Flash Fiction

 

A Woman’s Lifelong Tragedy

Written  by: Bea Mariel U. Jacaban

 

With his clean cut hair, favorite white polo shirt matched with his usual black slacks and black shoes, Azrael Ian is standing in front of me while smiling widely; holding a cake with lightened candle on top of it. The peaceful atmosphere of our rest house's balcony is pleasing. The shining stars and the whole moon of the evening added light to where we are right now.

 

I slowly walked towards him, of course, with the same level of smile plastered on my lips. As I'm getting nearer to him, I saw him licked his lower lips which resulted in it being more reddish. I didn't expect him to surprise me like this, to exert an effort just for a birthday present which I never asked for.

 

“Happy birthday, my beautiful fiancée. That white dress suits you very well,” he stated, when our distance is already enough for us to be closer. I smiled wide even more. He asked me to blow the candle of my cake, which immediately did.

 

He pulled a chair for me so that I can properly and safely seat. Such a gentleman, I said in my mind. I can still remember how we met each other. It was on the 19th day of November last year. We have a mutual friend who introduced us to each other. We became friends, but ended up as a couple. As I celebrate my 26th birthday, we at the same time happened to welcome our 5th year as a couple.

 

“I-I didn't expect these, Azi. You made my day extra special,” I emotionally said. He reached for my hand and hold it tight. “You deserve this, Cresia. It is all for you, my love. You did not only add a year to your life, but a chance to celebrate a year for our relationship too. This is an effort only for you, love.”

 

I can't imagine how emotional I am as he said those lines, without ending our eye contact and without removing his smile. We celebrate two special events in our lives that night. Under the evening sky, with the music created by the sea waves, and with the unending love, we share and gave to each other.

 

That night, I told myself I want to marry him, that he is the man I am wishing for when I was fifteen. I told myself that I would like to build a happy and complete family with him. That we will be together even we reached that moment in our lives that we can't call ourselves young anymore.

 

That night was the happiest evening of my life as a woman. I got the chance to have every second of my life with him that whole night. I got to know him deeper and learned things from him.

 

I didn't realize I was smiling the entire time I am looking back to those treasurable memories of Azrael and mine while I am at the same balcony where we celebrate my birthday and our anniversary. And I suddenly, felt a warm hand both on my shoulders. I looked up to see who is it and saw my mom, smiling hesitantly at me.

 

I know what she is going to say again, which pushed my tears to fall down my cheeks. “Cresia, forget about the past, please. You can start a new without him.”  There, she said it. Her usual lines.

 

It feels like I am back at that moment wherein we're watching his coffin slowly taking down on the ground. Bunch of white roses on top of it. When the time that I can't hear anything except for loud cries from his beloved family and friends.

“Mom, I n-need him. W-We need him, mom…” I said, breaking my heart for the nth time since he left us. I am not the only one who needs him. Our twin needs him even more. I require him to come back so that we can compete the family I dreamt building together with him. But fate isn't in favor to us. He left me, with the offspring we had.

 

 Azrael Ian Silvenia; the pilot who saved lives but didn't do it for himself.