Transfer

A Story by Rubyjewels

Just a draft

WAYA OTSANA!” I wake up to the ear shattering sound of my Fathers scream. “Will you take my cold for the day? I have an important business meeting with the council.”

My mother sighs exasperated and replies “Tate, your almost done with it, I’m sure it will pass.”

I attempt to drown out the loud voices of my parents and sit up, rubbing my blurry eyes. I unplug my DR (dream recorder), my favorite birthday present from my brother, Conan. I dress in my classic faded blue jeans and purple tank top. I lumber out of the door, and into our spacious white kitchen. I sit down with my parents and Conan at the breakfast table, where the table takes our orders. This is a rare occasion, finding a time when all of our busy schedules allow us to meet. However, there is little talk between us.

In an attempt to be helpful, and start a conversation, I say to my dad, “I’ll take your cold, but just for the day. Nothing important happening at school anyway.”

As we touch wrists, my dad says “thanks Waya, I owe you one.”

I take the Rail to school. The Rail is a large bus that hovers over the ground. It’s called that because it used to run on a rail, but I guess the name is a little inaccurate now. The only other people on the Rail are an old, tired looking couple and blonde haired boy, about my age, slouching in the corner. I decide to take a seat next to the boy. “Hi, I’m Waya Daciana.” I say as a toss my long black hair behind my shoulder.

He looks at me intently and says “I’m Lowell Aatu.” His crystal blue eyes make me uneasy. He has those eyes that make you feel as if they are looking straight into your soul, flipping through all your deepest secrets.

“Headed to school?” I ask.

“Yeah, Eastwood. It’s my first day.”

“I go there too. You want me to show you around?” I offer

“Uh, sure” he replies. We don’t speak for the rest of the ride. I play a game on my tablet, while he gazes out the widow and twiddles his thumbs.

When we get off, I am prepared to show him around school, but as I turn I find he has disappeared into the crowd of students blanketing the large lawn outside. I searched the throng of people for my best friend, Wilk. She spots me first.

“Waya!” she called.

I spin around. “Hey Wilk.” I answer groggily.

“Look at this!” Wilk exclaims excitedly. She clumsily pulls something small out of the pocket of her long grey coat. I can’t believe what she is holding.

My eyes widen, “Is that an iPhone five? How did you get that!” I exclaim.

“Shh.” She says, pulling me around a corner “My dad got it for me for my birthday.” Wilk’s birthday and mine are on the same day.

“But those are, like, antiques! It must have cost a fortune!”

“My dad knows a guy. Plus, I know he’s been saving up for this for years.” She says a little smugly.

As the bell sounds, we are forced apart by the flood of people pouring into the building. I head off to history. As I sit down at my usual desk, I am surprised to see Lowell a few rows ahead of me. I smile at him, but he doesn’t see me.

The rest of the day went by in a blur. Unfortunately, I barley saw Wilk for the rest of the day. Because of my cold, I was really feeling cruddy, and a double period of math at the end of the day didn’t help. However, In science, one of my favorite topics, we were studying dogs. Every day I wish I was alive the time when it was legal to keep dogs as pets. Now, the few remaining dogs are guarded on wildlife reservoirs. I kept seeing Lowell all day - in the hallways, at lunch, in the Digital Library. After the exhausting school day, I join go to sit under the one remaining tree in our schools campus to do my homework. Conan and I always do our homework here, but unfortunately, so do many other people. When we find a secluded spot, I unfold my tablet, and my homework slowly is projected in front of me. Before I can start though, Conan distracts me by trying to engage me in one of our many pointless arguments. “Conan!” I exclaim, playfully slapping his leg. “We’ve got to focus.”

“OK!” he says, laughing. Suddenly I notice Lowell staring at us from around the corner of the building. I wonder why I didn’t see him before. What I presume to be his Mom is talking to a few other women I don’t know behind him.

“What are you staring at?” I snap, annoyed. Is he stalking me?

“Sorry.” He mumbles embarrassed. “its just you and your brother remind me of my sister and I. Before I can respond, his mother abruptly stands up. Her pink skirts flowing behind her. I wasn’t even aware she was listening to our conversation.

“Lowell!” she says in a scolding tone. “Come here now. We are going home.” I catch him look back at me once, before hurrying away with his mother down the sidewalk.

That night, I can’t stop thinking about Lowell and his Mom. Such an insignificant event, yet it plagues me for hours. He is hiding something, I’m sure of it. After pacing the floor for a while, I decide to message him, but when I check my silver wristlet, I see he has already beaten me to it. The message simply says: Hey.

I type, We need to talk.

I get a response instantly. Meet me outside of Lupa’s Coffee. Now.

Despite his bossy tone, I do end up meeting him. Lupa’s is only a few blocks from my house. My parents aren’t home so I tell Conan I’m going to meet a friend.

“Oh, Waya’s got a boyfriend.” He teases, not looking up from his tablet. I don’t dignify that with a response.

