THREE missed calls appeared on the screen of Eleand's phone, two from her brother Erone overseas and one from Elida. His phone was always in silent mode, and he was not checking it that much. He tried to make a return call to Elida when her doorbell rang, followed by loud knocks. Did Brandy come back because she forgot to bring something?
His forehead furrowed before he got up from the couch and opened the door. His brow raised in surprise when he saw Elida standing there, trying to catch her breath, as if there was something urgent.
"Hey, why in a hurry?" he teased. His sister appeared wasted. Her long hair was disheveled.
Elida gripped his right arm as if getting strength. He suddenly felt worried.
"Pack your things, Eleand. We need to catch the flight going to the Philippines right now." She walked past him and sat down on the couch.
"What's the matter?" he asked, and looked more perplexed.
"Erone didn't tell you yet?"
"I wasn't able to answer his calls. What the hell happened?"
He strolled toward her sister. Based on her expression, he knew something was not right. Elida never lost her composure unless something crucial happened.
"Mom had a heart attack. She's in a coma right now." Her face softened in distress.
"Oh, my God!" He sat beside Elida, "Is Mom, okay?"
"She's not. We need to be in a hurry. I don't want to think of any bad things. But we have to be ready."
"I understand." He gently massaged his forehead. Great, his wife just divorced him, and now his mother was dying. Why these had to happen all at once?
"Come on, hurry!" There was an urgency in her voice.
"Okay, wait up! I'll just change." He stood up and hurriedly went inside his room.
Elida looked devastated. He watched his sister buried her face in her palms when he got back.
THE plane landed in the Philippines, and they had a connecting flight from Manila to Naga. They hastily went to the hospital, where their mother stayed unconscious. They did not mind the jet lag and the exhaustion from the long travel.
Eleand prayed for their mother's safety. He hoped everything was going well. Both of them were close to their mother. If they had a choice, they would just stay here in the Philippines near their parents. But they had an obligation in California.
They immediately went inside the room where their mother stayed. They had the same reaction when they saw their father cradling the hand of his unconscious beloved wife. Eleand's eyes widened in awe and admiration at the same time as he gazed at them. Their father tried to control his sobs while kissing their mother's forehead.
"Mom, we're here. We are back." Elida hurriedly walked towards their parents.
"What is going on here?" Eleand asked. He glanced in the direction of his other siblings, Erone and Ezekiel, sitting nearby. Both in silence and tears.
"She's gone. She passed away an hour ago," Erone said, almost a murmur, "I guess she tried to wait for you guys, but she didn't make it."
Eleand opened his mouth, but he was out of words to say. He sauntered to his lifeless mother and held her stiff hand.
"Go in peace, Mom. I know you'll be happy to where you are going," he whispered.
"Mommy…" Elida couldn't control her sob while tightly embracing their deceased mother. Their father gently brushed the back of his only daughter.
Their family mourned in silence. It was hard to accept the sudden death of their mother, and the siblings were so much worried about their father's failing health. Eleand grew up watching how their dad loved their mom. She was his only queen. The reason he always took his relationship seriously was that he believed in the power of love. His parents were proof that true love exists.
Although he had several flings before he met Brandy, Eleand was sure she was the lady for him when he found her. He married her right away, even at a young age.
THE siblings stayed at their private resort in Caramoan a week after his mother's burial. Elida tagged along even after Eleand shooed her many times. Though he clarified that he wanted to be alone, knowing her, she never listened.
On the second thought, maybe it was a better idea because she could talk to his sister about family matters. They planned to stay several days in the Philippines, might as well enjoy their vacation before they come back to California.
They went island hopping and hiking to ease their sadness. Life was indeed short. No one knew how long they could stay alive. Time would come; they will leave this world, too. He even prepared himself that even his family would perish when their moment comes.
He tried to think about the long list of positive things when his mother passed away. At least she did not suffer long.
Eleand went back to their vacation house late in the afternoon. Elida invited him for a couple of drinks, which he gladly obliged. This way, he could sleep immediately. He drank the most expensive wine from his collections, displayed inside the minibar.
Elida took a sip of red wine while talking about the wonderful memories they shared with their parents. They were at the roof deck, leaning on the horizontal rails. The full moon glowed entrancingly. It was the rare phenomenon—the super blood blue moon.
"How about we drink another brand of alcohol after this?" Eleand suggested.
