Chapter 14
The Awakening
A sonata of laughs echoed from downstairs when Elizabeth opened one eye and saw the light of the progressing morning. She looked over to her side and found Philippe, still wrapped as if grease in the cold. He looked exceptionally drained, a reasonable state for a father who had been on-and-off the hospital to take good care of Sophia.
Groaning sleepily, Elizabeth followed the echoes until she was led to the dining room. There her mother-in-law and Bea were, preparing for breakfast.
“Good morning!” Grandma Lucy greeted her and pampered herself with the aroma of Darjeeling tea.
Despite her lack of sleep, Elizabeth managed a cheerful face. The brighter it became when Nadine ran to her, like craving for chocolates.
“Mommy.” Nadine clung firmly to her shoulders, giving this kitten-like look that was too hard to resist.
“Hello there, kiddo.” Grandma Lucy beamed, looking at Nadine. “How was your sleep?”
“It was fine, Gran.” Nadine went to her seat and looked for Sophia.
“Oh, honey! She’s still in bed,” Elizabeth replied and served her a bowl of choco flakes.
Then, Alex joined them.
“I still miss her, Mom.” Nadine, all of sudden, sent a stare of pining.
“Oh, sweetie! Your sister is here now.” Elizabeth palmed Nadine’s hair and poured sterilized filled milk into her cereal. “And she’s not going anywhere, all right?”
Nadine’s grimace slowly turned into a smile. “All right,” she nodded, agreeing, and began a spoonful.
Sophia was still in bed, staring vacantly around her. The surrounding was new and it never felt like she had missed it, never felt that it had always been linked to her all her life. She reached out for some photo frames on the desk and saw nothing but herself. She went to the window and slid back the curtains. The rising sun radiated through her skin, and she wished her memory could shine through, too.
Lost in thought, a drawer that seemed very special emerged, in her senses. She went to open it and saw a diary, with a piece of photo inserted between the pages. She took it and saw a good-looking guy kissing her cheeks.
Her mind was in rainstorm now!
To clear things out, she opened the diary and saw two male names written: Jericho and Giovanni. She went to the last entry and discovered it was almost three months ago. Raring to know who he was, she went to her mother, only to hear the sound of talking voices from the dining room.
“There you are! The princess has awakened!” Philippe, who just joined the family for breakfast, noticed Sophia’s shadow.
“Princess? Really, Dad?” Nadine reacted, kind of jealous, in the way she asked it.
“Oh! Are you jealous, Nadine?” Alex cracked a joke.
“Of course, not!” Nadine turned defensive.
The fight was cut as soon as Sophia went near them, with a face that needed to be cleared immediately. “I wonder if you know this guy, with me in this picture,” she said, while handing it to them.
Across the silence, everyone looked at each other.
“Is he?” Sophia managed to talk again, halfway between crying and excitement, and asking for some answers. “I saw it when I opened my diary and... I wonder if he is my... boyfriend.”
Silence overtook the room, once again.
Then, Alex immediately stood up and left the dining room. His conscience was killing him. He knew it was Giovanni and he just didn’t find it bearable to answer her.
Sophia wanted an answer right away but her brother’s walk-out scene, somewhat bothered her.
Elizabeth initiated a motion towards Sophia, while battling with herself, regarding how to say it. She knew her daughter had the right to know everything, but it felt like it wasn’t the right time, not now that Sophia had just come back from coma.
“Sophia, he’s Giovanni... your boyfriend.” Elizabeth finally unwrapped a portion of her Pandora box.
“Where is he, Mom? Does he know I’m here?”
Sophia’s seeking for answers put Elizabeth to the snapping point. But Elizabeth wasn’t the only one. The rest was also on the brink, searching for the right words, to answer Sophia.
“And why did Alex leave?” Sophia proceeded. “Is there something wrong?”
Once again, everyone was unspeaking.
“Why are you not answering me?” Now, Sophia’s voice quivered. “Mom, I’m asking you. Where is he?”
“Sophia, please, calm down for a while. We will explain to you everything but… this is not the right time to tell you everything!” Philippe finally talked, with a sidestepping look, then realized it was a stupid response.
“What do you mean, Dad?” Sophia’s tone was probing.
Uncomfortable yet bold enough, Grandma Lucy spoke, “He’s… he’s already gone, Sophia!”
An aching moment passed. All eyes were unblinking!
“He passed away when you had your car accident,” Grandma Lucy further said, forcing her nerves to be strong with the truth.
Shaken, tears immediately streamed down Sophia’s face. It was all hard to process so that she almost fell down to the floor, and felt as if her mind would separate from her body.
