Chapter 2: Devastating Events

Raviora’s Point of View 

The moment I went out of that building, I could feel my knees tremble. I told the loan sharks they should hurry cause I need it right away. 

I went to our house and rested. I feel drained right now. My mind couldn’t take it. I heaved a sigh. 

When I was young, grandpa always told me I should know how to live independently because he knows he’ll get old and as time goes by, he’ll be gone. I’m the only one left living in this house alone.

I feel sticky. Haven’t bathed myself for a while. The restaurant where I usually work gets a lot of customers now and in some ways it’s all because of me. That I am pretty... I can attract men because of my beauty. I stood up and looked at the mirror. 

My smooth long jet black hair, pale and creamy white skin, pointed nose and pinkish lips. 

Looking in the mirror wasn’t really a cup of my tea. I don’t even recognize it whenever I look into it. Some say I am indeed pretty. There’s even a customer I can’t forget who offered if I was looking for an agency to be a model. My responses made her chuckle. I told her modeling isn’t my thing.

Even before, whenever grandpa and I were always seen in the park, some asked me if I was an artist or some kind of child in the showbiz industry. 

I waited for three days. When the loan sharks called, I immediately hurried and went there.

Francisco, their leader, handed me a bag I assumed was full of money. My loan. 

“Just be sure you’re always in your house and never run away.” He said, full of authority. 

I nodded. “I will never do that, Sir.” 

“You should prepare it if I order my men to take back my money from you.” 

“And what is the time duration?” 

He smirked. “Whenever I want to.” 

“B-But what if I didn’t bring your money back in a time you wanted to?” 

“Then your house will be mine after we kill you.” The word ‘kill’ was emphasized as he said those words in front of me. 

Unbelievable! It’s impossible for me to bring their money back for, uh, maybe a month? Damn it! These are loan sharks. I don’t exactly know what they are going to do if I really didn’t abide by the rules. Somehow, I feel threatened and scared. I don’t know what they can do, but surely, these people can blink in a blink of an eye. 

Francisco seemed like an old man, yet I can see his merciless side. He has a huge cut on his right cheek. He makes me scared even if he’s not as big as his men. 

I bid my goodbye. Those loan sharks made my knees tremble again. 

I was on my way to the hospital when I heard my phone ring. 

“Hello?” I softly mumbled without seeing the caller's name or ID. 

“It’s me, sweetie.” I heard my grandpa’s voice. 

I continued walking in the streets as I talked to him. 

“Grandpa! W-Why are you calling? I-I’m on my way to–” he cut me off. 

He chuckled at the line. “Calm down. I just borrowed the nurse’s phone. I’m craving for fruit, Raviora. Why don’t you buy me one?” 

A soft smile crept on my lips. “Alright, Grandpa! What else?” 

“Hmm,” he stopped. “Maybe lots of oranges?” 

“Alright, Lolo! I’ll go to the market and buy it!” 

“Well done, my princess. Take care... I love you.” I don’t exactly know but he sounded hurt or something when he said the word take care and I love you.

“Love you too!”

I ignored it. Something is pushing me to make another call again, but the taxi I found stopped in front of me. 

Grandpa is into fruits. Yes, he’s very healthy. But luck isn’t on his side... 

No one wants to have incurable diseases like my grandpa. But for us, we just borrowed our lives in the great God Almighty. He’ll be the one who will decide when he will take it back. 

He gave us life. He who painted the skies as blue, branded the ocean as crystal clear, colored nature as green. 

He who made his creations perfect except for... his incredible creation, us. People. 

I immediately hurried inside the market. I am wearing my big smile as I picked grandpa’s favorite fruits. Some are fresh and some aren’t. He was the one who taught me many things, to be honest. 

According to him, you won’t last long if you don’t know the basics of life. 

“Morning!” I greeted the cashier. 

She smiled at me. “For your grandpa?” 

“Yes.” 

I often go here. That’s why I’m not surprised when they recognize me already. 

“That would be a hundred and forty-five, Ma’am.” 

The fruits I bought weren’t heavy at all. When I already purchased all the food I needed, I immediately waved my hand to hail a taxi. 

The car stopped in front of me. While I was on our way to the hospital, I couldn't stop thinking about our bills. Our bills have exceeded a million already. Good thing is the loan sharks let me borrow money.

I still owe a lot to everyone, especially my friends. I couldn’t help not to think about it. How can I pay all of my loans from the banks, my friends and that loan shark? 

A phone call suddenly appeared. I immediately pulled out my phone inside my bag and saw it was the Doctor’s phone number. I started walking inside while I’m holding my phone directly to my ears. 

“Hello, Doc? I’m already outside the hospital.”

The Doctor said nothing. A long silence had been circulating between us. 

“Are you still there, Doc?” 

I heard him sighed. “Can you come up here directly in your grandpa’s room?” His voice became softer and... 

“Yes, Doc. Something happened?” 

“He’s dead.” 

