Paper Cranes

My house phone rang and I let the machine to answer it. “This is Rowena Harris. Please leave a message after the tone.” There was a short pause. “BEEP. Hey, Rowena. It’s Shannon. Shannon Leto. Just call me or Jared when you get this.” The line went dead. I glanced over to the blinking messages and deleted all of them. Shortly after my discovery of Jared’s ‘girlfriend’ I immediately dashed out of the hospital and went straight back to my apartment. When I reached home, there were already five messages from Jared. Apparently, it was all a misunderstanding, but wasn’t that what guys always say in situations like this?

I didn’t even bother to listen to the messages. I couldn’t face him for now. It just hurts thinking about him only. So, I plopped myself on my bed and fell asleep for an hour or more before waking up to the sound of Shannon’s voice on the machine. As numb as I had felt inside and out, I checked all the messages and found that ten of them were from Jared and five were from Shannon. I sighed at the sight of the machine now. It was eight o’clock at night now and they were still calling.

It was a Saturday night and I found myself finishing a whole large pepperoni pizza. Never had the combination of melted cheese, pastry, pepperoni and olive tasted this good. I munched the last slice of pizza and drank the can of Coca Cola. The television channel was broadcasting some random hip hop music video. I stared blankly at the screen.

Suddenly, there was a knock on my apartment door. I glanced over to the door, hoping the visitor would leave if I ignored it. Then, there was another knock. I groaned in frustration and forced myself to walk across the room towards the door. I opened it without even considering who might be at my doorstep which was a bad move.

There she was, the girl that was in Jared’s arms this morning and Shannon was standing beside her. He had on a serious expression as I said venomously, “What do you guys want?”

“Rowena, we’re here to explain,” Shannon said. I rolled my eyes at him and started to close the door when he stuck his arm in between the door and its frame to prevent it. “Go away, Shannon. I don’t want any explanations. It was all explained perfectly clear this morning,” I said in a cold voice.

“You don’t understand, Rowena. It was a misunderstanding!” Shannon tried to explain, his arm still blocking me from closing the door.

“Rowena,” the girl started. “I’m Jared’s cousin, Cameroon.”

Her words seemed to hang in the middle of the tension-filled air as I slowly opened the door again. Shannon pulled his arm back and started to rub the part where it was previously wedged between the door and its frame. I studied the girl’s face intently. “What?” I asked, not believing what I just heard.

“My name’s Cameroon Leto. I’m Jared’s first cousin. I live in Louisiana and I had just arrived in New York the middle of last night. What you saw this morning was a mistake. Me and Jared are pretty close and what you saw was how both of us behave around each other,” she said all in one breath.

I was still staring at her in disbelief when Shannon waved his hand in front of my eyes. I turned to him. “Now would you please call Jared? He’s worried sick about you,” Shannon said. His brown eyes were burning into mine. I turned to Cameroon and she gave me an agreeing nod.

I ran to the living room, leaving the door opened for Shannon and Cameroon to enter. I grabbed the phone and dialed Jared’s number. It only rung twice before he picked it up.

“Rowena?!” his voice filled with concern.

“Uh-huh,” I replied blankly as Shannon and Cameroon sat by the couch and studied their new environment.

“I was worried about you! I’m sorry, Rowena if I have upset you or anything bad like that. The girl was my cousin, Cameroon. She just came to New York last night!” he explained. “Rowena?” he asked after the long pause in between.

I exhaled loudly. “I hate you, Jared,” I joked.

“Why?” he asked, picking up on the hint of sarcasm in my voice.

“Because… you make me believe you even after what I saw today,” I answered.

He chuckled. “I miss you, Rowena.”

My heart skipped a beat at the last sentence he just said. “What?!”

“I missed you,” he repeated. “I’m sorry about what happened… the accident… the coma… I’m sorry for causing you so much pain and suffering,” he said.

“What are you talking about Jared?” I asked a little concern now.

“Shannon already filled me in with the details of what you did right from the day of the accident till yesterday. And I can’t be more thankful for it. I mean we just met and you actually stayed that long by my side even when I’m… well… basically dead,” he laughed nervously. “And I saw the jar of paper cranes. They must have taken you a long time,” he said.

I shrugged. “I…”

“Rowena…” he interrupted.

“Just call me Ro,” I corrected him on reflex.

“Ro…” He inhaled a deep breath. “Will you be my girlfriend?” he asked.

I was stunned by the question, completely caught off-guard. His question echoed within my head as I sat down.

“I know this is not a really good idea to do it over the phone but… I just can’t wait another moment to ask you that question,” he confessed.

“YES!” I answered suddenly, the mechanics of my brain finally started to function.
“What?!” It was his turn to be surprise.

I laughed and repeated my answer. A smile already forming on my face.

“Oh that’s great! I mean… we’re officially going out now! This is great!” he said, sounding like a teenage boy who had just gotten his first girlfriend.

I couldn’t help but laugh at his reaction.

“Mr. Leto. We have to run some more tests now,” a distant voice said from the other end. I heard Jared mumbling a few words to the person. “Rowena?”

“Yeah?”

“I have to go now. Got some scans I have to go through,” he said.

“Okay,” I sighed. “Take care.”

“I will. I’ll see you tomorrow then?” he asked in a hopeful voice.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Jared,” I confirmed.

“Great!” I could imagine him grinning on the other end. “Bye, Ro.”

“Bye, Jared.” I waited until the line went dead before I clicked on the red button. It was then when I realized I had wandered my way into my bedroom and Shannon and Cameroon were back in the living room. I went out to meet them and we hung out for a while. All the tears I shed this morning were gone and forgotten as they were replaced by the smile which was glued on my face now.