CHAPTER 1: Birthday

As usual, I ate together with my parents,because today is my birthday. Our meals are special on my birthday, because Mommy and I cook what we will eat. The maids and others in the house are sent home for a day off until next week, but there is no deduction from their salaries.

My parents always did that. Eery time it’s my birthday, all their employees in the company and here at home send home or take a day off so that they can be with their family and I can also be with my parents the whole day without any nuisance.

One of the days I really like is my birthday. Because, every birthday we have the opportunity to be together the whole day. We are all always busy, so we often just eat together and talk. My parents are busy with the company, while I am busy with school especially so. Every time it’s my birthday, no matter what day it is, they dedicate their whole one day to celebrate my birthday.

I just gasp every time I think about our thesis defence. I feel like my head will explode with the amount will I memories.

“How’s school, Carla Christine Zabala?” My father asked me.

“It is really needed to call my whole name, Dad?” I jokingly ask him.

Both my parents just laughed at my question.

“Well, school is okay. I have all passed the exam. My thesis defence really hurts my head, but I will surely pass that.” I’ll just answer.

My mother and I laughed when Daddy shook his head. “Thesis defence, I remember that semester.” Daddy said, laughing.

“Why, dad?” I smiled when I asked.

“Because your daddy always stuttered on our defence day.” Laughing Mommy said.

And my parents started to annoy each other about their thesis defence back then. This is how they often are, they tease, but in the end Daddy loses to the two of them. It’s either Daddy just lost so that Mommy wouldn’t be angry with him or he really lost when be teased Mommy.

I smiled with great joy as I watched my parents while happily teasing each other, because that’s the tenderness of the two of them.

Someday, I want to find a guy like Daddy. There is no one else to love but Mommy. I never saw them fight because of another woman. In stress, maybe—stress at work, but every time the two of them fight, Daddy is the first to approach and will understand Mommy.

I hope one day, I find someone like Daddy and I will be like Mom, who also has no one else to love but Daddy.

***

***

***

[ Two years later.]

..

..

When I entered Heirs International School or H.I.S., I was greeted by some of the students. I just smiled at them. I wasn’t able to greet them back because I didn’t sleep well last night.

I couldn’t sleep last night because of my bad dream last night. Every time I remember that, every time I dream of that event, the fear always just returns to my chest, the heel I feel and, most of all, the hatred. I am brave enough, but when it comes to that matter, when it comes to that dream. I wish I could be brave enough to be. The fear I feel still dominates.

I just gasped.

If I only had a valid reason, like I’m sick, I wouldn’t come in now because I feel bad. But, I’m a teacher, not a student who only needs to submit an excuse letter so I can not attend class.

I’m a Physical Education college professor here at Heirs International School or H.I.S. I’m not really a teacher but because apart from having a degree, I have a background in physical fitness or anything else related to physical education. This school accepted me for the meantime.

I was very grateful when this school accepted me as a P.E. teacher. At that time, I didn’t know what I would do with life. I was lost and still lost, I think, I don’t know.

I had a dream then but because of one bad nightmare in my life; it was like suddenly a boom, without everything I dreamed of in life.

When I was in front of the door in the faculty room; I took a deep breath before opening the door. I don’t want to let my fellow professors notice that I feel heavy.

Entering the faculty room, another professor noticed me immediately. They smiled at me and they greeted me warmly. I smiled at them all back and greeted them warmly too before going to my table. As I sat down, I rubbed headache medicine on both sides of my forehead.

“Ma’am Christine, are you okay?” Question of one of my fellow professors.

I just told her that I was okay.

While I was fixing my laptop and other things to take for class later, I was distracted by the conversation of my colleagues here in the faculty, so I couldn’t help but approach them.

I stood up and approached them. “Who is the new chairman of this school?” I asked them.

“They said he is a handsome man. They said too that he is the brother of the former owner of this school.”

Well, I’m curious a little. Because I’m almost new here and I don’t know who they’re referring to. I’m not interested in men, I just want to know who they are referring to.

...

...

...

After my class at five in the afternoon, I went to the cemetery and went to my parents’ grave. Going to the front of my parents’ grave, I placed in their grave the flowers I had brought for the two of them.

I smiled and at the same time tears were pouring from my pair of eyes, which I immediately wiped. Wherever they are now, I don’t want them to see that I’m sad; I don’t want them to see that I’m not okay and most of all; I don’t want them to see that I’m not the same person as before.

“I still remember, Mom, Dad. I dream of that last night, again and again.”

How can I forget what was the cause of their death when almost every night I always dreamed it as if every night it also happened again?

Almost every night, whenever I dream of that event, my fear returns. Fear that I would repeatedly lose and my parents would leave me.

To this day, it still makes me wonder why that was done to the parents? Why did my parents do that? I don’t remember that they had an enemy. My parents are kind to everyone, even to our former maids. They are kind. So I can’t imagine who could do this to my parents?

I clenched my fist while looking at the grave of my parents. At the same time as I clenched my hand, my tears flowed from my eyes again.

“I promise to both of you, Mom and Dad. The person will pay to do this to you. Whoever is behind your death, I will do this to the person who did this.”

Yes. Revenge. This is the only thing that gives me hope to live. I will repay the person who did this to us, to my parents. I will make sure to triple the pain I will inflict on the person who did this to us, especially to my parents.