Those two words... made my knees, lips and fingers tremble. 

“I-I already have the m-money, Doc...” 

“You better hurry and go here.” And the call ended. 

The plastic full of fruits slipped out of my hand.

Hot liquid started flowing down my cheeks. He’s lying, right? He’s not telling me the truth. Using my remaining strength, I run to the elevator as fast as I can, disregarding the fruits spread in the lobby. 

My heart pounded when I saw a few nurses inside his room standing and some are emotional. Dr. Mallari saw me entering. It is when I saw the holter monitor beeping straight without curves. 

I almost fainted when I saw my grandpa’s hands hanging on the side of his bed. I immediately walked slowly towards him quietly and sobbing. 

“I t-told you I have the m-money...” I sobbed. 

“Our patient signed a DNR, Miss Martin. However, he wanted me to give you this.” 

I slowly looked at a bound paper he wanted to give me. My heart aches because of what the doctor said. I hugged his body and I could feel his coldness, not his warm body. 

Tears pooled my cheeks. I sobbed and cried hard seeing my grandpa living with me. 

What will happen next, then? I am alone now. I have no shoulders to lean on whenever I feel sad, depressed or hopeless. My mind couldn’t function well because of what happened. I took the letter in the Doctor’s hand with no hesitations. 

Seeing the nurses getting rid of his body made me cry even more. 

“I’m sorry for your loss, Miss Martin.”

I can’t blame Dr. Mallari. Pain and anger are circulating through my body, but I chose not to say hurtful words against him. 

Grandpa signed it because he worries about money. I can see that he’s tired already and doesn’t want to say it to me because I know... He knew how much I tried to work things up and make money for his medications. 

Is he unfair or I am the one who couldn’t understand? He clearly told me just to let him go.

Well, I guess all I need to do is to accept things, right? Accept that he’s dead. 

“Here’s the total bill of your grandpa, Miss Martin. Look,” 

Just like what I stated, it’s all over a million. He just stayed here for three months and started rejecting his medications for a week. 

My heart cried when I lent the money to a certain hospital. 

“That’s over a million, Miss.” 

“Thay fast?” She said, sounding shocked. 

Clearly, Grandpa ends his life. He knew I was coming. That’s why he made me believe he craves fruit and wanted me to buy it. 

For what? So I can’t stop him? 

After signing and settling the bills in the hospital, I clearly told them to cremate his body already.

But I wonder if he’s happy now? Now that he rests completely and here I am... alone and started living by myself. I cried so hard inside our house. I didn’t tell my friends that my grandpa had passed away. 

I sobbed inside of our house while I turned the light off and only the moon gives our house a light from the outside. 

They say the only way you can suppress the feeling of being hurt is by crying and someone to lean on. In my case, I was alone and self comforting myself.

“What are your plans now, Raviora?” It came from a loyal friend of mine, Tori. 

I can feel her warmth when she hugged me. She feels bad and I don’t want to push her away because I want to be alone. 

I chuckled bitterly. “Work my ass off?” I said. 

“That fast? And then?” She said, as if she was shocked. 

“Pay for my loans.” 

“I understand you, Raviora. Our manager wanted you to at least take a leave for two to three days and rest.” 

I shook my head as an answer, then started crying again. Sometimes, I wonder if I lost my mind already. 

“N-No. I’ll go...” 

I heard Tori’s small groan. “Raviora…” 

I faked my smile.

Many people say when someone leaves you alone, you’ll get used to it, eventually. But for me, I think it may take a year or years before I get over it. 

Grandpa’s death is the biggest heartache for me. 

Tori knew what happened when she asked where I was on the day of his death. The remaining money I got, I used it to buy a columbarium for him. 

“You know you have me and the others to rely on, right?” She softly mumbled while hugging me. 

I am still lucky, to be honest. My friends still got my back. I chose not to hold a ceremony for him and went directly to a columbarium. 

“I heard you visited the loan sharks days ago?” My friend Kelly when she went here in our house with Kia. 

I nodded. “So you really borrow that kind of money?” 

“Yeah,” I simply said. 

All of us remained quiet. They wanted to sleep over because I’m all alone now. I felt Kia hugging my small waist. I flashed her a weak smile. 

“We’re here, okay?” 

I chuckled. “I know...” 

“We’ll help you, Avi. Anything!” 

“Yes! Kia is right. Who else can we expect to help each other right? Only the four of us!” Tori stated. 

Because, just like me, my three friends are also struggling because of money. Yes, we have different jobs, but we all have the same reason to live. 

I live for my grandpa while my friends live for their loved ones. 

And now? I don’t even know what the sense of living is when the only reason I have to live is my grandpa. 

“How about your loans to that gangster?” It was Kia. 

Oh shit! 

Alright, I’m wrong. I still have things to settle, like paying my loans in the banks! Damn... I couldn’t just end my life because of it. Because I know... Grandpa would never agree to leave this world also and be with him.