Carmel could not believe what she heard. It was just seventeen days since she and Amy went out for lunch...and the voice that echoed on the other end of the line was Amy's sister telling her of Amy's death.
She dropped the line and leaned on that red sofa next to her.
She was cleaning her closet and was browsing through the old albums she had managed to keep over the years when the telephone rang. She hesitated for a minute, not expecting any call at wee hours like this. It could be bad, she muttered.
May Eight, Amy called her and invited her for lunch at the famous Cake House two kilometers away from the Municipal Library where the two of them used to work. It was both a reunion for the two at the same time unwinding for Carmel who had been pretty busy investigating a rape case next town. Amy was then an assistant Librarian and Carmel just started her budding career as a police investigator. They both shared laughter and tears over the years with their friendship which rooted from a common ground, Esperanza, their hometown. It had been five years since they last seen each other communicating just through snail mail, the only means available in their generation.
Carmel moved on with her life marrying another fellow officer, had four kids and transferred to a new assignment while Amy moved on to become a Government School Teacher in one of a far flung areas in Balingan. It was there where she met her second true love, got married and bore two kids Shena and Vic.
She remembered her last conversation with Amy. Carmel thought Amy was just joking about her illness. She wanted Carmel to tell her husband not to marry soon after her death. She didn't want the kids to be totally all by themselves. Amy was telling all this openly without any trace of sadness which caused Carmel not to take her seriously. However, the last call she received that day was indeed a confirmation that Amy's gone. Gone for the final time.
She browsed the album again. She recognized by the looks of the scrap, this was her 1980 album that she shared with Amy. She specially designed this Only for her picture and Amy's. This used to bring vibrancy and inspiration. This previously told about the triumph that She and Amy jointly achieved, running here and there in the arena of life. All of a sudden, that pink cover looked gloomy and stingy.It suddenly looked so melancholic and treacherous. Treacherous because it was telling a different story now different from what it always told her day to day in the last 25 years.
Amy was an inspiration to her. She was the most handy source of light when hers fail in most of life's difficult phases.
She always look up at Amy's disposition as the ultimate guide to achieving something despite any odds.
They were both 18 when Amy dated a muscled, finely-chiseled guy in town who came out from an Army class of 87. He was tall, dark and handsome man who captured all hearts nearby. Amy was just too excited on their first date being the only girl in town she dated for some reason.
They dated for a year before Amy trusted him with everything. Aside from the glow of happiness in Amy's eyes, Carmel just couldn't deny that Amy and Romy were too good together except that Romy's mother openly suggested her objection to the relationship noting that Amy came from a simple brood. This did not deter the two from continuing their relationship. Like Amy, Carmel then slowly trusted Romy with her friend.
One day, Amy asked Carmel to come to their house. Carmel was shocked to find out Amy's pregnancy. It became even more complicated as Romy denied assuming his responsibility afraid of his clan's reaction. Amy was then left in an open field with painful accusations from everywhere blaming her. Though, her family stood beside Amy, it was so clear that she got devastated with the turn of events. She, at some point went to Romy's house to talk to him regarding her pregnancy. Romy's mother who was not in favor of their relationship repeatedly lambasted her of ill talks. Carmel at several occasion saw Amy cried hard for the unfair treatment of the would be grandmother of her baby...but Amy rose again from that fall. She willingly carried the responsibility of child bearing. She proudly stood before her neighbors, sell Potato chip, Camote cue, and peanut retail packs to save for their future. With her action, obviously she wanted to tell the people that she was responsible in facing the consequence of her actions. Since that day, Amy strived harder put up her own "sari-sari Store"
a filipino term for store selling various items.
In 1981, Carmel remembered painfully how Amy survived her first death. Since she did not mind the time of the day and the season when she would vend her Camote Cues and Banana cues, she was infected with Typhoid fever and was brought to the hospital in the city. Her family who lacked financial stability, raised money from donations. Everyone who knew her and pitied her situation did not hesitate to lend money for her medicines and hospital bills. Eventually, because she was pregnant , both Amy and the baby died. The doctor declared her dead. Her family and friend sadly reported her death over the local radio station and instantly it reaped blames for Romy and Romy's family who did not even shed a penny for Amy's situation.
Carmel paused for awhile with this recollection. She could not hold her tears anymore. This was the first time she lost Amy.
to be continued...............
