Chapter 36 – Her Final Gift, Sealed with Memory

Nat’s voice buzzes through the speaker, dead serious.

“Okay, babe, this next part looks easy, but don’t be fooled—there are traps. Like, actual traps.”

I glance at the intricate, beautifully aged puzzle box sitting on the old wooden table. It gleams under the soft sunlight slipping through the slatted windows of Marina’s house, dust particles dancing around it like flickering memories.

“…Alright, let’s do this,” I mutter, bracing myself. “Guide me.”

“Start with the 8-by-8 grid on the top plate. Push tile number 8—bottom-left—straight up. Then the center tile, number 5… yeah, that one? Push it to the right. A hidden hole should click open. Then number 1, turn it downward.”

I follow her instructions like a soldier defusing a bomb. Every click from the box sounds like a ticking clock counting down to something far more than just a mechanical surprise.

Clunk.

Another lock disengages.

“Got it.”

Around me, the room holds its breath.

Marina’s mom sighs deeply. “Ya Allah, Marina…” Her face is a soft mix of nostalgia and exasperation.

Everyone else? 😅

Me? I expected this.

“Alright,” Nat breathes. “Last part. This is the one I hate. Marina’s ‘surprise finale’.”

“Wait, there’s more?”

“Yeah. Press that round button.”

Click.

Suddenly—static. Then a crackling recording plays:

“WELCOME TO MARINA’S WORLD, YOU DORKS!!! YOU ACTUALLY OPENED IT! HAHAAHAHAHAHAAH!”

Marina’s voice echoes from beyond the grave, playful, unhinged, full of life.

Cue twin mom facepalms: 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️

“EKKKKK! MARINA!!!!” Nat shrieks through the speaker like an anime banshee.

I chuckle, shaking my head. “Still a troll even in death…”

“Okay, time to end this. This last mechanism is sound-based. Marina was a tech wizard, remember? One wrong note and it resets. We need… music.”

“M-music?”

“Yup. Babe, bring the speaker close. I’m gonna sing.”

Record scratch.

“…you what now?”

“SHUT UP. NO ONE INTERRUPT. THIS IS IMPORTANT!”

The room freezes. Everyone leans in. The moment is electric.

Then, Nat sings.

Her voice—clear, vulnerable, beautiful—fills the room like sunlight pouring through a cracked window. It's Kate Bush – Running Up That Hill, the song they always joked about, always played… always hated how it got stuck in your head. And yet now, it’s magical.

Even Mariam sparkles. Her eyes go full ✨anime-shoujo-mode✨.

Priscilla and the others gape. Me? I’m stunned.

As the final note fades into silence—

CLICK.

The last lock opens.

“CONGRATS, NATALIE! You finally opened it! Took you long enough, genius! Five years!! BWAHAHAHAHA!!!”

“DUMBASSSSSSSSSSS MARINAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!” Nat’s scream nearly shatters the speaker.

Mariam's jaw drops. “YOU COULD SING THIS WHOLE TIME?!?!”

“SHUT UP MAR!!!!!” comes the reply.

I chuckle again, despite the tears starting to sting the corners of my eyes.

“Okay…” Marina’s recorded voice softens now. “If you two made it this far… then it means I was right. This box… this ridiculous box… was always meant for you both. For Nat… my best friend. And Alex… please, look after her. Don’t mess this up.”

Another voice chimes in, loud and proud:

“YO! BRO! IT’S ME, FAIZ!!”

I freeze. So does Nat.

“You better not be cryin’, bro—okay fine, cry a little. But seriously. You were the best friend I ever had. And I’m glad you found Nat. You two are impossible and stubborn as mules… but perfect for each other.”

Nat sniffles on the line.

Me? I’m already wiping tears from my eyes.

“See you next semester, dumbass. HAAAHAAHAHAA—peace out!”

And just like that, silence returns.

Mariam quietly whispers, “Those two… they never really left, did they?”

The puzzle box finally clicks open.

Inside—like a forgotten time capsule from a life once lived—rests a sealed folder stuffed with photographs, a battered VHS tape labelled in Marina’s unmistakable scribble, and a letter… folded tightly, worn on the edges.

The weight of it all hits me in the chest. Their final gift. Their final message.

Nat’s voice, soft through the speaker, cuts through the stillness:

“Thanks, Alex… for not forgetting them. But… I’m curious. What did she put inside…?”

I wipe the tears from the corner of my eyes and force a crooked grin.

“…Dumbass. You’re crying more than me.”

Mariam leans over, squinting at the tape. “VHS? Dang… that’s old school. Vintage vibes.”

