It was a one chilly afternoon in Springfield, Illinois, Chicago when detective Rios came to fetch me for a cross- questioning in connection to what had happened to me and Aldous. My mother does not approve of this, however, I am determined to do what is best for me and Aldous. He is already dead, nothing will ever bring him back to life and I have to make sure that justice will be served before us.
"I hope you don't mind waiting for a minute, Detective. I just need to dress up for the interrogation."
I went upstairs, to my room and sat down on my bed, staring at the picture of Aldous from the table beside my bed. I took a sweatshirt and a coat from my closet then I could not help myself but to look outside. I can clearly see from the window that there was snow falling already, a sign that the fall is about to end.
I went ahead and wore the sweatshirt and the coat and checked myself in the mirror. While looking at what I am wearing, I had a sudden flashback of memories from when Aldous was alive. Maybe it was a mistake that I have to see things that will remind me of him in times like this
"I am sorry for letting you wait that long, detective. Shall we?"
I never have realized that the police cars have a small back seat. I was sitting with my leg wide open. It took us less than fifteen minutes before we reached the police station. We went straight to the interrogation room. Detective Rios excused himself for a minute because he needed to get some documents that are needed for the case.
While I was alone, I thought and enliven how everything had happened that night at Beilfuss park. It was a nightmare that holds and keeps me in the past. It had been three days since that tragedy had happened but feels like it was just yesterday. I can hear him shouting "Don't touch her", the blood spilling from his mouth was so vivid.
When Detective Rios came back with all the documents I started to narrate to him how everything that had happened, starting from the text message he sent me to meet him at Joe's Restaurant for a dinner until the moment I woke from a hospital bed with bandages on different parts of my body.
When the interrogation was done, I called my mother to fetch me up from the police station. While waiting for her to arrive, I went to the comfort room. I was in front of the mirror looking at my face. The bruises on my face were too obvious, the concealer did not work so well, I guess. My body was still sore but I wanted to get everything done.
Soon as we got to reach home, my mother started to nag me out again on why I should have not dated a gangster who never cared about anything. I chose to just shut my mouth because it will only escalate the situation if I answer back to her but the last statement she had was unacceptable.
"If only I knew that raising a child here would bring me and your father misery then I should have let you stay in the Philippines. I'll be bringing you back home, Erica."
"But it's not-"
"No more buts. After all of these, you need to go back to the Philippines."
I tried persuading my father to let me stay in Chicago but I failed. I know they were only thinking about my welfare. I was only in love, I am a good child but it's just that it so happened that we were caught in a bad situation that we should not be involved with.
I went to Aldous' wake on that night. His body was cremated so I was not able to see his face again. I could not help myself but to cry in front of the vase where his ashes were. In my silent cry, questions started to wreck me inside.
"Why did this happen? I miss you so much but I just can not do anything. You are gone, gone forever. Why did you leave so soon? I thought you said "forever"? Is this what you meant when you said it? What happened?"
I could not control the tears that are incessantly falling from my eyes. His mother went to hug me and I was glad that she did it because I really needed it.
"It is okay, Erica. He may not be here with us, physically but I know he is watching us from heaven. He would not like seeing you sad."
***
It took sixteen days until the suspects were found. Aldous' case was not that complex since we have presented strong evidence. There were CCTVs around the area and their faces were clear from the footage. There were also text messages that were retrieved from Aldous' phone coming from the suspect that were threatening him. A month after he was buried, the suspects were already convicted.
