CHAPTER 8: AFTER DEATH

I woke up and wondered if it was already morning because sleeping is not my intention. I wanted to go out and treat myself to something to eat. I checked what was going on outside. I looked outside the window and found out that it is already morning. I saw Tania talking to Sheila. I smile because I didn’t expect that my morning would be this good. The sun is already set high in the sky. I already fell asleep last night. I had a long night last night that made me tired. I am wondering what happened to Jackie and Simon? Where are they now? and Michael is still not showing up. I wonder what happened to her too. Simon and Jackie are suddenly gone. When I come back they are no longer home. After the incident last night with the murderers I went home and I am so tired. I shook my head and closed my eyes because I felt a little bit dizzy. Maybe I am hungry or I am still tired and need to rest because of what happened last night. I remember what happened last night. It might be weird but it happened. Jopher is trying to do bad to Tania and of course. I fought them with my superpower and everything. I don’t know how I did all of it but it happened even I can’t believe it. My head is still aching remembering all of it. I tried to exercise my neck slowly to make it feel better and stretched my arms and legs.

Knock!

Knock!

I heard a knock on the door but I am too lazy to open it.

Knock!

Knock!

“Isaac” But I heard Tania’s voice.

“Are you there?” She asked. That is why I immediately stood up and opened the door when I heard her voice.

“Hi,” I said with a smile to her. The door is still left half-closed because I don’t want her to see how messy my apartment is.

“Good morning” She greeted me with a smile while holding a dish. I looked at the dish that she was holding because she is just right on time again. I have been hungry since last night and she is like an angel fallen from the sky just to give me food to save my day.

“I just want to give you this,” She said, still with a smile on her face. I took the dish that she was holding and said “Thank you” but she shook her head and said,

“I thank you for saving me last night”

I looked at her as if I was surprised because she remembered it and I feel like I am a superhero to her. I smile and pretend that I am not blushing and she smiles too which makes me melt. If she only knew how she captured my heart but she doesn’t need to know about it because I don’t want to be hurt again. I am okay with what I am right now because the wounds that Maria caused me are still fresh.

“Thank you,” I told her and handed the dish that she was giving to me.

“I don’t know what to do if I am alone last night… thanks for not leaving me,” She said and she stared directly into my eyes which made me uneasy. I can’t look back at her because I feel shy with her stare. I feel like I am blushing or melting. She took a deep breath and smiled. Waiting for me to say something but when she feels that I have nothing to say. She bid goodbye.

“See you later, Isaac,” She said and went down the stairs and went inside their house. I closed the door. After watching her get inside their house, I shook my head. Why does she want to see me later? Wow because I want to see her too. I want to see her every day. I put the food on the table and remove the cover to check what it is. It is a macaroni soup with bread and a note written ‘Enjoy eating’. I smile after I read her note. If only I met her first than Maria. My life is not broken right now and I would be happy and complete, but I guess I need to go through this for me to meet her.

“One more eat and you will never be hungry for the rest of your life… you can eat but you will never be hungry even you don’t eat,” A voice said and I looked around and I saw a super bright bluish and reddish light that can blind a normal eye in a form of a human with a wings trice bigger than the human size went down from above, and it turns to Michael once it touched the floor.

“Where have you been?” I asked with excitement because she is back. Her looks and outfit didn’t change.

“Did you miss me?” She asked

“I’ve been looking for you”

“I and Gabriel just had a little chat,” She said and sat in front of me. She looked at me and said, “I watched what you did and you did great!”

“Thank you,” I said and ate my bread and macaroni soup that Tania gave me and it was so delicious.

“That would be your last meal and you will never feel hungry,” She said while watching me eat.

“You still have six more challenges left,” She reminded me.

“You are gently discovering what you are capable of” She added and she smiled while still watching me eat.

“I am scared that you might face Sam as your final chapter of purification”

I looked at her while still chewing the food and finishing it.

“Is it possible?” I asked her after swallowing it. She didn’t answer but she nodded.

Knock!

Knock!

Knock!

Someone is knocking on the door again but I don’t think it’s Tania. I stood up to check who it was. I opened the door and was surprised by what I saw. It is Simon and he is holding water. He is alive and smiling in front of me.