I sit on the hard metal chair at the coffee shop and wait for Lowell. I occupy myself by ripping A napkin into smaller and smaller pieces, Until I see his familiar worn out sneakers across from me.

I look up, and we are both silent for a while (except for my sneezing) until he says “It was one year ago. My sisters name was Hemene. She was only 18. “ Uh Oh.

“What happened?” I ask sympathetically. “Did she…die?”

“No” he answers. “But with the way my family acts she might has well have. Hemene got pregnant, one year ago. My family, instead of getting the law involved, gave her a choice. Abort the baby, or you are no longer a part of this family. Hemene kept the baby. I haven’t heard from her since. Mom and Dad still want me too pretend I am an only child, but I miss her so much.” Lowell is at the point of tears. I don’t know what to do, so I try to cheer him up by sharing stories about Conan, like the time when Conan tried to give me a haircut with safety scissors. We sit there, talking, laughing, and even crying, for at least another hour. Finally, Lowell stands up. “Thanks for talking with me Waya.” He says gratefully. “It really helped.”

“Thanks for meeting me here. Maybe we can do this again sometime?” I ask hesitantly

“Definitely” he responds. Definitely. i walk away, swinging my arms and smiling. I am the happiest I can remember being in months.

The next morning, I am still elated from the night before. I spring out of bed and slip into the most colorful clothes I can remember wearing in a while. Today Is going to be a wonderful day! At lunch, I tell Wilk everything about Lowell, skipping over the more private details of our talk.

She leans over her PB&J sandwich and says “Well, do you like him?”

I Look down at my own lunch, twirling my spaghetti. “ Yeah, I like him a lot.” (THATS an understatement!)

She stage whispers excitedly, “So are you guys, like, going out now?”
I giggle as the bell rigs for us to return to are classes, and pick up my tray. “I don’t know, but I hope so!”

Lowell and I sit together in history. We don’t talk much, just a few words here and there, but it isn’t awkward. We are going to meet up at the tree to do homework together tonight. I just can’t wait for school to end!

I didn’t know I wasn’t whole until I found my other half. Lowell completes me, I don't know any better way to say it. He is the one I didn’t know I always wished for. He’s the one I want to spend forever with, the person I want to wake up next to, every day, day after day.

I am a wolf, and he is my moon.

I stroll cheerfully on the way to the tree. I think of Lowell, of his warm smile, his ragged jeans. I am in love with every thing about him. I sit down against the rough bark of the tree, and check my watch. I have some time before I have to meet Lowell, So I go to a health check booth, just for a checkup. It takes in my information, and I wait outside the booth for fifteen minutes while it prints.

I hum a song to myself about love and the spring. I forgot exactly how the words go. After daydreaming and thinking to myself for a few minutes I hear a ding and I duck inside the booth to get my paper. When I see the results I take in a sharp breath. All the blood drains from my face and my heart skips a beat. Suddenly, I feel like I am outside of myself, watching this happen. I don’t fully realize what has happened until a few minutes later. That’s when the tears come. No! This can’t be happening to me. Not on a day like today. Not when things are going so well.

No. I can’t have cancer.

How wrong I was about today.

I stumble home in a daze, not at all paying attention to where I’m going. The street is deserted save an occasional stray. I turn the doorknob with my numb fingers and enter my house. Nobody’s home. The kitchen is dim, lit by only a small lamp. I curl up into a ball on my bed, tossing the papers carelessly aside. I stay like this for countless minutes, until, almost an hour later, I hear a knock at the door. I am too tired to answer. I expect it to be my mom or dad, but then Lowell storms raging into my room.

“What the hell, Waya?” Of course, I remember our date, but it hardly matters if I am just going to die soon anyway. I will have to tell him sooner or later.

“Lowell,” I say, hushed, my back still to him. “I am going to die.”

For a moment, he looks stunned. Then he recovers and says, “God Waya, if you didn't want to go out with me, why didn’t you say it instead of making up crazy stories?” He chuckles. “I mean, there are better ways to ditch a guy.” He is about to go on, but then i turn around and he see’s my tears. “Oh Waya” he says, falling down to the ground next to me “ Please, for my sake, please say this is all a joke.”
I shake my head, causing a tear to make a spot on my grey carpet. “Its not, I’m sorry. I have cancer.”

He starts crying with me now. “Waya, Waya, I can’t loose you. You are the only thing I have to hold on to. You have to be okay.” He sobs.

Suddenly, he springs up. “But its all going to be okay right? Cant your dad just sign you up for a transfer? I mean there are hundreds of people who would be willing to take your cancer.“ He starts pacing around the room, and it’s clear he thinks its a great idea “It will be like none of this ever happened.” he whispers, almost to himself

“No” I say rather calmly “Lowell, you can’t tell my father. You can’t tell anybody” I stand up and grab his hand urgently.

“But…Why? Do you want to die? Just have your dad get you a transfer and life will just go on as usual!”

