Through the Grapevine

"How dare you do this to us!" I was a young kid back then, a little 4-year-old girl wearing her cute white trench coat, pink shirt and white pants with her white boots. "Do you want to go upstairs, Cat?" My older sister Rin asked while covering my ears. I looked over my sister's shoulder and saw how Mama punched Dada a couple of times. I also saw a lady with her two children, probably. At that moment, I instinctively knew something was about to break. "Evil." I said loudly, which stunned everyone in this room. Sis Rina scoffed and said, "It's indeed evil, marching into someone's family claiming to be a soft and shy man's woman." "What did you say? You insolent daughter of that plain woman," the evil woman said to Sis Rina. "Evil, go away." I said while grabbing my sis' right arm. The two kids in their blue and purple dresses looked sharply at me. I knew at that moment that these people were bad news. "Witch!" I said as I glared at the evil woman. "YOU!" I flinched when the evil woman tried to grab me. I waited for a few minutes only to hear Sis Rina calling for Mama who was lying on her own blood. "Mama?" I crouched down and touched her waist while gently shaking her. "Cat, are you okay?" the weeping Sis Rina asked me. I nodded and asked her why Mama wasn't moving at all. She started weeping and wailing, asking for help, but the people with us didn't move at all. I gently scrubbed my eyes to adjust my sight. I was being carried by my Granmama, and we were in a white place with people crying here and there. "Grandmama? Where's Mama? Where's Dada and Sis Rina?" I weakly said, staying still in her arms. "Grandmama, should we ask the doctors to examine Cat?" I immediately turned to look at Sis Rina. "Sis, you look like a hamster!" I happily said as I tried to reach her, so she could take me from Grandmama. "Where's Mama? Aren't we going home yet?" tears fell from Sis Rina's eyes. I never knew at that time that the mother who protected me lost her life in the blink of an eye. "Catarina, you two should come with me to La Union. The adults here won't be able to protect you, especially Catalina." "Grandmama, are we eating grapes?" I asked grandma while playing with Sis Rina's hair. "Yes, do you want to play in the grapevines?" she asked with an affectionate voice. "Are you playing with me, Grandmama?" "Yes, of course. I'm going to play with you every day." I was greeted by beeps and other noises that one would find in the I.C.U. I slowly opened my eyes to adjust to the blinding lights. "Oh my poor child!" she's weeping, it must be grandma. "Grandmama" I uttered in a weak voice. "Catarina! Wake up, your little sis is awake. Hurry, call the doctor!" Grandmama said frantically. I heard my sister shouting and falling. She must be asleep and woke up hastily because she was panicking. "The two of you are supposedly in La Union." "We wanted to give you a surprise visit only to find that young snake running away. I rushed to your place only to find you lying down at the end of the stairs with blood on your head." Sis Rina explained. "Erin." I muttered, trying to remember what she was coming for. I knew she said something that agitated me, but I really can't remember. "She's well. She just sustained a few scratches, a laceration on her forehead and a steepness on her neck." the doctor told Grandmama and Sis Rina. "Are you sure nothing's wrong with my granddaughter? No blood clotting or anything?" Grandmama said in her worried voice. The doctor gave her a reassuring smile and added,"We'll perform a few more tests to ensure that she's not suffering from internal hemorrhage and other severe injuries." "Thank you so much, doctor." Sis Rina said with a relieved face. They exchanged a few more greetings and talks regarding my dos and don'ts, including the appropriate diet for me, before they sent the doctor off. "How are you feeling, Cat?" Sis Rina asked while stroking my hair. "I'm having a hard time moving my neck and I feel like I just woke up from a deep slumber where my horrible memories lie, aside from those, I feel alright." I said and gave her a small smile. "We should be celebrating your birthday, but two weeks have already passed," Grandmama said. "Grandmama, it's fine, at least she's safe. I really don't know if I could stay sane if I lost you too. I feel like I have already yielded enough to those vixens. You're the only one I can't give up on." Sis Rina said while cutting up peaches. I stood silent and looked through the window, remembering the dream I just had. It wasn't a premonition or a future that would happen, but rather it was the past. I tried my hardest to brush it off my mind. I have a spineless father who failed to protect the family we had. Due to his cowardice, I lost my mom, who was supposed to be with me trying out dresses for an acquaintance party. At first, I didn't really understand what happened. How did my dad have illegitimate daughters when he spent his whole time with us? Then, as I grew up, I kept on blaming myself that if I hadn't agitated the witch, she wouldn't have pushed Mama to her death. But like what Sis Rina told me, it wasn't my fault or her fault, but she said she can't help herself but blame father for what we've gone through. Personally, I don't entirely believe that my father doesn't love us anymore. That's why she found a new family, because Father kept on sending us monthly stipends. The family butler visited my space a few more times to drop father's handmade food. "Catalina, someone wanted to see you." Grandmama said in a cold and stern voice.