Life is full of difficulties. It always involves a lot of hard work, tough decisions, and painful losses, all set against a backdrop of insecurity. Our best efforts are made to deal with life's challenges by doing the best we can.
We live under the shadow of an unsettling fact: life is deeply unfair, no matter how carefully we plan our lives.
A hot summer afternoon, Celestine was summoned by her father and when she was about to enter his study room, she heard him talking to another man.
"Dan, please, take her away."
"But sir, she's your daughter--"
The old man was interrupted by the yell of her father, she shivered by the coldness and anger her father held.
"I don't care! She's a nuisance! Take her away! I don't want to see her again!"
After hearing that, she knew what will happen to her on that day.
"Celestine, starting this day, you're going to live with Mr. Francisco," the first and last thing that she heard from her father before leaving the house where she grew up.
At the age of 5 years old, Celestine grew up with maids with her, her mother died right after she was born, her father was so focus with work that he doesn't even glance nor even laid a finger at her.
Then the first time her father spoke to her and also the last one, was in fact she was going to leave her own house.
She stared at the small house that was standing in front of her, she don't know what to say, but all she knows is that she must obey father, or else father will abandon her.
"Celestine.." a middle-aged man called her name, she don't know how to respond so she just stared at him with blank stares.
The man sighed and another boy showed up from inside the house, the boy was smiling and he looks like the man who is she with.
"Papa!" the boy yelled and approached them.
The man ruffled the boy's hair and they talked.
"Have you finished fixing her room?" the nodded in response.
"Come!" the boy held her hand and dragged her inside the house.
She was so shocked that she don't know what to react, but she let herself be dragged by the boy. She analyzed the boy and thought that he might be older than her by 10 years.
The boy brought her to a small room, the room is clean, it also has a bed, the room is decorated with white paint and there's even a small table and chair in the middle.
"Welcome home, Celestine!" the man and the boy said in sync.
The same day, this two boys held a celebration for welcoming Celestine into their home. Celestine being herself, she just smiled a little and didn't talk.
"Papa, does she ever speak--ow!" the boy was interrupted by his father's elbow.
"She is still not used to this, after all, she hadn't been treated as a family at her own home.." the old man whispered to his son.
"Oh"
Celestine silently ate her small cake and some food that was prepared. As she was finishing her food, the boy walked near her and touched her face and wiped it with a white napkin. The boy smiled at her and brushed her hair.
"You eat a little messy, sis!" the boy mockingly said.
Her cheeks became red when she heard the word, 'sis' is he a sibling? she thought.
