Prologue: Candice

Introduction: Twist of Fate

CANDICE

"It always seems impossible until it's done."

This quotation from Nelson Mandela rang in my mind as I read the mail that the Admission Committee of Harvard has sent me. I was almost lost of breath, and everything was still wistful even after reading the letter for the nth time. It was as if being the Speedy Reader of the class when I was in preparatory school was not enough because I still couldn't completely digest what this letter contains for me.

"Okay, Candice, one more time." I convinced myself. "Your research about telomeres was one of the best researches in the 2019 Research Colloquium, you were given an award for that, and this shouldn't be a surprise for you!" I sighed. My brows furrowed at my brain for being completely disobliging of my current dilemma.

Actually, I know what this letter is all about, it's just that my mind was just not ready to accept it. This letter was just a dream when I won first place in the Grade 5 Junior Inventor Exhibit but now it's bizarre that a dream that formed in my mind from years ago, could actually become real enough to hold it in your hand or look at it through a monitor.

Swallowing hard, I read the letter again and to be really honest I'm starting to get annoyed with myself. Why couldn't I process this thing? Why couldn't my brain get it?! But they said only 1 had passed out of 100 students in our school who applied for admission in Harvard.

How about Eddie Long? What about my friends whom I reviewed with?

As if on cue, my phone rang and I saw Jenny, my best friend's name flashed on the monitor. I quickly picked it up and my eardrums almost exploded when I was greeted with a loud, excited squeal. "Tell me," she said after "you passed, didn't you?" It was almost as if she was calculating her words, they carefully went out from her mouth like she was sure but still had doubts about what she had claimed.

I heaved a sigh. It took a second for me to answer and so she talked again. "What? You didn't?" There was a hint of disappointment in her voice. "It couldn't possibly be Hillary," she's talking about the genius beauty queen in our school which regularly competes with everything I do, literally everything, "I mean, she is intelligent but not intelligent enough to outwit you or to pass the admission test," she breathed hard, through the phone I know that she's thinking profoundly, "and the only one who could possibly beat you is Eddie Long, but he posted a thread in twitter complaining about his results, even reproving Harvard for what he said 'lack of sensibility and taste—"

"I passed." I cut her off, but I didn't think she heard me because she kept on blabbering stuff about Eddie Long's ridiculous twitter thread.

"—I mean could you believe the audacity of that guy? Blaming Harvard for his ineffectiveness, I knew from the first day that that geek wouldn't be able to take a blow. It's obvious, with his high chin and intimidating eyebrows."

"Jenny," I called once more, in this manner she stopped talking.

"What?"

"I received a letter from the Admission Committee of Harvard..." Those words almost flew with the air. A small smile escaped from my lips as I began to realize—and as my brain started to incorporate every thought in my head, that I had truly passed the admission exam of one of the most prominent Universities in the world.

I heard her breathing in the background and I could almost imagine her face being filled with shock as she tried to sink every word in. It took a moment for her to answer back and so I took advantage and without ado, read the mail out loud.

"Harvard University, Cambridge, MA." I trailed off. "Dear Ms. Candice Stuart Larsen," I paused, letting the dramatic effect of the greeting creep in on me. "I am delighted to inform you that the Committee on Admissions and Financial Aid has voted to offer you a place in the Harvard Class of 2020—'

After that I was not able to contain myself and my excitement, I squealed the word '2020' and Jenny being Jenny, squealed with me.

"OH MY GOD!" She shrieked from the other line. "Congratulations!" Her 'congratulations' was then followed by another squeal. I took my phone away from my ear, but still, I could hear her joyful voice; she was squeaking very loudly and through the unseen radio-waves that connected us, her proudness and excitement for me easily entered the small room.

"Gracious, calm down," then I giggled. "I haven't finished the mail!"

"What? Bitch, you were the first one to squeal—it's infectious that's why I squealed with you." She retorted, panting. "And fucking hell, you don't need to read the whole paper for me! Read it in solitude and be delighted!" she preached.

"Amen!" I laughed. "My parents would be so proud."

"Yes, darling, they'd be inviting me over for dinner and I'll have another chance to eat free Asian cuisines again."

I chuckled at her remarks, we talked a bit before we both beat it.

She's grunting and I could only imagine her punching the air because of victory. "Eddie Long would be so jealous, and furious, surely his balls will fall off his pants!" She naughtily stated.

"Language, and why do you hate Eddie so much?"

