Flickers

Chapter 52

Meryl was quick to cower away from my attack and ran like a rabbit running away from the predator that was about to prey on her.

That's right, she better do cause if I get my hands on her I would strangle her life away for fooling me, her best friend.

"I'm sorry! It was Eric's idea!"

"No matter who's the idea it was I would kill you besides Eric has already been beaten by me, it's now your turn" she just quivers in fear and ran to hide from Faith which I think was just ridiculous. "Really? We're classmates you know?"

The look on her face was so funny I burst into laughter, I stopped my trick of frightening her and step away.

"I'm just joking, I won't really kill you, this is a lesson that if you mess with me again I'll do the same to you"

"You,- argh! You're too much!" I just rolled my eyes at her dramatic self and went to explain to Irish and the rest.

After I decided to give Eric a chance, I told him first that I want to look at his performance and be the decider when we would be together. Even with the chance that I have given him I still couldn't help the continued questions I have over myself.

Am I that uninteresting that he gets bored of me that quickly? Am I not pretty enough that he has to be fascinated by someone? Would I always be not enough for him to decide to be with someone else?

But with all of those questions, I tried to hold on to the love that I see in his eyes, his sweet and careful bearing, and the hands that have helped me through my worst days.

I decided to hold onto him for I believe in him and this time, I won't give him any more chance to discard it that easily.

...

November came in a surge and our home has never been so quiet before. In the past, it would always be my parents arguing over my father's consumption of alcohol and my mother nagging my brother and father at any point. I would sometimes leave the house but not before being given some extra money that my father secretly gave me since my mother would hit us with a spatula if she knew. My brothers fighting over some silly things as well as I and in short, the house would always be noisy at some times but today, we were all silenced by the absent presence of our father.

It has been 10 months, two more months and it'll be his first death anniversary, since my father's passing. It was still vivid to me, that painful memory located in the deepest part of my brain but somehow I could recall it easily.

It was still something that I haven't gotten myself to move on to, it's extremely difficult and for a while, I think that I wouldn't be able to move on to the fact that my father is already dead.

"Have you got the candles?" My mother asked my eldest brother, Richard, to which he replied by pointing his bag.

"What about the fans?"

"I have it with me" I answered and as soon as my mother saw that eveurhti is ready and complete, we were off.

The sky was a picturesque sight of warm hues, the afternoon rays gently embraced our skin as we leave the streets and enter the jeepney. Although the sun was about to set there were still a lot of people traveling to the panchon, it is much desirable after all since the sun wouldn't glare at you for hours and you wouldn't sweat like a pig. Plus there wouldn't be many people swarming in like ants in the same place.

(AN: Panchon is a cemetery but we call it panchon in the Philippines)

We took a few turns and it took us ten minutes before we find my father's graveyard, the ground we are stepping on was too narrow and it was very easy to step onto the graveyards so I could only apologize to those unfortunate dead people.

Luckily I managed to find myself a space since we were too crowded in the same place. My mother first took the candles out and lit them up before placing them into the lightly protruding cement.

All of us went silent except the occasional crackle from our feet due to the unintentional stepping off dead leaves, the children chattering as they cleared the graves off of melted wax and the birds tweeting occasionally.

(AN: Children living in the panchon do take the melted wax and sell it to someone, I think they sometimes melt it first before selling)

My eyes went over to my father's grave, it was still new since it was just ten months, some graves don't even have some names on them due to the passing of time.

It must belong for my father to stay there, some graves have two or three more people inside. Just thinking about his abrupt death made me want to sob again, it was just too unfair, I haven't yet finished my studies and haven't paid back his care for me all these years and he's already gone.

We didn't stay for too long, it was only half an hour but my mother's eyes were swollen red. It was uncomfortable to see my mother this fragile and including help but swing my arm with her.

She smiled at me before rubbing my head and then we left for home, sooner or later I would come here so that my father wouldn't get lonely again.

***
Chapter 52 is up!

Have a great day everyone and stays safe!

Make sure to VOTE. COMMENT. SHARE.

Thank you!