“I am sorry to disturb you but do you want water?” He asked and offered me water. I stare at him because I couldn’t believe that he is alive like nothing happened to him. He smiles at me while shaking the bottle of water that he is holding. I am speechless because I am amazed to see him alive. I looked at Michael who was smiling at me and I looked back at him. I took the water bottle that he was offering me and looked at Michael again. While Michael didn’t say a word.

“It is only fifteen pesos,” He said, reminding me to pay him because I am still looking at him.

“Sir,” He said and he snapped his fingers. 

“Oh sorry,” I said and I immediately took the coins in my wallet and gave it to him.

“Are you Simon?” I asked just to make sure that he is Simon. 

“Yes,” He answered and I felt excited, happy, and amazed when I heard his answer that he was Simon. I feel like wanting to hug him but it seems that he doesn’t remember or know me.

“How are you?” I asked him

“Do I know you?” He asked me back without answering my question but I didn’t answer because I don’t know what to answer. It would sound weird if I tell him ‘yes’ because for him we just met today and we are both strangers.

“Thank you for the water,” I said instead of answering his question.

“You’re welcome,” He said and I was about to close my door when he called my attention.

“Oh sir, if you need to buy water here’s my contact number and I will deliver it right through your door,” He said and gave me his calling card.

“Okay,” I said and watched him leave before I closed my door. I locked my door, looked at Michael and asked, “What happened?” She smile at me and said “Because you won”

“Remember if you won the victim will come back from death and he will be remembered as if nothing happened to him and the murderer will vanish like he never exists” She remind me because I forgot.

“And if I lose?”

“The victim will be gone like he never existed and the murderer will be stronger and evil than before” She answered and I drink the bottle of water that I am holding because I am thirsty. I am just done eating the macaroni soup with bread that Tania gave me.

“That is why he went back as if we never met before,” I said

“He will never remember you because his life is different now than when he was dead…only the dead can remember you but once they are alive… they will forget about you,” She said and that is the sad truth that they will just remember me if they are already dead and if they need something from me. I suddenly remembered Jackie and I became curious about what happened to her.

“How about Jackie?” I asked

“Come on, let’s figure it out,” Michael said and we went to Jackie in just one snap.

I saw Jackie and she is still pregnant. She is happy and excited about their first child. I saw the house is different too. It was bigger than before. They have a water station beside their house as their business. I don’t know how that happened but it happened. I am so happy to see her alive and her baby because I feel regret for not protecting her after I told her that I will protect her, the last time that I saw her. I looked at her while massaging the baby inside her womb. Her smile is uncomparable while she feels the baby moving inside of her. I am so happy for Simon because that is what my dream was before, to be a father but Maria didn’t give me a chance. Though their life is better than before I can still see the simplicity and happiness of a soon-to-be perfect family.

“Yes, how can I help you?” She asked when she noticed me looking at her.

“Ummm,” I said because I don’t know why I am looking at her. I looked at Michael and Michael looked back at me and shook her head. She can’t see Michael.

“Did you own this water station?” I suddenly asked. I don’t know. It just slipped out of my mouth. She looked at me like “Are you sure you are asking that?”

“My husband owns the water station” She answered despite how she looked at me.

“How did that happen?” Another careless question slipped out of my mouth again.

“Why are you asking?” She asked back but I didn’t answer because I don’t know what to answer. I didn’t mean to ask her those questions. I know it is rude that is why I looked at Michael again. Took a deep breath and looked back at her.

“Because I am so sensitive when it comes to drinking water I can easily get stomach ache… that is why I am asking before I will be your regular customer,” I said as I excused for asking her stupid questions.

“I see,” She said while nodding and she left the door half-closed and took a calling card and gave it to me.

“You can contact us whenever you want to order water and my husband will deliver it right through your door,” She said.

“Thank you,” I said and put the calling card inside my pocket even though I already have one.

“Thank you for choosing water avenue and have a great day,” She said with a smile

“Oh wait!” I said before she closed the door.

“One more thing… Did you know Ricardo and Lester?”

She thought for a second and shook her head “I haven’t heard those names… I didn’t know them,” she answered.

“Thank you,” I said and she closed the door and I heard her lock it.

We went back to my apartment in just a snap because Michael and I are amazed about what happened to Jackie and Simon and how their lives changed out to be when they had their life back. Even though they don’t remember me anymore, I am happy for them.

