[ COACH ] Fall
[ SONG | ARTIST ] Ringing The Bells For Jimmy | Johnny Cash
[ WATTPAD WORD COUNT ] 1,473 words
The snowflakes fell like they were dancing with the gentle December breeze. I lifted my hand and in my palm was cold water. My mind registered an odd feeling of a tinkling sensation, like the water was acid that created a hole through my palm. I stared and continued to stare at it for another five minutes, but my vision began to falter. That's when I realized that the skies had turned black, the light from the setting sun vanished into thin air, and all that was left was the cold water surrounding me. I thought it had stopped, but it didn't. Slowly, it rose up and up until it was up to my chest. My breathing became shorter and shorter as I felt the cold seeped into my skin. My eyes began to droop, as I saw a figure in a white barong holding his hand before me.
--
A hand shook my shoulders roughly. Dazed, I opened my eyes and saw mother with a worried look. Her eyes were swollen and her hair was dishevelled. She placed her right hand on my forehead and her left hand on hers, after five minutes she suddenly hugged me. The feeling was weird because it was a motherly hug, a hug I haven't felt for so long. I lightly tapped on her back using my index finger and she released me from her hug. I shook my head and played with my fingertips. I don't want to meet her eyes, for her eyes show the same looks she gave me when the incident happened. I don't want to see them anymore because they remind me so much of him.
"Who told you to touch my things, Princess? Huh?" A deep voice whispered behind my ear that caused me to jump in surprise.
"Kuya, I didn't touch anything! I pinkie promise with a cherry on top!" I squealed, and ran up the stairs, Kuya following me closely behind.
I opened the door to a random room; the wind chimes that hang from the doorway gently bumped each other as they produced soft ting sounds. Quickly, I closed the door but Kuya held the door open before I can fully close it. He looked at me with playful eyes and I screamed. I ran around the room and hid in the closet while Kuya Nick slowly walked towards my hiding place. I closed the closet doors shut and held it tightly. I closed my eyes as I heard a loud crash. I assumed that Kuya Nick had broken something again so I continued to hide in the closet, but after five minutes of deafening silence I couldn't hear anything anymore. I slowly opened the closet doors, creating a screeching sound, but it wasn't the sound that scared me. Right there in the carpet laid my brother, his skin ash white and his lips dark purple. I screamed and screamed until my throat couldn't release any sound further. My eyes watered and tears threatened to fall as I knelt down beside my brother. I grasped both of his hands, shook them as hard as I can and cried. Why can't he open his eyes?
Suddenly the door to the room opened and mother came in. She gasped at what she saw as she knelt down beside me and slapped my hands away from my brother's. She gave me an angry glare as she started to shout at me, curse words and curse words after another. It was a mental torture; she blamed me and only me. She continued to shout but stopped as her eyes lay upon my brother once again. There she cried a thousand rivers. I watched her succumbed into pain as she cried and wailed over the cold cadaver of my brother.
That was the moment I felt the world crashed on me. My own mother, the one who gave birth to me, loathed me for what happened to my brother. She couldn't talk to me, and even look at me. She purely hated me since the incident happened. She wasn't a mother to me anymore, she became a monster.
My 'mother' gave me the same treatment for months. She would never be seen in the same room as I am. She would always be away whenever I came home from school and come back only when it was time for me to sleep.
That changed when the unenviable happened. On my way home, the day of my ninth birthday, a drunken tricycle driver ran over me. I was comatose in the hospital for months.
It was April when I woke up. I remembered it clearly like it was written on the back of my hand. My 'mother' held my hands tightly; as she was hunched over the white hospital bed I laid on. It was the first time she held my hands after Kuya's burial. I felt astonished.
I stayed in the hospital for days after I woke up. At first, I thought they were really just quiet. My surroundings were never noisy, no people talking, no bustling nurses, no sound at all but the occasional buzzing in my ears. There were even several times that I saw my mother open her mouth as if she was talking, but no sounds come out.
I didn't tell my mother about it. I thought that the moment we come home she would come back to being that 'monster', and she would never bother even if I told her. She changed. She wasn't the careless mother anymore. She became what she was like before, loving and caring. She took care of me, ate with me, and went to the mall with me. It didn't bother me that every time her mouth moved, all I could hear was a buzz. I was happy and contented that she cared for me as she cared for my brother.
My life was like a whirlwind with all the events that happened. All I could do was to sigh. In my peripheral vision, I saw my mother went out of my room. I stood up and wrapped my blanket around myself. I peeked at the hallway and noticed the wind chimes that still hang from the door frame of my brother's room. How ironic for he hated them-but still he put it up for me.
The wind chimes danced with the wind from the open window in front of my brother's room. The moonlight shone at it like an idol on stage. I slowly stepped out of my room and walked towards it. I had the urged to touch it, but I shook my head and held my hands together. I stared at it for minutes but still I ignored all the restraints from my brain, and touched it.
The surroundings changed. I was not in front of my brother's room now. Instead I was whisked away into a tornado and time had stopped for me.
I opened my eyes carefully, fearful of where I was in. White smoke filled the surroundings and a bright, blinding light shone in front of me. He was there, just 5 meters away from me, his dazzling smile still captivated and lighted up the place. He extended his hand to me, and beckoned for me to come closer. My eyes watered just with the sight of my brother.
His features didn't changed at all-his eyes still have that sparkle, his hair rumpled into that bad boy look, and his body still lean and muscular. He was my brother, alright.
I thought the moment I would saw him, he would look horrible. He would blame me for what happened to him, like what our mother did. He would shout and loathe me as well, but he didn't.
He smiled and slowly walked towards me. His arms outstretched like he was expecting a hug. I tearfully smiled and ran the remaining space between us. I hugged him tightly and cried in his arms.
"I miss you, Kuya!" I managed to whisper to him.
"As well as I, Princess," His voice was sweet and mellow.
At first, I enjoyed spending the time with my brother but I was shocked because I could hear him. I couldn't hear the buzzes anymore; instead I could hear the birds chirping and my brother playing the guitar for me.
He looked at me, then on his watch. I heard him mumbled, "It is time," and he stood up. He smiled at me once again, and rumpled my hair. I glared at him but he chuckled. He wrapped his arms around me and whispered, "Now is not the time for you to stay here, you still have mother and a life to fulfil. I will see you when I see you Princess. I love you." He kissed my forehead and I could hear the soft sounds of the wind chimes. He cupped my face and grinned-a smile I would forever cherish and treasure.
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