The Search

Deep fatigue shallow eyes and a thin bruise face woman was all she could see in the mirror. She didn’t recognize the woman ‘nor any people around here. She wondered why people were afraid of her, she’s afraid of them also except for one man.
She knew him not yet he was the only one whom she trusts. He was always at her side. Those bruises were slaps, the man laid unto her hoping to awaken her senses but it was helpless.
In her point of view, was a woman turning around like a dog chasing its tail in circles or at some time doing weird stuffs like tumbling. She was just observing the woman yet in the eyes of everyone, it was she executing the act. Some believed she was crazy. Others say she was possessed by a ghost and there were they also who thought she became a ghost or she was a victim of witchcraft. Whatever they thought she was, they have different opinions. If only they knew. If only they have experienced what she was going through then maybe they’ll understand.
A week ago, she and her three little children were at home with her father-in-law. She loved the old man like a real father. They were best of friends. They tell stories to each other. There were many times that the old man would suffer heart attack and she was the only one to help, her husband was at sea fishing for he was a fisherman just like the old man before. The old man would tell her his death wishes and last wills. In return, she would ask her not to die in her arms, especially if she’s alone but after more than three consecutive heart attacks the old man died in her arms.
Still on the state of shock, she wasn’t able to take her meals on that day. In the evening, on the old man’s wake, she fainted.
That was how it goes. She is having a nervous breakdown yet no one knows that was happening to her. She wasn’t brought to a doctor for they are in the province and hospitals are far. She knew not what was happening around her. Her children were divided to the care of her in-laws.
Today, someone’s going to take her son into the other island yet she still has no remembrance of them. Her eldest daughter who is three is already in the care of her brother-in-law in the mountain.
She is feeling uneasy today. She went inside their house, the man following her. She surely needs to find something. She went to the closet. One by one she pulled the clothes out.
“What are you looking for?” The man asked.
She doesn’t know. She has no idea. All she knew was that she is missing something. She needs to find it, whatever she was looking for.
One. Two . Five. Ten. A dozen clothes are already out of the closet.
She stop for a moment. She already found out what she was searching for.
“My children?” she asked, facing the man behind her, it’s her husband. She’s back to her senses!
The man smiled, tears flowing in his eyes. They hugged each other. Finally she’s back. They’re going to have their children back and have their complete happy family again.