Seven Days In Paradise

A gun by the window

Bea's POV:

"Love, wake up. You're having a nightmare again." I said as I lightly nudged her.

Her eyes fluttered open, tinitigan ako nito at parang hindi makapaniwala sa nakikita nito. I offered her a reassuring smile. She looks at the sheets and her hands. She was relieved na walang ano mang bagay siya na nakita.

"Love, are you alright?" I asked as I sat her up in bed.

"Another nightmare love." She said so.

"What is it about this time?" I asked her.

"Binaril daw tayo ni Pearl." She stated.

"Love, I'm fine. You are too." I smiled at her.

She was just stunned and unable to speak.

"Wait lang, love ha? Kunan lang kita ng tubig." I said to her as I left her in bed.

When I got back, she was standing by the window, the sun is already shining. Nakatalikod ito sa akin. I approached her.

"What is it love?" I asked her.

She points at the window, doon nakapatong ang isang baril. I immediately pulled her into a hug. As I tried to console her from the shock.

Pearl's POV:

I found Bea and my best friend Zoey in Hawaii. I have been following them around for about a year now. Tonight was the night I planned to kill them. Para maipaghigante ang pagkamatay ni Gabriel. It had been three years, naipanganak ko na ang baby girl namin ni Gabe, si Gabriella Pearl Tanchingco. I got into their home through an open window sa kanilang kwarto.

I watched as my bestfriend was sleeping soundly, maya-maya lamang ay dumilat ito. Pero agad ding hinimatay dahil nakita ako nitong may hawak na baril. I debated with myself whether to kill them or let them be. Sa huli, nanaig pa din ang pagiging magkaibigan namin ni Zoey.

Zoey and I had a lot of good times, she was the sister I never had as I am hers. She was like another daughter to my parents. Tatlo kaming magkakapatid, ako ang panganay sa tatlong magkakapatid. Ang dalawang kapatid ko ay puro mga lalake. They thought Gabe was bad for me, it took them one glance at Gabriella to forgive me for all the mistakes I did.

Agad akong nagpahid ng mga luha ko. Dali-dali na akong umalis sa bahay ni Zoey. I left the gun by their window. To let them know that I was there, that I don't intend to do them any harm. Not anymore. It was a thing I always did for Zoey that signifies I forgive her.

I walked back to my car and drove myself home. Once I reached home, I went to my daughter's room, there my 3 year old daughter was sleeping soundly. I hugged and kissed her, tumabi ako sa kanya sa pagtulog. Patuloy pa din ako sa pagluha ko, I almost killed my best friend. I thought to myself.

I prayed that night, silently asking for God's forgiveness. Because starting today, I will live the best life I could for my daughter. After all, I am the only one she has left.

Zoey's POV:

It rattled me to find a gun right by our window. I knew what kind of person Pearl was. She used to visit me at home nung mga panahong may lagnat ako at hindi nakapasok sa school. She left things by the window, to let me know she was there. She had an obsession with windows, she liked looking out the window as much as she loved me and Gabe. Kaya walang duda na siya ang may gawa nito.

I used to ask her what it means if she left things by my room window. She told me once that she hated it when I won't be able to come to school dahil may sakit ako. Her leaving trinkets by the window of my room was her forgiving me for being absent. Even as adults, when things are beginning to fall apart between us, she would leave me chocolates or other food by the window, she will leave me with things that she knew would make me happy, by the window. As a sign of forgiveness.

Sa puntong ito, habang nakatitig lang din si Bea sa baril na nasa window namin, I couldn't help but feel relieved. As she held me in her arms, tightly.

"She forgives us love." I said to her.

"Who?" She asked me.

"Pearl. Pearl, has already forgiven us." I said to her.

"How did you know?" She said as she pulled away from the hug to look at me.

"Because, love. Pearl likes to leave things by the window of my room, kahit nung mga bata pa kami. Yan ang gesture nya ng pagpapatawad." I answered her.

"Oh love." She said and hugged me tight again.

I laughed and cried into the hug, sa wakas. Tapos na ang madilim na kahapon. Ngayon, we can start to focus on rebuilding our lives. Something I feared would never happen with the threat Pearl made. I don't know how long we've been hugging each other and crying ourselves from the relief of knowing Pearl had forgiven us.

We hugged each other, crying, laughing and feeling better all at once. Kung nasaan man si Pearl, I know she will live her best life for herself and her kid. I could only hope that we meet again someday, to laugh and bond together again. For now it's enough to know that she already forgave me and Bea.

I guess it will take time for that to happen. I pulled away from the hug. I looked at my wife straight in the eye, I love looking at her lovingly.

"Love, thank you for not holding any grudges towards everything you had to go through. I love you. Never ever forget that." I said to her as I wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Gabe was still family, love. He went through a lot. Kaya nagawa nya ang mga bagay na iyon. Thank you for forgiving him." She says as she wiped the tears away from my eyes.

We hugged each other one more time. She pulled away from the hug. She looked at me with passion and love in her eyes.

"We will move forward now, love. We'll have kids and raise them together." She said.

"A completed dream of yours, love. Finally." I said smiling.

We were at a loss for words, she gets the gun and tucks it in the bed side drawer. I learned that love conquers everything, it forgives and never keeps a list of things you've done wrong. It just happens over time. Ngayon, makakapagsimula na kaming muli. Walang takot naming haharapin ang mga tao at ang buhay namin. Thanks to Pearl's selfless act of forgiveness. Where ever she might be, I hope to see her someday.

-End-

A/N:

Hello guys! Maraming salamat for all your patience that you have given me with this adoptive story. It didn't pan out exactly as the writing prompt Wayfarer had. Pasensiya na. I thought I'd share with you the Spotify Playlist that Zoey had, pasensya na kung ang sinasabi ko sa story ay Google Play Music App, may access kasi ako from an old job I had. Sana lang ibalik nila ang subscription sa Philippines because they have way better music than Spotify.

Thank you for all of your support on this story. Na-appreciate namin ni Wayfarer_11 ang support ninyo sa story naming ito. Merry Christmas guys!

Please click on this link to find the playlist for this story. Enjoy listening!

https://open.spotify.com/user/efoxqc7ynymvpv08gspb1aw4o/playlist/3YpGPcfvmvLByQR93M6cJB?si=bnGaOAhlSSq40fZWKDvRRw

Always spread light and love!

-Sky