Chapter Three - La prière (Prayer)

Theme Song: "I'll be Your Love" by Nicole Scherzinger

It was a beautiful day on the weekend. Dad, Mom, Rose and I were having a picnic near the waterfall. Mom cooked us some hot dogs. I still remember how delicious her cooking was. Rose was six while I was going eight. Dad rushed to take us to a lake. He said that it would have been better if we have gone before 6 am because the air was still fresh.

 

Dad and I took our chance at some bait. My Dad worked as a Scientist. He taught me about nature and science, and how we as human must appreciate nature. My Dad wanted me to become a scientist just like him. I didn't know if I could be like him, but I promised to my dad that I would study harder. I'm really proud of him. I miss him and I miss my mom too.

 

She and Rose were so much closer than she was with me. They liked to gossip and shared about things that my dad and I didn't know, probably about woman matters.

 

My dad and I often talked about guy's things too.

He  taught me to learn everything about nature. "Play and learn" that was he taught me about. He and  I loved to collect unique fruits, leaves and then my dad would examine them for me.

 

Rose loved to  fish - as well as I was, but I never expected that she was smarter. She had caught a big fish while I had only caught a small minnow.

 

"Don't underestimate on small catches! Little ones are a part of an important thing." My dad said to me. "Rosaline, do you want to stay with us  until seven tonight?" 

My dad had prepared a camp near the lake. We planned to catch fish until seven and would have a grilled fish for dinner.

 

"Dad!!" My patience finally brought a result.  I caught a big fish and made my dad feel so proud of me.

 

It wasn't the only memory I have about them, but I  still remember it clearly. Rose still remembers about it too


Year 2006:

I can't believe that they both have gone. It seems they are still here, at least in our hearts.

 

We had just returned from the funeral when Rose cried on my shoulder.

 

I wished that day was only a dream, an unwanted dream -- a nightmare.

 

I tried to comfort Rose, but I knew that none of my words could heal the pain

 

for her…

 

and for me.

 I hurried upstairs to check on Rose.

 

The doctor told me that she suffered a trauma because of the accident.

 

She gazed at the family picture on the wall. She asked me to leave her room. She needed some time to be alone.

I left her there, but then checked up on her again.

 

I saw her lying on the bed -- tears fell down from her eyes.

 

"Mom, dad, I don't know if I can do this. Can I look after her like you both did? I still need both of you too."

 

"Val, are you there?" Rosaline turned her head slightly. "Would you please read Mom's book for me? The one that she wrote for us."

 

Before I could finish reading the story for her, she had already fell asleep. I watched her sleeping with her face full of sorrow. I promised to myself that I would take care of her and make her happy, just like mom and dad might have wished. 

 

Later in the afternoon, Rose came out of her room. I asked her to play catch so she would breathe fresh air and have sunlight to shine on her pale skin.

 

I used to play catch with my dad. I  still remember his laughter when we both played until mom called us for lunch.

 

I didn't know how long I've been standing like that, but Rose suddenly stood  in front of me.

 

No. I must not cry. Why did she look at me that way?

 

I could not hold it. I cried on her shoulder.

 

We both cried together.

 

 We both knew that we  must adapt with the new situation soon.

 

Still, it felt strange to see two seats in front of us were empty. 
And the thing worried me the most was about Rose. She looked so pale.

 


 .

 

One night, I couldn't find her in the house. I searched around the village, but could not find her everywhere. Later,  I found her sleeping on a bench in a park.

 

"Are you okay? You can talk to me about anything." I asked her  when she had just awaken. We were sitting on a bench, gazing at the crescent moon up in the sky.

Rose did not answer. She tighten her lips, not until she asked me: "Do you think they are fine up there?"

I looked at the sky she was looking at. I didn't know the answer to her question. All I could say was  "Probably they are, Rose."

 

In the morning when I was still sleeping, I heard noises in the kitchen. I woke up and found that Rose was busy preparing for breakfast. She had been trying really hard to learn Mom's recipes.

 

But, the breakfast got burned,

and left her feeling disappointed.

 

We ate it nevertheless. We should not waste any food in this house.

 

I tried to cheer her up by making silly faces. That's the only thing I could do for her.

 

Mom and dad left us  savings. Still, we could not rely on it forever, so I gave my first shot at a bookstore.

 

The owner wasn't being friendly  and she even called a guard because she had a suspicion about me.  I left the bookstore before the guard approached.

 

I didn't do anything. All I did was looking at a horse ornaments made from plastic in the bookshelves.  However,  I didn't know why I have this eager to grab it. It would only take a second to take it. The blood flowed harder in my veins. No one was looking --  I could do it easily. I tapped my feet and clenched my fist, trying to restrain my hands from taking the horse ornament. I'm glad I didn't take it in the end.

 

Meanwhile, Rose tried her luck in a restaurant.  Actually, I didn't want her to find a job, still she insisted.

 

But she didn't succeed on it too.

 

Both of us have no luck that day. I wanted to get a part-time job, but where else?
 

Nevertheless, I should  keep on looking.

 

In the park, Rose passionately told me about her next plan to find a job. She told me that there must be a place that would accept us to work. Seeing her so excited like that made my heart fell weary, feeling incapable of looking after her. She should have concentrated on her studies while I was the one who should find a job.

 

"What's wrong?" With trembling hands, she lifted my shoulders.  I hardly stared back at her glowing eyes.

 

"I don't know. I'm not sure."

 

"Val, we can make this out. I believe and you must believe on it too."

  

"We'll go through this together. Everything will be fine."

 

Those days, I thought she was the fragile one. That night,  I realized that I was wrong. I knew days ahead would be harder, but she made me believe that I could go through this. We will go through this together. I still have her beside me.

 

"Mom and dad, Rosaline and I will be okay. We will always pray for both of you.  Nous allons toujours prier pour vous deux."

To Be Continued...