“Sophia, honey, listen,” Elizabeth implored.
Disbelieving, Sophia ran to her room and locked herself… crying, struggling to breathe, to understand, to remember Giovanni… but, all the while, the entirety of herself was shouting for more truth, and for the return of her memory.
She had a boyfriend. But now he was gone. Forever gone.
Grandma Lucy could not leave the city for Forest Green. She knew that Sophia was unstable, and it felt more important to focus on her than on anything else. She begged for Bea’s help—to go back to Forest Green and to take good care of their trades, and to ensure that someone was there to do decisions, on her behalf. Bea willingly agreed, and she planned to leave the following day.
Sophia lamented all day.
Her worried parents had been knocking on her door, but she just couldn’t bear the thought that she’d lost Giovanni. Although she remembered nothing about him, she knew in her heart that she had loved him.
Midnight was arriving, and Alex was not yet home. He hadn’t been answering his cell phone and nothing served as a sign of his whereabouts.
Worried, Philippe and Elizabeth sought for police help. Grandma Lucy was very more worried, so that she almost had a heart attack.
Elizabeth’s dense emotions worsened. She couldn’t risk to hear more bad news. She was fully stretched to the breaking point, and one more strain would finally drop her right into the brink of sanity.
Subsequently, a call seized their attention.
Philippe hastened to answer it, and was informed of Alex’s arrest, for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Hurrying to fix their son’s mess, Philippe and Elizabeth used up all their remaining strength and asked Grandma Lucy to look after the girls.
It was already dawn when the couple arrived home. Alex was still at the precinct and he would be released after twenty four hours.
Philippe and Elizabeth went upstairs and discovered Nadine’s absence in her room. They opened Sophia’s door and were eased to see the girls peacefully sleeping on the same bed. Philippe held Elizabeth’s hand and let loose the knots squeezing his heart. “We have to be strong for our family,” he said, almost into tears.
Elizabeth agreed and cried on his shoulders, quietly. “We’re going to get through this.”
They eased each other, further, and finally, walked to their room.
Sophia was dreaming at that moment. She was seeing herself in an abandoned garden, surrounded by wonderful butterflies that soon turned into wild crows.
Awakened, Sophia almost leaped out from bed. With sweat soaking her clothes, she went to the bathroom and washed her face.
What a nightmare! She faced herself in the mirror. Then, she went to change her garments, catching a glimpse of her sister who looked like oil in frostiness. She tried to go to sleep again, but she was still bothered by her nightmare. Then, a hint inside of her made her read her diary. Unintentionally, she opened the part… when they visited Forest Green a few months ago.
Dear Diary,
I don’t know what to feel after seeing Jericho. When I saw him, I was delighted but it came to a point that I wished I never saw him that day. I hate myself for everything I’ve done to him. But when I looked at him, everything was refreshed. He is handsome and adorable, as always. I know I did not have to feel that way. I’m with Giovanni now. I know he loves me in ways that I could never imagine. But I don’t know why I felt that way when I saw Jericho.
Oh, please, Diary! Please, don’t tell me that I’m going insane. This is not right but... I wanted to kiss him Yes, Diary, I wanted to kiss him the moment I set eyes on him again. His eyes and lips were very begging. Oh! It reminds me of the night he climbed my grandma’s terrace. His touch... that touch of him that weakened me! And his kiss... that kiss of him that took me to a place I could never describe! It was my very first time. I know I was young. But it was a kiss that I will always treasure.
I am confused, Diary. I am confused. I love Giovanni and I always will. But Jericho, oh, God! I can’t stop thinking of him! Please, tell me what to do, Diary. I know I should not feel this way.
Till then...
Love, Sophia
An unwelcome teardrop fell onto her diary.
Who are you, Jericho? Sophia pondered, squeezing her eyes shut from tears that lingered, overflowing, now.
That was a slice of her heart! It only meant she betrayed Giovanni, and it just shattered her.
She shut those eyes again and struggled to grasp for more air, when suddenly, her diary fell off her lap, its pages turning quickly to the previous marked ones. She picked it up and saw the part saying,
I can’t believe what I saw that night at the lake house. I was frightened. Those beautiful... white feathers! They were astounding. I want to make myself believe that it was not real but it bothers me. At first, I thought that I was kind of mental but I was not. It was real, diary. It was real.
Finishing it, Sophia’s emotions were hurled to nowhere, all of a sudden. Her mind was at war. Wiping away her tears, she almost woke up Nadine, unwittingly. Then, she rushed to hush her sister, and to arrange her blanket that almost fell to the floor.