"No thanks, brother dear. We don't have to drown ourselves in alcohol. I bet mom will beat us if she is here." Elida giggled and took another sip, "I finally found acceptance on what happened to Mom. I am more worried about you. You know, Mom died, and Brandy left you."
He smiled bitterly. "I'm okay."
"Really? Then, will it be okay to know that Brandy is dating a famous Hollywood model?" Elida chuckled as if adding insult to his injuries.
"I see," he took all the alcohol from his wineglass, "Who?"
Elida shook her shoulder, "I don't know yet. It was a rumor I read earlier online, stating Brandy and that guy took a vacation together."
"I don't care," he clasped the glass as if about to break. Brandy lied to him. She filed for a divorce because of another man. She cheated! Right, he was just another loser.
"Don't mind it," she took another sip and glared at the moon, "Oh, look! There it is—super blood blue moon indeed. The Lunar Trifecta!" She seemed mesmerized.
The moon was bigger than usual, slowly it turned reddish, and the shadow of the earth languidly reflected.
"Hell yeah! Should I howl like a wolf?" He laughed and made a sound, mimicking the wolf's cry. He could feel the spirit of alcohol inside his body and did not worry at all. After this, he would surely doze off. They had been drinking for hours now.
"You are crazy! Wait, Erone is calling." She turned her attention to the vibrating phone from her pocket. Elida answered the call from their oldest brother.
Her reaction puzzled him. Elida's eyes widened while listening to the other line and her cellphone almost slipped from her hand.
"What the hell is that?" Eleand thought Elida pranked him again. She was an excellent actress. But he could see her face turned suddenly pale. Maybe it was the moon's fault or his vision?
"Dad just had a cardiac arrest!" she screeched. Elida nearly lost her balance after the line went dead. She sat down in the bamboo chair nearby.
"What? Did I hear it right?" Eleand assumed he misheard his sister. But judging by her reaction, he knew he heard her right.
Damn. This is too much! It seemed like the spirit of alcohol just left his body. They were here to move on from their mother's death, and another tragedy was about to happen.
"Erone said they rushed him to the hospital. I prayed Dad is fine. Our problem is, we can't just go there this time. The roads are dangerous at nighttime. No street lights. Sharp curves are everywhere." Elida sighed in frustration. Just like him, she tried to gather her strength despite drinking so much.
"Who told you we couldn't be there?" He drained the remaining wine to his mouth and put the glass on the round table. They needed to see their father. They had to be at the hospital soon because no one knew what the outcome would be. Like what happened to their mother, it was too late when they arrived. Their dad must have had missed his significant half a lot, and his heart failed him.
"No! You can't drive. You're drunk!" Elida tried to stop him.
"I am not that drunk. You know I'm a skilled driver," he even winked. He scurried down from the roof deck and hurriedly put on his white rubber shoes.
Elida was still baffled and did her best to stop him. "Eleand, no! Don't do this, please. It's dangerous! And for heaven's sake, don't add up to the problem. Would you calm down?"
"Trust me. I can do this." The corner of his mouth quirked up to reassure her. Eleand put on his black leather jacket and went to the garage. He was already in the driver's seat of the red pickup truck when Elida got inside and sat beside him.
"Please think twice. Get back to the house. Let's just do this early in the morning. It's almost midnight." She looked at her gold wristwatch, "This is a terrible idea. You are drunk!"
He exhaled sharply. "Make a choice. Are we just going to wait until something bad happens to Dad?" he started the engine.
"I—I don't know!" Her eyes welled up in tears.
Eleand sped up the truck. He tried not to lose focus, but his mind was wandering about their father's current situation. The vehicle accelerated even more.
"Oh god! Slow down!" Elida panicked. She was reaching for the seat belt. They forgot to put it on. Eleand could not care about it. He trusted his driving skills.
"Will you shut up?" he shouted. Elida kept irritating him, and it somehow dividing his concentration.
Shit. Eleand knew he should take extra precautions. The travel time was over three hours before they could reach the hospital. He should be there—both of them as soon as possible.
But he lost it when they were approaching a dangerous, sharp curve. It was too late to control the steering wheel. The pickup truck fell into the dark chasm and rolled several times. The ravine was too steep, and what happened was swift for him to remember every detail.
His eyes broadened when extreme force threw Elida outside the vehicle. She had not properly locked her seatbelt yet.
Eleand missed where Elida fell because everything went black.