Intense Affection

​IA 4: HER PAST

"SURPRISE! Happy anniversary, Mom, Dad!" she greeted them warmly when her parents arrived at the place where she had prepared. She knew they were busy running their business, so she created a way for them to celebrate.

She took them to a fancy Italian Restaurant—a kind of restaurant with comfortable furnishings and decorations with soothing warm tones. The lounge has comfy couches and antique love seats with a softly lit bar. It would be the perfect place to eat with your family and friends.

"Thank you very much, honey." She smiled after her father kissed her on the forehead.

"It's good that you remember our anniversary," her mother said after hugging her.

She pulled a chair for her mother and father before she sat in front of them. "Of course! You are so important to me to forget this day," she pleased as they began to eat.

She ordered her favorite prosciutto and pea farfalle with creamy garlic-parmesan sauce, wherein the kind of pasta they used was bow tie pasta for its shape. And farfalle is the Italian word for butterfly. The spice of parmesan consists of cream, butter, garlic, and rosemary. Tossing with chewy farfalle pasta and bright green peas. For a unique touch, they add oven-crisped prosciutto for a salty, crunchy counterpoint to the other textures of the dish. It's all sprinkled with fresh parsley and more parmesan.

"Honey?" She turned her attention to her mother while drinking her red wine.

"Hmm?"

"When do you plan on having a boyfriend? You don't mention anything to us, even your crush." That question and statement made her choke.

She immediately took the table napkin to her side to wipe her mouth.

"Love, be careful with your questions," her father said to her mother while he's rubbing her back.

"I'm sorry, Love," her mother apologized.

"It's okay, Dad."

She looks at her mother. "Mom, you know me, those things are out of my mind yet."

"But you're not getting any younger, honey. You're twenty-five now. You must be married," her father added.

She was frustrated by what he said. She could not blame her own heart if she didn't found her partner yet. She had a lot of admirers, but none of them passed her standards. She didn't even feel what they call sparks. She still enjoys being single because she can do and get things she wants to do and go without prohibition.

"Do you really want me to get married?" she said in a sullen tone. What she hates the most is what they call fixed marriage.

"We want you to live a good life before we leave this world." Her mother held her hand on the table.

"Don't ever say that, Mom! You're too young for you to leave me." She didn't really want to talk about it. She's not yet ready to be alone.

"We just want you to be ready, honey." Her forehead twitched.

"Is there's something wrong, Mom, Dad?" It sounds like there's something terrible that was going to happen. Do they have some problems that they don't want to let me know?

"N-nothing, honey," her mother replied, smiling at her.

She smiled back. "Okay! Let's just not talk about that, please? This is your night, not mine."

Her father raised his arms in the air as if he's surrendering to the police. "Alright, my dear. You're the boss!"

They just laughed at her father's behavior then silence subsided between them for a few minutes before her mother spoke again.

"Honey?"

"Yes, Mom?" She's now eating her favorite dessert, panna cotta. A molded chilled dessert famous throughout Italy. It looks and tastes lovely with ripe red fruits such as raspberries, strawberries, or sweet cherries.

"Please, accept our little gift for you." Then her mother handed her the gift. It's an eighteen-karat gold necklace. A hollow-out lotus layers chain necklace. Lotus symbolizes pure love and compassion for all things.

"But it's not my birthday, Mom," she complained.

"Is it wrong to give you a gift? You're our only child, so you deserve it. Recovering from the days when we are not together." Her tears flowed. Even though they were busy at work, they always make time for her, and they never failed to call and say hello to her.

"Always remember that we got your back! We are here to support you in everything you want to do. We love you so much, honey," her father said wholeheartedly.

She knew that she should be happy with her parents' emotional message, but there's a strange feeling. She felt like anytime she will lose them, but she quickly shook her head to that thought and wiped the tears from her eyes.

She stood between her parents and hugged them. "I love you too, Mom, Dad!"

Her mother wiped her tears. "Let's stop this drama. It's getting late. Let's go home." She nodded and moved to the middle of her parents.

The three of them were heading back to the parking lot when she heard her father yelled her mother's name.

"Sailani!" And followed by a gunshot.

Things are going too fast. All she knew was that her father embraced her mother quickly before the bullet hit her dad.

"Franki!" her mother squealed.

She turned to her lifeless father and approached him. "Dad! No! Help! Please, help us!" she screamed and looked around to ask for help.

Until a figure of a man caught her attention from afar, he's behind the lamp post holding a gun pointed at them.

"Don't!" She screamed again and heard another gunshot that hit her mother, who's now lying down on the ground beside her father, lifeless.

"Mommy!"

*end of flashback*

She opened her eyes at that scene. She didn't realize she was already asleep. It's just a year ago when that dark tragedy happened in her life, and until now, it's still fresh in her mind. As if it happened yesterday. That scene came to her almost every night in her dream.

She asked her uncle if they had any enemies in the business to kill them, but during his tenure as his daddy's secretary, they have no enemies because her father was good at negotiating. Many people admire the VCC for its charitable works. And because of those reasons, the police assumed that the company has nothing to do with their case. That may be, it's all about personal matters. Her parents were too secretive, especially with personal issues.

That she was right all along that night that there's something terrible was going on with her parents, but they remain silent. Her uncle says, maybe everything happens for a reason. She knows that just like him, her parents want justice too.

That night, there are two gunmen; the police killed one of them while the other escaped. Until now, they're still searching after she described the face of the escaped suspect to a graphic artist. A man who's bearded and wore a white shirt paired with ripped jeans. A man who has shoulder-length black hair.

She held on to her necklace, which was the last gift she received from her parents when she felt the strange cold hugging her.

"Mom, Dad, wherever you are, I promise you that I will find justice to your death," she said quietly and then kissed their picture.