Marina’s mom chuckles, walking over with something bulky in her hands. “Well… you’re in luck. We still have the player here. It’s ancient, but Marina insisted on keeping it. Said, ‘It’ll come in handy when you least expect it.’ Typical.”

Nat suddenly perks up over the speaker.

“Wait—Aunty, didn’t Marina rig a satellite uplink for video calls too? Like, that weird sci-fi contraption she built with Faiz?”

Marina’s mom nods. “Oh yes. Right this way…”

She opens a wooden cabinet. A thick line trails out—somehow still functional. The entire thing looks like it was pulled out of a 1960s sci-fi flick. Antennas, dials, wires wrapped in insulation tape. We hook it up with the VHS line.

Static buzzes.

And then—a black-and-white image flickers to life on the monitor.

It’s Natalie.

Live.

No delay, no glitches. Just Natalie sitting there, wearing her oversized glasses, hair a tangled mess of French curls, academic papers stacked like a fortress around her.

Mariam points and howls. “BWAHAHAHA!! Girl!! You need to fire your mirror!!”

“SHUT UP, MAR!!” Nat barks, flustered, “Alex… don’t just stand there!! Say something!!”

“…Nice curls.”

“I swear I’m going to murder you through this screen.”

Sylvia steps forward with an elegant grin. “So… the elusive rival appears.”

“You must be Sylvia. Hello.”

Priscilla gives a casual salute. “Oi, g'day, Professor! You’re the one stealin' this bloke’s heart, huh? Real piece of work, you are!”

Hana leaps into frame, clinging to the screen like a koala.

“BIG SIIIIS!!!”

Nat's face softens. She waves gently.

For a second, everything stops. The nostalgia. The grief. The weight. It all pauses.

We’re all together.

Even if it's just for a moment.

“Alex,” Nat says gently, “Let’s do this properly. One by one.”

“Which first?”

“The letter. Just… read it. Out loud.”

I open it carefully. The ink has smudged in some parts, but Marina’s handwriting is unmistakable—chaotic, bold, and full of sass.

“Alright, here goes… Dear Nat, my bestie… my partner in crime… soooo, you actually opened this? Took you long enough, genius. Honestly, I gave you five years max. Looks like I was right!! HAHHAHAHAHA!!!”

“EKKKK!!!” Nat slams her fist on her desk. “DUMBASS MARINA!!!”

Mariam’s already wheezing with laughter. 🤣

“Keep going…” Nat groans.

“I know that a really suspicious box reached you through the mail, congrats on surviving my weird post-scheduling magic. Shoutout to the confused postman. Don’t ask how I pulled it off.”

“OF COURSE I’M ASKING, YOU TIME-TRAVELLING MORON!!!” Nat yells.

“…You done?”

“NO!! Keep going.”

“Anyway, Nat. If it’s Christmas and you're reading this, then… I guess I didn’t make it. But that’s okay. Because this message isn’t about me. It’s about what comes after. And why I never told you.”

Everyone quiets down.

Even the static from the monitor fades slightly.

I take a deep breath.

“The truth is… someone was targeting us. Wan came to me. Said Alex was a problem. Said if I didn’t stop you and him from being together, there’d be consequences.”

Natalie’s face goes pale.

“Faiz was already staying over. That night, Wan watched the house. Said if we didn't comply, he’d come after our families. But I knew… breaking you two apart? That would destroy both of you more than anything else.”

I glance up. Everyone is frozen.

“So I smiled. And I lied. I told Faiz it was fine. That I wasn’t scared. But I was.”

Marina’s mom covers her mouth. Tears well in her eyes.

Nat’s voice trembles. “…That idiot…”

“And then…”

I can’t stop the grin.

“Also, the first time I met Alex, he looked like a street rat—scruffy, angry, and totally out of place. He got bit by Koby, that Ms Jackie’s massive dog. And he still came back. That dumbass.”

I glance at the flickering screen.

There she is—Natalie. Laughing, crying, wiping her glasses in frustration while hiding her red eyes behind her curls.

“She really remembered that…”

She mumbles with a half-laugh, but I can feel her heart bleeding through the screen. That memory of the past… still alive.

I glance back down at the letter. It’s longer than I thought.

But then I notice something strange.

“…Huh?”

Two kinds of handwriting.

One sharp and sassy—definitely Marina.

The other one…

I squint.

“…This one’s Faiz’s.”

I read out loud:

“Bro… mane kate? Dah lamok kate dok bersua… thanks for playing this dumb puzzle Marina made. Fun, right?”

Me and Nat, in perfect sync, deadpan:

“No.”

Mariam bursts into laughter, nearly choking on her drink. “Pfft—‘mane kate’? That’s so Malay!”

