Wishes with Consequences - 1

“NO!” she screamed, throwing a towel at him. “I CAN’T believe you had to do that!”

“Kathy, please let—“

“Right there, on that couch, with THAT woman!” She pointed to the couch where a woman in a red dress sat, looking down at the floor, shame-faced.

“Let me explain.”

She sighed, exasperated. “You don’t need to explain it to me as if I’m back in first grade! I understand perfectly what you just did, Jonathan.”

He stiffened, not liking the way she said his full first name. That meant you were in big trouble.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t give me apologies! What will apologies do?” She glared at the woman. “If you wanted to be with her, you should’ve known better than to be under this roof.”

There was complete silence. They didn’t know that Audra Zubizarreta, their daughter, was watching them from the kitchen. She couldn’t take it anymore; she quietly ran up the stairs and slipped at the top, giving her away. She expected her mom or dad to stomp after her and demand why she was listening, but when she turned to see them, she was surprised to see them still glaring at each other. She stumbled to her room and quietly closed her door.

Then, like every night, she wrote in her journal.

December 23, 2010

I guess they don’t realize it’s my thirteenth birthday today. It’s the worst in my whole entire life.

Why? They’re fighting. It turns out Dad did… ahem… stuff… with another woman, and on the couch! And mom caught them. That couch is no longer immaculate… literally and figuratively speaking.

I don’t know what I’m going to do. I stayed home all day, because mom said that we’ll be watching a movie tonight.

I should’ve known that something strange was going on downstairs. I heard someone else saying Dad’s name. I thought it was Mom with her lust-filled voice, but...

I partially blame myself for not telling Mom about it, and for making her suffer this much.

Audra

Afterwards, she sighed, and ended up asleep on the floor.

It was dawn, around 4 in the morning. She was alone, in the middle of a snow-covered field. All she had on was her nightgown. She rubbed her arms with her hands, and that was useless since her hands were cold. Her teeth were chattering, and she was barefoot.

A black bear came out of nowhere, slowly making its way to Audra.

“This is it, isn’t it?” she muttered to herself. “This is how I’ll die.”

The bear growled, as if in agreement, and it continued walking to her. Audra didn’t take a step back; running would be of no use. One, it would easily outrun her. Two, she was barefoot, and it was cold. She accepted her death and faced it.

It came closer and closer, and when it was close enough, it sniffed her. She felt its breath on her arms, her neck, and her face. She closed her eyes, expecting it to bite her any moment now.

Suddenly, the feeling of the bear’s breath was gone. There was a loud thump, and she slowly opened her eyes, only to widen them at the sight. The bear lay on the ground, blood beginning to pool around its head, bringing color to the snowy field. She didn’t gasp. It was expected. Instead, she looked for who, or what, killed the bear who was about to kill her. She saw no one.

“Strange,” she whispered. “Someone or something must have killed it.”

“Are you alright?” A British guy around her age suddenly popped out of nowhere, holding a rifle. He must be the killer of the bear.

”Yes, I’m… okay.”

“That’s what matters, though. Let’s get you back to the cottage.”

“How the hell did I get here?”

“You’re not here in real life. This is just a dream.”

“How do you know this is only just a dream?” she began singing the last part.

The British guy laughed. “I’m dream walking like Adrian Ivashkov.”

It was Audra’s turn to laugh. “I never knew you’d know Adrian Ivashkov. I thought only girls cared about him.”

“Well, my sister’s so obsessed with a fictional character.”

“Wow.” They reached the cottage, which was a bit too big to be called one. “Don’t you think this is a bit big for a cottage?”

The Brit shook his head. “The interior is infinitely bigger.”

“Where exactly are we? I mean, we’re most definitely not in the Philippines.”

“I just thought this up in my mind.”

“Ooh, interesting.” They entered the house, and Audra was right; the cottage was big inside. “Wow, I could live in this. I’d happily take it as a birthday or Christmas gift any day.” In replacement for the disaster yesterday, she added silently.

“Happy birthday, sorry about what happened.”

“You know about it?”

“I don’t know how. I just do.”

“Weird.” She sat down on the couch, which reminded her of the white couch back at home, the couch that was no longer pure.

“Why do you have the disgusted face? You could sit anywhere.”

“No, no, I’m fine. It just reminds me of… the disaster.”

“Oh, right, sorry I asked.”

“It’s not your fault you were curious.” She stopped for a bit. “What’s your name, by the way? I can’t call you ‘Tall and white British guy with black hair and grey eyes’.”

“Nice one. But I’ll tell you my name when we meet in real life.”

“Uh, am I going to meet you in real life? You said when and not if.”

“Yes, when. And while waiting for the opportunity to go to the Philippines…” Suddenly, the door burst open. Kathy Asturias- Zubizarreta walked in.

“Audra, it’s time to wake up.”

She faced Brit boy. “Did you really call her or did she really burst into the dream?”

“She’s waking you up in reality. See you around!”

“UNFAIR! You know my name!”

“So I can call you when the time comes.”

Audra sighed in defeat. “Alright, I’ll see you around as well.”

She sat up. She was surprised that she was on the bed and no longer on the floor. There was a big gift in front of her. She frowned, knowing that her parents would make up for what happened last night. She crawled to the gift and dragged it to her bed. There was a tag that read: “OPEN WITH CARE.”