“And that would happen if they want back to their lives,” Michael said

“They will not remember that you help them or they cannot recognize you at all” She added while looking at me waiting for my reaction but I didn’t react to it because for me that is fine. If that is part of my task. I will accept it.

“There is more to come, brace yourself” She reminded me.

“Can you please snap a television?… I want to see what happened to the criminals” I asked her because Jackie didn’t know Ricardo and Lester anymore.

Michael snapped and the television appeared right in front of me. I turned it on and find a channel about what happened to the murderers if I will find any news about them. I keep on changing the channels but I can’t find any. That is why I turned it off and put the remote control on the table.

“The two vanished… like they never existed. That is why Simon was put in Ricardo’s place. He is now the son of the owner and he is the one who inherited the water station business” Michael answered my question inside my head and my curiosity.

“But how come that he is still with Jackie?” I asked

“Because they are meant to be,” She answered.

“You did a great job, Isaac,” She said and she tapped my shoulder and clapped her hands after. I looked at her and I felt like I wanted to laugh. Not because I am proud of what I did but because of her reaction. I don’t know if she is proud of what I did or if she is insulting me because she knows that I haven’t done my best yet. She looked at dad and looked back at me.

“You need to hurry up, your dad is fading,” She said and I looked at dad who is sleeping and yes he is fading.

“If he fades he will be stuck here on earth forever and he will carry all the burden and pains that the human threw out in this world, and he will end up suffering from that burden that is not his” She added and I nodded. I saw dad suddenly wake up and immediately run to the wall and call my name. As if he was trying to stop me from shooting someone and he ran while still calling me and he paused and he went to the kitchen and made coffee for him and sat on the table. Then after his coffee, he went back to sleep.

“He will do that over and over again. His actions are limited and he is slowly fading” Michael said.

“But why is Simon not like that?” I asked

“Because his life was stolen and supposed to be alive” She answered “But your dad is different. His time has already come and he needs to go to the afterlife but you are still here and there’s a lot like him out there waiting for you” She added.

I took a deep breath and scratched my head because it suddenly ached about what she told me. I tried to look outside the window to relax my mind but I saw Tania again. My eyes were glued to her and I felt like I wanted to approach her and talk to her but someone inside of me is stopping me and telling me to avoid Tania as early as possible. I feel like I want to do that too but I am too weak because every time I see her. I want to be with her. Every Time I saw her smile. It is melting me. I remember the night that I was with her and how I kissed her that surprised her. I know it is just a stolen kiss but I know she liked it because she kissed me back. Her sweet and soft lips touching mine makes me always want to be with her. I shook my head to remove her from my head but I couldn’t.

“Stop the beating of your heart for her, I warned you,” She said and she stood up and opened the door when I saw Tania standing at the door. She looked at me and I froze because I didn’t know how to react to her seeing me with a teenage girl inside my apartment.

“Hi” She greeted me while looking at me. It seems that she can’t see Michael standing in front of her.

“Oh hello, Tania,” I nervously said and immediately went to her

“Sorry for disturbing you but I just want to get the bowl and the plate,” She said.

“Oh sure,” I said and I went to the table and got the plate and the bowl. The macaroni soup is done and I like it.

“Thanks for the soup and bread, it’s delicious”

“I am the one who cooked it. As my thank you for saving me” She said with a smile.

“You’re welcome…I will… I will… be there if you need me” I offered even though I am not sure again how it slipped out of my mouth. She smiled again and said, “Thank you, see you around” And left. I closed the door and looked at Michael who was still standing at the front door with me but Tania didn’t see her.

“She didn’t see you right?” I asked just to make sure.

“Not all the time humans need to see me,” She said and I hugged her because she didn’t know how she saved my life. I don’t want Tania to see me with another girl inside my apartment because I don’t want her to think that I already have a girlfriend. I don’t want her to get jealous though I am not sure about her getting jealous. I just don’t like her to see me with another girl, especially if it is inside my apartment.

“You are still thinking that you two are meant to be right?” Michael asked me but I didn’t answer because even though we are not meant to be. I want to be with her and I am happy every time that I am with her.

“Where are you going?” I asked

“Just there… I need fresh air. The air is so polluted nowadays” She answered and she turned into a bright fire again and vanished. Now I am all alone inside my apartment with my dad.