Chapter 01.01: A Perfect World

Color is life itself. The world is like a rainbow. Its different colors make our life more meaningful and beautiful. But have you ever wondered, ‘what if the rainbow was left with only one color?’ What would happen if the world only contains black and white?

Adeline couldn't believe she could remember the first time she cried when she was born. Although her mind was undeveloped, she remembered the first time she saw her parents’ faces. 

They both held her in their arms and stared at the beautiful baby nonstop. It was a Jade Green that Adeline first saw, which has become her favorite color ever since. It was also the color of her mother’s eyes, while her father’s eyes were Crystal Blue, and known as a rare one.

It has been twenty-two years since Adeline lived a happy and peaceful life with her family, and she can say that there’s nothing more she could ask for but to be with them until she becomes successful in life. Because for her, that was one of the best gifts she could ever return to them for raising her.

“I remembered right after your mom gave birth to you, we got so excited to carry you in our arms that it made the nurse a little mad. But we didn’t even care,” her father happily reminisced, while he was relaxing on his favorite Christopher Knight Home Toddman high-back dark blue fabric club chair. “We were both so happy gently cuddling your soft baby cheeks.”

Adeline glanced at her mother, “And then, your father suddenly asked me, ‘What shall we name her, my love?’”

“We will name her Quinn Adeline…” Both Adeline and her father said the same words for which he mentioned it by mouth while she mentioned it in her mind.

Ever since Adeline was in kindergarten, other parents have admired her parents, for the reason they always tell them; little Adeline’s parents were lucky to have her as their child.

Even her kindergarten teacher had planned to apply her for an early entrance or grade-skipping from kindergarten sped up to grade school because even though Adeline was at the same age as the other children in kindergarten, she excelled in all the activities the teacher has provided.

But her parents disagreed because they wanted for her to live the normal flow of how things should be in life, just like any other child will go through.

Adeline’s classmates from grade school and some of their parents continued to admire her presence in her middle school years until she went into senior high school. However, everything changed when she finally reached university. 

The number of those who admired her has waned to the number of those who envied and hated her for reasons she doesn't know. Adeline has no friends since then, and her social life has gradually become sluggish in making acquaintances. 

She accidentally overheard her classmates at the university secretly talking about her:

“I can't believe many students love her as if they're enchanted by her, especially our student council president. What does she even have that a normal girl like me doesn’t?”

“That’s easy, it’s because Maynez is not just a normal girl. She’s intelligent, kind, talented, and even though she’s not really a beauty like you, she can kick your ass in our self-defense class.”

“Shut up, James! You must have a crush on her too!”

“Oh please, no. She’s out of my league, and I don’t do nerds.”

They started laughing and mocking Adeline while she remained hidden behind the pillar walls near the back door of the lecture room.

“I’ve heard that she even took part as a ballet and skating representative during her senior high school, and guess what?”

“What?”

“She earned the first prize and a gold medal from the Regionals Women’s Solo ballet competition, while a silver medal for the Regionals Ice Dance skating competition. Plus, she can also play most of the string instruments and one wind instrument. Imagine the time she must have invested in learning those. I mean, if I get to be in her shoes, you can’t blame me for being antisocial.”

The latter laughed again.

“Where did you even get that news?”

Adeline couldn't help herself from tearing up because of extreme sadness and from being pushed down, that’s why she went straight to the ladies’ restroom and locked herself in one cubicle so that she could cry more. 

She gently bit the chubbiest part of her arm so that she won’t be able to let out loud crying sounds from her mouth. Her eyes were soaking wet from the tears flowing out until her sight went blurry. 

When she tried to close her eyes and opened them again, it seemed like the vividness of the surrounding colors had faded, but she decided to just ignore it because it doesn’t even matter.

It was January 16 of the current year when her father fell ill. Because of the frequent occurrence of headaches he has experienced, their family had no choice but to take him to the doctor for a check-up, and stage 4 brain cancer had detected right after his CT scan. 

The doctor told the family that it will be too late for them to cure Adeline’s father’s condition because the cancer was already at an advanced stage. The doctor said that her father’s life will last only a month, so it would be good for them to accompany him at home while he is still alive.

Adeline and her mother followed the doctor's advice and neither of them had left the father alone in his bedroom where he would stay for the last moments of his life. 

Every time Adeline wakes up from a nap inside her father’s bedroom, she would always hear weak crying from her mother while she is sitting next to him, not letting go of his hand. 

Adeline thought about how precious moments are, mostly the way her parents love each other, and until death, they would not part. But the reality was extremely cruel and devastating, for which sudden loneliness and death will soon replace the happiness of people who loved each other for how many years.

In the 2nd week of February, it surprised Adeline by how the tone of her father’s voice turned out to be. It was lively mostly after he asked her to accompany him going to a certain park, which was his and Adeline’s mother’s favorite. 

Since Adeline was the only one assigned to watch over her father for the entire day because her mother was taking care of their small business across the city, Adeline agreed on accompanying him.

She even informed her mother where they headed just in case she comes home looking for the two later. Adeline and her father took a slow-paced stroll, and she wasn’t even sure if he still knows where he’s going.

That’s when Adeline saw a beautiful tunnel of cherry blossoms, which she had only seen for the first time in her entire life. She couldn’t help but fascinate and amaze at its beauty.

Her father suddenly laughed, “Look at you, darling. You don't have to gape your mouth while looking and admiring it.”

Adeline glanced at him and immediately closed her mouth before they continued walking, going inside the tunnel.