A day | ✓

Copyrights of Deanielle M. Leonardo

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

@Story created: 04/23/15

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A D a y

I've been married for five years. That's a pretty long time. A lot of people envy my marriage. It's romantic and ideal they say. But I beg to disagree. I no longer think the same. Maybe it's because I lost the passion along this married journey, I'm not sure. Have you ever had that feeling that you're starting to get tired of your life along with the people in it? That's how I'm feeling right now. I'm starting to get tired of it that I feel the same for my wife. She's just not the same person anymore. She consumes her time cleaning the house and dealing with other stuff that she had forgotten about me. Ditching my needs. Ignoring my attention.

I'm his husband! I also need my fair share of her. But most of it she pours to our child, the chores, and whatever women do. It's starting to frustrate me. The only time we had for each other now is when it is time for bed. Which is when I arrived, she's already sleeping. And when she's awake, the only time she notice me is when I messed up. She loves nagging me. Naaapakan nya na ang ego ko na minsan di ko na kayang manahimik pa pag inaaway nya ako. Sumasagot na rin ako. We fight, a lot. And that's the only thing we two do. We don't even go on dates anymore since our kid was born. Yes, it's that dilapidated.

So one time when my co-worker Ian got sick and couldn't go to an out of town seminar, I gladly volunteered. I took his spot. I persuaded the boss to let me which is thank God he did. When I got home, I told my wife that I was the one chosen and that I didn't have a choice. Yes, I lied. And I did it so I could have a break. A break in able to save my sanity.

Because maybe a break is all I need, I thought.

The seminar will only be in two days. Two days! Pero yung dalawang araw na yun na yata ang pinakamatagal na maiihiwalay ako sa pamilya ko. I took that a good thing. The perfect getaway.

Pangasinan is a long drive from here. Apat na oras ang nagugol ko sa byahe. When I left the house earlier, gising na si Allison, my wife. She woke up early to cook me breakfast. You won't go out there with an empty stomach; she preached that made me smile.

I still focused on my goal though: to have a break for a while. So when I arrived at the hotel where the seminar will be holding, I turned my phone off. I took a nap before waking up at 10. I grabbed a brunch then proceeded in attending the seminar. I literally shut down my thoughts only thinking about this seminar. Taking notes of important details that I need to report to my boss when I got back.

Later that day, the seminar lasted, it was already dark. Around 6 in the evening. I'm drained. And for once it's because of another reason. I ate supper alone. It's feels alien. I haven't eaten alone. I somehow hated that idea and now the feeling too.

I opened my laptop, logging in to Skype. Just minutes after, I got a call.

Allison Gorospe calling....

I accepted it. She welcomes me with a warm smile. For a moment there, I thought she was going to scold me for turning my phone off. I sighed in relief

I ditched my dinner and sat on the hotel room's bed. Carrying my laptop, of course. Kinamusta ko sila. I found out that she's alone. She explains to me that my parents borrowed our son for the night. Namimiss na daw kasi sila. Inside my head, I cursed. If I know this was going to happen, I should have stayed home. We could have had some alone time. Sayang!

She asks me how my day went. It started with that. Nagkwentuhan kami. It feels good. For once we're talking not fighting. I just then realized how we lack in communication lately. And now that we're communicating good again, it feels good. She laughed. That laugh which I admitted I missed crazy. I haven't heard that for a long time. All along while talking, no one notices the un-erasable smile we both have. The passion lost is now found.

Nakatulog akong kausap sya.

And when I woke up in the middle of the night, she's still on the screen. The laptop placed on the bed giving me a good view of her face while she's sleeping soundly. I haven't noticed that I'm watching her sleep. She looks peaceful and alluring.

Something moved. From the corner of my eyes. Umupo ako at tinitigan ang screen. Perhaps I'm mistaking or just imagining it. From where my wife's laptop is place, nakikita ko sa likod ng asawa ko ang pinto ng kwarto which is open so that I can see the living room now enveloped with darkness but I swear I saw something.

Something moved again so now I'm sure I'm not hallucinating. Kinabahan ako. Especially that it is moving more and that it's making its way to the bedroom. I opened my mouth to alarm my wife. But my voice came nothing. I couldn't speak.

By this time it is now standing behind my wife's sleeping figure. I can tell he's a man. Dressed in black with a tattoo on his wrist. I panicked. Slowly the man reached for the laptop, closing it slowly and careful not to lift it by accident so it won't expose his face or his identity.

I rushed quickly. Only grabbing my wallet and car keys. Leaving my other belongings in that room and then run my life to the parking lot. I'm lucky my room was in the ground floor. After that crazy running, next was a frenzy of driving. But I was too far away.

So even when I made the supposed to be four hour trip, making it two hours. I was still too late. In my mind, I said a prayer. Deep inside me there was still hope.

But that hope was crushed into pieces when I arrived home. The yellow tape 'do not cross' surrounded the house. They didn't let me in but I squirm from their hold and ran inside.

There she is. In the same place I last saw her. Our bed

She's still sleeping. I slumped down not being able to control my tears. She lay on our bed, her white sleeping dress tainted with blood. Police officers were taking some pictures. I pushed them away and got on top of the bed. I sat down next her.

"Wake up... wake up..." I gently slap her cheeks but to no void. Her body's cold and pale, fingernails white. I mowed.

Some polices took hold of me, getting me away from her. It's too late. Is it really too late? No. no. no!!

One police officer supplied me with some information. He said a neighbor called reporting a man broking in to our house. Couple of minutes after, that neighbors said they heard screams and loud grunts. My heart clenches. The man responsible was Ian. Apparently he's obsessed with Allison through the years. He even tattooed her name in his wrist. He planned everything and lied about being sick as an excuse to get to her.

"... I'm sorry for your lost" the police officer said before leaving me alone

I started to cry again. Who knew in just a matter of 24 hours my life went completely 180 degrees. How ironic. How atrocious. I pity myself. That life of mine that I used to refer boring... Now I do nothing but to wish to have that life back­­­­­­­­- her life back. It made me think, the perfect getaway is nothing but a catastrophe embraced by regrets.