All a Dream

Chapter 10: I'll never forget you, Althea.

I went outside the hotel and followed the flow of the wind....

"ALTHEA! COMEBACK!"

................

"Athena! Anak, wake up! Wake up, please! She shouted.

Mom was shaking me in bed with her hands on my arm as the medical assistants got out of the room.

"Athena, Why can't you wake up? You've been sleeping for 32 hours already!"

My eyes suddenly opened after a very deep sleep. I realized, I was in a hospital.

"MOM, NO  SHE'S GONE! SHE'S GONE, MOM AND WALA NA'KONG MAGAGAWA PA! COMEBACK... PLEASE, COMEBACK!!"

I gave a wide-looked eye as I woke up and burst into tears on my mother's shoulders.

"Athena, what's gotten into you? Bakit ka umiiyak? Ano ba nangyayari at bakit ngayon ka lang naggising?!"  she asked with a worried look on her face.

"I NEED TO GO SOMEWHERE"

I then quickly rushed out of the room, wiping my tears away from my face, and kept on running down the staircase.

"ATHENA, WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!"

Hindi ko na nasagot ang tanong ni mom sa kaka-madali.

................

"Taxi!"

"Where to? ma'am?"

"La Fueldo cemetery"

I headed quickly to La Fueldo Cemetery, where she's buried, to see her grave.

Habang nakaupo sa likod ng taxi, hindi ko mapigilan umiyak. Hindi ko na naisip sila mom and dad, dahil all I think about now is Althea. I want to see her grave...

A few minutes later...

"Ma'am, we're here"

Binayaran ko na agad 'yung taxi driver at dali-dali nang hinanap ang malaking puno na kung saan malapit daw ito sakanya kung sa'n siya nilibing.

.............

Nahanap ko na ito...

ALTHEA GABRIELLA  THOMPSON
(ALTHEA)
JANUARY 1, 2005 - JANUARY 1, 2005

Napaluhod nalang ako noong makita ko na ang libingan ni Althea...

"ALTHEA, ANAK!" mom and dad shouted.

Mom and dad followed me. Although, I don't know the exact reason why they knew I'd go here.

"Ano pong ginagawa niyo rito?" I asked while wiping my tears from my face.

But I can't help it... Tears kept on falling from my eyes....

"So alam mo na" was all mom said with an anxious face.

"Mom? Bakit tinago niyo 'to sa'kin?" I asked

"No..Let me be the one to explain, sweety" Dad insisted

"After your mom gave birth to you and your sister, a group of bad guys took you both outside the hospital."  He said this while tears suddenly fell from his eyes.

"H-how did that happened? Bakit? Bakit dad?"

" The one guy who was carrying you was caught by the body guard. Nang mahuli niya 'to, dinala kana nung guard sa loob ng hospital kaya hindi na niya pa nahuli ang ibang mga kasama nito, because he was the only one na nakakita. The other guys were with your sister. They took her in front of your school ngayon, where before it was filled with trees, but now it's gone at wala pa ang school mo noon dati do'n.... That's where they killed her, Athena."

Bigla nalang ako nanghina ng sobra, nahilo at onti-onti nang lumalabo paningin ko. Pinilit ko manatiling nakatayo at matibay. Ang dami ko pang tanong sa utak ko...

"Killed..? She was murdered? Bakit hindi ka nagsampa ng kaso, dad? She told me walang nakaalam ng pagkamatay niya. How could you and mom did this to her?!"

"Because your dad knows who was the one who killed your sister, Athena!" Mom immediately said.

"Joana! Bakit mo sinabi sakanya?! No!"

"No, Randy. She needs to know this, nahihirapan na anak natin."

"NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT EXACTLY??" I shouted

"NA HINDI KO TALAGA NILOKO ANG DADDY MO!"

"Mom...?"

"That was just an excuse para maghiwalay na kami...Your dad works with a drug lord, Athena. But that doesn't mean that your dad is a bad guy. He had no choice but to work with him. Noong nagalit ang boss niya sakanya dahil ang dami nang utang ng daddy mo sakanya na hindi niya mabaya-bayaran dahil kapos sa pera, his boss threatened him at nangyare na ang nangyare..Nag hiwalay kami ng dad mo because noong nangyare 'yon, he wasn't there by my side, Athena. Galit na galit ako sa dad mo. He was busy selling drugs to some business men when I was in labor...."

Mom explained everything. Wala na 'kong nasabi pa at nagawa kung 'di maiyak.  hindi ko alam anong gagawin ko...

tumalikod nalang ako sa kanila. Naka tingin sa malayo.

I think and I think....

"Nak, We're sorry. We love you. Say something, nak."

Hindi ako makapag-isip ng maayos...

As the wind passed through me, it felt like it was whispering something. Something that's not words but feelings that I deeply understand. It's like I felt Althea's presence....

ALTHEA'S POV

Nandito ako sa tapat mo, Athena. You can't see me, but I know you feel me. Through ups and downs, I will forever stay by your side. I will always be here for you. I hope the wind from me helped you think straight about what to do. Always choose what's right, Athena. I believe in you...

I hugged her with the spirit of me...

.................

ATHENA'S POV

Bigla nalang akong nilamig. Ganitong-ganito ang naramdaman ko noong nayakap ko pa si Althea. Ngayon, nararamdaman ko pa rin ang pag yakap niya sa'kin.

My broken heart suddenly felt as if it had already been fixed. Bigla nalang lumuwag ang pakiramdam ko.

I quickly turned around and hugged my parents...

"Sweety, please forgive us. We love you" mom begged.

"Dad, mom, I forgive you both for what has happened. Ang daming nangyare. The past is past, we can't change it back. What is important now is the present. I love you both so much. Sana maging maayos na family natin tulad ng iba." I said as my tears dropped.

"Mom...I'm so sorry. I've been treating you unfairly. Please accept my sincerest apology. I've been a terrible daughter to you. I apologize for everything."

I hugged her tightly...

"It's fine, sweety. I understand, mom understands. I love you." She said this in a soft tone while tapping my back.

..........

Mom then forgave dad for what had happened in the past. She chose to forgive him rather than be filled with rage in her chest, as I was.

Dad also hugged us...

I now feel genuine happiness, like what I felt when I was with Althea. For us as a family, this marks the start of a new beginning.

As for Althea,

Wherever you are, I hope you're happy to see us na magkaka-ayos na nila mom and dad. Thank you, Althea. For everything you've done. Thank you for the memories we've had in my dream. Even though it's only for a short period of time, it felt like forever. Salamat dahil sa'yo ko naramdaman ang pagkakaroon ng kapatid. Thank you for the pure love that we shared together, sister. We love you so very much. I'll cherish every moment we spent together for the rest of my life. Hinding-hindi ko 'to makakalimutan...

I'll never forget you, Althea.