CHAPTER 4
1458 Words
Years passed, and Ivy and Yvonne were now in high school. From the playful girls they once were, they had grown into strikingly beautiful young women.
Yvonne had long black hair that shone in the sunlight and soft brown eyes that could calm anyone with just a glance. She walked with quiet grace and carried herself with the kind of poise that made people look twice.
But Ivy was different.
Her beauty wasn’t just in her smooth, porcelain skin or her soft waves of chestnut-brown hair—it was in her eyes. Eyes that made people whisper. They were a brilliant shade of blue, so rare in their small Filipino town that some began to speculate.
“Anak sa labas 'yan,” the neighbors would whisper behind her back.
“Wala namang asul na mata sa pamilya nila. Baka may lahi ‘yan.”
“Siguro hindi 'yan anak ni Mang Ernesto…”
The rumors followed Ivy everywhere. It didn’t help that Mang Ernesto—her supposed father—often treated her coldly. When he came home drunk, which was most nights, he would yell at her more than anyone else.
“Hindi kita anak!” he would bark, slamming his bottle down on the table.
“Bakit ba nandito ka pa? Pasalamat ka’t hindi pa kita pinaalis!”
Ivy would just sit there, eyes cast downward, gripping the hem of her skirt tightly. Yvonne, always protective, would pull her away and whisper, “Halika na, Ivy. Hayaan mo na siya.”
But Ivy never cried. Not in front of anyone. She had learned early on that in their world, tears didn’t help.
---
One cloudy afternoon at school, Ivy was walking past the library when she overheard some students talking.
“Sabi nila may kababalaghan raw sa lumang puno ng mangga sa likod ng elementary building,” said a boy in a hushed tone.
“Diyan daw may nakita na kakaiba. Parang kaluluwa raw, o multo.”
“May nawala nga raw na estudyante dati,” added another. “Hanggang ngayon, wala pa rin daw nakakaalam kung nasaan siya.”
Ivy paused mid-step.
The mango tree.
She remembered it clearly. It stood tall and ancient, As a child, she and Yvonne used to play near it.
-----
Later that day, Maria came home looking worried.
"Yvonne, may naiwan akong bracelet sa lumang treehouse natin. ‘Yung binigay ni Mama, nawala ko kanina. Pwede mo bang kunin? Hindi ako makakaakyat, sumasakit ang binti ko," she said quickly.
"Eh bakit hindi si ivy na lang?" Yvonne asked, glancing at her sister.
Ivy sighed. "Sge Ako nalang ang kukuha , saglit lang ‘to."
She made her way to the tree as the sun was beginning to set. The huge old tree still stood tall, thick branches covered in green leaves. The treehouse, though faded and weak, was still there.
Carefully, she climbed up. The wood creaked beneath her feet. When she reached the platform, she spotted the bracelet lying in a dusty corner.
"Buti na lang nahanap ko," she said softly, slipping it into her pocket.
Just as she turned to go down—
Her foot slipped.
There was a c***k.
Then darkness.
Blood.
So much blood.
When Ivy hit the ground, everything went still. Her body lay twisted beneath the tree, blood trickling from her head. The stone at the base of the tree was stained red.
Maria screamed first.
"Ivy!"
Neighbors came rushing. Yvonne froze, unable to move, her lips trembling as tears streamed down her face. Maria dropped to her knees beside her sister.
"Tawagin niyo ang ambulansya! Bilis!" she cried.
At the hospital, everything was chaos. Nurses rushed her into the emergency room. Doctors shouted orders. Machines beeped. People moved fast. But nothing could stop the inevitable.
After what felt like hours, a doctor came out, his face grave.
"Pasensiya na po… ginawa namin ang lahat. Pero malakas ang pagkahulog niya. She didn’t make it."
Maria collapsed to the floor, screaming. Yvonne held her tightly, both of them crying uncontrollably.
"Kasalanan ko ‘to… ako dapat ‘yung umakyat... ako dapat ‘yung nasaktan!" Maria sobbed.
Inside the hospital room, Ivy lay still. Her skin was pale, her lips cold. The machines were silent. The doctors had declared her dead.
But something strange was happening.
---
Somewhere else…
Ivy opened her eyes.
