A/N: ‘Old Good Days’ is not a love story, but a friendship (between 2 boys) story. It was my entry for our class folio and I decided to put it here as my souvenir, hihi.

(This photo was our folio’s cover.)

Old Good Days
written by: imeesyouuu

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

“I want to become a doctor,” replied directly by a child with a smile drew in his face, his voice seemed excited. His eyes also glinted in joy as if he’s imagining himself now becoming a doctor.

“Why is that?” his friend curiously asked by what he answered. His forehead even furrowed. All he thought his friend would say he wanted to become a policeman or a lawyer like him, but it surprised him to hear that his friend wanted the other profession.

“Well, that is… I wanted to cure people with illness. I wanted to prolong their lives with my abilities,” he responded again, still smiling. In fact the smile plastered in his lips became bigger.

Though he is curious, hearing how adamant his friend is, he smiled at him. “I would be so proud of you if that happens.”

As the two done eating their snacks, they took their bags on the table and stood up then the bell produced a series of loud rings, signifying that their recess time is over. With their bags hanged on their back, the two then walked together going back to their classroom. It was Tyler, the one who dreamed of becoming a doctor and his friend’s name is Axel. They were best friends and they were already in their fourth grade.

Both of them grew in an orphanage. Luckily, when the two first met, it seemed like they have connection with each other – the reason why both of them are close to each other. Since then, the two were always seen together, it’s as if they were twins you can’t even separate.

But just like a roller coaster as it seems, their lives changed when Tyler felt something different on himself. It was Saturday afternoon. He was busy watering plants that day when he coughed blood, and that became continuous for not knowing what the reason is. Since then, he changed. Within a week, he lose weight and his skin became so pale. That situation made him so weak to the point that he couldn’t attend his class anymore.

Worried as he already is, Axel visited Tyler in his room, but they couldn’t let him in. The nuns who are taking care of the orphans like them couldn’t afford to let and see Axel get hurt by seeing his best friend’s condition. Without him knowing, Tyler has a Stage III non-small cell lung cancer that caused him breathing difficulties, sometimes he coughs blood, loss of appetite and fatigue.

One day, Tyler went out of his room to see his best friend. He wore a thick jacket so Axel wouldn’t notice how much he lose weight.

“Are you okay? Why didn’t you come out of your room every time I’m visiting you? You can tell me if you have a problem, Tyler. I’m always here for you, you know that,” Axel’s voice was full of worry while uttering those words towards his friend.

Tyler smiled at him, but behind his curvy lips was a bitter one crept in it. “I’m going far away—”

“What’s wrong with you?” Axel cut him off. His tone raised, sounding mad but he can’t deny how worried he is. “You haven’t talk to me for so long. Now that you did, you’re leaving me. Are we still friends, Tyler?” Axel added, he bit the side of his lips to stop himself from crying. He even avoided his friend’s gaze. Truth is, even if Tyler is wearing a jacket, he pitied him for how he looked right now and he doesn’t want Tyler to know that he pities him.

“If you want to leave, then go! Leave me now! That’s what you guys are good at, right? You are always good at leaving me!” Axel shouted at him. He just can’t understand why Tyler is doing this to him.  It’s only him whom he has because his parents left him when he was still young. But why does he has to leave him too?

Tyler tried his best to smile and to not cry in front of his best friend, but a pair of tears rolled down his cheeks betrayed him. “I’ll be back, Axel. As we promised together, we’re going to graduate together.” Tyler then slowly turned back on his friend. The moment he did that, his tears continuously fell.

Seeing how his friend turned back on him, Axel ran, locked himself inside his room and there, he cried his heart out for losing his best friend. Since then, Axel became aloof and he kept on standing on the doorway, hoping that one day, his friend would return just like what he has told him.

Years passed, Axel didn’t want to attend the practice for their graduation ceremony. When asked, he kept on saying that he wouldn’t graduate unless Tyler would come back because it’s their promise together, that they would graduate together.

Feeling pity, the nuns were left without a choice, but to tell him the truth—that Tyler was sick and he went in a city for his chemotherapy. Unluckily, during his battles inside the hospital he didn’t make it.

Axel broke into tears about what he learned. Never did he imagine that his best friend, a future doctor who wanted to prolong people’s lives would leave him like that. He also kept on blaming himself for what he did, that if he just knew beforehand about his best friend’s condition he shouldn’t pushed his friend away, that he should have hugged him, telling him that they will fight his illness together, that they will—

“Grandpa, are you crying?” With delicate hands that touched his face, that helped him get back into reality.

“No, no. Grandpa is not crying,” he answered to his beautiful granddaughter. He even shook his head so the little girl sitting on his lap would believe in him knowing that his granddaughter will never get satisfied with a single answer.

“Did the boy graduate even though his friend was already gone?” That little girl asked again. Curiosity now drew in her soft and beautiful face.

“Yes. And Tyler will be his forever best friend even if he’s already gone.”

“Really?” The girl asked unbelievably. “How did you know Grandpa?” He pinched his granddaughter’s cheek and then he tucked her hair on her small ears. He also can’t help but laugh because his granddaughter really got his attitude of asking lot of things. “Grandpa, how did you know?” The little girl repeated with eagerness of knowing the reason.

He messed the little girl’s hair before giving her his answer. “Because that Axel boy is me.”

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A/N: Thank you for reading. Stay safe!💙