Hair Touch

Everybody likes Andrea’s long, straight black hair; some envy her for having that lavishing hair. Every girl in her school turn their heads whenever she passed them by; her classmates love to make fun with her hair and sometimes, the boys that is close to her tries to caress it.
Her hair is outstanding! And whenever she was asked what she did to her hair, she always answers “Shampoo and conditioner. I also make sure that I rinsed my hair thoroughly so it won’t feel sticky.”
“Pero bakit ang lambot-lambot ng buhok mo? Eh gano’n din naman ang ginagawa ko sa buhok ko eh.” Grace asked for more, while she’s combing Andrea’s hair.
“You’ve encountered a lot of hair treatment, so I’ll suggest na dapat i-hot oil mo din yang buhok mo.”
Grace just shrugged, and kept combing Andrea’s hair, noticing some strands are falling, but she didn’t mind it.
Andrea and Grace are friends since their freshmen years in college. Grace actually fell in love on Andrea’s hair since she thought that it’s amazing and one of a kind. That’s why she befriended Andrea, and now that they are in there sophomore life, they still stick together.
Grace loves to experiment Andrea’s hair because her friend always let it loose and never tried to put accessories on it or tuck it with just ponytail – this must be the reason why Andrea manage to have a perfect straight hair.
According to Andrea, she never put any chemicals on her – even hair polish, gel or hot oil. She makes it natural so the natural nutrients won’t be destroyed. “Maarte ka kasi!” Grace said – her usual answer.
Andrea will laugh it out and cuddle her friend.

One night, Grace become weary, and somehow become bothered; she can’t sleep. She keeps on glancing on Andrea’s picture – looking happy while holding a lollipop trying, to put on Grace’s mouth.
Grace smiled for a while and tried her best to sleep, luckily she did.
The next morning, Grace didn’t see Andrea; she checked every place that Andrea would go to, but no luck. Grace even asked her some classmates who know Andrea, but it seems she never show to school.
For two weeks of being invisible in school, Grace become worried and decided to go to Andrea’s house, and hoping that somehow she can talk to her friend.
As Grace approaching to Andrea’s house, she saw Linda – the maid on Andrea’s house – sweeping their garage. “Te, nand’yan ba si Andrea?” Grace asked the maid.
“Naku, ikaw pala Grace. Wala si Andrea ngayon dito, nasa ospital s’ya apat na araw na nga s’yang nando’n eh.” Linda answered.
Without hesitations, Grace asked the hospital where Andrea was confined and went straight to said hospital. And it’s almost past one in the afternoon when she got to the hospital.
After asking where Andrea Baldemoro’s room, she went straight to it and immediately found the room that she’s been looking for.
She took a peek on the private room and saw Andrea, she’s alone and staring blankly out of the window and looking so sad.
Grace softly opened the door; Andrea was somehow surprised to see her friend slowly walking to her. “What are you doing here?” Andrea asked with a welcoming smile to her friend that was approaching to her.
Grace, on her wittingly attitude replied back, “I should ask you the same question, what are you doing here?” then she laughed.
Andrea laughs at her friend’s corny joke. Grace sat beside Andrea, and then caressed her hair, but when Grace was about to reach Andrea’s hair, Andrea took her hand and hold it like she won’t trade it for anything.
“Tell me, what’s wrong?” Grace asked her friend who’s still holding her hand.
“Nothing, it’s just that I’m gonna miss this hand.” Andrea replied with a sad tone. “This hand protected me, love me and adore me for who I am – especially my hair. Hahaha…” She added, trying her best to keep the blue away between them.
Grace felt a little bit odd to her friend, but she kept quite and sat still.
Andrea lay her head to Grace, “When I was a 4th year student back in high school, I was diagnosed with Leukemia.”
Grace’s eyes open widely with shock. “But --”
“Yes, you might think I’m healthy these past few months, but I’m not. Somehow I got cured, but it was just temporary. I keep taking medicine and had check ups always, but I’m getting tired of it.” Andrea allegedly spoke up before Grace can say something. Liquids formed to Andrea’s eyes, but she makes sure that Grace won’t see it.
Grace knows the weight of her friend’s dilemma, so she gently caressed her friend’s hair – to feel her support. On doing this, she noticed strands of hair are pulling out on Andrea’s head. She looks further now on Andrea’s hair and she noticed that it’s getting thinner. Somehow, she understands why Andrea keeps her hair long and she stays away from hair chemicals. When she fix Andrea’s hair and put it on her side, she noticed some bruises that formed to Andrea’s shoulder up to the back of head. Grace really felt sorry for her friend.
“Grace, you must take care always, especially your health. And don’t worry about me… I will be alright. I’m getting tired anyway, so maybe I need a rest. Will you stay beside me and hold my hand until I fall to sleep?” Andrea asked as she laid her body to the bed.
Grace just nodded and helped her friend to lie down, holding her hand. Knowing what might happen to her friend, she tries her best not to let down a tear from her eyes. Grace sat beside Andrea and fell asleep too.

Grace woke up when she felt someone cold hand caressing her hair. She opened her eyes a little bit and took a glimpse on the wall clock; it says 6:30 in the evening. Then she saw a lady that looks like in her age. She’s wearing a white dress and somehow glowing, what she noticed is the hair; it looks like Andrea’s hair.
“Take care my friend, I’m always watching you. Don’t worry about me, I will be fine.” Said the lady, then the apparition vanished into thin air.
Due to shocking experience, Grace finally woke up – in reality, she never knew if what happened a while ago was a dream or real. Then, she felt something cold was holding her, it was Andrea’s! With teary eyes, she called someone for help!