The Missing Petal

Chapter 1

MAISIE

I was walking in the dark and deserted hallway when I heard a scream, I run fast outside to see what is happening but the moment I set my feet in the courtyard an old professor stop me, asking me where I have been and where am I going.

“What is happening sir? What is the chaos all about?” I curiously asked.

“Student is not allowed here! Now go, join your fellow student!” He angrily answered. What a rude man, I just want to know what is happening here.

Like what he ordered, I joined my fellow students, all of them are wearing fancy clothes such as a designer tuxedo and a high-end brand cocktail dresses. Their golden accessories is shinning under the moonlit night.

Isang pamilyar na lalaki ang tumabi sa ‘kin, like what the rest of the male students, he is also wearing a neat black tuxedo. Though, his might look plain than the others you cannot changed the fact that he surely stand out.

“What happened?” I asked with curiosity laced in my voice.

He looked at me dead in the eye, and repeatedly said, “She killed her. She killed Aina! She killed her! She killed herself! She killed Aina! She kil–”

Marahas na napadilat ang aking mga mata ng biglaang huminto ang van na sinasakyan namin, may aksidente palang nangyari sa gilid ng kalsada at nakuha pang maki-usisa ng driver namin. Gano’n pa man, tahimik akong nagpasalamat dahil hindi natuloy ang panaginip na matagal ng bumabagabag sa akin.

It’s been exactly four years since that incident occurred. Though it is already in the past I still can’t forget the hopelessness in her eyes. I knew that it will haunt me till my last breath.

“How long does it take to get there? It’s been like, what? Three hours?” Ciara irritably asked.

Tatlong taon na ang lumipas mula ng huli naming pagkikita ngunit ni isa ay walang nagbago sa kanya. Well, hindi ko naman siya masisisi. It’s been forever since we started to take the long ride. Alas syete pa lang ng umaga ay umalis na kami sa Manila nang maka-iwas daw sa traffic, ngunit pasado alas dyis na ng tanghali ay wala pa rin kami sa destinasyon namin.

“Patience Ciara, malapit-lapit na rin tayo.” saad ni Tati, marahan niyang binuksan ang bintana sa gawi niya at pinatong dito ang kanyang siko. “Ahh, fresh air!”

Dali-dali ko ring binuksan ang bintana sa gawi ko at dumungaw sa labas, tama si Tati presko nga ang hangin dito bagamat tirik ang araw sa labas ay hindi pa rin mapag kakaila na malamig ang simoy ng hangin.

Nilibot ng aking paningin ang dinadaanan namin, nakalagpas na kami sa matatayog at matataas na building sa siyudad, nakalagpas na rin kami sa mahabang traffic, wala na ang polusyon. Tanging mga puno’t halaman ang makikita mo sa paligid, sa di kalayuan ay tanaw ko ang bukirin, may mga magsasaka kaming nadaanan na nag babayo ng palay sa gilid ng kalsada. Napaka ganda ng paligid, hindi ko maiwasang hindi humanga sa ganda ng kalikasan.

Ilang minuto pa ang lumipas ng makarating na kami sa destinasyon namin. Payapa ang paligid, may mangilan-ngilan din na tao na paniguradong nandito upang bisitahin ang mga mahal nila sa buhay. Sunod-sunod kaming bumaba sa sinasakyan namin na puting Van at tahimik na tinahak ang kinalalagyan niya.

Napayakap ako sa aking sarili ng umihip ang malamig na hangin, maraming puno sa paligid at may mangilan-ngilan din na bulaklak. Nababagay ang lugar na ito sakanya, dahil labis ang pagmamahal niya sa Inang kalikasan.

Sa lugar kung saan nakahimlay ang kanyang labi, each of us offer her a different kind of flowers. Tati offers her a rosemary flower, it signifies love and remembrance. Ciara on the other hand offer a yellow hyacinth, it means jealousy. Dang, she never change does she?

The offer goes on and on, until it is my turn now. For the remembrance of our friendship, I offer her a bouquet of yellow roses and myosotis flower, also known as the forget-me-not flower. After me was Vaughn who offers a bouquet of mature bloom red roses which symbolizes love and gratitude.

After offering our messages and flowers we started to reminisce, the pain, the sorrow, the unimaginable things that we had, and the incidents that makes us who we are now.