"Oh, shut up, Candice, Eddie's been trying to take you down since you've won the Junior Inventor Exhibit, and about my language, you're not a kid anymore." She said then she slowed down, "Really bitch, I'm hella proud of you."

"Thank you, Jen." I said and we bid our goodbyes.

I didn't want to ask why she did not pass, because that would be very rude of me, and I do not want to ruin her proud moment.

I raised my eyebrows as I imagined what tomorrow would be like at school if I ever see Eddie or Hillary, I am sure their glares would be threatening and envious. I could just imagine what tomorrow may bring for the three of us; I'm sure of the childish confrontation, the uncompromising intimidation and the you'll never beat me speech.

I threw my phone carefully on my bed and then it was a little celebration for me. I uncontrollably squealed, squeaked and shrieked because of the outpouring excitement in my heart.

"I passed Harvard, lalala..." I chanted while I was jumping on my bed. "I passed Harvard... yeah!"

I was making silly dance steps; I was banging my head side by side and back and forth. I was touching my feet and shaking my shoulders. Then I realized I was doing the macarena dance move. It took a minute for me to stop but even though my mind decided to stop my body was still grooving in the imaginary beat in my head.

I passed Harvard. 

One more jump and I dropped my body on the bed, I felt my phone on my back and so I reached for it. I dialed my parent's number and was surprised to hear an unfamiliar voice from the line.

"Hello?" It was a man with a sharp British accent.

"Uhh..." I hesitated. I checked my phone's screen making sure I rang the right number and it was right. It's my dad's. "Is...Jacob Larsen—"

"How are you related to the victim?"

"What do you mean?" My voice broke. It was a surprise that I was able to blurt those words out even when my whole body stuffed up when I heard the word victim. I tried to remember how someone could be a victim, but my mind was almost shutting down. I felt this undeniable fear in my chest, I couldn't digest for a moment whatever it is that my father had done that he's being called a victim by this stranger, but I knew in my heart that this was not good news.

"I'm sorry ma'am but the owner of this number is involved in a head-on collision—"

"What!?" I exclaimed. I needed my mind to cooperate but my body was shaking so bad.

"Ma'am how are you related to the victim—"

"He is my father!" I cried out loud. At this moment, I lost it. My knees started trembling intensely and the fear in my chest had grown into an immense pain, crawling up to my eyes, they started swelling and a wave of uncontrollable tears started to fall down. Another upsurge of indescribable pain formed in my chest, this time creeping up to my throat, and suddenly it was so hard to speak.

"Ma'am please calm down—"

"Where is he? Where did you bring him?" My voice was letting me down. It was cracking, and fading out.

"Ma'am, listen, they were brought into the Emergency area of Sta. Maria Medical City—"

"What do you mean ‘they’!?" Both pain and fear combined easily crept into my entire body, it was overtaking my whole being. I was sobbing aloud out of the negative emotions that keep coming out, wave after wave. It was unstoppable, there was hammering in my heart and I rushed downstairs completely careless of my appearance.

"Just... just come here ma'am and we'll explain everything to you."

"Do you..." I breathed hard. "Do you have the slightest idea of how you are making me feel?" I asked, then there was silence. I heard an apologetic sigh in the background and so I decided to turn the call off.

I quickly looked at my wrist watch, it was 10 o'clock in the evening. I clenched my knuckles and, in my head, I was praying for everything to be alright. A cold breeze suddenly swept through my face and I started shivering. The roads were quiet and I was lucky to spot a pair of headlights and a taxi sign on the roof. "Taxi!" I yelled; it took a lot of strength to call it. I was shivering even when there was no wind.

My heart started beating loudly.

The car stopped in front of me and I immediately slid in the backseat.

"Where to ma'am?" The driver asks, he's looking from the rear view mirror.

"Sta. Maria Medical Hospital, quickly." My voice was undoubtedly broken. The car started moving. I began to search my contacts and called Jenny once again. She picked up in a matter of seconds.

"Hello, bitch, what's up—"

"Jenny..." And after that I cried my heart out. I couldn't say anything, I was just sitting there, weeping and worried about my family, and hoping that they were safe.

"What happened...?" I heard her worried voice from the other line but speaking was too much.

"H-Hospital..." I struggled to complete that word. "M-Mom and dad," and then I cried harder.

I was completely unmindful of what the driver may think of me, I tried to cover my mouth but the loud sniffle from me kept escaping from my palm.

"What do you mean? What hospital—"

I hung up and tossed the phone away. I covered my face with my palms and I sobbed much harder this time.

What luck?

