The Abyss of Life

The Abyss of Life “You were like a smoke, As you passed by, Leaving me in tears.” Today is Monday and the weather is gloomy, but the light ambiance of surrounding is present and very visible to see. The smiles plastered on the face of people living along in their compound community made the place loving and warm even more. In a small terrace of a wooden bi-level house, a father and daughter are sitting in an aged faded brown chair spending their time with each other, you will see the genuine definition of happiness and love. The small girl is sitting on her father's belly, cuddling him as they exchange laughs and tickles to each other. A man in a middle-aged pinches the nose of the little girl, “Alice, be still, your Mami Helen is always reminding you to act like a lady, but you don’t listen. “ She just pouted and ignored what her Dada is saying. Alice’s eyes seem to glow bright like the stars in the sky, she always have fun whenever she is talking with her beloved father. "You must grow strong and brave," Dada said as he caressed his daughter’s cheeks, "You must grow as a tough woman." After uttering those words, he then smiled. Alice as a seven year old child stood up and jumps as she clang her arms to her Dada's neck, "Air! Air!", she shouted. She was asking for a toss, just like what her father used to do when they were hanging out together. Sancho just laughed then stood up and he did sway his precious daughter in the air. "Another one!", he said then toss Alice once again. Alice's small laughs echoed in the whole corridor, it was loud and clear. The natural laugh of a kid having a good time, enjoying the moment. The relationship between the two is beyond anyone's expectations for a father-daughter relationship. It was precious and very special. They were living together with her father's relatives; it was a compound. She was a product of separated parents, at the age of two, her father and mother chose a different path for an unknown reason. Alice is way too innocent to understand their situation. All she knows is her mother is working from a faraway land. "Dada," she said once, while holding her Barbie dolls. "Dada, can I ask where Mama is?" Sancho sighs at his daughter's question, but then he still managed to smile. "Mama is just working, someday you will meet her too. Just wait when you grow old, it is the right time." The disappointment was written all over the little girl’s face. The scenario always repeats itself; it is like a ball that always bounce back every time the question is being asked. It is sad, empty and incomplete for Alice to believe. "But Dada!", Alice demanded once again for her father's answer. Her forehead knotted because of that, she doesn't feel right. She was unsatisfied with the thought of her growing without her mother's presence, unlike other kids. "But Dada, will I able to see her someday, right?" Deep inside, she is looking for a hope. A small amount of light is enough to lift up her mood together with her heavy heart. "Yes! Of course!", Sancho is sure with it. He feels confident and right, 'God will guide Alice,' he said in his mind. Sancho walked towards her daughter's place where she was standing wearing her pink dress and Barbie doll. She looks innocent and clueless about her situation. Oh God, how can her mother leave her pretty child?, Sancho is always asking that but until now, no answer was given to him. "Dada?" Alice asked. Sancho putted his hands on her daughter's shoulders, "Alice, always remember this. Dada loves you so much as well as our relatives but don't you ever think that Mama doesn't love you, okay?" Due to Alice's young mind, she believed everything what other people say. She nodded to her father as an answer. Sancho felt relieved when Alice agreed to her, silently thanking God that He made Alice a very understanding kid. The playing moment of them was interrupt when Ernel called them. "Alice! Come here, we prepared some food.", Ernel called his niece to join them as they ate their hot pandesal, "Sancho, stop that mini chat for a while, come and join us!" Sancho scratches his nape and laughed. "Your uncle has a favoritism, look!" and pointed out the room of his boys, "He doesn't even call your other siblings. Hurry, wake them up." Alice laughed sheepishly and ran towards her Uncle Ernel. Sancho frowns because of that, "You are now choosing Uncle Ernel over