Chapter 2

"The healthiest response to life is joy" - Deepak

 

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Early in the morning, Haru hurried out of her room, but she looked across the room because she saw that Carmen was standing there and looking at her with astonishment on her face. 

 

"Where are you going, Haru?" Carmen asked

 

"Nicole and I will meet. She would take me on a tour of places to get to know some places here again." Haru told Carmen, and she went straight to the exit door of the Carmen condo.

 

Haru was walking towards the elevator when suddenly someone bumped into her, causing all the books held by the person who bumped into her to fall. She couldn't help it, but there were some books near her feet. She picked them up and stared at them for a long time, and then she smiled at the book she saw.

 

"You're not looking where you're going! The very important books that I was holding are felt!" The person shouted to Haru who bumped into her. Haru lost her smile because of the man's words.

She looked at the man and slowly approached him. Haru gives the book that she picked up earlier. And the man immediately accepted it.

 

"Next time, sir, don't walk while reading, is that clear? It says in the book that you're holding, You must know your mistakes, not the others that you blame here. If you know to yourself that your mistake. And for your information. You bumped me, so don't blame me. One more thing. The things that you hold are not important. Your neighbor is still more important. " Haru said to the man, and she walked away from the man, but she still heard what the man said. 

 

"How did she say that line in the book? This book has been released today."  The man said, in astonishment. While Haru was shaking her head because of what the man said.

 

An hour later, Haru arrives at a cemetery. She quietly got out of the taxi and walked over to where her mother was.

 

"Emely Sandoval" Haru read on a tombstone in front of her. She sat on the grass and cleaned up the dry leaves that were scattered on it,

 

"Mom, I'm sorry. It has been many years since I last visited you here. I dared come back here to Manila because of Nicole. You know, I had a nightmare last night and I saw them again in my nightmare. " Haru stopped talking and she wiped the tears from her face again, but whatever she wiped on didn't stop dripping.

 

"Mom, mom, if you hadn’t died early, you would have been able to answer my questions. Mom, I want to live normally." Haru kept on crying until she heard Nicole’s voice.

 

"I'm right, you're here," Nicole said and she leaned over Haru. Haru was looking at Nicole for a moment.

 

"If Carmen had not called me, that you going here alone  I wouldn't know that you used my name," Nicole said with her eyes on their mother's tombstone. 

 

"I want to go back to Bicol," Haru said, and Nicole was surprised.

 

"Huh? You're not coming back there, Haru!" Nicole suddenly shouted, so Haru immediately stood up.

 

"Why don't I go back there, Nicole? It's my own life! So what do I want, I will do it! Tomorrow morning, I will go back to aunt Emma!" Haru shouted.

 

"Haru! You can't come back there! Because mom said, before she died, I'll bring you back here to Manila when you're at the right age!"

 

Haru was surprised because of what Nicole said, Nicole was also surprised because she didn't think she could say that.

 

"I-I mean H-Haru," Haru didn't let Nicole finish what she was going to say because she had already shouted it.

 

"Is that so?! So are you forcing me to come here? Because that's what mom told you?! Why Nicole? Why?" She just knelt in front of Nicole and cried because whoever else could understand her, it would still be destroyed.

 

"I and mom want you to be happy, Haru, and find your happiness," Nicole said while crying as well.

 

"Do you want to be like that, Haru?" Nicole asked Haru, but Haru didn't answer Nicole's question; instead, she kept on crying.

 

 "Haru, think of yourself,"

 

"Take me to the hospice tomorrow, I want to volunteer." 

 

Nicole looked at Haru when she heard what Haru said.

 

"H-Huh? W-why?" Nicole stammered to Haru.

 

 

"I just want to," Haru said again and she stood in front of Nicole. She wiped away her tears and she walked away from Nicole. Nicole was still wondering what Haru said. Nicole watched Haru while walking away from her.

 

I want to tell you, Haru, what I plan for you. But I'm scared to tell you. I'm afraid of what might happen because I know you'll distance yourself, and you won't believe me if I tell you. So you better discover your true identity in yourself, Haru.

Nicole said in her mind.

 

Nicole had stopped thinking when his phone suddenly rang, so she took it from her pocket and answered Jasper's call.

 

"Hello Jasper," she says on the other line.

 

[Let's meet at the coffee shop near the hospice]

 

Said on the phone line. Even though the caller could not see her, Nicole nodded twice and turned off the call. She immediately left the cemetery and went to the coffee shop where Jasper said she immediately went inside and her eyes searched where Jasper was sitting.

 

Nicole immediately saw Jasper waving at her. She came to it and sat in front of Jasper. A woman approached them working here and placed in front of them what Jasper had ordered. Then she left.

 

"What's your plan, Nicole? for Haru?" Jasper asked. 

 

Nicole thought for a moment about Jasper's question. 

 

"Just let me do it what I do for her Jasper," Nicole said

 

"You know, whatever your plans for them, I've always supported you. But what if they find out the truth and that Haru is their child? It might be trouble for everyone."

 

"Jasper, before my mom died, she wanted to bring back her real life, what Haru had," Nicole said to Jasper, and she stood in front of Jasper.

 

"Haru volunteered that she would go to the hospice. I didn't force her and I didn't tell her it was her decision. Even destiny agrees with my plans. I'll go ahead, let's just meet tomorrow." Nicole said again, then she left Jasper.

 

Jasper Davidson is Nicole's boyfriend. Jasper knows everything about Haru because Nicole told him this before. Nicole doesn’t know what will happen when they find out the truth. She breathes deeply and she walks fast to go home.