I keep reading. Marina’s words return—playful, chaotic.

“Also! There’s lots more inside this box. Hope you guys like it. And oh… Alex, there’s something specialjust for you. You’ll definitely love it~ ❤️😉”

I blink. Nat immediately flinches on screen, eyes twitching.

“Oh no… no no no… please don’t tell me… Not that...”

“…Huh? What’s going on?”

Nat starts mumbling to herself, shaking her head.

“That crazy gal… no way she’d include that… right…?”

I continue reading, slightly worried now.

“P.S. One of the items is with Jenny and Luna. Yep! That one. Wink~ wink~ Nat, you know what I mean! ❤️”

Natalie’s whole face turns red.

“No… no way… MARINA!!”

I read the next part aloud:

“Alex… don’t nosebleed~! 🤭”

I blink. “…What the hell… Marina…”

My mom and Marina’s mom both sigh at the same time.

“Mashallah… That girl really…”

Everyone in the room: 😅
Me and Nat: 🤦🏻🤦🏼‍♀️

Sylvia leans closer to me, with a teasing smile.

“Well then, darling~ Looks like someone’s got fan mail.”

Nat’s eyes narrow into ice-cold daggers.

“Sylvia... you're lucky there’s a screen between us…”

She’s smiling. But her aura is pitch black. Like a boss battle was about to start.

Yup. This is scary Nat.

I quickly change the subject.

“R-Right. Ahem. The tape…”

I gently push the VHS into the player.

A low mechanical whirr. The static fades.

And then… it begins.

A montage.

Clips of us from years ago. Childhood. Laughing. Screaming. Dancing. Crying.

“Huh…?” I blink. “How did she even record all this…?”

There we are—me, Faiz, Marina, Nat, all of us. Back in America.

One scene shows Luna hugging me.

Then—smooch! She kisses my cheek.

“OH GOD—WHY IS THAT RECORDED—!!”

Everyone bursts out laughing as I slap my own forehead in shame.

Amin starts slapping my back, wheezing.

“BROOO!!!! I didn’t know you were like that! Monkey mode unlocked!!” 🤣

Even Sylvia and Priscilla including Hana are laughing.

There goes my cool older brother reputation—scattered to the wind like broken pixels.

Then comes a clip of Natalie.

Wearing a full Victorian dress. Poised like some rich noblewoman. Hair curled perfectly.

She turns, looks straight into the camera—

“I-IS THAT ME!?” Nat shrieks.

Mariam's already on the floor. “HAHAHA! I knew it!! You looked like a walking tea set!!!”

And then—another clip.

Me and Nat playing in the garden, muddy shoes, tangled hair, wild grins.

We both say in sync:

“Was Marina stalking us!?”

But then… the screen flickers again.

And there she is.

Marina.

Sitting on a swing under the warm light of an old porch lamp. The camera's a little shaky, but her voice is clear.

Nat freezes.

“Marina…” she whispers, barely able to speak.

“Hey, Nat. Hey Mom. If you're watching this, then I guess… I’m not around anymore.”

“Don’t cry, okay? Please don’t cry. Because I wanted this video to be happy. Just like old times.”

Her tone suddenly shifts. She turns and looks straight into the camera.

“Nat… I have a confession to make.”

Wait—what?

She stands up and spins dramatically like she’s on some soap opera.

“Sorry, Faiz. I know I loved you… but actually, it was love at first sight when I met Alex!!” 💥

My jaw drops.

“HUHHHHHHH?!?!?!?!”

“Yep! Love at first sight, people!! That scrawny little brat who got bit by Koby—the DOG—he stole my heart!”

“But Faiz was trying so hard to impress me, so I kept quiet. And then Nat… well, Nat got stuck with Alex. And I just stepped back.”

I am speechless.

Nat is covering her face.

Mariam: “WOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWW”

Amin: “Bro…you got TWO girls fighting over you?”

Priscilla: “Crikey, you’re a real bloody harem protagonist now.”

Sylvia: “Well, it’s not surprising. My darling is dangerously charming.”

Me: “SOMEONE PLEASE KNOCK ME OUT.”

But Nat… she’s crying again.

Silent tears. But she’s smiling.

Because even through the chaos and teasing, the love behind Marina’s voice is real.

“So, Nat… Alex… if you’re watching this…”

“Thanks. For making my life beautiful. For making Faiz laugh again. For being my besties. Forever.”

“And Alex?”

“Please… look after Nat. Even if she’s a scary genius dumbass.”

“And Nat?”

“Never stop being a weirdo. That’s why we all love you.”

Then she leans in close—Marina, with that cheeky grin like she’s whispering a forbidden spell into the lens.

