Being blind, Dian didn't want it, but it happened when she was sixteen. She was lonely, and she had gotten used to it by now. The doctor said she had "Closed-angle glaucoma" when she was fifteen. Closed-angle glaucoma is an eye disease in which the optic nerve is damaged in a characteristic pattern, the cause of her permanent blindness. She lost her friends one by one. She knew she couldn't depend on other people. So she had to learn to do everything by herself.
She chose to stay with her aunt in a village after her 17th birthday. It's been six months now. She helps her aunt in making handicrafts of rattan. Her aunt doesnt have any children, she treats Dian like her own daughter.
"Dian, honey, here is doctor Yudi. He'll stay with us from now on." Her aunt pulled her hand.
"Hello, I am Yudi, nice to meet you."
***
Yudi tried to find the address after reporting to the village hall that he was going to be the new doctor who was in charge of this village for two years. He met a woman called Mrs. Gamis. Very friendly one, she reminds him of his mom. She showed him his room and introduced him to some people in her house, including her niece. She's pale, but can't hide her beauty."I'm Dian, nice to meet you too, doc." She tried to shake his hand.
Yudi suddenly just realized, the girl who was standing in front of him and smiling at him was a blind girl.
***
Two months passed. Yudi was so busy with his job. He was the only doctor in this small village. Sunday morning, he just finished jogging and went home. He saw Dian who was watering the flowers in the front yard. After two months, he still didn't have many chances to talk to Dian. Several times Mrs. gamis invited him to have dinner together, he found out that Dian was so quiet. She only talked when someone asked her a question.
"Hey!" He poked her shoulder.
She looked surprised, turned around, "Good morning, doc."
"Hhmm Dian, what are you gonna do today?"
"I'm just gonna be at home as usual."
"I'm wondering if you would like to accompany me to the beach. People keep saying this village has a beautiful beach, but I havent had a chance to see it."
"Hhmm....I can't...." She tried to go into the house.
"Why can't you?" I held her hand.
"I just can't...."
"Dian.... it's not a bad thing to go out for awhile. You've just stayed inside the house since you moved here. Look at you, your face is so pale sweetie. You need that sunlight and it's out there. Go to the beach with doctor Yudi." Suddenly Mrs. Gamis was there.
"Auntie....I....."
"Consider it as you being a nice host to our guest. Accompany doctor Yudi to the beach.....ok?"
"It's okay Mrs. Gamis...." Yudi didn't want to force her.
***
Dian knew her aunt didnt want her to be alone all the time, so she decided to be friends with Yudi. Dian couldn't count how many times she'd spent her times with Yudi at this beach. Dian sat on te beach. Yudi looked at her pale face. He felt happy cause he could spend almost all of his sunday with Dian like this at the beach.
"Don't keep looking at me!" Dian said and suddely surprising Yudi.
"I don't...." Yudi turned his face and pretending to look some place else.
"Don't lie, I may be blind, but I can feel it when you are looking at me," Dian said again.
Yudi looked at her again.
"I'm serious. I'm afraid you might like me, " Dian said, standing up.
"How about if I already like you?" Yudi asked while reaching her hand.
"Don't!"
"why?"
"Cause I'm not good for your future, " She said while closing her eyes.
"You'll never know what will happen in the future, " Yudi said.
Yudi wanted to hold her in his arms when he saw tears welling in her eyes. He wiped them away.
"Don't waste your future for someone blind like me..." Dian couldn't finish her words, Yudi already embraced her. Dian was stunned, she thought she was dreaming, but she could smell his scent. And Dian realized, it was real, not just a dream. She was holding him back.
***
Last night, Neither Yudi nor Dian could sleep at all. It's already been two years, this morning Yudi had to go back to his town. It was not easy for Yudi to leave Dian there.
"Yudi, will we meet again?" Dian tried not to look sad.
"Definetely!" Yudi said.
Dian gave him her MP3, "You should return it to me when you come back here...."
***
"Hello?"
"Doctor Yudi?"
"Yes. Who is this?"
"I'm Mrs. Gamis...."
"Oh! Mrs. Gamis, how are you?"
"Hhmm, doctor Yudi, did u promise something to Dian?"
"Hhmm, yes...." Yudi was confused.
"Doctor Yudi, I just wanted to give you her message, " Said Mrs. Gamis. "She said sorry for not keeping her promise"
"What do you mean?"
"Dian just passed away this afternoon," Said Mrs. Gamis and Yudi could feel like his heart stopped beating.
"How....?" Yudi asked.
"She had an accident on her way to the beach...."Yudi was speechless.
"I think, her last wish was wanting to meet you..." She said again.
***
A year passed. Yudi was listening to his MP3. He could her Dian's voice there.
"Yudi, thank you for being here with me, Thank you for accepting me for who I am. You are the one true miracle of my life and I am glad that I could meet you. I just wanna say...I do love you."
"It's alright even if I am blind
It's alright even if I couldn't breathe
If I could just see you one more time
If I could just give you all of my heart
How much more do I have to miss you"
(Seohyun - Apa do gwaenchanayo)