When she opened the gift, she was surprised to see a lot of stuff. There was an iPad, an Xbox, a PS3, a Wii, clothes, shoes and girly stuff. She frowned; she didn’t really want material stuff for a make-up present. She wanted a family that was close. She remembered putting it on her Christmas wish list in bold, capital, shining letters: INTACT FAMILY.

She had to blame her dad for that. Maybe he bought the gifts overnight to make up for the big mistake he made. She wanted to tell him that these wouldn’t make up for it. But that would make them think she was ungrateful. So she had to use them.

“Happy birthday, Audra,” Kathy greeted, kissing Audra on her forehead. “Sorry about yesterday.”

“It’s okay, mom,” she replied, turning on the iPad and charging it. “Where’s dad?”

She noticed that her mom’s face fell. “Ah, he’s… out.”

Audra nodded. “So, can we watch a movie?”

“What movie do you want to watch?”

“Whatever’s showing is okay with me.”

“Alright; get dressed. We’ll leave in a bit.”

“How about dad?” she asked.

“I said he’s out, remember?” her mom reminded her. “And maybe after the movie, we can go get ourselves frozen yogurt.”

Mmm, frozen yogurt, Audra thought. “Okay, I’ll get ready.”

When they got to SM Sta. Rosa, they got tickets to a movie Audra couldn’t remember, and ate at Pizza Hut while waiting for 1:00.

“Audra, listen. Sorry for your not granted wish.”

“Well, it’s okay.”

Kathy hugged her daughter, hoping that her daughter wouldn’t do the same thing Jonathan did. She knew that Audra was there, watching and listening from the kitchen. She didn’t want to get mad at her daughter; who can blame her for coming down the stairs and wondering why there were shouts?

After the movie, they ate at McDonald’s for merienda, an afternoon snack, and then headed back to their home in Westgrove.

“Did you have fun today?” Kathy asked Audra.

“Yes, mom, I did.” That wasn’t a lie. She had fun, but not so much fun, knowing that her dad cheated on her mom.

It was unexpected. Why would Jonathan Zubizarreta do that? He told her not to cheat the day before yesterday, and that’s exactly what he did the next day. It was a sign; she should’ve thought it was strange because her dad wouldn’t talk to her about that kind of stuff.

“Mom, what’s going to happen now?” Audra asked, not being able to help herself. “Do you think he’ll be here for Christmas Eve?”

“I don’t know, Audra,” Kathy replied.

“Okay…”

December 24, 2010

Yes, I got an Xbox, a Wii, an iPad, lots of clothes, shoes and a lot of girly stuff. That’s not going to make up for what I wanted this Christmas. I clearly wrote INTACT FAMILY, yet dad didn’t give me that.

Mom and I are feeling so sad, and that is HIS fault! How come it’s okay for guys to cheat, but when the girls cheat, they get beaten up or killed? Dad should get his equal share of punishment!

The thing is dear journal, what will happen to me when, or if, Mom and Dad decide to separate? And if they do, what will happen to them? I don’t want them to work too hard.

If only they could stay together.

If only a miracle would happen.

If only my wish would be granted.

Audra

It was 11:10 in the evening, and Audra was looking at the grandfather clock in their house. When 11:11 struck, she made a lot of wishes, silently praying to whoever granted those wishes that any of those wishes can be granted, so long as one of them was granted. Suddenly, she felt as if Brit boy was whispering in her ear.

“Maybe they can all be granted.”

Audra hoped she wasn’t imagining things.

“But you’ve got a price to pay.”

She blinked. That sucks, she thought. But she’ll take it, as long as they were together.

11:59 came. Kathy and Audra counted down the seconds to Christmas day. Of course, Jonathan wasn’t there to join them; he was busy spending Christmas with Marjery. At last, midnight came, and Kathy and Audra hugged each other, greeting each other “Merry Christmas”.

He watched as they hugged each other, watched Audra in particular. He noticed that even though she had a big smile on her face, she had a tiny look of sadness. If only he could hug her right now and tell her it’s going to be okay, that her wishes would be granted, that his whispers were not her imagination, but reality.

He sighed; he longed for his family back in Etria. He didn’t know why it was he who was sent here, why his parents, King Liam and Queen Amelia, chose to risk their son’s life. Why did they not send Joshua, the eager servant who would do anything to please his parents and prove to them that he was the rightful heir to the throne? Why didn’t they choose Henri, the strongest, toughest, most courageous knight in all of Oliveo?

A lot of questions swarmed in his head, and, fearing that he could be spotted, quietly left, muttering a “Merry Christmas” to no one in particular before leaving for his “home”, a house a block away from the Zubizarreta residence.

December 25, 2010

It’s 2 AM, and my mom’s fast asleep. I promise I heard a voice that sounded like Brit boy! The voice said something like “Your wish will be granted” or something like that. Still, oh God, I still don’t believe the dream was real! Wait. That came out wrong.

Anyway, I am curious. Who is this person I called ‘Tall and white British guy with black hair and grey eyes’? I am dying to know. I hope I see him again.

I am sleepy; I will sleep now. Maybe I’ll see Brit boy in my dreams again. Then I’ll get to ask him if he was the one who whispered stuff.

Audra