Three

"Mom, come on, you promise me, you're going to attend this one." I’m talking with my mom on the other line, tonight is my performance, and she promised that she’ll going to watch me play on stage.

I heard her sigh, “Okay okay, I’ll be there.” She said so my smiled grew wider.

She’s with her friends, she told them to come over so they did, and she almost well totally forgot about my play today, but hey, I’m the favourite son here, she can’t say no to me.

“Okay, Mom! Take care!” I said before hanging out the call.

I adjusted my bow tie and ate candy, I’m a bit nervous but my excitement is overwhelming, it’s been months since I last played, it’s been a while since I’ve been too busy with my business.

“Sir William, get ready. Start within fifteen minutes.” The admin assistant reminded me, so I nodded and waved my hands slightly, to remove the nervousness I was feeling right now.

Fifteen minutes had passed, when the admin called me to say that it was about to start and I needed to go backstage, I looked at my phone, there's no message from my Mom, traffic maybe, rush hour too because now, it's okay, I understand that one.

"Is what happened so bad?"

"Yes, I think everyone on board died."

"Girl, the truck crashed, even if I was the passenger, I’ll surely be dead right now."

"Sir, we are about to start." I lost my attention to the women who were talking because the staff suddenly called me, I nodded and smiled, I stood up and prepared myself, when I felt the vibration of my phone.

I immediately grabbed it from my pocket, and it was from Mom, I was excited to answer that, because it's sure to be another bad trip for me.

"Hello, Ma, where are you?"

“Is this, Mr. William?” I turned my gaze back to my phone when I heard an unfamiliar voice of a man, “This is Kurt, nurse from Filipians medical hospital, I’m calling you to inform that your mother is in critical condition and we need an immediate family to attend her.”

I feel like I'm suddenly stuck in my position because of what I just heard, what the fuck does that mean?

Mom? You mean my mom is in danger?

"W-what happened?" I want to congratulate myself for being able to talk, “What happened to my Mom? Why is she there?” I could hear on the other line the loud sound of various voices and the sound of an ambulance.

“Car accident, sir. Can you come here, for me to explained it to you properly? Are you a minor?” I shook even though he couldn't see.

"N-no, I'm uh, I'm on my legal age, I'm on my way there." The last thing I said before hanging up the phone.

I can hear the screams of the staff because everything is about to start but I have no other thoughts now but my mother who is dying in the hospital, and it's my fault.

If I hadn't forced him to come here, he wouldn't have had an accident today, it wouldn't have happened to him, damn it! This was all my fault! What the fuck!

"William!" I felt a hand snaked around my arm, that's where I stopped walking. “What the heck, William? Are you with us? The staffs called you earlier! The show is five minutes late.” Said Johny, my friend who invited me here to play.

“I-I’m, I’m sorry Jo, my mom is in the hospital right now, and in critical condition. She needed me there.” His eyes widened because of what I said.

Jo’s family and mine are friends, and us, as kids are inseparable. We are best buds; we grew up together even went to the same schools.

“What the fuck happen? Where tita?”” His voice became unstable and

I looked at my phone, “I, uh, I received a call, vehicle collision, she was one of the victims,” I touched her shoulder, “I’m sorry Jo, I can’t play knowing that I might not able to see my mother later.”

He just nodded, and I heard his sigh, "No worries, I'll take care of it, just make sure to update me, I'll send you to the driver."

I nodded, "I can manage, Jo."

I felt his slap on my shoulder, "Stop it, send it, do you think you can drive that way you feel?" He took his phone from his pocket and someone called, “Hello, Mar. please get the car, take Will…. Yes please." He ended the call and looked at me, "Go now, wait for Mar, I'll take care of the show."

I nodded, "I'm so sorry, Jo."

“Don’t say sorry motherfucker, recover next time! Go ahead!" I nodded and ran out and touched the suit I was wearing so as not to fall to the floor.

I saw Mar at the entrance of the function hall, he didn't ask questions or anything, he just drove to the hospital.

When we arrived, I immediately got out of the car and approached the information desk to ask where I could go.

"It's in the ER sir, room 501." He replied, I didn't think twice and ran to the hall, I found that there were many nurses and there were two uniformed doctors on the side.

“1,2,3,4,5…” I heard, from one of the nurses who continues to perform CPR on my mother who is in flatline.

My knees were weak, but I forced myself to walk closer to my mother who was no longer alive, I could see the blood on her face and various parts of her body, the white dress she was wearing was also ruined.

It’s the same dress that I gave her, five years after I got my first salary, that I earned when I worked in a company. She was so proud and happy, because I earned it on my own, I reject any help they are offering me. I wanted to stand on my own feet.

"Why did you stop?" I asked them, noticing that the nurse had stopped giving Mommy CPR. “Why the fuck did you stop ?!”

A doctor approached me, "I'm very sorry, son." Said the Doctor, "We did our best, but she was almost dead-on arrival, we tried to revive her, but she wasn't responding to us."

"N-no, please." I beg them.

"Time of death, eight fifteen pm."