me?", he asked acting like he was deeply hurt. Ernel is the older brother of Sancho, they are the son of Stella and Gregor. Alice used to be a bubbly and friendly kid, that's why it is not a surprise if everyone would be a friend of her. She used to greet all of the people in their compound and smile whenever she sees someone, help them when they are in need and make a good relationship with them. She is really a good entertainer and talkative. Ernel laughed and taps Alice's head, "That's too bad, Sancho." Sancho just shrugged and lifted his arms, "I still have my boys!", then walked towards his boys' room. Alice just laughed at her Dada then whispered to her Uncle Ernel, "But they're always asleep." Uncle Ernel just laughed at his niece then lead her the way towards their dining room. The sounds of laughs and heavy tread of the wooden floor created by Ernel and Alice filled their log house. The laughs were silenced when Ernel and Alice reached the dining, an old woman’s lips was automatically lifted as her eyes met Alice’s. "Alice! Come seat beside me!" she uttered in a very high tone. Wearing a faded floral dress, the elegance was still there. Her hair is also full whitened already and the wrinkles beneath her eyes is also showing whenever she smiles or laughs, but no one can deny that at the age of 72, the old woman's beauty never gets old. Alice quickly went to the elegant woman's side and sat to her reserved chair, "Mami Helen!" Alice is referring to the old woman, Helen. She is Alice's grandmother, Sancho and Ernel's mother. Sancho just shook his head then laugh just after his beloved niece abandoned him. His eyes met his father's, then greeted him. "Good morning, Papa! Let's now eat the pandesal, while it's still hot." Helen looked at her husband then struck his arms, "Just eat what's on the table, Gregor! Don't look for the things that is not here." Gregor just mimic what Helen said, and the woman just sneered at him. The routine of those couple is not new to them anymore. Alice and Ernel just remained silent while smiling at the aged couple’s sweet argument. "Mami seems to love Papi Gregor so much, they always fight." Alice commented while talking to Uncle Ernel. "The movie I've watch said that, the more you love, the more you hate." Alice is way too confident while saying that. Ernel bursts into laughter, "No, Alice." he just can't handle Alice's innocence, "You mean, 'the more you hate, the more you love.'" Helen and Gregor just laughed at her while Alice is keeping her cool to hide the embarrassment. The four just continued to chat while eating their hot pandesal and sipping coffee. After few more minutes, Sancho came alone. Helen frowned because of it, wondering where on Earth does her grandsons are. "Where's the boys, Choy?" she asked. Ernel stop himself from laughing, Sancho really hates his nickname. "Mama, stop." he slummed himself on the wooden chair that created cricket sounds beside Ernel. "They're still asking for five more minutes; they will be here at eight." said then ate the whole pandesal. Alice knotted her forehead, "Stop being messy, Dada!" then wiped their table cloth filled with pandesal's fallen crumbs. Helen reacted exaggeratedly, "What? five minutes? It's just 7:45, what fi–" Ernel cutted his mother, "Ma." Gregor agreed to Alice, "The seven years old girl is way too prim compared to you Choy." emphasizing the Choy. Choy just scratches his nape due to his father's childishness. Helen, "Hey, hey! Gregor!" then diverted the topic to Alice and her movie quote, "Hay, Sancho! Your daughter Alice is really a grown woman already." she said excitedly. Helen is really fond to her granddaughter, Alice. Maybe because she's the only girl in their family. "Apo, how did you able to understand that kind of saying? Are you having that love moments already?" she asked to Alice. Referring to her granddaughter's "the more love, the more you hate" saying. She was just teasing her, then Ernel and Gregor stared at Alice, teasing her with their malicious smiles. Alice blushed due to embarrassment, "Mami!" she hissed, "I just love watching movies!" Helen nodded but still there's something in her eyes. She just continued to eat and remained silent, maybe due to her age or it is just her nature. No one knows. The family just continued to talk and spend time to each other, until the three boys of Sancho came. Gregor immediately