Heartbreak Anniversary

Six in the morning. The alarm went off until the soft music spread all around the room. 

 ' And I'd never relate to you, no

  Cause I'd never treat me this shitty

    You make me hate this city... '

I don't know a person except Kika who could wake up to such music. If that kind of a calm music had been my alarm tone, I would have dozed off for another three hours at the least. But she wakes up every morning, to that calming tone, goes to work, comes back home, bangs her head against the pillow, and listens to the same playlist everyday ----

' Songs to cry alone in your room at 3:00 a.m.'

   I knew Kika since childhood. She had always been a mood maker in school. No class was boring cause even the teachers couldn't hide their smiles when she compared Shakespeare's tragedies to an episode of a cartoon or an anime series. No one could ever be not happy around her.

   But all of this was past. I was happy when she told me that she found love. However, love has always proved to be a strange business. Agree or no?

   Kika moved to the west with her lover. She wanted to pursue music. They practiced together day and night until they made it to the final round of 'Washington Music Contest'. I remember she told me---

 " Bella we made it! We are doing it together. Finally! If we can win this...oh! I can't even imagine.

  She was so excited back then. She was so lively. Until that day --- the day before the singing contest, when she came to know that she had been diagnosed with brain cancer. She would get frequent headache but never considered it harmful to her body. Who does? 

  " It's simply a headache. ", that's what she told me through the years. Her lover came to know about it and left her in an instant. 

   She was at my door that day. She cried. She cried a lot. I knew her since Kindergarten and I could hardly bring up any memory of Kika crying, crying like that. 

"I will die, that's alright. But why would you leave me like that? Everyone dies one day. Should we not fall in love knowing that we will all die one day? What kind of an analogy is this?"

   She was hurt. I could understand. This is human nature. I don't know what his thoughts were before breaking up but I feel he should have loved her more --- it's a short life for her -- she deserves the love of a lifetime in that short time. 

   A day after the competition, the headlines of the newspaper read, " Christopher wins the competition at a young age of 15! " , followed by an interview of his, covering a whole page and Kika's name wasn't mentioned anywhere. Not even under one question. I tried hard that she didn't get to see the paper but heartbreaking news always finds its way. 

   Kika had never listened to anything but sad songs since that day. She seemed to care about nothing, she didn't even try to get herself cured. 

  Five years have passed, she still lives with the cancerous cells in her head, but it is very much under control. She works, she listens to songs and looks at the stars. 

  " Bella, you know, Christopher's famous now. He's doing concerts. Quite a number of my coworkers are his fans. 

 --- " Yes, I've heard that he's got famous. Did you have dinner? ", I tried to change the topic. 

 -- " You've heard about the Downtown Music Competition? " 

 -- " Y-yes, I did. Why? "

 ---" I wanna do music again. I wanna participate in that competition. "

  I hesitated before replying. I didn't want her to do music again. Her headaches get worse everytime she tries to sing or play the guitar. But the doctor said, she'll hardly make it for another year. How can I refuse the wishes of a dying friend? 

   --" Are you sure you wanna do it? Will you be okay? "

   ---" I'll be alright, Bella. Don't you worry ", she lubricated my concern with her confident tone. 

 --- " Alright, then I'll register your name, tonight. "

 She held my hand. 

 -- "No. I want to do it myself", she said with sparkling eyes. I couldn't refuse her. 

  A cool, winter morning, the sun seemed to smile on the earth, blessing all the creatures with its slanted rays. I got ready, tucked the ticket in my sack, and got into the hall, half an hour before the competition was to commence. 

   Kika reached the hall well before time. She left her handphone with me because the competitors were not allowed to carry the same. 

   Kika made through the initial rounds easily and made it to the final round. There was an announcement : 

  " Until now, neither our participants nor our energetic audience got to see or know who our judges were, but --- wait! There is still some mystery. Five participants made it to the final round and we have five judges.... "

   The audience clapped incessantly and shouted with excitement. 

   ---" No. No. A mystery yet! One judge will be revealed before each performance until you have all of them revealed before the final performance. "

  The judges decided the order of participants and it seemed that Kika wasn't among the initial performers. The first three performers sang melodiously and received immense appreciation. Three judges had already been revealed. 

  "And next we have James Carter", the announcement was louder than the previous ones. And --- " O my god", it was Mrs. Elena Parker, I'd been her fan since high school. I started jumping in excitement. Such an unexpected reveal increased my curiosity about the fifth and final judge. 

   -- "Oh no! Bella calm down. Kika is the last performer. You need to concentrate on her performance. " I kept my excitement down. 

  Finally, Kika's name was announced and she took the stage confidently. Her golden gair was crimped and it fell gallantly on her temple and shoulders. She looked like an angel in a lace prom dress and she slowly wrapped her fingers round the microphone stand and introduced herself. 

  " I am Kika Cooper. I am going to sing PRINCESSES DON'T CRY by CARYS. 

   As soon as she did that, the spotlight dropped on the fifth judge and her hands dropped from the stand. I could see her eyes widen, she took a step back until she folded her fists tightly and got back to her place again. 

   " Okay, that's a beautiful song, Miss. "

    She recognised the voice, even I did. 

   ---- " Young ladies, all hands together for Mr. Christopher Plummer. "

   He didn't seem to recognize her. Why would he? He might be thinking all these years that ' Kika is dead '. As a matter of fact, I don't think he even remembers her name. 

   Kika's gaze changed. I could see it. I know how hard she practiced for this day. I knew it could affect her health but I did not want her to back out. As the crowd screamed for the young Christopher, the current Heartthrob of most American women, I cheered my voice out for Kika. 

    She took the microphone in her hand and began :

  "Balloons ate deflated

   Guess they look lifeless like me

   We miss you on your side of the bed, mmm"

        The crowd quietened down as she sang. There wasn't another sound but her voice. 

   "On these days that feel like you and me

  Heartbreak anniversary, 

  Do you ever think of me? "

  The music subsided gradually. There was silence in the hall. There weren't any tinkling of bells or mobile phone vibrations. It seemed as if there was no power, no electricity, no lights and yet no one cared at all. Suddenly, an alarm went off. It was Kika's phone. 

   A message popped up --- " The day I fell in love. "