you're a very nice guy, I hope you find someone, a girl, good enough for you," Jon fell silent. Kat suddenly bend low with her hands around her waist. She seemed to be in pain. Jon panicked, "Are you okay?" she faked a smile and straighten up, "Got you didn't I?" But Jon could see that Kat was really in pain, it wasn't just one of her jokes. Kat stood up and ran towards her car, she waved at Jon, grinning, and entered the car and sped off. Jon was troubled by Kat's action. He would have to find out and dig the truth from her tomorrow night.
But Kat didn't come at night. She never appeared again. It was like she disappeared. Jon couldn't contact her because he, (foolishly) never asked for her number or address before this. And all that Jon could do was wait. And waiting was probably one of the most tormenting thing that Jon had to do in his life, at that point of his life. One evening when he just arrived at the beach for his night duty, one of the lifeguard came up to him. "Jon, you remembered the lotus thing you asked each of us before this?" "Yeah," Jon answered. "Well, my children told me about this story, a myth they learned from teacher who was a local around here, about a lotus in the sea, they said that, when the moon was right, you would find a lotus flower, I remembered it was white in colour," Jon nodded, "yeah, what does it do?" My children said that it's magical, just by eating the petals of the flower, any sickness would be healed, any illness gone away, even death could be cast away, it's too impossible and illogical," Jon kept quiet, thinking hard, "Kat needs the flower, she's sick?"
"Nobody believes in those stories, maybe people desperate enough, dying people might believe it, where did you hear this from Jon?" "Kat..." Jon understood everything now, Kat's ill, really ill, she's dying, that was why her health was failing, that was why she needed the flower so much, the white lotus in the sea. "Kat? Katherine Carlson?" Jon looked up. "You know Kat?" "Well, in this whole city, there would only be one Kat that's famous enough to know, Katherine designed the best surfboard the beach has ever seen in years, and she was the best female lifeguard, after Jacqueline that is, we had, That was before she left and you came and replaced her. She was having some sort of complications, illness, can't be in the water for too long, it affects her body immune system, that's what I heard, it must be depressing for her, Kat loves swimming, she loves the sea, poor girl," Jon understood everything now, it's all so clear, why was he so blur? "Do you know where she lives?" he asked. "She was admitted into the hospital long time ago, she wasn't suppose to walk around too much, she needed rest," Jon ran off. He needs to see her, now, she had to be fine, she must.
Jon arrived at the hospital and checked with the nurse for Katherine's room. "Room No 25, sir, second floor," and he sped off, up the stairs into the Intensive Care ward. There was many ill people in the hospital, and none of them looked fine either. He walked past the beds, with his eyes constantly searching for Kat's face. He reached the end of the long room and on laid on the bed on the left, sleeping, was Kat. She looks really pale, as if all her energy had been drained away from her. Jon's trembling hands made its way to hers. She looked much better than the rest in the room, but he couldn't stop his tears from running down his cheeks. Kat opened her eyes and smiled at him. "How did you found me?" "I had my ways," Jon replied, sniffing. Kat smiled and went to sleep again. Jon dug his face on the bed, just beside her frail body, and cried.
"Where are we going Jon?" Kat asked. He piggybacked her from the hospital and they're now standing on the soft sands of the beach. "Your favourite place, the sea," and Jon continued walking, making his steps towards a small boat. "I have a surprise for you, a present," he said. When Kat was seated comfortably in the boat with blankets wrapped around her body to keep her warm, he rowed the boat to the middle of the sea. It was a night with the full moon, yet the sea was so calm. Everything was bright, the pale moonlight shone on Kat's face, and it was so white, as white as paper. Jon stopped rowing when they reached the usual spot where they would spend their time searching for the lotus. He pulled out his backpack, and unzipped it. He put his hand in and took out beautifully folded lotus flower, made of white origami paper. He gave it to Kat and she hold it in her hands. Jon smiled and continue taking another lotus and placed them on the sea, and they floated on the calm water. He took more flowers and placed them on the sea. Before long, there was countless white paper lotus flower floating on the sea all around the little boat. Kat hold the one in her hands close to her heart and began crying. Jon moved in closer to her and hugged her. "I love you so much, it took me days to finish these flowers, but they're nothing compared to what you've been through, I'm sorry I couldn't be with you in the first place, when you needed someone, will you accept me now?" he asked. "She cried even harder. Jon wiped the tears off her face and under the full moon, with many lotus floating above the sea around them, they kissed. "I love you too, Jon."
A year had passed since Kat left Jon and this world. Jon was still an awesome lifeguard. He was not given night duty anymore now and was entrusted to handle the crowd in the day time, when the beach was at it's busiest moment. "You've got a package to sign, Jon, the mailman's waiting at the reception counter," said Jacqueline as she took over Jon's place for a moment. "Who is it from?" "I don't know, check it out yourself," "I'll be right back," and Jon ran off into the office. The mailman seems to be having quite a hard time with the reception girl, as usual. "Here's your package sir, if you don't mind, please do it faster, I'm not welcomed here," and he glared at the girl. Jon smiled and signed the package, it was a big and rectangular in shape box. Jon wondered what's inside. He carried the box into the locker room and unwrapped the sellotapes. Jon opened the box and there lying among the styrofoam cubes was the most beautiful designed surfboard Jon had ever seen in his life. There was a card. He opened it and read it to himself, "Jon, I could never repay you for your present, the beautiful paper lotus, I always knew there was no such thing as the mythical Lotus in the Sea, but I had nothing left, no hope for life, I knew I was dying, the lotus was the only thing left for me, a reason to live. Then you came and proved me wrong, I was looking for the wrong thing all along, your love, was the real lotus, the only Lotus in the Sea that I needed. Thanks for everything, this is for you, that I've made, use it well. Goodbye, Jon, I love you."
Jon felt the surface of the surfboard and in one corner, was Kat's signature. He hugged the card and cried as loudly as he could in the locker room. "Thank you, Kat."
The moon shine brightly as the sea reflected it's pale light. If someone would just look carefully enough, he or she could have seen a white lotus, floating among the waves. The Lotus in the Sea...
The star ended it's tale and hid itself behind the Moon.
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