And so begun the torment of my elementary days filled with boring classes but as soon as the teachers noticed the way I was in class. Constantly uninterested in the topics they are teaching. And so they allowed me to have few hours of reprieve by giving me the freedom to study what I want in the afternoon of every class. Our class typically last form 7:30 alin the morning to 4:30 in the afternoon. As such, I have 4 hours to study what I want to study and the school will help me with the best they can.
I have chosen to study music, advance mathematics, languages and sports for my four hours of free class. Music because it is a good hobby and knowing how to play instruments is a good thing. Languages because I want to learn foreign languages though it would be hard to find people who speaks the languages I wanted to learn, it is still worth a try. And knowing how globalization is a thing of the future and technology would help people disregard the barriers between countries and establish connections. And I also want to travel in the future and go to places I've never been before, knowing the language is an advantage. Learning advance mathematics is just a way to make up for my weakness in the past and that is the same with sports.
I also used the time I have to participate in competitions that will help me earn money. I used most of my time learning new skills and honing them. And with the 30 minutes left before class ends, I spent it by spending time with the kids in which although I felt like babysitting most of the time, I also enjoyed having fun and happy memories with them and my family.
But that carefree life soon ceased and worries filled my head because, the accident where my father was injured is fast approaching. I still remembered the details of what happened which was told a hundred times in the news and by the people who were involved in the accident.
My father was in a truck which was carrying heavy woods that would be used in making cottages on the resort my father was asked to be a carpenter. But they were not the only one because some teachers which were attending a seminar upon knowing that they will travel asked to go with them so that they can save money for the transportation.
But that decision was a mistake because when they traveled at 5pm, the driver made an accident when he was sleepy and drove the truck through a big tree. But because it was night, some of the passengers were asleep and they were not able to react so when the truck fell, the wood it carried soon fell into the passengers. Some were able to wake up and not be affected but others were dead on the spot thoroughly pinned by the woods. They were all soon taken to the hospital but few of them did not manage to live.
I remembered learning about it when I was young. I was in grade one, just 6 years old and suddenly I learned that my father is in the hospital. We learned it not through television because only the rich have it then, but through the word of someone who was informed.
A grandmother told my mom,"Cynthia, you have to get ready, Arthur was taken to the hospital and he must be operated because his hands were squished by the wood and it needs to be fixed. "
My mom then asked,"Is he okay, grandma?"
The grandma then answered, "He is okay, his injuries are much lighter than others, someone has damaged legs, and the grave ones where already dead when taken to the hospital. Just be thankful that hsi life was not lost."
Hearing the news, my mother quickly moved to prepare clothes and then took me to my fathercs sister that would take care of me. I was still a child them, not really matured enough to take care of myself.
But this time, I plan to make things different but the problem was if I want to keep my father safe, it would be very simple but saving the others is very difficult. After all, what would I say to keep them from going. They would think I'm crazy if I do that. Saving my father, I can just do a tantrum to keep my father but the others are a different matter. What do I have to say to convince them?
The night before the accident, I said to my dad,"Pa, I dreamt of you last night. It was scary."
Then my dad asked,"Why, what happened?"
I answered him, "There was an accident and you were injured. But others were not so lucky, they died."
Hearing this, my dad said,"That is not a good thing to say, Carmela. Death is not a joke."
So I answered,"But it was not a joke, it felt so real, I saw it happened. Your hand was crushed, Ma'am Celestine and Aunt Isabel was dead on the site, even Uncle Fred died on the hospital. It felt so real that it was scary, dad. Then I cried to make things more convincing. "
Not knowing that what I said was heard by grandma Jovie and she is superstitious. It was late when I saw her. I had already said everything. Actually I was not a saint, if I can't save them all then I would choose to save the most important person in my life. I am selfish but so what, if that is what it takes to keep my loved one alive then so be it.
But seeing Grandma Jovie, I was also a bit relieved because I know how superstitious she is, and of there is someone who can convince them twh it was her. She was a retired teacher and very respected so when she approached her son who was the head in charge of the travel and convinced her son to just take the commercial transportation, her son, Uncle Fred had no choice since his mother was old too, he does not want to worry her.
Grandma Jovie said,"Son don't go, it is unlucky and an accident might just happen just like your niece said. "
Uncle Fred replied,"Ma, it's already tomorrow and I don't believe in those superstitions. And even if we don't go, teachers from other schools are willing to grab the opportunity to travel without spending much."
But Grandma Jovie was firm,"If you don't do it, I will go to my friend Melinda and convince her. " The Melinda she said was the principal and superior of Uncle Fred.
And so Uncle Fred had no choice, they had to arrange last minute to rent a car they will be using and because the time was late, they can only travel tomorrow.
So the family who was building the resort had no choice but to travel with teachers form other school however they were not so lucky. What I have said reached their ears but they paid no mind and the accident happened but this time, it was different people although no one died, they suffered grave injuries. But the teachers from the other town were still thankful because even though they did not take my words and still traveled with the truck, they kept in mind the accident and stayed up through the night and did not sleep so they were able to live. And so the both the teachers who went and did not go were grateful to me and they came with their families to thank me.
One of them said to me,"It was really heaven sent that you had that dream. It seems like a prediction and a sign that would help us live through the accident. Eventhough we had no proof that your dream would come true, but still it helped us so much and we owe our lives to you."
And so I became pretty famous in our town after that. They even came to me to ask for lotto numbers but I declined and said, I did not dream any useful things either. As such their attention soon was diverted somewhere else, to the lives of other people and talk about them.
After that scene, it became peaceful soon after. The days and years go by peacefully and things went like this for a couple of years.