Chapter Sixteen (Part 2)
1489 Words
Chapter Sixteen (Part 2)
While helping her in the papers that she is fixing, a sudden idea popped into my head.
"Miss?" I called her attention.
She arched both her eyebrows while her eyes are fixed in the stack of papers.
"Hmm?"
"Can I go with you in their houses later?"
She suddenly stopped from arranging the papers then she turned to face me.
"You mean to visit Vanessa and Cathrina?" A little hint of surprised is stretched all over her face.
"Yeah. I want to pay respect." I answered as casually as possible.
"Well..." she trailed off, probably trying to find the right words to speak. "...your class for today is done, right?"
"Yes."
"Alright, if that's the case then I see no problem of you coming with me. Anyway, I'm going to visit Cathrina's house first." She said in a tired and lonely voice.
"Thank you, miss." I formally said which she responded in a curt nod.
I then busied myself in arranging these papers for the next minutes and then I checked the time the moment we finished the task.
It was already 1:30 pm.
"I'm sorry, I did not noticed the time. It's already past the lunch time. You sure you still want to come with me today?" Miss Quen asked in a concern voice.
I gave her a curt smile.
"Yes, of course miss. It's okay, I'm not feeling hungry anyway."
She looks hesitant at first but then she knows that when I set my mind into something, I will not be easily shaken.
"Alright then. Are you going to use your motorcycle?"
"Yes, I will just follow you."
At that's what we do. I am basically following her car as she drove to Cathrina's house. I'm not really familiar with their house that's why I ask Miss Quen about this because for sure she knows. The only house that I know is Vanessa's.
She stopped and parked in front of a modern-looking house that is painted in white and brown. I also parked my motorcycle beside Miss Quen's.
"So... here we are at Cathrina Garcia's house," she inhaled deeply. "Let's go," she stride inside the opened gate and so I followed her.
Inside is a mini garden embraced with the fine fibers of bermuda grass. Few flowers are also modestly contributing to the over-all charm of the place.
I immediately noticed some familiar faces sitting and quietly talking in the tables that are set-up there. Those people whom I recall to be part of Miss Quen's advisory class. I tried to examine the whole place and there I saw him.
Sitting quietly in a nearby table is Tangent Reyes. He fixed his glasses using his forefinger as he gaze at the flowers near him as if marvelled by its dull charm.
I withdraw my stares at him and decided to follow Miss Quen inside the house.
There are also some guests inside the house whom I think to be the close relatives of their family, basing on the Filipino culture.
"Good afternoon Mrs. Garcia..." I turned my eyes at Miss Quen to see her talking to a woman... guessing on her looks, I think she's Cathrina's mother. "I am deeply saddened by the sudden news of her death. I know that we cannot say or do something that can lessen the pain that you are feeling. But I just want to say that Cathrina has been a daughter to me too. I know that she's just my student but I have loved them like my own children. However, the pain that I am feeling is nothing compared to yours. I'm sorry... I really hope we can do something about it b-but, but..." Miss Quen's brave facade splintered into millions of fragile pieces as her voice broke.
Cathrina's mom held Miss Quen's hand and gently squeezed it. I witnessed how a single tear cascaded from the tired eyes of Cathrina's mother.
"It's alright. Don't talk like it's your fault. It's not... she always tell me stories about you and I know that you have done your job as a good adviser," her voice is filled with resigned strength and grief.
I stood there and just watch as two women cried for the loss of their daughter.
I have always known the feeling of losing a parent. But I wonder... how does a parent feels to lose a child?
That scene lasted for a couple of minutes before Cathrina gave us the opportunity to see her lifeless daughter lying on a cold coffin.
As I gazed at her corpse, it reminded me of how short and unexpected one's course of life is.
It makes me wonder if we'll ever leave a mark before we die that the world will not be able to forget us. Perhaps, we will just be a faded dust... easily ignored and devoid of meaning once this life ends.
"I just never really expected her to be like this... taking her own life just like that and even until now, we still don't know her real reason why she did that," Cathrina's mom sadly wiped the tears in her eyes as she converse with Miss Quen.
"Didn't she told you anything that can somehow upset her or trigger her to do this?" Miss Quen asked in a confused and frustrated voice.
Cathrina's mom shook her head.
"She's always been a jolly kid and she's too transparent with her feeling. She's the type of person who will vocally say what's inside her mind and I never saw her sad enough or heard her say things that will indicate such plans inside her head. Plans to t-take... h-her own life." She broke down again.
"So she's totally normal before this happened?" Miss Quen inquired again.
"Well, not the day after the incident in the greenhouse happened..." Cathrina's mom trailed off, as if vividly recalling the last day she saw her daughter alive.
I noticed Miss Quen became extra attentive with that. She looks extremely curious but she kept silent, giving her student's mother the moment to speak.
"That day... s-she looks tired and traumatic. I r-received the news that she's gone hysterical back in the greenhouse but when she c-came home, she's very quiet. She's not gonna talk unless you ask her something. But still... I never thought that such unusual behaviour from her would result into something like this. I never thought that the death of her bestfriend would result into this." Her words is filled with great sorrow for such a great loss.
Miss Quen tried to comfort her again when new batch of tears fell from her eyes.
Now's not the right timing but I need to ask...
"Mrs. Garcia, I'm sorry for the interruption but I have a question if you please..." I boldly stared directly at her mourning eyes.
Miss Quen tried to give me a warning look of disapproval but I ignored her.
"Yes, what is it?" She tiredly probed.
"It's about her last post in i********:. It became a center of talk in our school. I think you know it? The black petal photo?"
"Arylle!" Miss Quen tried to gave me a warning voice because of my intrusive and nosy approach. Sorry, can't help it.
"It's okay, miss." Cathrina's mom assured her before facing me. "Ah, about that? Yes I know about it. But I only saw it after we found her... l-lifeless body inside her room..." she bit her lips while her tired eyes stared incognizantly in the air, as if reminiscing that scene. "...but the weird thing is that... I never saw such rose inside her room even before and after this incident."
My mouth slightly parted at that. What?
"I never really thought much about it until now. I was too preoccupied about my daughter's death that I failed to notice things like that."
Now, things are getting weirder and weirder by the minute.
"Thank you for answering my question, madame and sorry for being intrusive."
She gave me a weak smile.
"It's alright, you must be Arylle, the student council president? My daughter sometimes tell me stories about you and she always say that she admires your tenacity as a person."
I reciprocate her smile.
"It's my honor to be part of your daughter's stories."
"Yes. I remember her bestfriend, Vanessa, also telling me something about you once. Anyway, sorry to excuse myself but I need to attend to out relatives now." She bowed a little before walking to away to greet their new guests.
My smile faded with what she just said. Vanessa told her stories about me too, huh?
"Miss Quen?" I called my teacher.
"Hmm?" Her eyes still fixed on the coffin.
"Can I go now?"
She suddenly turned her head on me.
"Are you going home now?" She looks slightly surprised.
I shooked my head.
"No, I want to go to Vanessa's house right now."
-C. N. Haven-
- Writer
