It was on the subway train on my way to school where I first met him. I found it hard to speak to him as it was impossible because the train was crowded with noisy people in the early morning rush hour. It kind of bothered me, but it didn’t seem to bother him at all. We just stared into each other’s eyes and smiled for the longest time. It was the first time in my life where my smile didn’t creep someone out. His eyes and his smile made my heart leap with happiness, but then it started to hurt for some reason...
And then I noticed something weird…
Everyone and everything around me froze, except for the smiling boy that sat across from me. The boy stood up and walked over to me, his foot steps echoing throughout the train as he came closer to me and whispered into my ear saying, “It’s not your time yet…”
“What do you mean?” I said. “Not my time?”
“You shouldn’t be here.”
“Shouldn’t be where?”
“The train to the afterlife.”
“Afterlife…?”
The boy sighed, crossing his arms. “You don’t remember me?”
“On the train…we met before…” I said, clenching my chest. It hurt so bad.
“Correct…It was because of your kind smile that I was able to accept my fate.”
“Huh…?”
“It was on this train where we first met. You smiled at me. It made it easier.”
“Made what easier?”
“Dying. I was dying. Your smile…” He paused. “It reassured me that everything was going to be okay.”
“I’m glad I was able to help you…” I suddenly felt tears streaming down my face.
“Yeah…I didn’t want to pass on until I got to say my thanks, so thank you.”
I wiped the tears from my face. “Surely one day, we’ll be able to meet again, right?”
“It’s a promise… but for now, it's time for you to go back.”
Suddenly everything around us changed. We weren’t on that over crowded train anymore. We were in the hospital and I was looking at my lifeless body. The doctors and nurses were doing everything they could to bring me back to life, but it was to no avail…
But then the boy turned toward me and said, “Get in there” with a slight smile and a push. I was met by his smile yet again, but it was different this time. It was the kind of smile one shows another when they wish they had more time to be around someone they are fond of... It was his goodbye smile. Today:1
