09 | the great war

Chapter Nine. The great war.

“Mommy, can I play?”

Vhallerine’s smile was wide. Wearing her floral summer dress and her summer hat, she lifted her up. Her daughter kissed her cheeks and giggles.

“Okay… Should we call your playmates?”

“I want Sandy as my playmate!” The little girl smiled at her and hugged her neck.

“Let’s call Tita Rackhie, then?” Vhallerine asked.

Galen appeared from nowhere with a smile on his face, he’s holding sticks of barbeque. He cooked it on the yard by himself. Vhallerine and her daughter Augustine didn’t notice him at first, he hid in their back and surprised them.

“Daddy!” Nagpabuhat agad sa kanya si Augustine. The little girl then hugged her father, “I will play with Sandy today!”

“Hmm… What are you playing today then?”

“Hide and seek!”

“I’m included.” She smiled at her husband. “But since Sandy is not here yet. Why don’t you come play with us? Let’s play hide and seek. You have to find us, but if you can’t you have to wait for us to come out so you could see us again, alright?”

Her husband nodded and smirked. ”Have you forgetten that I used to beat you at this game when we were kids? Have you told Augustine about it?” He asks and offered them the barbeque.

He couldn’t hold it well, both of his hands are full of the sticks so his wife took all of them to feel comfortable while he’s carrying her daughter. Augustine then asked him that she needs to go down so they could play hide and seek.

“Turn around, daddy! Let’s play hide and seek.” Augustine giggled.

Galen chuckled and covered his face while he’s on the wall. “You better do your best to hide! One, two, three…” He started counting. He couldn’t hear anything. They must be done hiding, but since he has to finish counting, he continued counting. “Eight, nine, ten!” He turned around.

All he can see is an empty green yard. It was a sunny day.

“Vhallerine?” He asked.

He tried finding them, minutes passed and he still haven’t found his wife and daughter so he started worrying. He looked everywhere for them, even in their big house that they’ve always dreamed of. All of Galen and Vhallerine’s dreams came true. Vhallerine became a doctor, he’s a lawyer and his wife gave birth to their beautiful daughter Augustine.

He couldn't hear anything. Not even a hint. It was already dark but he still can’t find them.

“Augustine! Please come out! Let’s stop playing!”

He shouted. Until he can’t even recognize his own voice because of it’s loudness. He waited for them just like what Vhallerine told him to. He should wait for them to come out when he can’t find them. But hours has already passed, why aren’t they coming out yet?

“Galen, wait for us…” he heard Vhallerine’s voice from nowhere.

Napatingin siya roon but he couldn’t see her face. The voice was so near that he thought she’s by his side but he couldn’t see.

“Daddy, wake up,”

It was Augustine’s little voice. It echoed everywhere.

“Galen wake up…”

He could feel something falling to his skin. It was warm.

“Galen, anak…”

He slowly opened his eyes. Napabalikwas siya nang makita ang kanyang ina na nag-aalalang nakatingin sa kanya. Nandoon  din si Lynelle na asawa ni Atty. David Tamizen and David himself.

He's still under the Acasia tree. Mahina na ang ulan kumpara kanina.

It was all a dream?

“Umuwi na tayo, nak,” Gina almost sounds like she was pleading her son. She knew he wouldn’t go with her easily. “Magkakasakit ka kung hindi pa tayo umuwi. Buti at naisipan kung balikan ka rito. Kung hindi, baka kung ano na’ng nangyari sa ‘yo.”

“You kept mumbling something we couldn’t understand. Is it a dream?” David asked.

“No…” Kinusot ni Galen ang kanyang mga mata at inikot ang tingin sa paligid. Walang ibang tao. Sila lang. But he’s pretty sure that he so his wife here somewhere. Maybe they slept together under the tree. “I was here with Vhallerine before I slept. She was with our daughter…”

“You only saw Vhallerine three weeks ago after being apart for more than ten years, Galen. That’s impossible…”

Galen looked at his friend in disbelief.

“What are you meaning to say, that I’m a liar?” He asked. “Fucking leave me alone. Augustine asked me to find her.” He stood up then looked around. Gina, David and Lynelle stood up too.

“Who’s Augustine?” Gina asked.

“My daughter.”

“You never had a daughter, Galen…”

Nangilid ang luha sa mga mata ni Mrs. Zaldien. She was looking at her son, feeling sorry for what she did years ago. She thought if she didn’t do it back then, they could’ve been still together until now with Galen’s daughter that he’s calling ‘Augustine’.

