Zechs slowly sank onto his sofa. Noin’s voice was still with him, “It’s too late, Zechs” He closed his eyes, he saw the face of Noin. She was smiling happily when he asked her to love him. Her dark eyes were so deep, yet they shone like diamonds with sparks of joy. He still remembered how she looked when she found the baby deer near the Academy and also how she smiled in the parties of the rescuers three years ago. “Why is it too late?” he puzzled. He thought of many possibilities and at last got too tired of them. It was his last day of his two-week holiday and he had to station in L4 for two months before his next holiday. “I’ll ask her two months later.” he thought. He wanted to ask Noin, but he was not free to do so.
Nearly two months passed, Zechs finished the last piece of work before his holiday started. He was planned anxious and planned to go to Lake Victoria Academy, where Noin would work there for her next mission. He never realized that he cared for her so much, and he really wanted to know why she said it was too late for him to ask her to love him. He has packed his things already and was reading a small note. He smiled, it was the note that Noin wrote in the Academy many years ago. He kept it because it was the only letter he had received from a friend. Suddenly the telephone rang. “Zechs,” it was a soft female voice. “Lady Une, good evening.” Zechs answered, puzzling why she did not call him Wind and also said things in a soft way. “I hope you haven’t slept yet.” she said. She seemed very careful in speaking. “Oh, not yet.” Zechs replied, guessing what she wanted to say. “So, you’re going there tomorrow?” she asked. “I’m going to Lake Victoria Academy.” Zechs said, he smiled at the thought. “Don’t you know that?” Lady Une was a little bit surprised. “Do you know where Noin went in her holiday?” Lady Une continued. Zechs thought for a while, “I just know it is somewhere on Earth.” Lady Une seriously said, “Zechs, I know it’s difficult to stand but please let me finish. Noin went mountain climbing two months ago. She was with other eleven mountaineers and they wanted to conquer a mountain called K2 in Asia.” She paused; Zechs’ blood went cold, “Yes.” “The weather was not stable in the high mountain. The back-up team has lost contact with the climbing team members.” Lady Une tried carefully to choose the wording. “Then?” Zechs asked nervously. “It has been nearly 2 weeks since they last got the news from the climbing team members, including Noin.” Zechs was stunned. “Zechs, are you still…” Lady Une asked with concern. “Where’s K2?” Zechs asked abruptly interrupted her. “It’s north to the Indian Peninsula. For the details, maybe you can check the atlas.” “Yes, sure. Thanks, Lady Une, for telling me.” “She’ll be all right.” He tried to comfort himself. “She can always take care of herself.” He then booked another ticket which would take him to a town near K2. He also brought the little note written by Noin.
Next morning, he received a phone call from Lady Une. He was disappointed to know that Noin was still nowhere to be found but he was glad that Lady Une gave him a telephone number of the rescue team. He read the map over and over again. K2 was just a small point on map. He has flied over it several times before, but he never viewed it from ground level. What did it look like? Why did Noin want to climb this mountain? He sighed; he then realized how little he knew about Noin. They were the best friends of each other. He knew her way of thinking when she worked very well. She was a strong soldier, with a strong mind and strength. However, he knew little about the other side of her. He just knew that she felt sorry and guilty towards her parents’ death. Also, she loved her home and the mountains. “Please be all right, Noin.” Zechs thought.
When he finally arrived at a small inn in a small town near K2, he immediately phoned the rescue team. First, he asked whether they found Noin or not. The news was a bad one. Not only Noin has not been found yet, the whole searching had to stop due to the extremely strong storm high up in the mountain. It was the strongest storm in twenty years, even stronger than the storm ten years ago. The rescuers had to stay back and wait until the storm died down. The rescuers did not even know where the climbing team members were. They did not sure whether they had enough clothing and food. They did not know what happened up there and why the climbing team lost contact with the back-up team. Generally speaking, they knew nothing about the climbing team and could not do anything to help them. All the news has dragged Zechs to the land of disappointment. He demanded himself to stay calm. Then he asked how he could get there. “I’m sorry. But you can’t help anything, even you come.” the man politely said. “I’m just asking how I can get there?” Zechs lowered his voice. “You have to walk six days in order to get here.” the man said. “What?” Zechs’ heart screamed. “Aren’t there any transportation vehicles?” Zechs said dryly. “No, except helicopters.” Zechs’ throat went dry, he could not produce a sound. He could do nothing to help her.
For the next five days, Zechs was nearly driven mad. He had nothing to do but poked about for the news. He was deeply worried, nothing could distract him. He did not feel hungry or tired. He just wandered around, thinking all about Noin. He even wanted to walk to the base camp of the rescue team.