“This… is my last gift to you. But I think there’s still more waiting. You just haven’t found it yet…”

The screen flickers.

Then—

Boom.

A video starts.

And—

“W-WHAT THE HELL MARINA!!!??!”

I nearly throw the remote across the room.

“SYLVIA! COVER HANA AND STEWARD’S EYES!!”

“On it!” Sylvia rushes forward, slapping her hands over Hana’s and Steward’s faces with the speed of a ninja mom.

“What’s going on—HEYYY!! I WANNA SEE TOO!!” Hana protests.

“No you don’t!” Mariam grabs a pillow and hides her own eyes.

Yup… it’s exactly what I feared.

The rumors were true.

On screen, a music video begins playing.

…A music video starring them.

Marina, dressed in lacy crimson lingerie—posing like she’s in a fashion commercial.
Jenny, in some bizarre cowgirl outfit with dangerously low-cut jeans and a hat to match.
Luna, giving off her usual dangerously seductive vibe in her barely-there club outfit.
Even Natalie… even Natalie is there, wearing a silky, low-cut nightgown—blushing but still singing along like it’s just another day.
And to top it all off—Phylis joins in too, arms crossed, but still swaying to the beat.

They’re all lip-syncing to Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill.”

“WHY IS THIS A THING?!?!” I scream, gripping my forehead.

Everyone in the room: 😳😏

Amin is wheezing.
Sylvia bites her lips, trying not to laugh.
Mariam is hiding behind a couch cushion.
Hana’s trying to peek between Sylvia’s fingers.
Steward just keeps giggling.
Even the moms are like—

“Ya Allah Marina…” 🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️

And then—

“Bro… bro… your nose…” Amin pokes me.

“Huh?” I blink.

Drip.

Oh crap.

I’m nosebleeding.

Everyone: 😏😏😏😏

Hana: “PFFT!! Big brother’s broken!! HAHAHA!!”

Nat, on the screen, is glaring at me like she’s about to nuke the planet.

“DUMBASS ALEX!!”

Welp. I’m dead.

“Look, I didn’t ask for this!!! MARINA DID THIS!!!”

She throws her glasses down dramatically and points at me.

“YOU’RE STILL A PERV!!!”

“HOW IS THIS MY FAULT!?”

Eventually, the chaos settles.

Just a little.

Mariam walks over, holding a photo envelope.

“…Well. Shall we look at the last picture?”

We all go quiet.

But Nat’s voice echoes through the speaker, suddenly unsure.

“W-Wait! Don’t open it just yet.”

“Nat?”

“…I can’t… I don’t think I can bear to see it.”

I pause, glance at everyone, then slowly nod.

“…Let’s finish this, Nat.”

I open the envelope.

Everyone crowds around the screen.

What falls out…

…isn’t embarrassing.

…it’s not a prank.

…it’s not chaos.

It’s a photo. A precious one.

A picture of all of us.

Together.

Eid al-Fitr. Just days before that fateful Christmas.

Me in my black baju melayu.
Faiz standing proudly behind me.
Marina in her soft green kebaya, smiling brighter than the sun.
Nat beside her, in her navy blue kebaya with intricate embroidery, her curls dancing in the breeze.

We’re all there—laughing. Smiling.

Untouched by the future.

A perfect moment. Frozen forever.

I break.

Tears stream down.

Nat's already crying.

Marina’s mom quietly places a hand on the screen, her eyes trembling.

“…That group picture… taken just before Christmas.”

Yeah.

That’s the memory.

The one we can never go back to.

“Is there anything else?” Nat sniffles, wiping her eyes.

I glance back inside the puzzle box.

“…Wait.”

There’s a hidden compartment.

I slide it open gently.

And inside—

A pendant.

Simple. Silver. Worn from time.

I open it.

A tiny picture of three girls—Nat, Marina, and Luna—smiling, arms around each other, under the Arizona sunset.

“Nat…” I show it to her through the screen.

She gasps.

And then chokes back a sob.

“Please… Alex… Could you keep it for me? That pendant…?”

I nod silently.

“…Of course.”

Marina’s mom steps forward. “I’ll have the postman send it. Just like how she planned it.”

“…That girl really thought of everything, huh.”

“Yeah. Dumbass Marina…”

We all smile. And cry.

A beautiful mess.

“Well,” Marina’s mom says with a bittersweet smile. “Thank you… all of you. I really feel like Marina’s spirit is finally at peace.”

Me and Nat—at the exact same time:

“Really?! After that lingerie dance number?!”

The room erupts with laughter.

And for the first time in a long, long while…

…it finally feels like we’ve come home.