Once In A Lifetime

Chapter 2: Stranger in the Heart

"A mother's love is something
We keep locked deep down
In our hearts...."
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The sun was nowhere to be found when Denise was awakened by the sound of a side table alarm clock she had set the previous night. Still drowsy, she managed to grab and silence the alarm. She could not go to school this time, unless accompanied by parents or guardians. She promised the principal, she would come with them.

Yesterday, she ended in a principal's office with a bunch of teenagers who rummaged the chemistry lab for some chemicals to be used in an experiment but accidentally, they set the laboratory on fire causing panic and pandemonium to the nearby classrooms. Minutes later, the fire was subdued leaving a minimal damage in the room.

Hours after the accident, their parents came rushing in the school clinic, except Denise's parents or guardians. Her Lola and Lolo were too old to manage their way to school. Besides, they seldom  visited  her school.

In the clinic, Denise witnessed the emotional encounter of parent and child, a loving relationship, a look of concern, a touch of compassion from the parents of her classmates - all paraded before her searching heart. The only love she knew was from her Lola and Lolo. The love she felt for her father had been buried in the graveyard of her heart long enough to understand its meaning. She had mourned for the demise of this love for too long. But life moved on. Day by day, there was that unimaginable longing growing inside her. She could not describe what it was. All she knew, she was bereft... bereft of everything. Although life was moving on, but for this girl, it was towards an empty direction.

The clinic nurse, after examining the five of them, assured the parents that everything was fine. The students were safe although, some were in a mild shock due to the impact of explosion. But in few days time, everything would be normal.

The students were summoned in the principal's office for initial investigation. Some police officers were around to take report and document the accident. Their parents were asked to wait in the principal's lobby.

Dr. Kathy Lacerna, the school principal, was in a state of mixed emotions too, as she scrutinized one by one the conditions of the seemingly shocked students sitting in her office. She was there in the clinic, when the kids were being examined. Alarmed of the possible damage each of the students had sustained. When the results came out, she was jubilant, that the injury meant nothing as compared to what she had imagined. Now, the kids, still not in normal shape, had to face some inquiries by the police even against her will. She wanted the investigation be done when the kids were fully recovered. Yet, the police were insistent, promising that the investigation would do no harm to the students. She looked at them one by one before she let the police officers took charge over her students.

Norianna, a good-natured looking gal, was momentarily shaking in fear. Her long hair, tangled and burned, was the first thing caught by fire when they did the experiment unsupervised. Benjie, the group leader, sustained some minor injuries as he attempted to grab the fire extinguisher but stumbled on a solid edge ripping his left temple with blood. Now he was with a bandaged sitting silently, obviously in pain and unmoved in one corner of the principal's office. Next to him was Caroline, the soft spoken, well mannered campus beauty, who was still sobbing. She was being comforted by their chemistry teacher who rushed to her side when she saw Caroline became hysterical during the accident. Of the five students under investigation, she was the most affected. Kevin, on the other hand, talkative as ever, yet composed, was almost rhetorical in his narration as he kept repeating the scenes before, during and after the explosion. While Denise, although unharmed and unperturbed, managed to appear strong and unaffected, but her thoughts were wandering afar off.

Few minutes after the investigation, the police officers signalled that the kids could go now. The police officers excused themselves and went to the Chemistry lab for further investigation.

Dr. Lacerna thanked the students individually after she had talked with their parents. The students were assured that they would be excused for a couple of days until they were ready for school.

Denise was about to leave, when she was recalled in the principal's office. Wondering, she traced her steps back to were she was few minutes ago.

"You may take your sit Miss Romano."

"Thank you Ma'am." she slowly pulled the chair and adjusted herself for a comforting seat.

"Are you okay, Denise?" She just nodded without looking to her eyes, cautious that her deep-seated brown eyes would betray the contents of her heart.

"I just want you to know that if there are things that you want to talk with me, I'm always here for you...anytime Denise. Anytime." She reached out for Denise hand, encouraging her to talk. She sensed, the child needed help. She observed her from a distance, especially when the kids were on the school clinic with their parents. Those eyes were too vulnerable. Denise maybe  displayed a strong countenance outwardly, but the principal sensed that deep inside the girl's heart, there was an aching longing, an emptiness that only a mother could fill.

"I'm fine Ma'am. Don't worry, I can manage." She's lying. She managed, yes. But she's never been fine.

"Yeah, I know. You're a brave girl. But then, I want to talk to your grandparents about the accident. Please bring them with you, when you  can attend school tomorrow. Will you do that?"

"Yes. I will try Ma'am. Can I go now?"

"Yeah sure. It has been a hard day for all of us. But I want you to forget about the accident. It's nobody's fault. Okay?"

"I will. Thank you Ma'am." She walked slowly towards the closed door. Opened it. Then, glanced back to where Dr. Lacerna was. She saw someone in her - a stranger in her own heart. Someone she had no chance of knowing. Now, the stranger in her heart was shouting for recognition. She glanced back once more to Dr. Lacerna. This time, both their eyes met. Then she heard the principal saying to her,

"Denise, if you need help, I'm here for you anytime."

For the first time, she felt a mother's concern. How she wished, her Mama is still alive. She never had the chance of knowing her. But life moved on with her mother in her heart - a stranger that would always stay there.

She closed the door carefully behind her, just like closing  the door of her heart not wanting that anyone  - even Dr. Lacerna - could come in and take the space in her heart intended only for the stranger she always loved.

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