Lost in the Wilderness - The Forest of Evergreen Book 1 (17 page)

Chapter 16

Unbending

When Bea returned to Forest Green, she earnestly took good care of everything there. She made sure that things were the same even in Grandma Lucy’s absence.
 

She was gardening the manor’s front yard one early morning when a sound of footsteps distracted her from behind. It was Jericho, and Bea was startled to see him.
 

“Oh, Jericho! What are you doing here?”

“I’m sorry I shocked you! I’m here to ask about Sophia. I heard about what happened. How is she?” Jericho asked determinedly.

“Sophia is fine now but… she lost her memory.” Bea slumped her gaze downwards, for she couldn’t bear to be seen in tears.

“I know.” Jericho managed to reply, his voice sounding like he’d gone through fires and oceans.

Bea found it difficult to stop a tear from dropping, and for a while, they shared a stinging silence.

Desperate enough to see Sophia, Jericho finally had the nerve to ask Bea something, something that—by no doubt—could not be tolerated by her.
 

“Bea…” Jericho dared, his eyes trying to show courage.

“Yes…?”

“I know this is too much but…” A light in Jericho’s eyes, at once, reflected the depths of his yearning, of his forbidden love for Sophia, and Bea plainly felt it.

Still on exposed bundle of nerves, Jericho dared to man up and asked, “Can I get Sophia’s city address?”

Bea’s face immediately crumpled. “Jericho, whatever it is you’re planning... it will only distract Sophia. She’s sick and she needs some space at the moment,” Bea admitted boldly.

Jericho, though very much frustrated, agreed to what Bea said. “In that case, I have to go now. Thanks, anyway,” he said in a low tone.

Bea’s guilt instantly consumed her. She was the one who witnessed the two since childhood, and it felt more agonizing to let
it
all just slip away. “Okay! I’ll give you her address.” She stopped Jericho from leaving. “But promise me that you will be careful when you talk to her, okay?” she grinned, and asked him for a pen and a piece of paper.

Jericho’s face impulsively brightened up and he quickly hugged Bea. “Thank you,” he almost cried. Then, he hurried to his car to get what she asked of him.

Right after, without any delay, Jericho left in high spirits and set for Orlando.

* * *

IN ORLANDO CITY, at the Vabueretti residence, Philippe and Elizabeth were already back at home together with Alex. The couple had been at the precinct to settle their son’s release.
 

Alex dashed straight to his room, ignoring the people around. He simply had no face to show to anyone.

“Mom, is he gonna be okay?” Nadine asked her parents as she reached them, at the doorway.

“Yes, dear. Your brother will be fine.” Elizabeth managed to speak, her eyes puffed-up and her nose totally clogged. Then, she opened her drooping arms to cuddle Nadine. She needed to be strong.

“Mom, where is Sophia?” Philippe asked Grandma Lucy when she reached them at the living room.

“She’s in her room. By the way, dinner is ready.” Discomfort resonated through Grandma Lucy’s voice as she looked at her son and daughter-in-law.

“Sweetie, call your sister and we will have our dinner,” Elizabeth ordered Nadine, distracting Philippe’s small talk with his mom.

“No, sweetie. Just stay here. I’ll go and talk to your sister.” Philippe hampered Nadine’s forward motion to the stairs.

“All right, Dad,” Nadine concurred and hurried to jump into her mother’s shoulders again.

On the second floor, Philippe was surprised by Sophia’s sudden exit from her room. He could perceive those swollen eyes, as Sophia began to walk down. “Dinner’s ready,” he offered.

Sophia, pretending she was all right, hesitated, but the concerned tone of her father was too much to resist. She agreed, unspeaking, as she walked down the stairs with her father.

Five cuisines were served before them as they gathered around the table. The feeling of awkwardness crept through Sophia as she settled her back against her chair. They were about to eat when Nadine prompted them all to pray, first.

Amazed, Grandma Lucy asked Nadine to lead the prayer.
 

When Nadine had said the last words of the prayer, Alex, all of a sudden, came into sight. With all sincerity, he begged for their forgiveness.
 

