Zarina was happily sitting at the bench and facing the early morning sun..while inhaling the cool breeze of air around her..she felt like it caressed her face.
"I feel so content like I just want to stay here in this place. where I could see the wonderful gifts of God...the free birds..the complete feeling of serenity and tranquillity.."
While enjoying the beautiful place. Zarina saw a family who was walking happily, she smiled as she saw the pretty little girl looking at her place.
"Maybe she wanted to sit on the bench where I was sitting," She thought.
She waved at the girl..but she already started to continue to walk with her parents
It was Sunday and some people were peacefully walking there to catch the early morning Sun.
Zarina always goes to that place every time she is sad and bothered..when she wants to be alone, thinks of so many things about her life.
Whenever she was at home, all she was seeing was her mother and father always fighting with each other, her sister was always hanging with her friends..and not giving focus on her studies..her brother only comes home every other month from his work, in short, her life was so lonely..her leisure time was when she spent her time at the school library..or any public places..gardens..parks.
She remembered, one time..her teacher asked her
Mrs.Rocha: Zarina, why are you still in the school while almost all your classmates already left and it is not just today but almost every day
Zarina: Ma'am because I need to research ideas for our Science Experiment and a lot of students were in the library..no place to study comfortably
But the truth is Zarina only wanted to stay to avoid going back home early.
She sadly smiled at herself..teary-eyed and said:
"What kind of life do I have? I am happier whenever I am away from my family. I feel so peaceful being in public places, It seems so quiet and serene in the middle of the noisy crowd. Am I normal? Crazy or what?
Am I a Solivagant?
While the other people are almost pulling the time whenever they are in school, at work or any other places so they could go back with their family..or meet with them somewhere. Here I am avoiding going home and much prefer to stay away from them. Am I bad? Or I am just finding the peace that is so hard to find in the comfort of our home...hahaha! Home? No..no..ours is not a home..it is just a house..with a roof..walls..stairs..windows..doors..perfect...a perfect structure..what more could I say?
Hmmmmm I don't feel any love..care or affection there. I never saw a sweet smile or heard a big cheerful laugh..ohhhhhh...no….no...crazy me. I almost forgot hahaha. I am not used to this kind of happy thing that is why...Yes...I heard laughs..never-ending careless laughs sometimes...Yes.I heard it in times when my Mom invited her friends to our house to have a sumptuous dinner with her...she cooked delicious food for them...her big laughs were shared with her friends..or if Dad was with his business partners and had their drinking sessions..whisky..brandy...vodka..name it..they have had it all! But those delicious laughs have never been shared with our family.
When will I feel the love of my family? When will I hear my Mom ask me " Zarina, come and have some snacks first!" Or "Zarina, let's go shopping together!" I have been longing for all that for a long time. I don't need the money and material things that they are giving to us. What I need is parents' attention, siblings' closeness..whole family bonding!!..when..when..!!"
With those thoughts, Zarina wiped away the tears that continuously flowed from her eyes then she slowly walked away from that bench that witnessed her sorrowful tears…
When she slowed down...she saw some people coming out of the Church from the early morning mass..she saw the colorful balloons being sold at the gate of the church that attracted the busy kids asking their parents to buy one for them…
"Tsk..tsk..tsk...happy people...lucky people…" she thought
One kid was crying out loud because He lost his grip on his balloon and flew away...Zarina smiled..and said to herself:
"What a lucky balloon..just flying freely without any emotions...and now reaching the clouds...I wish I am that balloon! That will just explode when it is out of the air, and will not feel any pain..no family to think of..no home to return to.."
When she turned to her left..she saw a Beggar about 7 years old looking up at a one-man. She heard their conversation like this:
Beggar: Please give me some coins, I am hungry!
Man: What are you doing here? Where are your parents? Where do you live?
Beggar: I don't know who my parents are, I sleep beside the Church when Police are not present there to check and arrest us.
Man: You should not live like that..come with me I will buy some food for you..and I will try to talk with social workers at the City Hall.
The man and the beggar went to the nearest fast-food chain to buy food.
While Zarina's eyes were full of tears..tears of realization? guilt? conscience?
"I kept on complaining about everything, while a kid who is bravely facing his miserable life alone..no home..no parents..just nothing...completely alone!"
With that thought....
She fastly walked back home....
At Home
As she reached her house, the door was open and she saw her sister crying..hugging her Mom..but when she was about to ask what happened and why they were crying...She heard her brother ask her Mom.
Harvey (Her elder brother): Mom, what is the condition of Zarina now? Is she still unconscious?
Mom: The doctors couldn't explain what was happening to her she has no major damage in her body..they said maybe some temporary lapses in her brain which sometimes happened when a patient bumped the head into any hard things just like what happened to Zarina when she was bumped by the car and her head hit the concrete road hard.
Laura(Her younger sister): Is there any chance for her to live*
Mom: Nobody knows. I hope so. I pray. (Tears keep flowing down its face)
Zarina was shocked..she was confused..scared.
What? Am I dead?!.. They are not seeing me here?..God..No!!! This couldn't be happening..now that I am fully determined to make my family whole as one…
Evening, At the Hospital
Zarina was staring at her unconscious body. She heard everything that had happened to her, she was bumped by a car with a driver who droves like in a race while she was walking across the intersection on the road, 2days ago.
"2 days ago?? But why does it feel like I was just having a morning walk today?" Zarina said to herself
" Mr. & Mrs. Valenzuela..an hour more and it is already 48 hours past but no development on her condition". The doctor informed Zarina's parents
While Zarina was celebrating, for what she was seeing.. staring happily at her family, she saw the love and care that she was always looking and searching for from them...her Dad comforting her Mom..her sister was sitting beside her bed..and her brother was standing at the other side of the bed too..and sadly staring at her. and from the very far place where it was working..managed to come for her…
She was crying….cry of joy..and she prayed:
"God, thank you very much for giving light to my family. I am very much sorry for always complaining about my life while others are living in more miserable conditions. My accident became the bomb that exploded for each of us to see what our family is missing...and now all of us are awake. Ohhh I am still unconscious..please let me go back to my body..and I promise that I will never run away from life's challenges and problems. I will appreciate the life that you have given to me and will take care of it. I will do my best to make our life well spent..with unity, love, and care..like what I am seeing now that my parents are now good to each other..my siblings are so caring..all that is what I am longing for from my family are with me now!"
At that very moment. Zarina opened up her eyes with so many tears flowing down her face...tears of happiness and joy and she closed her eyes once again and heartfully said: "THANK YOU, GOD! IN JESUS NAME. AMEN."
Entry into the THE INKWELL MAY CONTEST