THE WOMAN WHO CAN BREATHE UNDER WATER
"Grandma! Grandma!"
Celestina ran to me, holding a familiar tattered newspaper on her hand. She beamed in excitement as she approached me in my rocking chair, all smiles and eyes twinkling.
"I found this, Grandma!" She handed me the newspaper, looking so adorable and excited. "That's you, right!? You were so beautiful—well, not that you're beautiful but you were more beautiful in here!" Then she pointed the young woman in the paper, her teeth were perfect though the picture was taken black and white. Her long hair was hanging loosely and some strand were covering her angelic face. Celestina grinned at me. "That's you, right!? It's you, Grandma!"
I enthusiastically patted her head. "Where did you get this?"
She pressed her lips into a thin line. "Please don't be mad when I say the truth."
I slowly rocked my body together with my chair, soothing myself. "Of course, Celestina. Tell me the truth."
"I..." she pouted. "I went to your old room to find some... errr... old toys. Then I found the newspaper under your bed. At first, I wasn't interested then I saw the title and your picture."
I chuckled slowly.
"Is it true, Grandma? You can breathe under water!? I wanna breathe under water, too! Teach me how, please..." she bat her eyelashes on me. "Pretty, please... please, Grandma..."
I shook my head, oh this little girl. She even grabbed my hand and pleaded more. I hushed her and let my five-year-old granddaughter sat on my lap. Though she's a little heavy.
"The newspaper says that you stayed under water for a year!" she read as her mouth dropped open. "Wow! Is this your hidden talent, Grandma? Why didn't you tell me!? I want to discover my talent, too!"
I could only give her a smile.
"Tell me what happened under the sea, Grandma! You stayed there for a year... so you ate seaweeds or raw fishes? Have you tried eating jellyfish, too!? How about seahorses? That's gross but still cool!"
My face crumpled at my granddaughter's conclusions. Eating jellyfish? Seaweeds? Seahorses? That's beyond the limit.
"I have something to ask..." she suddenly looked stunned for a moment.
"Spill, Celes."
"Have you seen Ariel...?" her eyes narrowed at me. "Have you reached their Kingdom? Please tell me you have seen mermaids!"
I couldn't take it anymore and bursted into laughter. Celestina jutted her lower lip and stubbornly crossed her arms.
"Why are you laughing, Grandma? Am I a joke to you?"
"Celes, if you want to know what Grandma did under the sea, you better close your mouth and let Grandma speak, clear?"
"Did Grandma Aly know this, too?"
I smiled.
"Why you guys didn't tell me since the day I was born!?"
"Do you want me to tell you or not?"
She acted like zipping her mouth and nodded.
"Very good. So where will I start?" I closed my eyes as I reminisced the memories 80 years ago...
"Avah!" my brother woke me up and even removed my sunglasses. I covered my face with my palm when the sun strikes directly at my face. "Come, join us at the beach!"
"Later, Ros!" I rolled my eyes and snatched my sunglasses from him. "I don't feel like swimming anyway."
"Come on, Av. You can't stay at your lounger for the whole fucking day!"
