Miracle
I was running from nowhere. I didn’t even stop to catch my breath until I reached the front of our house. I’m so confused because many people are murmuring and even crying. What caught my attention was a girl that looked exactly like me. Then I realized, “I was there,” I said to myself. Standing firmly but I’m trembling in fear. I can’t understand why I’m wearing my school uniform. I heard my neighbor shout, “Help! My daughter is inside!”. What is happening? I stepped a foot and got surprised when I saw my sister crying her heart out while gripping on her clothes tightly. She stood up and ran to the corpse that was coming from nowhere, then I saw—
My alarm clock suddenly rings. It rings like crazy! I reach for my alarm clock and shut it full of irritation. I was at the peak of knowing who is the corpse in my dream, then my alarm clock got in the way “argh! It has been five days! Please let me know who it is!” I told my alarm clock then removed its battery. I have been dreaming the same dream for five days now, and I don’t know why I saw that corpse and those people crying like they wanted to have a river in front of our neighborhood.
I get up on my bed and enter my bathroom to take a bath because it is almost time to go to school. After taking a bath, I blow-dry my long wavy black hair. I glanced at my mirror and smiled when I saw my almost perfect face: perfect teeth, clear and white skin, slightly pointed nose, red lips, round face, and round brown eyes. I opened the door of my room, then Moon suddenly entered and caressed my foot. “Aww, good morning too, my baby” I pat my dog’s head as if she understands what I’m saying. I carried Moon downstairs, and my feet led me to our garden. It feels weird that every morning starting the day I first dreamt of that scary dream, I always visit this garden for no reason at all. I don’t even have that sentimental connection with plants, but I’m starting to love them day by day. “Good morning, planty!”I said to the plants while watering them with my pink sprinkler.
I saw mom, dad, and my sister already seated and waiting for me in our dining area. “Baby, sit and eat,” my mother said. I didn’t bother looking at her and just sat. We started eating silently. I eat slowly, not minding if I would be late for school. I don’t like school anyway, I said to myself. In addition, I don’t want to gain weight because I really love my body curves. My thoughts were cut when my mother speaks “How was your study, Gifty?”. I didn’t answer. My grades are high; in fact, I’m a consistent honor student. I wanted to say it out loud, but I chose not to. “Hey, your mother is asking you,” my dad said. I’m afraid of my dad because he has solid features and is strict. I was thinking, is it because he’s a doctor? “Fine,” I answered shortly, still eating. “What do you expect from her? She’s always like that. Brat.”My sister said with full of hatred. I didn’t bother arguing with her today because I just want a peaceful morning. My mom looked at me apologetically and said, “Are you still afraid of talking to us because you might argue with us and end up hurting us?”. I stop eating.
I'm playing with Kerby. He is my friend, son of my mom's friend. "Let's race, Gifty! The first one to reach your house is the winner", Kerby said. We're on our way home; we decided to walk because it's just 5 minutes away from our subdivision. I know I'm not allowed to run because I have asthma. But I can't say no to my best friend. "Sure! The one who loses will buy drinks!" I said, then I ran ahead of him. While running, I can't breathe. I feel like passing out. When we reached our house, mom saw me sweaty and barely breathing.
"Why did you let Gifty run?!"mom said to Kerby in fury. I could not speak, so I didn't have the chance to explain to my mom. Luckily, my dad is a doctor, and they have storage of my medicines. When my normal breathing is back, Kerby goes to his house to rest and do our homework. While me? I was sitting on the edge of my bed, looking at my hands while being scolded by mom and dad. "What did we tell you? Don't run! You are allowed to play, but running is not one of it!" my dad shouted. "I just wanna have fun with Kerby," I said. "Don't answer back when we're talking!" my dad called again. "We're just worried about you, honey," mom said. I looked at them in the eyes, "I know myself, and I can take care of my health!" I shouted, getting irritated with their voices. "How dare you shout at us?!" dad said furiously. I closed my eyes when I saw his hand coming. Then I saw nana, my grandmother, lying on the ground. "AHHH!"I shouted because my head hurt. I panicked and pushed my dad; he slipped on my dress lying on the floor, so his head hit the edge of my study table. "Dad! I'm sorry!" I said while crying. My mom called an ambulance, not paying attention to me. All of a sudden, I felt like I didn't exist.
