I, Ache Vol. III

A Christmas Story | Prologue

She could feel the cool wind bite into her old, wrinkled skin as she sat on the veranda, waiting for her children to come home.

Divina Flores wrapped her shawl around her thin, frail shoulders as she leaned back on her wooden chair. She took a deep breath, breathing in the fresh, night air perfumed by the roses that never lost their bloom in their garden. She smiled sadly as she tried to focus her tired eyes on one particular shrub which her husband planted for her the year before. Somehow, seeing it and the other greenery he planted for her throughout their marriage made her miss him more.

She placed her hand on the empty chair beside hers. Even if it has been six months since she lost Ricardo, the emptiness never seems to fade. She could still feel his presence beside hers and she could even imagine him sitting there beside her, holding her hand and rubbing it like he always did for the last fifty years that they have been together.

Fifty years. Who knew that they would last that long? After 7 children, 7 grandchildren, not to mention the fights and the making up, she had loved her husband with all her heart and with all her soul. He was hers as much as she was his. She could truly say that he had  lived a good and long life.

She sat up as she saw headlights entering their long driveway. Ah, her first born, Siegfried and his wife, Mela,  was arriving. Divina squared her shoulders as she stood up to meet her son. Her first child that captured her heart, now a grown-up man with a family of his own.

She frowned as she remembered the last conversation she had with her Mela a few weeks back. She sounded so distracted and sad. Divina gripped her cane tightly as her thoughts wandered to her late husband, Ricardo, once again. Though their marriage was not perfect, they still made it work. She hopes that things will work out for her eldest.

Peering through her tired eyes, she wondered if her grandchildren are with them. The twins, Sabrina and Stephanie were a handful when they were growing up but they lit up their lives when they were born. And Harry, Divina sighed at the thought of Siegfried's youngest child. That boy will have quite journey and his parents should better be prepared for it.

Divina turned around as she heard a noise in the house. Her second-born, Athena, has been cooking up a storm the whole day.  She doesn't know why her eldest girl is still single up to now but she does not miss the looks that Athena has been exchanging with Salvador, their other cook the whole day. She may be old but she is definitely not blind.

She sat back on her chair as she waited for Siegfried and Mela to enter the house, smiling to herself  as she heard him say something dirty to his wife when they got out of the car. Yes, he certainly got that from his dad. Ricardo used to murmur naughty words into her ears whenever he would want to catch her by surprise.

Divina craned her neck as she saw another pair of headlights entering the driveway. She sat back with a sad sigh as she saw whose car it was. Her heart ached as her eyes followed the vehicle of her third child, Sebastian, a widower with two children, Noah and Samantha. He just lost his wife two years ago after their Christmas dinner. His children blamed him and she cannot fault them for thinking so. Sebastian is just so stubborn and it was one of the traits that he inherited from his late father.

Siegfried climbed the porch steps and was surprised to see his mother there.

"Ma! Kanina ka pa dito?" she could feel him blushing even in the dark as he bent to kiss her cheek. At his age, she could still make him feel like a teenager.

"Sieg, Mela, pasok na kayo sa loob. Daming niluto ni Athena atsaka dumating na nga pala si Andie, yung teacher ni Harry. Ininvite niyo raw?" she asked as she shooed them inside. "Ineentertain ng kapatid mong si Emile doon sa loob." Divina said as she knowingly took on the clasped hands of the couple.

"Hi Ma! Si Celestine at si David dumating na ba?" Mela bent to kiss her mother-in-law as she inquired about her sister-in-law who is newly married.

Divina chuckled, "Alam mo naman yon, bagong kasal. Baka mamaya pa yun darating."

"Ma!" Siegfried shook his head at his mom's quip. "Eh si Alix? Nakauwi na ba siya kung nasaan man lang siyang lupalop ngayon? Makakauwi ba? Naghahanap pa rin ba siya?"

His mother sighed, "Darating yon. Di rin niya ako matitiis."

Her eldest son bent to give her a hug and kiss. "Ma, pasok na kami. 'Wag ka masyado patagal dito. Yung mga apo mo, parating na rin."

"Sige, ayan na rin si Baste. Hintayin ko lang siya tapos sabay na kaming papasok."

She stood up knowing that she just lied to her firstborn. Though she will welcome her second son, she will certainly not go inside with him. She will wait for the rest of her children, especially her youngest who seemed to have lost her way. Divina was not entirely sure if Alix, the child of her heart, will come home tonight but she will wait as long as she can.