I shake my head “Lowell, I can’t. Giving this to somebody else would be…Murder. Don’t you see? It would be just as bad as if I stabbed someone with a knife. I don’t want to kill anyone.” I look into his eyes, hoping he will understand.

Lowell’s jaw clenches and he gets very serious. “Well, I can’t just sit here and watch you kill yourself, Waya.”

I yell “No! Lowell!” but he has already run outside and out of my sight.

I know what I have to do. I can’t hide my symptoms forever. I am going to have to run away. That night I pack a bag of some freeze dried, “Just add water” foods, three canteens of water and some clothes. I don’t need money. I’m not going to live very long anyway. I say a silent goodbye to my parents and hurry out the door. It is the darkest night of the week, no moon to be found. The stars, scattered like broken shards of glass, provide the only light. I shiver, and consider briefly running back inside to get my jacket. I decide I don’t have time. I huddle down, and start on my way to who knows where.

Theres only one person I will truly miss. It breaks my heart to leave Lowell behind, not even warning him of my departure, not having a chance to say goodbye. I wipe a tear from my check. Being without him is killing me. I guess it doesn't matter, though, when I’m going to die alone out here anyway.

ONE MONTH LATER

“No! NO! You can’t do this to me!” I struggle to look up at their faces.

The police officer responds “I’m afraid its not up to you anymore.”
I never thought Lowell would tell, never. I trusted him, and he told. He must have. Nobody else knew. I can’t believe I loved him. I can’t believe I still do. How stupid I was to think anyone actually loved me. I hope that when this is over he will look at me and see all the damage he has dealt me by turning me in. It is unforgivable. I guess, though, thats the price you pay to love someone. Suddenly, i remember something. “I know you can’t make me do this.” I say, desperately trying to struggle out of their grasps. “You need both people to be willing to perform the transfer.” I feel a sharp pain in my arm.
The police officer says “No dear. Only one of you has to be willing.” I scream in despair.

Then it all disappears in darkness.

HEMENE

I slid down the grey wall of the large office building. This is the third job I have been rejected from this week. I rest my head on my hand. I can’t remember the last time I slept, it must have been nights ago. I look down at my beautiful baby, asleep in her makeshift carriage. Nashoba. I finally found a family that will take her as their own, no questions asked. The only problem is that there is a fee. An extremely large fee - and I have no way to pay it. I can’t even pay for our food much longer, and lately I have been giving most of my share to her. I look into Nashoba’s big blue eyes, so joyful. She has no knowledge of all our troubles. When I can’t bear to look into her innocent face anymore, I look up. Suddenly I see the answer to all of our problems.

A sign directly above my head has a picture of a smiling young woman and reads “Can’t pay? Become a transfer today!” Below the words are a summary of directions on how to sign up. This is a golden opportunity! I can get payed for nothing, just taking some rich kids cancer.

Nashoba will have a chance for survival, even if it means I won’t

I get into Doctor Susi’s sleek black car with Nashoba, who is playing with a stray lock of my hair, giggling. Soon, we arrive at the Daciana estate. I hold Nashoba tightly and enter the house, Doctor Susi behind me.

I meet Waya in a large white room with no windows or doors. Strangely, Waya is heavily tied to her chair. I open my mouth to say something just as a young, handsome boy pops in.

“Waya, I’m sorry! I found the papers in your room and-

“It was you!” Waya screamed “Conan! What the hell! How…How could you?” A single tear runs down her cheek, but she tries to conceal it. “ How could you do this?” She says, hushed.

“If I’d known you were so vehemently against having a transfer I wouldn’t have turned you in!” Conan moves his arms when he talks, exasperated, and oblivious to his sisters tears.

“Wasn't the fact that I didn’t tell you enough of a hint! Ugh I can’t believe you! I can NEVER forgive you for this Conan!” Waya is screaming now, her face bright red.
Conan says, more quietly “Its better than having you dead, Waya. I don’t think our family could bear losing you.”

Suddenly, another man comes in the room, a man that I presume to be her father. I witness all this silently “Conan. Leave.” The boy does instantly. “Waya, your brother did the right thing by telling us.” She shuts up, but scowls defiantly at her father. Mr. Daciana looks at me. “Are you ready?” he asks.
“Yes.” I say, confident I am doing the right thing.

“Well, I will go get Dr. Susi and we can perform the transfer immediately.” He leaves. Waya and I are alone together.

Suddenly she says, “Why would you do it? Why would you choose a slow, painful death by cancer?” She doesn’t look at me.

I smile and say, “For my baby. I would do anything to help her survive.”

Wayas face goes deathly white as she looks up and stares straight at me. Her voice trembles “What did you say your name was again?”

As the Doctor and Mr.Daciana burst back in to the room, I say “Hemene”

“NO! DOCTOR! Wait!” she screams “I know this woman! You can’t make me do this to her!”

That’s ridiculous. I have never seen her in my life. “WAIT- But it is too late.

Dr. Susi grabs our hands, pulls them quickly together, and our wrists touch.

It’s over.