spreaded his arms, immediately lightened his mood and forgot about his daily breakfast problem– the pandesal bread. "Come here my boys!" he said in a hoarse tone, stretching his weak back. Helen just snorted, which made Sancho and Alice laugh while Ernel is just eating the rest of the pandesal left. The reason why Alice used to call him Hungry Hernel. “Greggy!” the smallest one called, “Gregor! Greggy Gregor!”, he cheered while jumping infront of his grandpa. “No! Don’t call him like that!”, the tallest hissed, “It’s disrespectful, Alex!” The one named Alex pouted, “I’m sorry, Kuya Arcris.” Arcris was about to say something when a kid with chubby cheeks laughed so hard, they were all interrupted by it. “Oh God, Aldrin! I told you to atleast limit yourself from being talkative and loud!” Helen said in mad tone. But Aldrin just chuckled childishly, one of the reasons why Helen is always giving this 5-year-old kid a lesson, the child on the least favorite and giving her a headache the most. “Sorry, Old witch!”, said then ran away. Helen was left dumbfounded while the rest is still undecided on what to react, except Gregor who was already dying for laughing so hard. ××× “Mommy!” Alice was got back on reality when her daughter’s voice echoed inside her head, “Are you okay, Mommy?” Alice nodded out of her consciousness. The chit-chats, the sounds of vehicle and the smell of smoke welcomed her in reality because she remembers again her past. “Yes, dear.” Lyka smiled at her mother and hugged her tight. “’My, tell me... is it okay?” With all the tears running down in her cheeks, Alice hugged her daughter even tighter, “If that’s what makes you happy, Yca...” Lyka stood still and tears ran instantly upon hearing the nickname that her father used to call her when she was still a kid, “Daddy..”, and she sobbed without minding people who might see her. “I’m sure,” Alice felt emotional while remembering her beloved husband who was already in eternal sleep, “I’m sure... Robert is also happy for you, Yca.” Lyka as a twenty-eight year old woman felts like she was taken back from being a fourteen year old girl, the time when her father was still by her side. She badly missed her father so much, but she must accept it, that’s what her mother Alice taught her. Lyka nodded at her mother, “Uncle Arcris and Alexis will also be here to celebrate, and Papa Ernel too.” Alice nodded back, “Isabelle will be surprised, of course.” A silly laughed escaped from Lyka’s mouth, Isabelle is like her sister. They were more than twins from being close, nothing can make them apart. Yca and Ysa– their second names, they used to be called like that especially by their loving father, Robert. “Ma, I’m about to tell her. Don’t worry.” “She’s here.” Alice said after hearing the gate in their house opened. She’s sure that it was Isabelle who just got home from work. Isabelle immediately waved her hands when she saw the two sitting together. She was bit confused when she saw Ryan leaning on the wall, Ryan is Lyka’s lover for five years long— Isabelle just greeted him with a smile. When she finally entered the living room, she immediately hugged Alice first then hitted Lyka in the head, “What’s up, yo!” The two just stared at her for good three seconds then laughed, Isabelle is always like that, she got Alice’s childhood personality. Instead of their usual routine, teasing and cracking some jokes to each other, this time Ysabelle was stunned when Lyka hugged her tight. Ysabelle hugged her back, and then caressed her back. “Hey, what’s wrong? Tell me.” ××× Ysabelle sat Lyka at their sofa then stared at Alice. “’My, tell me that this is just a prank, right? Is Lyka a vlogger or what?” Ysabelle asked. Alice just smiled then shook her head. Ysabelle widened her eyes in disbelief then putted her hands to cover her mouth. On the other hand, Lyka was just sitting there staring at her cousin, Ysabelle. “Yea, it’s not a prank.. C’mon guys.” Ysabelle waved her hand like it’s just nothing. “Oh. Excuse me.” Ysabelle excused herself then left to breath some air outside. Lyka hugged her mother then excused herself too, “I’m sure Ysabelle is crying, ‘My. I'll be right back.” Alice was left alone, she felt empty and sad without even knowing the reason. Does not sure if it is because of her age fifty, her flashback memories, her daughter that’s soon to get married.. Or her just missing the past.