As Alex drove towards Lia’s house, Alex had a lot of thoughts running through his mind, but when he reached her home, he hoped that everything would be fine. He knocked on the door, and her mother opened it. He asked, “Is Lia at home? She hasn’t been coming to college, so I thought I should visit and see if everything is okay.” Her mother replied, her voice heavy, “I know, Alex. She hasn’t been coming to college lately because she has cancer. Her treatment is going on, but she doesn’t have a lot of time left.”
Alex’s heart skipped a beat, and he was shocked. Still, he asked, “Can I meet Lia once?” Her mother replied, “Why not, Alex? I hope she feels better after meeting you.”
Alex entered Lia’s room. He saw that she was sitting on her desk and she was writing something, but as she turned around, she quickly closed the diary and said, hi Alex, how are you? Alex could sense a positive energy around her. Lia was shocked and excited at the same time. She was so happy to see Alex and gave him a warm welcome, but he could see that she was not her old self. Though she seemed happy, Alex could feel the weakness in her as she had been staying in her room for weeks. Alex asked, “Lia, is everything good?” She said, “Alex, you are my best friend.” (Alex didn’t know that). “I don’t want to keep secrets from you. I have cancer, and the doctors say it’s terminal. I don’t have a lot of time left. But I have one wish list with the things I want to do before I die.”
Alex, broken inside but not wanting to let Lia see his sadness, replied, “What are the things on your wish list?” Lia handed him the list:
THINGS I WANT TO DO BEFORE I DIE:
• VISIT THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD
• A CHANCE TO MEET AK (A FAMOUS DJ FROM INDIA)
• A FUNDRAISER FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE CANCER
• WATCH Anand (a Hindi movie she used to watch with English subtitles; it was her favourite movie)
• ________________________
She told him, “These are the only wishes I have. Not a single more.”
Alex knew this was his last chance to be with her, so he did what any rational person would do. He went back to the hostel, brought his MacBook to Lia’s house, and said, “Lia, let’s do this!” In front of her, he started a fundraiser named “Lia’s Last Wish.” Then they watched Anand together. After four hours, two of her wishes were done. But Alex saw something: the fifth wish was not written. When he asked her about it, she said, “I’ll tell you at the end.”
The next week, Alex planned a trip to visit the Seven Wonders of the World. The plan was to see all of them in one month. Alex finalized all the locations and booked the flight tickets.
On Monday, they departed for Rome to see the Colosseum, which was the first wonder. They spent a few days in Rome, and then they travelled to Jordan, where they visited the second wonder, the ancient city of Petra. After a few cosy days in Jordan, they headed to Latin America, reaching Rio de Janeiro, where they saw the third wonder, the Christ the Redeemer statue. After partying for a few days in Brazil, they went to Mexico to see the fourth wonder, Machu Picchu. After spending a couple of days and eating half a dozen tacos, they went to Peru to see the fifth wonder, Chichén Itzá. A few sweet beans later, they boarded their longest flight to Beijing, where they visited the sixth wonder, the Great Wall of China. After two days of sightseeing, they boarded a flight to Delhi, and upon arrival, they booked a cab for the seventh wonder, the Taj Mahal. The next morning, they visited the Taj Mahal, and Lia got an amazing surprise—she met AK! She thought it was a coincidence, but Alex had already contacted AK’s manager, explaining Lia’s medical condition. AK was more than happy to meet her.
After spending some wonderful days in India, they went back to England. However, two days after their return, Lia’s condition worsened. On the third day, cancer won, and Lia passed away. But she left a lingering question—what was her fifth wish?
Determined to find the answer, Alex rushed to her house. In her room, he found a box labeled, Memories, Do Not Open. Alex opened it and found a note that read, I knew you would find this. Now that you’ve opened the box, read the diary. In the diary, Lia had documented every day since they met. She also wrote about her cancer and how she had been fighting it. After reading through the diary, Alex found a letter. It said:
Dear Alex,
If you are reading this letter, I am probably dead. I also know you must be thinking about my fifth wish. I kept it a secret because I always wanted to tell you this, but I was worried it would ruin our friendship. I liked you, and I wanted to confess my feelings, but I was afraid of losing you. My fifth wish was to confess my feelings to you…
Alex rushed to the church. Everyone was sad, and just moments before her coffin was about to be closed, he went near her and whispered, “Lia, I LOVE YOU.” Tears dripped from his eyes. He knew it was too late, but in the back of his mind, he realized the memorable moments they had spent together were worth it. She had lived to the fullest and was happy during that time, but the grief remained in his heart. Wiping his tears, he watched her for the last time as the coffin was covered.
The End.
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