Chapter 4 My Last Wish

I sat in Javion's empty seat and began eating the meal my mom had prepared. Tears rolled down my cheeks and dripped into the boiled cabbage, making it taste salty.

The pain in my lower back was getting worse. My kidneys hurt again, but no one noticed.

A waiter approached me hesitantly. "Excuse me, sir. Could I have your parents' phone number? The bill hasn't been paid yet."

I wished I could pay for Javion's celebration dinner myself. However, when I checked my pockets, I realized I had no money left. I'd spent my last allowance on the taxi ride to the hospital.

I finished the rest of the boiled cabbage, swallowing it through my tears. Then, I began devouring the delicious dishes on the table like a madman.

I couldn't remember the last time I'd eaten anything like that. For years, I'd imagined how wonderful it would taste, like a little piece of heaven I'd never been allowed to enjoy.

But when I finally picked up a chicken drumstick and took a bite, it tasted sour and bitter. I chewed slowly, making myself swallow.

Just then, the door swung open.

"It's not that I don't want to donate," Javion said. "I want to save Louis too. It's hard for me, okay?"

He stopped when he saw me. His gaze fell on the chicken drumstick in my hand, and his expression changed instantly.

"Louis! What on earth are you doing?" he cried, staring at me in disbelief. "Everyone in this family has sacrificed so much because of your illness, and now you're going to throw your health away like this?"

Tears streamed down his face as he rushed over and knocked the drumstick out of my hand. "Stop eating that! Don't you understand? Your kidneys can't handle this stuff!"

I reached up and gently wiped the tears from his cheeks.

"Don't cry, Javion," I said with a small smile. "You're my hero, and heroes aren't supposed to cry. Besides, you're not nearly as handsome when you're crying."

My parents had followed him into the room and heard everything. The moment they saw what had happened, their expressions darkened.

My mom broke down in tears. "What did we ever do to deserve this?"

My dad shoved me angrily. "Why can't you control yourself? You know what eating that stuff does to your body! If you keep this up, we'll have to move the surgery up!"

At the mention of moving the surgery forward, Javion went pale.

He knew better than anyone what giving a kidney would mean for him. After the surgery, he'd never be as healthy as he was now.

Yet, he still stepped forward and pulled me into his arms.

"Louis, please stop doing this to yourself," he whispered. "I'll give you my kidney, okay? I promise. Just please stop hurting yourself."

"That's enough, Louis," my mom said quietly from behind him. "Stop making things harder for your brother."

I wanted to explain that I hadn't meant to upset anyone. I'd only wanted to taste the food for once. But when I opened my mouth, I couldn't find the words.

What was there left to say?

As long as I was alive, my family would never be free of the burden of taking care of me.

My parents seemed too exhausted to scold me any further. They quietly settled the bill, then took Javion and headed for the door.

I was about to follow them when Demi caught my arm.

"When you do something wrong, there have to be consequences," she said coldly. "This time, you're going home by yourself."

I nodded without arguing. "Okay."

Demi looked relieved. But as she turned to leave, two train tickets slipped out of her pocket and fluttered to the floor.

I bent down and picked them up. They were for the graduation trip she'd planned with Javion, but when I saw the date, I froze.

It was the same day as my kidney transplant.

No wonder Javion hadn't dared to show anyone the tickets.

I stared at them for a long moment, then took out my phone and called the train station.

"Hi, I know this is a strange request, but could someone please call this number tomorrow and remind Javion Fox and Demi Walker to catch their train three days later?"

To my surprise, the customer service representative kindly agreed to help.

After hanging up, I called Javion's teacher, Gary Thompson. He'd always believed in his talent and could help my brother pursue his dream.

"Mr. Thompson? Javion got his acceptance letter from Trinity, but something happened at home, and now, he doesn't think he can go."

I continued, "Could you talk to him and help him find a way to attend Trinity?"

He promised he would.

Next, I called Samuel and begged him to arrange CT scans for my mom's back and my dad's leg. They'd put off taking care of themselves for so long, and I wanted them to finally get the medical help they needed.

…

By the time I finished making the calls, I couldn't think of anything else to do for them.

I slipped my phone into my pocket and stepped outside. The wind had turned bitterly cold, but I kept walking until I reached the river.

I had nothing left to wish for myself. All I wanted was for my family to be safe, healthy, and happy.

With that final thought, I glanced down at the rushing water and jumped.