“I’m sorry I caused you some trouble,” he said, with his eyeballs rolled down.

As every eye on the table watched him, Alex further explained his misbehavior. “I’m sorry. I just can’t help but... blame myself for everything that’s happened.” His voice sounded even more mortified and remorseful.

Not a second passed by that his parents hadn’t comforted him. They convinced him, hard, that none of it was his fault.
 

“Yes, Alex. Please, do not blame yourself,” Grandma Lucy reinforced, just now.

But for Sophia, she appeared static, in deep thoughts, after everything she heard from them.

Relieved by everyone’s positive response, Alex sat on his chair and leaned back agreeably.

The dinner progressed and in the middle of it, Sophia asked them if she could go out the next day. “I want to visit Giovanni’s grave,” she expressed, with her long and thick eyelashes slanted down.

“Sure, honey. We will accompany you tomorrow.” Elizabeth put on a smile.

Then, Sophia bowed her head down as if seeking for more clarity. Not consuming half of the steamed salmon fish on her plate, she excused herself and went back upstairs.

Alex followed her.

“I’ll come with you tomorrow if you don’t mind,” he offered, hoping to have a fine conversation with his sister, but his gaze failed to meet Sophia’s.

Sophia nodded with a grateful smile. “Yes, you may come.”

“All right, then!” Alex’s face brightened. And he went back to the dining area to finish his meal.

“When will this end?” Nadine flung some sentiments. “Everyone’s so dramatic for such a long time now,” she expressed, almost into tears.

“Honey, please be patient. Please, try to understand our family’s situation, okay?” Elizabeth begged. She understood Nadine very well, but it was too much to ask her, for her young mind to understand. And so, Elizabeth attempted to cheer up Nadine by palming her daughter’s cute, ponytailed hair, asking what she wanted to do later, to make her feel cherished, too.

Nadine’s eyes revealed more tears. “It’s just that... we used to be so happy and now—” Nadine faltered.

On the spur of the moment, with great effort, everybody on the table put all their attention to Nadine and yearned to soothe her muddled young mind.

Chapter 17

The Visit

Nothing served to comfort Sophia as they made their way to the cemetery. Her hands were shaking, her thoughts were somewhere else, as she sat silently beside Alex at the back seat, while their parents were in front of the car. Nobody dared to make a noise, and there was the sudden need for Nadine’s talkativeness. But Nadine was at home, left to accompany Grandma Lucy, while they were away.

It was past nine in the morning when they reached the cemetery, and they were surprised to see a car parked near Giovanni’s grave.

Giovanni’s ex-girlfriend, Loren, was also there to visit, but when she saw the family coming, she dashed to leave. Her then-unsuitability for Giovanni had been more obvious when she saw the gorgeous Sophia gliding out of the car.

Loren and Giovanni were star-crossed lovers until Sophia walked into St. Thomas Academy, with an aura that she had yet to explore the world. Loren knew that she and Sophia were exact polar opposites. She knew she could never live up to Sophia’s beauty and kindness. Not even close. So, she just let Giovanni fall into Sophia’s allure. But unfortunately for Loren, Alex saw her and chased her. And this, Loren hated.

“Loren, hey!” Alex yelled, while pursuing her. “I haven’t seen you at school for months. Where have you been?”

Loren turned, with no intention of answering his query, but Alex lingered, waiting.

“We’re here to visit Giovanni’s grave,” Alex talked again, with conspicuous grief in his eyes.

“Yes, I see,” Loren finally spoke, letting her breath out with rustling impatience.

“I wonder if you want to join us,” Alex dared.

“I have to go, Alex.” Loren swiftly ended their small talk, and left without looking back.
 

From afar, Sophia saw her, as if she was absconding from anything dangerous. She wished she’d remembered Loren so she could be more confident to say
hi
, but nothing, so far, really served as a hint. (Sophia never intended to take Giovanni away from Loren. In fact, she never knew about the two of them, never knew if there were other girls in Giovanni’s past. All she had in mind before was... she loved Jericho so much that she needed to forget him. And that was the time that Giovanni popped in, at Alex’s recommendations, too.)

