NAME: Tandoc, Sharlyne E. SECTION: BEED I Irreg.

SUBJECT: Lit 2 DATE& TIME: January 22, 2014 MWF, 8:00 9:00

Chapter 1 It is a beautiful afternoon at beach and the sun is about to set. Its rays are painting the sky with different shades of crimson and lavender. Its reflection on the water is scattered like a sea of golden treasures. The waves are refusing to stop kissing the shoreline no matter how many times it is being sent away. It is beautiful indeed, but a girl sitting alone on the beach hardly sees the beauty of nature in front of her. The scene may be calm, but it is exactly in contrast to the raging storm inside of her. Her name is Chelsea, a high school student. On that part of the beach, she is alone except for a group of young people playing with the sand, but she seems not to be aware about them. She may be looking at the golden sea, but her mind is wandering off recalling the events that happened in her life during the last few days. These events are the reason why she is having a dilemma with herself. Some days ago in the evening . . . Chelsea, your father is dead, her mother said curtly. What? How did it happen? Who told you about that, Ma? she stuttered. She could not believe what her mother had just said. She may be an illegitimate child, but recently, she has been closer to her father than she had ever been. Your Nanay Anna has just called. She heard the news from the driver of his family. His body could no longer stand the pain he was feeling and gave in to death. He died 5 hours ago, her mother replied while turning away from her, stared at the window and sighed deeply. As she was looking at the way her mother acted, she sighed too. She had more questions but she knew that her mother was devastated by the news but was just keeping it in. Her mother, Cassandra, was not someone who was open for emotional conversations. Okay, Ma. Thanks for telling me the news, she just sa id, even if it was not a good news. She didnt bother making the conversation last, that was not the time yet. So, she excused herself so that both of them could have an alone time and reflect about it. Im going up to my room. I have yet to do my assignments. Chel, we are going there tomorrow night for the wake mass and prayers. So, dont tire yourself, okay? her mother suddenly told her while still staring out at the window. She was a bit caught off guard by what her mother said. Uh, okay Ma. She went to her room to do her assignments, but when once she got inside, she just went straight to her bed, lie down and just stared at the ceiling. Her mind went beyond the ceiling because what she was really seeing were the questions that were spinning around in her head. Why did it have to happen to him when they have started

to get closer? But why was she devastated? She didnt love him that much, did she? She felt like there is a huge weight in her heart, and she so wanted to cry it all out, but why couldnt she? Those were some of the question spinning in her when she fell into a restless sleep. Chapter 2 The golden sun is now halfway through be fore finally settling down. She cant help but compare it to her father, but unlike the sun which will surely come in the morning; her father is really gone for good. She is thinking the beauty of the sunset is taken for granted by most people, despite of it happening every day. It is being taken for granted just like the way she did to her father. She remembers the first time she saw her father inside the casket . . . When she looked at her fathers coffin, it was like she was looking at a totally different person. The person inside didnt look like her father, yet she knew that it was him. His face was not the same as she remembered, as if death has changed him. She couldnt even afford to look at him for long. It felt like her father was not dead, and that she was attending another persons wake. And another thing that was causing the feeling she got was that she felt so out of place. Her father was not married to anyone, so he was living with his parents. She was not in good terms with her grandparents on her fathers side ever since she could ever remember. She didnt know the reason why, and she was not interested on finding out about it. She was just contented with the occasional visits from her father. Her grandparents were just so indifferent about her and her mother. It was as if they do not exist. Are you okay Chel? her mother asked worriedly when they had settled down on a seat in a corner. Yes, Ma, she sighed. I almost thought that it was not him, he looked so different. Same here, my dear, though Ive always known that that was usually the case when someone is dead. Their faces do change, her mother said. She could only nod at what her mother had just told her. She didnt know what to say since she did not intend on talking about it. She simply didnt want to talk about it. She was afraid of something unknown. She didnt know what it was so s he just kept her silence. She was so confused about what she was feeling. She felt so down and wanted to cry out her grief for losing her father. She wanted to let it all out, so that the heavy weight of sadness in her heart would lessen. She wanted to, but why cant she? The following days after that first night, were just the same. There was no crying for her. At school, she could even do the things she would usually do and could even smile at some things. It was as if nothing ever happened, and that everything was normal. Some of her friends were even asking her if she was okay and her only reply would be, yes. They were wondering why she was okay, but they did not bother asking. During the day, her life went on as usual, but at night when she was alone in her bed; confusion would come rushing back into her mind. She would just lay there in the dark and stare into nothingness. She would always fall into a restless sleep with those questions spinning around in her head. Why couldnt she cry it all out?