The Haunting Past

Chapter I: Christy

It was the cold month of November.

As much as I wanted to forget my mind won't let go from all those horrifying images.

All the terror experiences that new apartment brought me.

November 4, 2013

'Meow'

Peony climb the box I just lifted from the pile, I put it on the floor and started unpacking.

I picked up a family portrait.

It was my late parents, my older sister and me when I was 6 years old and her at 8. We're all beaming, a picture of a happy family.

But an incident happened a year after that family picture was taken.

Our small house was brought down by a raging fire one peaceful night.

Sleeping in the same room, my Ate woke me up as we were both coughing and choking with fumes everywhere, we headed outside and made our way to the front door, almost seeing nothing and barely breathing. It's as if my lungs are filled with gas already, my eyes hurt I can't open it.

As soon as we made it outside the house my sister declared,

'Humingi ka ng tulong! Babalikan ko sila mama, kailangan nila ng tulong! Bilis!'

She shouted and vanished through the thick black smoke of burning woods.

I was so scared and shaking, my tears bluring my hurt eyes watched her went back inside.

I forced my weaken knees to make a step, slowly yet surely, I went to the woods and finally reached to our 'neighbors' one kilo meters away from our house.

When I got back along with our neighboring folks, our house was down already, it was burning hot no one could get near, I watched in grief, all I was able to uttered was..

'Ate..'

while huge drop of tears run down my cheeks.

I felt a burning pain in my chest as I recalled the past.

It's still as painful as it happened 17 years ago.

I was raised by my Aunt Lenny and her family until I finished my degree in Secondary Education with the financial help from our City Government in Gapan Nueva Ecija.

I failed the Licensure Examination two times.

A bittersweet smile draw my lips of the thought.

Teaching is not what I love, but I wanted the board exam badly for my credentials but no luck for me.

My first love was Fine Arts but also wanted Mass Communication but our little community college didn't offer any, that's how I ended up with Education.

Right after college I went to Manila and work several jobs til I got a job in a Publishing Company, (finally) as a Chief Editor three years ago. And for 7 years in Metro Manila this was my third move in a new apartment, the closest yet the cheapest so far  in the CBD of Ortigas.

My flashback memories was interrupted by a call, from someone I call my Bestfriend/Sisters for three years now since I started in the company.

I took it from my pocket and answered.

'Hi'

'Hey how are you doing?'

'Great, still unpacking'