Sophia approached her brother and asked who the girl was.
 

“She’s Loren, our band’s former lead singer. She’s here to visit Giovanni’s grave,” Alex said in detail, with no intention of spilling out that she was actually Giovanni’s ex-girlfriend. He knew that Sophia was not yet ready to know more of Giovanni or his past.
 

Still wondering why Loren left in a cold-blooded way, Sophia watched Loren’s back until the latter finally left, with her car.

Alex sat down beside Giovanni’s grave, and began reminiscing, in agonizing silence. The more the memories rushed in, the more they seemed to kill him. He tried so hard to ignore the pain, but his conscience demanded to be felt. He was worn into shreds, forcing to gather himself back again, and carry on. Then he looked up at the cloudless blue sky and blinked back those unwanted tears.

Sophia, holding a bouquet of flowers, joined her brother. Slowly, she knelt down, placed the bouquet beside Giovanni’s engraved name, and turned even more quiet.

Philippe and Elizabeth remained standing, watching how Sophia traced Giovanni’s name on the asphalt tablet. It reminded them so much of Giovanni, of how he had always been polite everytime he would ask Sophia out. He’d always been thoughtful, and always had something to offer on the table everytime he would join the family for a meal.

The Vabuerettis spent one more hour at the cemetery, accompanied with prayers and small laughs, as they recollected more of Giovanni’s blissful memoirs with them.

Sophia stayed silent, listening to every word her family was sharing.

“I think we should go now,” Philippe suggested suddenly.

Elizabeth looked at her daughter, discerning she was ready to leave, but she could feel the hushed agony in Sophia.

“Sophia.” Elizabeth put her hand on her daughter’s shoulder, sending Sophia the comfort she needed.

Sophia, after the long wait, stood up as she repeated to herself, Giovanni’s name. She wanted to stay longer, but the pain would only lose, if she left, while it was still early.

They were about to leave when a black Audi arrived.
 

Alex recognized it. “Gio’s family is also here to visit,” he mumbled, gazing at the slow-moving car.

The Habendards saw them too and went to them immediately. They were all wearing black.

“Mr. and Mrs. Vabueretti, hi!” Giovanni’s father greeted them cordially.

“Oh, hello there!” the Vabueretti couple greeted back. “We’re here to visit Giovanni’s grave.”

“I see,” Giovanni’s father reacted in delight, looking at Sophia with a splodge of pity.

“We’re glad you’re here!” Giovanni’s mother supplemented, also taking a peek at Sophia, who now appeared iced-up, in awkward timidity.

For a while, Alex and Sophia stood with them, wordless as they listened to their parents’ conversation with the Habendards. Then, a cute little girl emerged from the car, captivating Sophia’s attention. She was Anna, Giovanni’s younger sister.
 

Watching her, Sophia did not need to ask if she was Giovanni’s younger sister. Her face already spoke for it.

Anna looked at her too, and passed the same message of grief through her beatific eyes.

Sophia remained staring at her, craving to talk to her, but Giovanni’s mom approached Sophia, and blocked her curious look at Anna.

Sophia stiffened as Mrs. Habendard offered her a warm embrace. For a moment or two, they carved up the same longing for Giovanni.

“I pray for your memory to come back,” Mrs. Habendard whispered in her ears, as her clasp tightened.

Standing still, Sophia was not able to return a response. Mrs. Habendard’s cuddle was intense enough so that it seemed to paralyze every muscle of her mouth.

Coming to Sophia’s rescue, Elizabeth thanked Mrs. Habendard and repeated that they were glad to see them again.

“Yes, we share the same thing.” Mrs. Habendard finally released Sophia and stepped back to continue her talk with the Vabueretti couple.

“We should be leaving now,” Philippe incorporated carefully, noticing the sky turning hotter. “And we’re very glad to see you.” Now, Philippe handled all the talking, as Sophia and Alex started getting inside the car.