“Mom, I’m sorry, I-- I saw nana lying on the ground. Dead.” I said in hesitation. My mom looked at me with loathe. It hurts me seeing her eyes looking at me in that way. Am I not your favorite daughter anymore? I said to myself. “What nonsense are you saying? Cut it out. It’s not funny. Your dad could be in the grave because of what you did!”mom shouted. I cried. I’m confused too. Why do I have to see that? Maybe it’s just my imagination, right? I’m convincing myself a million times that it is just imagination. But after dad got discharged, mom got the news that our nana was dead and found lying on the ground. I was overwhelmed by so many emotions. Did I just see how my nana dies? But why?
I don’t want it! My mom looks at me with suspicion. “How did you know?” she said. “I don’t know, mom, I just saw it,” I said while sobbing. “You are dangerous,” dad said. It was only once! Why do they hate me for that? Maybe it was just a guess of my head. But one day, my head hurt like a hammer is hitting it numerous times. I closed my eyes and saw my dad getting shot by a man wearing a mask. I told my mom, but she said I should stop imagining things and shut my mouth. I decided to be quiet. Until the day my dad was shot. I didn’t say a word in any questions they had for me.
"It was seven years ago. I don't care about hurting anyone," I said. I was 10 years old at that time; I was already 17. I stood up and got my things without saying a word. Kerby is waiting for me outside our house. "My dear snail, when can you be as fast as a rabbit?" he said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes at him and started walking away. He has been my best friend since birth. I don't know if he's really my friend or what because all he did was annoy me. "I'm as fast as the flash," I said. "Wow! I didn't know that the flash is that fast, huh" he pushed me. We both laugh and get silent. I know that Kerby knows when I'm in the mood or not because he annoys me whenever I'm not in the spirit, and we're like twins by heart.
Kerby was there for me when I experienced a breakdown every time my head hurt. He knew I was not lying, but he could not comprehend it too. He just stayed by my side and quietly comforted me. I researched my condition because I suspect it was a curse from someone or an illness. But to my surprise, there are no such cases as mine. I’m the first one to see and predict future accidents. I sighed in frustration. Incredibly, I can predict future events, but I don’t understand why it is only about death or dire circumstances? I look like a murderer. Argh.
We arrived at school 5 minutes early from the homeroom. “Am I slow? Huh? It’s too early!” I slapped Kerby on his shoulder. “at least we won’t be scolded for being late,” he said and winked. “Whatever”I rolled my eyes at him and sat on my chair beside him. I hate school, but I have no choice because it’s for my future. I took out my phone and started watching my favorite k-drama. Kerby took the right part of my earphone and watched with me. He’s not fond of k-drama, but because of my influence, he starts liking it. After a few minutes, our teacher came.
During our lunch break, Kerby and I decided to buy food outside our school. We’re only allowed to purchase food outside our school but eat it inside the campus. “Does your head still hurt?” he said randomly. I looked at him, confused about his sudden question. “Not anymore. Seven years ago was the last time I had a headache,” I said. I know Kerby refers to me seeing how my loved one’s getting hurt or being killed. My dad was so lucky to survive that shot. We returned to our school and ate at our cafeteria. Many students are on our campus, but Kerby and I were weird people, so they didn’t bother talking or having lunch with us. “Eat faster so that we can watch while waiting for the next class,” I told Kerby because he’s eating like kissing the bread. “I love this bread so let me be!” he said and rolled his eyes on me. I laughed at his expression and continued eating.
After eating my food, I stood up to throw away my trash when suddenly my world started spinning. Lucky me, Kerby was beside me. That’s why he was able to catch me. “What’s wrong?” Kerby asked in unduly concern. I closed my eyes in great pain, and a sudden picture of an explosion showed up to me. I panicked, but it was so painful. I was still closing my eyes, and I saw many houses from our subdivision getting eaten by the fire. I opened my eyes and looked at Kerby, “Our house! It will explode!” I shouted at him and stood up to go back to our classroom to get my things. Kerby grabbed my hands. “What are you saying? Did you see some dead people again?” he asked. My headaches again, I saw the firefighters holding a corpse. I shouted in so much pain. My sister took off the cloth covering the corpse, and I saw—mom. “My mom!” I screamed and ran as fast as I could to reach our classroom. This was the scene in my dream! It will really happen.