She was standing in a white dress, soft and flowing like silk. Her feet were bare. The grass beneath her was impossibly green, the air smelled like flowers she couldn’t name. The sky was golden, not blue, and the clouds moved slowly like they were dancing.
She looked around, confused.
"Saan ako?"
Everything around her was beautiful, peaceful—almost too perfect. A soft wind blew through her hair. Her white dress shimmered under the warm light.
She began walking.
Birds sang gently in the distance. A river sparkled nearby. Flowers bloomed as she passed, as if they were alive, reacting to her presence.
Then, in the distance, she saw him.
A boy—no, a young man now—standing near a tree that looked oddly familiar. He was tall, dressed in white, with dark hair and deep eyes. He looked just like the boy she saw years ago during that strange moment at the town fiesta, when she was a child.
She stepped closer. Her heart raced.
"Ikaw… ikaw ‘yung nakita ko dati, ‘di ba?
The boy didn’t answer at first. He just looked at her, his face calm but unreadable.
"Sino ka ba? Anong lugar ‘to? Bakit andito ako?" she asked, her voice trembling.
He tilted his head slightly. "You’re not supposed to be here yet," he said quietly, his voice calm, almost distant.
"Hindi ko maintindihan. Patay na ba ako?"
He didn’t answer. Instead, he started walking. Ivy followed him, her bare feet barely touching the ground.
"Ano ‘tong lugar na ‘to? Bakit parang… paraiso?"
Still, he didn’t answer.
"Magsalita ka naman… please," she begged.
He stopped walking. "You’re not ready to stay here," he finally said.
"Bakit hindi? Mas maganda dito. Walang problema. Walang chismis. Walang sakit." Her voice cracked.
"Alam mo ayoko nang bumalik. Sobrang sakit sa totoong buhay. Kahit sarili kong ama, ayaw sa akin."
He looked at her gently. "There are people who still need you. People who love you, even if you can’t see it now."
Ivy fell silent. Her heart was heavy.
"Sino Naman? Mga Kapatid ko? Siguro....
He didn’t answer, but his eyes said enough. Ivy looked down. Her hands were glowing slightly. A strange warmth flowed through her chest.
"Anong pangalan mo?" she asked quietly.
He smiled faintly. "You’ll know someday."
Suddenly, the golden sky began to fade.
"Wait—sandali lang—anong ibig mong sabihin?!"
"You have to go back now," he said softly.
"Ayoko pa—sandali lang!"
Everything faded.
----
Back in the hospital…
"Dok! Dok! May pulso pa po Ang patient!"
One of the nurses screamed as Ivy’s fingers twitched. The monitor beeped—once. Then again. Her chest began to rise and fall.
"Imposible… she was gone..." the doctor whispered.
Ivy’s eyes fluttered open. She gasped for air.
Maria burst into the room. "Ivy?! Ivy! Oh my God!"
Ivy looked around, confused, weak. But her eyes were open. Alive.
"Buhay ka... buhay ka talaga!" Yvonne cried as she hugged her tightly, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Even the doctor stood speechless, staring at the girl who, minutes ago, had no pulse.
----
The next few hours felt like a dream.
Doctors ran tests. Nurses took her vitals again and again. They checked her heart, her brain, her breathing. Everything.
"Wala siyang internal bleeding… normal lahat ng resulta," the nurse told the doctor in disbelief.
"Hindi ito kapani-paniwala. She was clinically dead for almost ten minutes."
Maria sat at Ivy’s bedside, holding her sister’s hand like she’d never let go again. Yvonne stayed close, too, never looking away.
"Ivy.. akala ko talaga wala ka na," Yvonne whispered, her voice cracking.
Ivy tried to smile, but she was weak. Her body ached. Her head throbbed.
Maria burst into tears again and hugged her.
"Hindi mo alam kung gaano kami natakot… akala namin nawala ka na sa amin," she said between sobs.
-----
Days passed.
Ivy recovered fast—faster than what the doctors expected. After a week, she was allowed to go home.
But things didn’t go back to normal.
People started to whisper again.
"Patay na ‘yon, diba? Paano siyang nabuhay?"
"May dala sigurong sumpa o milagro ‘yan..."
Even her classmates looked at her differently now. Some were scared. Others were curious. Ivy could feel their stares.
But she didn’t care as much anymore.
Something inside her had changed.
- Writer
