ANGELICA POV
I gasped to get up because of that nightmare. I could no longer hold back my flowing tears. My dream seemed true. I will not allow brother Ronald to confirm his threat to Joshua. I need to talk to my brother. I was afraid of what he could do. Why is my dream like that? What does that dream mean?
I looked at the wall clock hanging on the wall of my room, it's 7 in the morning. I got out of bed and went to the bathroom to wash and brush my teeth. Then I looked in the mirror. My eyes are swelling and my nose is turning red because of the tears.
I went out of the bathroom and went to the kitchen where I found them all sitting. I was speechless and sit next to Daddy.
"Let's eat." Daddy said.
Only the rattle of spoons and forks could be heard at the dinning table. Until older brother Ronald got up and went straight to the sink with the plate he used. Before he finally got out he turned to me.
"We'll talk in the living room later after you eat," he said while looking at me seriously.
I just looked at him and nodded.
After I ate I went to the living room. I arrived there and saw my mother and father together with my six older brothers. I sat down next to dad. I don't know but I feel like I get stronger when I'm close to dad. I feel safe.
My father is my only ally when I am scolded by my mother and my brothers, everytime I commit sin. My father is the only one I see who is not angry with me.
"I want you to know my decision against your boyfriend," brother Ronald said as an intro.
I just looked at him wondering. Even my father was puzzled by what my brother was saying.
"What decision are you talking about Ronald?" Dad asked.
"We will sue and kick that man out of your school, Angelica. You can do nothing but cooperate with us. We will say that he almost raped you. We will put him into jail." brother Ronald says seriously.
I was scared of what my brother said. I looked at my father like I am begging him to help me to convince brother Ronald undo what he was planning. I looked at brother Ronald again with a plea. My tears were coming again.
"Joshua is innocent. He didn't do that to me," I defended Joshua.
My three older brothers and my mother looked at me angrily.
"As long as he's not put in jail, you won't leave the house," mom said.
"I will do everything you want for you to stop destroying Joshua's life. All he could do was to love me and make me happy. He didn't hurt me and even more, he didn't try to rape me," I explained.
"Are you still defending that man?" brother Fancis said.
"He's not doing anything wrong brother. Don't ruin his life. Please brother Ronald?" I beg you.
"My decision is final. I will file a case against him. If I don't come that day, something that shouldn't have happened, may have happened." said brother Ronald angrily as his palms closed.
I stood up and approached older brother Ronald. When I came in front of him I knelt down and begged.
"I'm begging you brother. Please don't torture me like this. Don't you have a conscience to imprison the person you know that he is innocent?" I said as my tears continued to flow.
I looked into my brother's eyes but he avoided hitting our eyes.
"I won't see him again brother. I will avoid him and stay away. I will do everything you want. Don't just put him in jail. I'm the one at fault so you should only punish me. Please forgive me. Please forgive me. I will not do it anymore. I promise.
"Stand up Angelica" brother Nathan said and grabbed my arm to stand up.
"You don't have to beg for that bastard," brother Nathan said and led me to my father's side.
"My decision is complete and there's nothing you can do about it," said brother Ronald and he got up to leave the house.
I hugged my father and he did the same. He comforted me, wiping away my tears and letting me know that I had nothing to worry about.
I could do nothing but just cry and cry. I don't know why brother Ronald is so angry with Joshua. Doesn't he want me to be happy? Doesn't he want someone to love me? I thought then, he loves me because I feel that from him.
From the moment I thought about it, I only felt so much care and love by him. That even though he scolds me when I commit a sin, I know he still can't hide his concern about me. He also always provides my allowance and enrollment fees. He also buys my things. He is a very perfect older brother to me but why now he seems to be possessed by a demon. Even though he wouldn't let me go where I wanted to go with my friends, I didn't complain. Even though he doesn't want me to buy cosmetics, it's fine for me. Even though he was the most strick of all I still didn't get upset with him. He also became my driver. Even though he has a job he tries to have time just to say "how are you" to me. He also always helps me when I have difficulty with my assignments and projects. But now, he is different. Even his face had lost its vitality. He was always smiling before, now he is so much angry. Just because of my disobedience, the goodness in brother Ronald's heart disappeared.
I still remember when I graduated from Senior High School.
Flashback:
"Princess, wake up. I cooked your favorite meal. Get up so you may not come late at your Graduation," brother Ronald says while smiling at me.
"Give me your gift first before I get up." I said and I even covered myself with a blanket so he couldn't see my smile.
