PROLOGUE
From tragedy, hope springs eternal.
For me, that hope was a long time coming. My parents were
out on the rare dinner night. It was
their anniversary, if I recall.
Six years of marriage, and four of them with me. I’d been left with my
grandparents, the ones who had raised my dad. Grandpa was always a blast,
letting me ride his back while my Grandma was the best cook in the county.
A small sound of ting echoed on all three of us ears, it was a doorbell who rang making the three of us stop on our track. That sound was long and hollow, like the tolling
of a church bell at a funeral.
"Okay i'm going" With a sigh from my grandmother making her husband slightly chuckle, we both watches us my grandma answered it for us. I can still remember
sitting on the floor of the living room with Grandpa. The doorway looked
into the entrance hall.
Two middle age man who have black blue uniform covering their bodies stood before granda, a policemen. I was really confuse that time, wondering what they need from us and why are they here?
Their voices were
low, but the pity in their eyes was loud and clear, even to me.
Grandma’s hand flew to her mouth and her eyes widened. Tears pooled
in them as she stumbled back.
“Bee!” A sudden shout from my grandma making grandpa shout also as he flew to his feet and hurried over to her.
He caught her before she dropped.
She spun around and buried her face into his chest. Her sobbing
wracked her body.
It was then that I knew that something truly terrible had
happened. That's why people always cry, the main reason why hot tears always storm our of our eyes. But with my confusion grandma never cried well i never saw her cry..
The policemen left. Their terrible duty was
done.
Now my grandparents had their own terrible duty to do.
To take care of me.
Grandpa helped Grandma into a chair calming his wife, after the old woman stop on her subs, she started telling her husband what happen but i can't hear them, they both are talking with low voice. I stiff on my seat watching us every word come from grandma would always make her sob.
After a short talking with my crying grandma.. now.. granda had his head rested on his both hand after a minute.. Grandpa came over to me. He knelt in
front of me and clasped my hands in his large, worn ones. His eyes looked
into mine. Like he was trying not to cry.
“Jane, there’s...there’s been an accident,” he told me. I nodded. I knew
about those, but why was he crying? what's wrong? before i always always cry everytime mom won't let me have a piece of candy, did mom also did it to grandpa? she didn't allow her to have a candy? well.. grandpa only had counted of teeth that's maybe why she didn't allow him- that what i thought back then.
But.
It wasn't about candy.
Not about grandpa having bad teeth also.
“Your parents... your parents’ car
rolled over. They didn’t make it.” he added. I was really confuse that time... what does my granda meant with that?
“Make it to dinner?” I remember asking him. I didn’t want to face the
truth. Why would I?
He look away like trying not to cry, looking back at me, Grandpa shook his head “No. They’re... they’re dead, pumpkin, but don’t
you worry. Grandma and I will take care of you.”
He had more words of comfort to give to me, but I didn’t hear them. I couldn’t hear them. My parents...
Dead.
My parents are dead? THEY ARE! My young mind back then slightly pleasing he heard it wrong but it wasn't. she heard it clearly us blue sea
I was just old enough to understand
what that meant. It meant they weren’t coming back. No more of Mom’s
smiles. No more of Dad’s piggy-back rides.
Gone.
Fleeting innocence
vanished in a single instance.
Tears welled up in my eyes. Grandma wiped her own and joined
"Is this what the policeman told you grandma?" i question looking back at the lady who keep on crying, she also glance at me but it didn't take any longer when she diverted her gaze like getting scared of telling me what the truth is, but still.. she still shake her head up and down
“Maybe they are mistaken! maybe they get into the wrong house grandma! they get the wrong address!” i insisted, shaking my grandpa's old hand
But when he opened his arms. I fell into them, balling my
eyes out.
“No pumpkin,” he whispered to me through his own tears. calming me down, but at that time.. no one. nothing can calm me
he
couldn’t stop them coming any more than I could stop mine.
“We’re going
to take good care of you for them.” his calming voice shhing me grandpa wrapped his arms around us, and for a long time we sat on the
floor joined in our grief.
Grief.
You. Have you also got into stuff like this? grief. its hard isn't it?
Grief. One word, one word that is so easy to read, so easy to pronounce, but the hardest part of our lives , i couldn't even explain how hard this thing is..
My young mind back then thinking what should she do, she sure is that her life before where never be as same as her coming new life. Wondering if she could ever survive living, standing and breathing inside a cruel universe with just the her grands on her side
This is maybe i am so close to them, not just because they are taking of me but also.. i want to know more about them, more thing my brain have been confuse of.. i want to know more about my grands, about me, about my parents, about the world that i am in.
