Try not to date a man, but talk with men instead. That’s what my mom often advises me.“Never date anyone but
yourself alone,” father lectured me the moment
I turned eighteen.
I
grew up with a complete family yet broken inside. Every morning I see them
arguing in front of my favorite grilled chicken blood, so I end up skipping my
breakfast and have it every lunch break. I make sure that I packed my Betamax
with the ketchup and rice inside my lunch box so then I’ll have great noon. The
peaceful backyard of our school library was where I used to enjoy my food and
where I buried the sticks of Betamax. That’s the reason why I love noon-break
than any other time break of the day.
Every
night I hear loud voices and noises of things that seem thrown behind the wall
of my room. It was our neighbor, I guess. Thrice a week, I hear punches and
slap sounds and a gasping sob in the middle of the night, and because of it, I
always have scary nightmares whenever I fell asleep. So I opt not to sleep most
often.
One
early morning I didn’t hear them arguing. My dad was sitting in the chair while
reading the newspaper, while mom served the rice and my Betamax. In my
heart, I felt relieved that day seeing how peaceful the house, though I don’t
know if there’s still madness in their hearts since they’re emotionless at that
time, at least they tried not to argue in front of my Betamax. For the
first time, I ate breakfast in the house with them without any bluster. That
was the day I started to realize that they changed. Everything changed all of a
sudden.
We
go to the park and mall every Friday and attend mass every Sunday. Dad always
brings flowers for my mom when he got home from work, and he also got me
chocolates. Although my parents don’t attend meetings, they let me know their
reasons. They are both busy, and I understand them. I tried my best to excel in
school to make them proud, and maybe they would attend if they know that I’m on
the list of excellent students of the month. Overall, I am grateful for the joy
they gave to me. We’re more like an ideal family to people who know us and have
seen us having a good time in the park, and it changed me a lot.
My
routine changed, I learn to socialize with my classmates more often, and they
became my friends. During a lunch break, I ate my food with them in the
canteen, and instead of burying the sticks of Betamax, I throw them in the
trashcan. I was so happy that it feels like I was just born, and I thought that
last for a lifetime, but it only lasts for a month.
They
died.
“Never date a man, date the
men,” mom
said, then father responded;
“Date no one but yourself,” he said. Then, mom hold my hands and said,
“You’re teen now, as much as we want to protect you, we want you
to protect yourself from abuse or danger-may it is physical or emotional. Trust
no one.”
I
just replied, “Yes.”
Their
advice scares me that night like I should regret that I turned eighteen. But, I
try to remind myself that they love me, so they don’t want me to be in danger.
On the next day, I didn’t saw them. I bet they go out early since dad mentioned
yesterday that he wants to take mom to the forest where the sunrise looks
spectacular. So I take my breakfast alone and go to school.
When
I got home, I saw my aunt, cops, and an ambulance outside our house. I started
to feel nervous, and I’m confused about what happened, why there are cops and
ambulance, why my aunt was there. I couldn’t feel my body. My legs were
shaking, but I managed to run towards the door to know what happens. But, when
I reached the door, my aunt stopped me then I saw four men carried the two-bed
stretcher towards the ambulance. I know it was my parents because of their body
size, and as I cry and shout, “Mom! Dad!”
My
aunt hugged me while crying also. I kept on screaming till I passed out.
I
stayed at my aunt’s house the next day while the investigation was going on.
The only thing that we knew was that my parents are dead, they were brutally
murder inside the house, but I don’t know-how and who killed my parents. My
aunt told the cops everything happens before the crime, but she never allows me
to talk to the cops since I was not in myself after the incident. The officers
asked us to install security cameras in the house for security purposes.
They’ll assign an officer to guard us every night for two weeks because there’s
a possibility that the culprit might come to us. They’ll reach on us whenever
the result comes out-maybe a week after.
That
wasn’t easy for me. I was emotionally down and angry at the culprit for taking
the two most special people in my life. There are times that I questioned God
for his timing. They already changed- for me to be happy, but He took them away
from me.
Few
days passed by, I was able to attend my classes. I force myself to forget
everything, to not think about what had happened, but I cannot. So I often
called the police officer for updates. He told me the other day when I called
him that said it was my aunt who found their bodies in the cabinet, but then
how come my aunt was in my house at that time?
