4 September, 3:15 AM A Final Goodbye, A New Hello
I woke up with cheeks wet with tears. My chest felt heavy as though a huge block of sadness coupled with weariness had been laid on top of me. I had been crying; not the sniffling cry, but the real bawl-my-eyes-out cry. The wetness on my pillow was evidence of that.
I dreamed about Lola. It was not some sort of imagined scenario. In fact, the setting was right here! In this room! On this bed! I felt it all as though it just happened. My head was on her lap and she was brushing wisps of hair away from my face with gentle fingers. The moon was full, which meant that I could see her more clearly than if it had been any other night. There were more light and fewer shadows as the moon beamed her gentle glow through the window that was beside my bed.
Lola was looking outside, her expression melancholy and somewhat worried. What could be making her apprehensive? Was it this house? The work, as she called it? Somehow, threads of those feelings were transferred to me, which made me look at her more concern. Her face was familiar, but older. There were lines on her face, but her age was more evident on her hands. The skin on the hand that I had been clutching felt paper-thin, like parchment that could disintegrate if you rub too roughly. Blue-violet veins that looked darker under the moonlight appeared as though embossed on her skin.
She hummed something familiar while stroking my face although I couldn't quite remember it. The melody was from a past memory that I couldn't place though I felt like it was trying to break free from the deep recesses of my brain, leaving me feeling frustrated.
Miraculously, I did not feel afraid. What I felt was warmth not fear with now a splash of apprehension. Her face, often strict, looked softer. I did not feel threatened, nor did I feel as though something sinister was with me.
After a while, Lola stopped her humming. She bent her head and kissed me on the forehead. She did this three times. Each touch distinct. Each touch of her lips was felt so strongly that I wondered if I was dreaming or if in fact it was real. Or perhaps we were between the realm of dreams and reality. All I could trust at this moment was how it made me feel. To me, it felt real. Her presence was unmistakable as she tried to comfort me.
She whispered something before she dissipated like some gossamer fog. "He's here..." There was something else but I couldn't quite make it out. Then, like a soft night breeze that passes us by, she was gone, leaving me with this aching emptiness. It felt like a final goodbye. It felt as though it was truly the end; and my heart felt broken.
But now, I also wondered - who is he? Was it a warning? Her visit left me with sorrow and more confusion. Who was he? Was he friend or foe? Perhaps the light of day would give me clarity, I thought, as I straightened myself thinking if Ada was already awake at this hour.
I was in the process of putting on my gray hoodie over my strapped silk top when there was a knock on my door.
"Coming!" I said, my voice muffled and muted while I pushed my head through my thick hoodie.
The knocking grew more frantic and I heard Ada call out as hurriedly as possible without shouting through the door, "Are you awake, Cat?"
Instead of bellowing an answer, I quickly went and opened the door.
"Hey. What's going on? Is Dante okay?" I asked, my tone worried because having someone wake you up at this hour could only mean an emergency.
There was an intense look on her face when Ada replied in a hurried whisper, "We're fine. But there's someone here."
"Someone? Like a burglar?" I asked, my heart now beating faster at the prospect of having an intruder in the house.
Ada looked at me with a puzzled expression. Then as if a fog had cleared in her brain, her eyes cleared and she replied, "Oh, no, no. He's here for you."
"For me?" Who was this person? My curiosity was brimming as I followed Ada with quick footsteps towards the stairs and through the hallway that led to Lola's study.