"Later when you're ready. Don't be stubborn, you know me." he said and obviously got serious.
"Yes, I get up," I said while frowning.
I was about to get up but suddenly my brother stood up and tickled me on the side, on the armpit and on my neck.
"Are you frowning?" he said still excited about what he was doing.
"Stop my brother, I going to die." I stammered while not stopping to laugh.
I ran to the bathroom and I immediately locked it.
"I hate you brother. You know I don't want to be tickled by you anyway." I shouted in the bathroom.
I didn't hear his answer so I just took a bath and brushed my teeth. After I took a bath, I took the white towel and went out to the bathroom. It's a good thing brother Ronald is gone.
Sky blue is the color of the dress I used. Older brother Ronald bought it so it can't be above the knee. It's just the same length as my graduation gown. I looked in the whole body mirror in my room and saw that my beautiful dress fit me. Make up and lipstick are not allowed so I only put face powder on my face. I tied my hair and said, Simplicity is beauty."
I took my graduation gown out of my closet and I walked out of the room. I saw brother Ronald smiling and waiting in the living room.
"Wow! Beautiful my princess." he said as he walked to meet me on the stairs.
He fumbled in his pants and picked up a small box. He opened it and I was amazed for what I saw. A bracelet with a pendant of pearls and with a cute heart.
"Wow, beautiful my brother." I said.
"You really don't have originality. You just repeat what I've told you while ago," he said looking at me with a mischievous smile on his lips.
I laughed at what he said. He was annoyed with me so he quickly closed the bracelet box again and pocketed it.
"Brother, I thought you would give me that." I asked.
"This is for the woman I love. Not for you," he said with his eyebrows still meeting.
"Eat first so that you don't get hungry during your graduation ceremony," he said that he was obviously holding back his laughter.
"I don't want to eat anymore, I've lost my appetite," I said at the same time turning my back on my older brother.
I was surprised when he pulled my left wrist and immediately placed the bracelet he had hidden earlier. I smiled when I saw he was going to lock it.
"Happy graduation princess, take care of this. You will pay for this if you lost it," he said while smiling.
"I thought you were going to give this to your girlfriend." I said.
"Exaggerated. I never said I would give it to my girlfriend," he said.
"You just said earlier that the bracelet is for the woman you love. Who else is the woman you love?" I asked my brother.
"Why, can't I love you princess? He said staring into my eyes seriously.
I didn't answer him immediately. My eyes met his gaze but he seemed to have no intention of erasing his gaze from me. My heart beat fast.
"Of course you love me because I am you sister. I said and I was the first to look down. I looked at the bracelet I was wearing and I was really impressed because it fit perfectly in my hand.
"Thank you brother. I'll take care of it, promise," I said without looking at him.
"Your welcome sweetheart. go and eat your breakfast," he said.
I walked over to our dining room table. I eagerly ate my favorite adobo even when I was alone at the dinner table. I was really enjoying the food but I almost choked when I saw a bulk stare staring at me.
"You have a problem brother? You startle me," I said.
"You are already a young woman. It seems like just recently when I just been carrying you while I'm running. Now, you're a very beautiful young woman. I won't be surprised if I get hit by a lot of men around you," he said seriously.
He turned around after saying such words and left me gaping.
End of flashback.
I will never forget that day because that was the time I found out that my brother loved me.
I cried and ran upstairs to my room. I looked for the bracelet that brother Ronald gave me two years ago. I saw it inside my jewelry box hidden under my clothes in the closet. I picked it up and sobbed while crying. I also remembered the necklace Joshua had given me. I removed it from my neck and placed it in my palm. I felt like an madman smiling at the pendant of my necklace.
"I'll hide you here first. When I'm done in my studies and able to work, I'll find your partner and continue our broken romance," I said sadly to the necklace I was holding. I put it in the box where I took the bracelet. The bracelet I wore on my wrist.
I will use it in case brother Ronald changes his mind and he remembers the day he gave this to me.
I lay down on my bed to rest because of the weight of my eyelids.
I just stared at the ceiling and wondered how I could convince my older brother not to pursue his plan to imprison Joshua.
I don't want to ruin what Joshua worked so hard to achieve. He will be finished in a year. He is about to fulfill his dream and then my older brother will just destroy him.
I will wait brother Ronald to come home. I will talk to him again. I will plead and plead with him if necessary.
I got up and went out of the room again to wait for brother Ronald to come home. I went straight to our terace and sat on a sofa there. While waiting, I practiced what I would say to him. I am like an idiot talking and imagining that he is here.