Her
last visit was five years ago before they argue with my father, and all of a
sudden, she was in our house. So I started to keep an eye on her.
The
second day of another week came, the day the officer promise to reach us out
for some result. I was in the school, but I waited for them to call. I took my
lunch in the backyard of the school library as usual. I was about to bury the
sticks of Betamax, but when I dig the area where I bury the Betamax sticks, I
found none. So, I dig up the other side, in case I mistook it, but still,
there’s no stick buried in another spot. I stopped digging when the police
officer called,
“Both
of your parents were stabbed 180 times in their room, but before it happened,
they were poisoned first by the culprit and put their body inside the cabinet-
seems like the culprit knows them and is super angry with them. Do you know
somebody who had conflicts with your parents?” the officer asked.
That
was the moment I was so sure that my aunt is the one who killed my parents. She
never allows me to talk to the police so that they won’t know that they fought
a long time ago, she’s in the house the day they are murder, and I don’t see
her mourn the day after the incident. She’s acting so strange.
I
hang up the phone and quickly go home. I waited for my aunt in the kitchen
while eating Betamax, and in the last bite, she entered the house and was
shocked when she saw me in the kitchen like she saw a ghost. In one look, I can
see that she’s guilty.
“What’s
that look for?” I asked
“Nothing,
I’m glad you’re eating Betamax again. You haven’t eaten them for a while.
That’s your favorite food huh,” she said
“Yeah.
Anyways, did the officer called you?” I asked.
“nnnnnn-oo,
no” she replied.
“Liar!
You’re a liar” (I shouted at her while tears coming down and I continued)
“The
police called me, and he said that the culprit is close to mom and dad and had
deep anger toward them. It was you! You argued with dad before, and you’re mad at
mom. You never allow me to talk to the police alone. Why? Are you afraid to
know your true color? You’re a killer! Aren’t you scared when you killed mom
and dad?”
She
holds a knife, and I was scared, but I was so angry that I could never control
my emotion. I don’t care if she’ll stab me, the way she stabbed my parents. I
want to let her know how much I hate her. I continue talking to her while I
slowly dial 911.
Are
you going to kill me now? Well, fine! But I will make sure that you’ll go to
prison,” I said
“NO,
calm down. I can explain,” my aunt answered.
As
the phone rang, she quickly grabbed my hand and tried to get the phone. But, I
was strong enough to hold it. I hit her and run towards my room. I locked the
door and called 911 again.
“Please,
help me. My aunt’s going to kill me-----------” phone died.
I
wasn’t able to give my location, and it would take time to trace the call,
trace me, so I decided to hide in the cabinet.
“Open
the door!” she shouted multiple times.
“Don’t
test my patience, open the door, and don’t try to call the police. I’m just
trying to protect you, so open this door or else I will destroy this!” she
continued.
I
close my eyes and cover my mouth with my hands. I’m shaking, and I don’t know
what to do till I heard the door slowly open.
There
was a small hole in the cabinet, I can only see a hand holding a knife, and I
know it was her. She slowly walked towards the cabinet, towards me. As soon as
she opens the cabinet, I quickly pushed her away and grabbed the knife. And
when she comes near me, she got stabbed.
She
hugged me tightly while blood is coming out from her mouth and stomach, a hug
that I first felt way back when I saw the body of mom and dad carried by men
through a stretcher. I remember everything from the moment I saw my aunt, cops,
and an ambulance outside of our house to the last moment I have seen my parents
alive.
It
was midnight, they are shouting at each other, till the arguments went severe,
and they got into a physical fight. I couldn’t sleep, and I was tired and sick
of it. So I decided to bring them water with poison for animals. They got
poisoned. I took the knife and stabbed their hearts three times, and I use the
Betamax sticks and stabbed the other soft parts of their body; their eyes,
cheeks, neck, breast, palm, stomach, legs. After then, I covered their bodies
with the blanket and put them in the cabinet. I brought flowers and chocolates
for them. I got the pictures of me in the church, park, and mall. I was happy,
and now I can rest without hearing their voices and seeing their bruises.
My
aunt uttered, “It was you,” then
tears came down to her eyes before she fell to the floor.
