I was wandering in the streets of Kathmandu. A purposeless cloud that wandered wherever it wanted. I remembered the time when my Baba first took me here. It never seized to amaze me.... how busy it was. Nothing had changed the roads were always crowded with cars, the trees that my Baba and I use to go under when it rained even the street vendors selling fruits except for the fact that my father wasn't here anymore."I miss you baba" I said with tears running down my cheeks.
I remembered how I carried my baba to the hospital, half-conscious and in panic but alive. Holding his hand so tightly as he was fighting for his life."Baba, please don't leave us behind I beg of you" I screamed in agony slowly losing my consciousness as my hands started letting go. I woke up a few days later to hear the news of my dad's death and how my relatives were deciding to take our custody. My brother(Kristofer) was only 8 and I could see the pain in his eyes." Kristen" he said, "Our uncle told us that baba went to heaven, did he tell you when he will come back?".His words were so pure yet they shattered my heart into million pieces. I swiftly rushed to hug him as tight as I can. "Kristofer, baba's gone to a faraway place and he won't be coming back for a while" I lied to him. As his sister, I had to protect him. I thought things couldn't get any worse but it was just the beginning. The protection that our father gave us for the real world was no more and slowly I realized that I couldn't protect my brother on my own.
"The pain and sorrow of emotions had started to eat me from the inside as my exterior refused to show any pain in the streets of Kathmandu, my screams were heard as whispers but it's okay nobody will remember me anyway," I thought to myself wiping my tears away.
Gentle drops of rain drizzled from the sky as everyone started to run for shelter. Suddenly I heard a voice of an old woman calling me from behind."Young lady" said the old woman "Young lady, come here or you will catch a cold". I had no other option but you go as the rain started to pour down heavily.
"I like rainy days," she said, "it reminds me that sometimes the world has sad days too".The woman had a mysterious yet soothing voice."What is your name young lady?" she asked "It's Kristen.... Kristen Cestia" I replied to her.
"Kristen, you haven't realized it yet but everything you have been through has sparked a flame that is now burning you up," she said with a serious voice. I gave her a confused look.
"But I'm not on fire, what do you mean?" I replied politely to her.
She offered me a warm cup of tea to drink and then again continued.
"You most definitely are, you will understand what I'm saying one day," she said with a sigh and "For the first time, you'll notice all your burn marks.......".
Her words I didn't understand seemed so righteous and true.
As I started to drink the tea she gave me my body started to give in to the fatigue and I started to lose my consciousness again.
"Kristen be careful my child I will always be looking at you" was the last thing she said before I woke up in bed the next morning.
****************************THE CHAPTER ENDS*********************************************
