WHO ARE YOU? [Episode 1]

Episode1: GOOD NIGHT AND GOODBYE.....

It was around 11 PM. I could barely hear the sounds of my surroundings, as I was half asleep. Suddenly, I felt someone caressing my hair. It was so soothing. I wanted to open my eyes and see who it was. My inner voice kept telling me it was her. Who else could it be but my mom? I assured myself. But her presence at night awestruck me. She whispered softly in my ear, "I love you." There was a crack in her voice. Then she gently kissed me on my forehead. It felt so nice. I gathered enough energy to say, "Goodnight, Mom." She replied, "Goodnight and goodbye." It felt strange, but I didn’t make an effort to open my eyes. I kept sleeping.

When I opened my eyes, it was 7 in the morning. I could hear the gentle patter of rain. I went to the window to see what was happening outside. It was raining, and it seemed like it had rained all night. Slowly, my eyes went to the umbrellas—black umbrellas. There were many. I was surprised and couldn't contain my curiosity. I ran downstairs, yelling, "Mom, Dad, there are so many visitors in front of our home!" But there was no answer. As I got down the stairs, I saw people everywhere, all dressed in black. I didn't understand what they were doing inside our house.

"Matthew, come here." It was my grandfather. He was also in black. As I approached, I heard people saying, "Jesus, he is just too small. He is a kid." Someone even said, "God, please help this child." I went to my grandfather and asked, "Papu, what happened? Why are there so many visitors today? It's not Easter. And where are my parents?" He didn’t say anything. His face was swollen and red. He caressed my hair, took my hand, and started walking. "Papu, where are we going?" No answer. He just continued walking.

He took me to the backyard. There were many people. I had no idea what was happening. I saw my father weeping hard in the corner. I ran towards him. He saw me, took me into his arms, and started weeping even harder. "Dada, what happened? Why are you crying?" I asked. "Oh, Matthew, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I couldn't save her. I'm sorry. I'm helpless," he replied.

"Save who, Dada?" I asked.

"Your mom. She's no more," Dad said.

As I heard these words, the world around me went silent. My eyes widened as I searched for my mom. I couldn’t find her. It couldn’t be true, my inner voice insisted. I glanced at a large photo of her, surrounded by flowers, and beneath it was a black coffin. I broke free from my father and ran towards it, slipping as I approached. Inside the coffin, she lay peacefully, her body covered, only her face visible. She looked as beautiful as ever but was silent. I couldn’t help but start weeping and yelled, "Mom!" She could hear me but didn’t answer. "Mom, wake up. I'm here. Don't play with me. I know you're acting. You're too good at acting. You won this time. Just look at me."

My father said, "She's no more, Matthew."

"No, Dada. She was there with me last night. She said, 'I love you' and even kissed me on my head. It can't be her," I shouted, hoping she would hear me and take me into her arms. But there was no response. I started crying even harder.

"No, Matthew. She passed away at 10 PM yesterday while she was driving her car. She met with an accident. The local police admitted her to the hospital, but it was no use. The doctor said she died on her way to the hospital. I'm sorry, Matthew. I couldn't save her," Dad explained.

I was shocked. I couldn't believe she was no more. I wept hard. Maybe it was the first time I had cried that hard. Every time I cried, she was there to console me. But now, she wasn't. I prayed, "God, please send her back to me. I need her the most."

As I cried, a chilling thought crossed my mind: if my mom had died at 10 PM, who was with me last night?