This cannot be. Not my mom. I haven’t told her I love her and apologized to her. I only ignore having a conversation with them to avoid seeing them getting hurt. It pains me a million times to be the first one to see how my loved ones get hurt or even die. “Don’t leave me behind, Gifty!”Kerby shouted at me when I ran past him. “I need to save my mom. I need to save the people in our subdivision,” I said with a teary eye. I feel so guilty seeing our home getting eaten by the fire. “What are you gonna do? Do you think someone will help you? Do you think telling the police or anyone that you foresee our subdivision exploding and your mom being dead will do?” he said annoyed and betrayed. He’s right. No one will believe me. “I’m not leaving you behind. I just have to be there. Before it’s too late for me to be with my family.” I cried. “Let me help you. You’re my best friend, and that’s our home,” Kerby said and hugged me tightly. “Auntie will scold you for cutting our afternoon classes,” I said while wiping my tears. “She would understand it. It’s for you and our families” he smiled and held my hands.
“You need to calm down first so that we can think of a solution,” Kerby said. I suddenly got dizzy again. I closed my eyes, and I saw someone in a black jacket entering our house and holding a bag with a bomb inside. “There’s someone who planted a bomb on our house! What the!” I shouted in much rage. “Calm down!” Kerby was surprised. I’m so pissed! Why would someone want to set a bomb on our house? “Come on! Before it explodes!” we both run to our subdivision. I even forgot that my head hurts.
“Do you think our subdivision could have a miracle?”When we’re hiding behind the guardhouse, Kerby asked, thinking of some alibi to tell the guards. “Maybe not. Besides, no one believes what I see,” I said. Who would have believed someone like me who foresee the future? The death? They would just think I’m crazy. “Distract the guards for me. Tell them something about bombs. Make them believe that there’s a bomb inside the subdivision,” I told Kerby while I was giving him my bag so I could run-up to our house. “And you?” Kerby asked with the highest eyebrow he could have. “I’ll look for the bomb and try to bring it here so the guards can deactivate it,” I said and smiled like it was the best idea in the universe. “No! I’m going with you! Don’t be selfish on being a hero,” He pouted. I laughed at his face. I know I’m selfish right now but not because I want to be a hero, but because I don’t want him to be with me if the bomb is about to explode. I tapped his shoulders. “I’ll treat you ice cream after we save our home.”
I hurriedly ran inside our subdivision, and I almost flew for wanting to get through our house. I don’t know where to find the bomb. I just saw a man holding a bag with a bomb when my headaches. As I entered the door of our house, Moon barked at me and ran. I followed her as if she was giving me a signal to follow her. “Moon! Where are you going?” I shouted as I stopped following her because I felt suffocated from running a while ago. I can’t breathe. Moon barked louder at me and then ran through our garden. I inhaled deeply and then strolled to our garden to see what Moon was trying to show me.
“Moon! You’re so brilliant as me!” I hugged her in supreme excitement when I saw the bag containing the bomb. My dog helped me to find the bomb easier than I thought. I opened the bag, to my surprise, “two minutes”It’s almost a whisper that only my brain hears. My heart skips a beat. I stepped backward in fear. “Gifty, honey? Are you home?” I heard my mom shouting from upstairs. My head suddenly hurts again. Mom will die with me, and our neighbors will suffer because of the explosion. I can’t let that happen. Without having a second thought, I took the bag with the bomb and ran away from our house as fast as possible. I know somewhere here in our subdivision where no one lives. It’s an open space where Kerby and I used to go whenever I had my breakdowns.
I started crying a river of tears. I can’t breathe. I’m so tired, but I can’t let our neighborhood get destroyed because of the explosion coming from our house. I reached the open space to see how massive our subdivision is. This is the view at the peak of our subdivision; it’s the reason why I love coming here whenever I want to calm myself down. I put out of the bag the bomb. It’s only a minute before it explodes. I’m too tired to get down. It is not my plan to stay here either. But what choice do I have when my breath has already surrendered?
“Mom, Dad, and Magdalene, please forgive me. I only want the best for our family and subdivision. This is the only way I know to save you, to pay for my bratty attitude toward you for the past seven years. I love you eternally.” I cried while tapping my chest because it hurts, and I could barely breathe. “I’m sorry, Kerby, I betrayed you again. I can’t treat you later nor never” I closed my eyes, and the smiling faces of my family and Kerby flashed through my head. I smiled. “I’m happy,” I whispered. This day was the most adventurous time of my life, but I guess it would be the last. Maybe our subdivision can’t really give us a miracle, but let me be the one to give meaning to its name, “Miracle Communities.” A godsend that our subdivision survived the bomb set by the anonymous heartless human.