Chapter 5

My knees were shaking as I approached Mommy and Daddy's coffin.  I feel my chest tighten and I don't want to continue peeking at their bodies.  This is the last time I will see the face of my dearest parents so I brace myself.  As I walked closer to them, my tears kept flowing.  My eyes were already full of tears.

 I was about to squat next to my parents' coffin when I finally saw them.  Fortunately, Aunt was by my side and supporting me. She knew that I would have an emotional break down when I saw my parents' lifeless bodies.

 My parents were both handsome and still had beautiful faces even though they were just a cold corpse. A great makeup artist arranged of my parents' dead body so they looked like they were just sleeping while wearing makeup.  My mommy's lips even seemed to smile a little.  Maybe she's happy because my eyesight came back.

 As I look into my parents' faces I remember the happy events in our lives that the three of us had fun together. My chest ached so much to think that I could no longer be with them on important days and events in my life.  I could not bear to grieve so much that I suddenly fainted.  

When I regained consciousness I was already in my room and lying on the bed.  Aunt Lina, who was next to me when I woke up, was very worried about me.  I begged her to take me to my parents' grave again but he would not let me.  And whatever pleading I made to her she really wouldn’t let me.

 I understand why she didn’t let me go back and see my parents' body. She was worried about my condition. She didn't want me, her only niece to be lost to her either. I could do nothing but cry and cry.

 On the day of the cremation of Mommy and Daddy's body, Aunt finally allowed me to see my parents' faces again.  And this time I control myself.  I don't want to faint again because I'm sure once I wake up I could only saw their ashes.

 After the cremation we took the remains of my parents to the mausoleum for proper burial.  I kept my heart steady even though my heart seemed to be squeezing and I couldn't breathe.  I loved my parents so much and I wanted to say goodbye to them for the last time.

 My eyes hurt and swollen from crying. I just wore sunglasses so people wouldn't see my puffy eyes. And another reason is also to avoid the people who are there and focus the wondering and questioning eyes on me especially, in my eyes.  I knew they were wondering how I suddenly saw.  And I also know that they want to talk to me and ask about my eyes.

 I didn’t want to answer their questions because even me, I didn’t even know how I suddenly saw again.  I just believe it was a gift from my parents on my birthday.  And maybe also because they don't want to leave me here in this world alone and see nothing but pure darkness.

 "Let's go, Lauren. You have to rest at home. Not only your body but also your mind and specially your eyes.

 We don't know if your recovery is really continuous, "Uncle said after the remains of Mommy and Daddy were delivered to their final destination.

 I drifted as Aunt Linda led me out of the mausoleum.  We had not been able to get out when suddenly a policeman came to meet us.

 "Good morning, Miss Agustin. I'm Sergeant Carlos Dominggo. I am the one that is investigating your parents case. And we want to speak with you in private. If it is okay with you," the police politely told me.

 "About what, Sergeant?"  my uncle asked the police.

 "It's regarding the finger prints that we found in the knife that used to kill her parents. We discovered that Miss Agustin's finger prints was on that weapon. So, we would like to ask her about it if it's okay with her," he explained.

 "Are you telling us that my niece was the one who murdered her own parents ?!"  Uncle asked angrily to the policeman he was talking to.

 "Don't be angry, Mr. Agustin. I'm not telling you that your niece was the murderer. I am fully aware of her eyes condition at that time. We just came here to clarify about that."

 Uncle would have answered but I quickly stopped him.  I grabbed his hand and squeezed slightly which meant it was okay for me to have the cop talk to me.  I am innocent.  My conscience was clean.  And why would I killed my own parents since I loved them so much?

 "It's okay, Uncle. I'll be fine," I told him.  I went back inside the mausoleum so that Sergeant and I could talk.

 "I will ask you frankly, Miss Agustin. Why there was a finger prints of you in the weapon that used to kill your parents?"  Sergeant directly asked me when we're already back inside the mausoleum.

 "I just accidentally touched it when I tried to wake up my mom. And I wasn't in my right mind that time," I paused to speak.  My chest tightened again when I remembered that scene.  I took a deep breath before I speak again.  "All I think was to pulled and removed the knife in my mother's body."

 The Sergeant nodded before speaking again.  "One last question, Miss Agustin. We all knew that you were blind since young but how did it happen that you can see now and your eyes were healed right after your parents death?"

 I shook. "I also didn't know how did this happen to my eyes. Even I was also asking myself how it happened. The doctor who looked at me said that it was a big miracle that my eyes healed even without  surgery happened to my eyes.

 "I just thought that the return of my sight was due to my parents. That they didn't want me to be left in the world alone and only darkness could be seen around me. They loved me so much that they asked God to  give me a miracle. And it really did happened to me. My eyes were totally fine. "

 "I don't have any other questions, Miss Agustin. I just really wanted to know why you had fingerprints in the murderer's weapon. But now I know that I can make a report. Sorry for the inconvenience and also condolences to your family  , "said Sargeant

 I nodded sadly at him.  The Sergeant was about to turn around when I suddenly called him.

 "Sergeant, I- I just want to ask if it's really true that N-nana Violy admitted that she's the one who murdered my parents?" I have a hard time mentioning the name of the person my family trusts so much.

 "It's sad to say, but yes. She surrendered herself to us and also admitted that she's the one that killed your parents. Even though her statements are suspicious we can't do anything about it. The cobfession came from her own mout,"  Sergeant's long answer. "Do you have anything else you want to ask, Miss Agustin?"

 "Nothing. Thank you so much for taking care of my parents' case," I replied weakly.  So, it was confirmed that Nana Violy actually killed Mommy and Daddy.  But why?  I needed to talk to her personally so I could ask why she did this to us. We treated him like a real member of our family.

 After the Sergeant left I calmed myself first before I left the mausoleum.  Aunt and Uncle were not outside when I came out. Where did they go?

 I walked over to the cr.  I thought of using cr first because I was already urinating before I could look for them.  I was close to the cr when I suddenly stopped walking.  A vision of a woman hung herself inside the prison's cr suddenly entered my mind.  It was a quick vision so I didn't clearly saw the face of that woman.  But I have a hunch that the woman I just saw from my sudden vision is no other Nana Violy. She is the only woman I know who is in jail and no one else.

 After I saw the vision of that woman I suddenly feel my strength left my body and I'm about to faint. But before my body fell to the ground a strong pair of arms suddenly grab my waist.  I have no choice but to wrap my arms around his neck so I can balance myself.  And then I look at the person's face who helped me from totally falling, to say thanks for helping me.  But when our eyes met.  All I could do was to stare at him and gasped silently.  He's the first handsome guy that I've ever seen since my eyesight came back.