One moment I was happy to be accepted in Harvard then in another moment, you learn your parents are in a hospital because of an accident.

"Oh, God, please..."

The ride from my house to the hospital felt like a lifetime. My frustration is taking the best of me. I was lost with the thoughts of my parents. I couldn't think straight, they're the only ones I could think about.

My phone is ringing but I am not able to notice or answer it, even the loud honking of vehicles seems to not exist, all I could hear is my heart beating hard in my chest.

The car halted and outside I saw the bright sign of Sta. Maria Hospital, I quickly reached for my pocket and fetched money from it. "How much should I pay—"

The driver cut me off. "No, ma'am, it's okay. Use it for the bills, if that could help, go to your family now."

Tears quickly formed in my eyes as a pair of sympathetic eyes met my gaze. "Go on," he added.

I nodded quickly. "Thank you," I said as I got out of the cab. The cab immediately drove away for a moment. I followed it then I quickly turned around for my parents. I could see two police cars scattered in the parking lot and the media just outside of the hospital.

I approached one policeman who's leaning on one of the police cars. "Excuse me, someone called me and told me that my parents were involved in an—"

"That's me, Ms. Larsen." He quickly answered. "Follow me," he said and so I did, some policemen were behind us too.

We went inside the hospital. And they quickly covered me with a towel as we approached the media.

"Sir, what happened?"

"Sir, is she related to the victims?"

"Ma'am, can I interview you?"

A person held my arms and tried to pull me but one of the police officers quickly grabbed his arms and threw them away.

"Piss off, will you?!" The policeman shouted. But that didn't stop them, they kept shoving themselves to us, until the officers had no choice but to close the hospital doors. "Goddamn, heartless," one muttered.

I was crying silently and I was not paying attention to my surroundings until I saw the ICU sign, I started to tremble. "Oh, God." I unconsciously gripped a policeman's shirt, because I was about to fall on my knees. "Oh, God." I cried.

Someone held both of my arms and helped me. "Be strong, ma'am."

I was shaking my head when we went inside a room and my tears immediately fell when I saw my father, with different hoses connected to him. He was breathing hard as if he was struggling. I quickly ran to him and cried. "Dad!"

"I am here, I am here." I reminded him. His eyes were half open and his fingers moved slightly. "Dad, fight for me... I passed Harvard, daddy. I passed." I sobbed while looking at my dad. His face was bruised and wounded. I could feel my heart breaking inside my chest, I was being torn apart by the sight of my father. "Dad... please." I cried. "Please...fight."

His breathing calmed down, I was just looking at him, then as if a ‘calm before the storm’ he started to convulse. In my panic, I stood up and hugged him. "What is happening!?" I shouted. "Doctors! Call the doctors please!" I cried for help.

The door flung open and I saw the widening eyes of a police officer in the sight of my father. "Doctors!" I yelled. I didn't know which emotion to put first, they were mixed and it's making me confused.

"Nurse!" I heard the policeman shouting. "We need help!"

In a flash, a pair of strong arms were lifting me away from my dad and the sight of him convulsing broke me entirely. "Dad!" I screamed. "Daddy!"

"We need her out."

"Ms. Larsen, calm down—"

"No! Let me go, my father needs me..." I resisted aggressively. "Please don't take me away from him, please. I'm begging you; my dad needs me!" I wailed. "Daddy!"

And then there was the loud straight beep of a machine, in front of me, I saw the doctors performing CPR on my father but he was not responding. I couldn't understand what they were talking about. They were using a defibrillator and my dad was bending hard in response. Everything was blurring out because of my tears. I could hear someone screaming, but I am not sure if it was me.

Nothing was sinking in.

Then they stopped, and suddenly I knew. I knew what's about to happen but I could not accept it.

"Time of death, 23:11." Someone announced but I shook my head.

"No...," it came out as a whisper. I closed my eyes, hoping that once I opened them again, I'd be greeted by the sun because I was just dreaming. "Please wake me up, this is not true." I muttered. My tears have dried up, but the lump in my chest won't go away. "Please..."

"I'm sorry, Ms. Larsen." A policeman whispered. "I'm sorry."

Then, I lost it. My knees gave out and I fell on the floor, crying, wailing and uncontrollably screaming because of the unbearable pain in my chest. I saw it clearly, they covered my dad with a white fabric and I knew, he's gone. My father's gone. My daddy's gone.

"Where's my mother?" I asked the policeman weakly.

"She's..." he paused and sighed, "She's declared dead on arrival." And then there was nothing.