Noin struggled to open her eyes, the wind was too strong. She shivered all the time because she was very cold. She did not know the temperature and the time. She curled like a ball and sat on a platform. It was a big piece of ice, and it also sheltered her a little bit. She has not eaten anything for five days. Some of her teammates lost their balances on the soft snow and rolled down slope in the storm. She did not remember what things followed, but she just knew that after some accidents, she was left alone, somewhere 6000m above sea level, in the midst of a storm. She began her journey back to the base camp but the storm became stronger and stronger and it blocked her way. At last, she found the shelter and stayed there waiting for help. She slowly moved her eyes to a black thing near her. It was plastic-like. She slowly reached her hands out and held it in one of her hands. She looked at it and smiled with great effort. She looked up, “What a sunny day!” she thought. She began to lose her consciousness. A gust blew over her, she felt warm. “It’s wind. Yes, Wind always brings me warmth.” Then, she took a long sleep.
When Zechs heard that Noin was found, he was very excited. He quickly went to the hospital. He waited anxiously and nervously outside the operation theatre. He kept wandering around the corridor. Noin had been sent to the room for six hours already and nothing was heard from inside. He just saw doctors running in and out of the room. He could not get any information from them, all he could do was just to wait .
Zechs’ look was empty and lost. No language or even wording in the world could describe his feelings at that moment. Although the walls of the hospital were spotlessly white, he felt he was in endless darkness. “Why?” he uttered. “Why do the ones I care most in my life have to leave me so suddenly?” His face showed no expressions. He was standing in front of a big window with the curtains drawn close. His heart was aching so strongly that he felt as if it were broken. The curtains were drawn open, he could not believe his eyes. ‘That thing’ was not Noin, it couldn’t be. ‘It’ was wrapped heavily by bandages on the limbs and with tubes penetrating in and out. The boring, high-pitched sound from the life-sustaining machine was heard, indicating ‘it’ was still a living thing. Suddenly, someone tapped gently on his shoulder; it was a man with a familiar face. “Zechs? Do you still remember me?” No response was given from Zechs. “I’m Mario; we’ve met in the party.” Zechs nodded his head slightly. “Here’s a letter from Noin to you, she wrote it before the expedition.” He handed the white envelop to Zechs who slowly took it. His hands were shaking as he opened the envelop and read the letter.
Dear Zechs,
When you read this letter, I think something bad his happened on me. Don’t be sad, I’m prepared for it. Zechs, I’m sorry that you are not the first one to know the news. I think if it is Lady Une who told you the news, you’ll feel better. You’ve been my best friend always and will be forever. Thanks for the happy memories, especially those in the Academy.
Zechs, I have to tell you something, but I don’t know how to tell you. We can never forget the things happened in the past or suppress the memories, they are deep inside our hearts. Just like when you throw a stone into a pond, there will be ripples for a while and the water will be calm again, however, the stone will still be at the bottom of the pond. I know you still blame heavily on yourself about your past and you want to reject your memories. Zechs, although you did some thing wrong, your idea was right. You did not mean to hurt so many people. The most important thing is that you’re now doing the right things. I just hope that one day when you look at your past again, you can feel comfortable with a care-free mind. Start your new life, you can choose to live happily with the one you loved in the rest of your life.
If I’m lucky enough, I’ll meet you parents in the heaven. I’ll tell them what good children they had and I’m sure they’ll be proud of you.
Your friend,
Noin
Zechs let his tears flowing down his cheeks. He finally knew what Noin was thinking in these years. When he read the letter, he thought he heard Noin reading the whole letter to him. Her voice was so caring. He has heard that many times before, but could he still hear it in the future? Finally, he was permitted to go into the ward. Noin was suffering from pneumonia, hypothermia and some physical injuries. The doctors have tried their best to save her; they took the dead tissues away from her limbs. She looked as if she suffered several blows on her face, even she fought in the war, she would never suffer like that. Zechs slowly sat down near her, examining her. “Noin,” he pleaded. “Please don’t go away… don’t go away like this.” Her hands were wrapped in thick bandages, he held her hand and caressed it gently. “Noin, I’ll be here for you. Try your best.” Although the doctors thought Noin could not live for more than a day, little by little, she managed to survive after the long day.
It was then three weeks after Noin had admitted to the hospital. She was still in critical condition and her condition was stable. Zechs has stayed in the hospital for nearly twenty hours each day. He did not want to leave her alone to fight. One day, Mario found him. “Zechs, you look tired. Go home and take a rest.” he said. However, Zechs ignored him. Mario shook his head, he knew that Zechs was weary and he needed a rest. He sat near Zechs, “Have you heard that Noin was holding something when she was found?” Mario asked. Zechs looked at him puzzling. “It’s Uncle Noin’s body. After ten years, Noin has finally found her father.” Zechs asked, “Did Noin’s father die in the K2?” Mario nodded, “Do you like to go with me and bury him near Noin’s home?”