“Hindi, ma! May anak kami ni Vhallerine! Anak namin si Augustine!” Tumaas ang boses ni Galen.

“A-Anak, Augustine doesn’t exist. Vhallerine already passed away three days ago. You never had a child because she was captured and was staying in jail during her last moments. Anak… Anak umuwi na tayo.”

Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Galen doon. Nanginginig ang kanyang labi. Nagdadalawang isip siya kung paniniwalaan niya ang masakit na katotohanan na ‘yon o ang perpektong panaginip niya na matagal na niyang pinapangarap, kung saan masaya silang dalawa ni Vhallerine at inaalagaan ang anak nila na hindi kailanman nangyari sa katotohanan. Dahil mabilis na binawi ang buhay ni Vhallerine.

And the fact that he was the one at fault for Vhallerine’s death because he won the case for her, made him even more mad and guilty for himself. Whenever he thinks about that everynight, it was like his brain, heart and soul made a group just to fuck him up so he couldn’t sleep ever.

Gina became more worried whenever she hears his loud scream from his room everynight. Her husband looked worried, too. They just let him grieve for his wife by crying and screaming loudly everynight like there was no tomorrow. They feel hurt with it, because they can feel his pain just by his actions.

He used to distract himself from Vhallerine by working a lot. And now that he cannot even work because he knows his wife is gone for real, he couldn’t accept it. He couldn’t move even his face muscles. It was like his life ended there.

And then he stopped eating and drinking.

One day when he was screaming and crying in his room, his mother tried to knock. The door was not locked so she opened it slowly. She’s holding a tray on her hand so her son can eat something, at least. Galen became quiet. He looked at his mother with bloodshot eyes. He’s sitting on the floor beside his bed while throwing his things.

“Anak…”

“Vhallerine?” He stood up and immediately hugged his mom.

Sa gulat ay nabitawan ni Gina ang tray na hawak niya kanina kaya nabasag iyon sa sahig. Nanlaki ang mga mata niya dahil sa loob ng halos tatlong dekada ay ngayon lang siya niyakap ng kanyang anak. And he even called his own mom by his wife’s name, Vhallerine!

Sa siwang ng pinto ay nakita ni Gina ang nag-aalalang mukha ng kanyang asawa. Nang makita naman nitong magkayakap sila ay sinenyasan siya ni Gina na umalis na.

If pretending is the only way she could save her son, she will do it.

“Galen, kumain ka na…” She gently touched her son’s face.

Galen couldn’t see his mom, what his eyes see is his beautiful wife. She’s still alive!

“S-Si Augustine? Nasa’n siya?” He excitedly asked then hugged her again, tightly this time. “Sabi ko na nga ba babalik kayo, nakakainis at ipinipilit nila sa ‘kin na wala ka na raw. Nababaliw na raw ako! Pero hindi naman… Kasi buhay ka talaga! Augustine exist!”

“Galen…” Nangilid ang luha sa mata ni Gina.

“Bakit? Payakap lang! Baka kasi umalis ka ulit!”

Tumulo ang luha ni Gina at yumakap sa kanyang anak. “H-Hindi ako aalis…”

“Eh, sinabi mo na ‘yan noon eh!” He kissed her forehead. When he looked down, he saw Vhallerine crying so his face turned worried. “Why are you crying, baby? Did I say something wrong?” He wiped her tears.

“Galen, kumain ka… Pag hindi ka kumain, hindi mo na ako makikita ulit.” Sunod-sunod ang pagtulo ng luha ng ina niya. Awang-awa na sa kanyang anak.

Humiwalay sa yakap si Galen at tumango. Hinila siya nito sa palapulsuhan at sabay silang bumaba ng kwarto papuntang kusina sa baba. Nadaanan nila ang ama ni Galen na si Ronie, nakamata lang ito sa kanila na may malungkot na ekspresyon sa mukha.

Si Galen mismo ang umupo sa harap ng dinner table. “Upo ka, Vhal. Nasa trabaho pa ‘ata sila mama at papa. Mamaya dadating iyon. Sasabihin ko nandito ka na.” Aniya sabay ngiti sa inaakala niyang asawa.

Gina slowly sat while looking at her son, afraid that just a few minutes later he would change again and start crying. She doesn’t want that.

And he ate again. After grieving and crying for countless days.

They continued being like that for a month. Until Galen realized.

“W-Wala na si Vhallerine…” He whispered.

A day after that, he rode with his car and they couldn’t find him again after that.