Tuesday, July 19, 2011

TILL THE MORNING (FICTION)

by: Joefell Francis Balagosa
Don’t break above the neon lights, soon, the day reigns the night. From the sweet caress, this sadness frail. Stay with me till the morning….”

            They just met way back from high school. Both taking the same subject, and both are making the projects. Indeed, they were close friends. They just enjoyed each others company. During vacant times, they would sit at the old mahogany tree and laugh till they would realize that there’s nothing to be laughed at. And they’ll just caught themselves looking at each other-in loved and falling on. Romantic.
            When they reached college, the things that they used to do are still on their "to-do" list. It is maybe written on destiny’s page that they would have the same school. She’s to become a nurse and he’s to become an accountant. It is no doubt that after they graduated and had their works, he asked for marriage and she didn’t refuse, after all, she already knew who’s he-there is no reason to refuse.
            Like married couple, they would taste the sweetest first night. He grabbed her wrist and pushed her to wall. He kissed with deep desire and strong obsession. Then, she took off her thin white dress and threw it on floor. They began to enjoy the sweet night with passion and love. I can’t relate.
             Morning came, she found herself clad in the thinnest fabric of red. Alone. She looked around and glad to see that there he is standing by the window grasping the first morning as a husband. She felt light; she stood and hugged her husband. A pellucid picture of a strong relationship that bound to last.
            Every day, they would wake at five, he would pick up his polo and she would prepare a breakfast for two. They would share the breakfast and would go different ways for work.
When they would come back home, he would always have a surprise for her, it would be a bar of chocolate or a bunch of red roses. And they would dance under sweet melodies. Those became their habit. Day can’t be complete without those things.
It was just that day that she arrived home at six p.m and to her surprise her husband was not yet there. He always comes home early. She waited for almost five hours, still there’s no sign of her husband. She called her husband’s office, but the secretary said that he already left the office. She felt nervous. Again she dialed her number, still no one answered. She fell asleep as she waited for him. The next morning her husband was still not at home. She already felt the deep worry. She checked his office, the police station, her phone, the hospital, and the busy roads-still, there’s no sign of him. She thought that her husband already left her, one thing that frightened her most. She just can’t take it, what made her husband leave her? I don’t know either, knowing the story makes me dizzy. The last place where she could go back is to their home while in great anticipation that her husband would be there. Knowing that there’s no one home, she dragged all the things that she can see and cried out loud. How does it feel to lose someone whom you know you have loved, without even saying goodbye? It’s hard for her to know the real situation that she’s on to.
Days have pass and turned to months. Still, she wouldn’t have any phone calls from her husband. Every single day, she would dial her husband’s phone number. By this time, it would not even ring. She would go for his husband’s parents and asked if they have news about him. And she would get the same answer. Every afternoon while watching the orange sunset, she would sit on a wooden chair along their balcony and would ruminate her husband. Still have the strength to wait her husband. She would look if there will be car going towards their house. She would anticipate that her husband would just be at work and will go back home. Sad reality.
It was then that a black car entered their lot, the same car her husband had. She would not make herself believe that it’s her husband, she just don’t want to be hurt again.  A man knocked at her door, she opened it and asked what he wants. To her surprise, it was her long awaited husband. She can’t believe that he would come back. For almost months, he came back. They kissed each other. Her lips tasted the passion of yearn on his lips. She missed him so much that she hugged him tight like she would never let go of him. He gave her a red rose and a bar of chocolate. Just like the old times, they’d danced under love song. Then it turned to a moment that she wordlessly grabbed him towards their soft bed.
Their tired bodies gave up for the seemingly endless night.
She told him not to leave again.
“stay with me till the morning.”
By the day that the night broke by dawn. And the neon lights broke the dawn as the harsh sun soaked her eyes; she turned on to her side with smile. Upon seeing that her husband was not there, her smile faintly turned to mild. She hurriedly get dressed and checked where her husband is. But she did not saw her husband. She called to his husband’s parent and to her shock, he's not there. She called to his office, and she would listen to the same answer.
She again cried and sat on the dining. She saw a newspaper by the table.
She read…read…and read.
Until one line totally broke the solitude.
Then she screamed with a cry reading the headline that her husband died in a car accident few months ago. By that day, she received a call from the police. Her husband’s body was found inside the car under water.
After days, she found herself in the mental hospital and after months she was brought to hospital to bore a child.
There she is. My mother is sick! Maybe no chance to get well, she was sent again here for medication. I was here to visit her. Sometimes I just don’t know if she’s really my mom, it’s difficult because I was never given a chance to have a great time with her, she’s busy with someone else-even there’s no one.
Why I knew her story? A man told me.