It’s now Saturday and Mark stays at home. Although he wants to watch today’s basketball game his friends his friends are playing, he can’t because it’s being played in Cebu City. He can’t be far away from his mother’s wake, so he stays home with his dad. Mark is fine being home especially since Samantha and Ruth arrive this morning.

“Hi, Mark,” Ruth says. “We extend our condolences to you.”

“Thank you, Samantha, Ruth,” says Mark.

“It’s a bummer I can’t stay for long,” says Samantha.

“And why’s that?” says Mark.

“I made a promise to my little brother to be back by noon,” says Samantha.

“Me too, Mark. I can’t stay here ‘til noon. I need to practice with my worship team,” Ruth interjects.

“It’s ok, don’t worry. I could enjoy your company even for just a little bit. And Ruth…” Mark pauses as he looks at Ruth with bewilderment. “I didn’t know you can sing.”

“Oh, I’m not singing,” Ruth says with mild blushing. “I just play the organ.”

“Oh, ok,” Mark smiles at her. He looks at the both of them and says, “Let’s sit on the couch. My dad cooked some popcorn with sugar on it.”

Mark leads the way and the trio sits on the couch. He tells them of his mother, and how she matters to him. He tells them that everything was fine until she got into the hospital. Things took a turn for the worse.

“Wow, I didn’t know it was that sudden,” says Ruth. “But at least God gave your family happy memories to cherish before she went to be with the Lord.”

Mark smiles and says, “I wish ma would tell me sooner, I didn’t get to prepare that this day would come. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt as much if she told me that she has an underlying condition that she kept a secret.”

“I’m sure everything happens for a reason, Mark,” says Samantha. “I’m sure it would hurt the same even if she told you she has an underlying condition. We just have to let go of what happened and forge a new road ahead.”

“I know it would hurt the same, but maybe I don’t want to be sudden. I just want to cherish every moment that I had with her, that I would make her laugh one last time,” Mark says and tears spring forth from his eyes.

The two girls console and comfort him, rubbing his back gently as if to ease the pain. Mark eventually subsides from his weeping and they decide to change the topic once in a while.

They talk about their personal lives until noon. And by then, the girls bid him and his father farewell.

“Bye, Samantha. Bye, Ruth,” says Mark.

“Bye, Mark. Bye, Uncle,” Samantha and Ruth say.

After their departure, the father and son eat lunch in the dining room. After a while, they present the table with empty plates. And then George turns to his son, hesitating to speak to him.

“Kiddo, I have something to tell you.”

Mark has an inquisitive look at what his father is going to say.

‘What is he going to say?’ Mark thought.

“What is it, dad?”

George sighs and says, “I’m just confused. I just had a dream before your mother died, before I woke you up. I dreamt that your mother is going to be healed and she’s going to be alright.” He pauses for a moment and continues to speak. “Does God lie? She didn’t live, kiddo, and I don’t know why. Why does God allow her to suffer when she’s been so good?

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Mark just sits there with no words in his mouth to spit out.

‘I didn’t know dad has been thinking about this the whole time.’

“Uhm, I don’t know what to say, dad.”

George smiles at him and says, “It’s ok, kiddo. I just want to take it off my chest.” Just as he is speaking, somebody arrives. “Oh, a guest. I have to take care of it. I’m gonna leave you here, kiddo.” And his father leaves the table and messes his hair while at it.

Mark goes to his room and reads his Bible all afternoon. Trying to pry the answers out of it. But he doesn’t seem to find it.

The sun sets and darkness hovers over Toledo City when Justin arrives. They talk through the night until Mark wants to tell him something that happened before his mother died.

“What is it, Mark?” Justin says.

“My father had a dream that ma is going to be healed and is going to be alright,” Mark replies. “And then he asks me if God lies. I don’t even know the answers to his questions, Justin.”

“Me neither, Mark. I don’t know what that means.”

Mark sighs and says, “And then there’s this dream of mine.”

“Can you tell me?” Justin says.

“I can’t tell you now, there’s people here,” Mark replies.

“I’ve got an idea. Why don’t we go to the pier and talk about it there.”

“That’s fine to me.”

Mark asks permission from his father, George, that they will go to the pier. George is hesitant at first when it is past eight, but Mark reassures him that they will be back quick so George relents. So the duo goes to the pier and sits on a ledge abutting the Tañon Strait.

“So, Mark. What happened before your mom died?”

Mark looks up to the starry sky and says, “I had a dream that night. I don’t know why it occurred, but it happened.”

“What was the dream?”

So Mark tells him the dream where Samantha and him were in the park.

“And she told me, ‘I love you, Mark Mercado.’ Then God told me, ‘Prophesy, Samantha will be your wife.’ I don’t know what to make of this, Justin. I’m so confused.”

Justin is stunned to hear this confession.

“What? I think you two are destined for each other, bro. I think God sent you a message for the future.”

“Really, bro?”

“Yeah. What more could you make of it? It’s as clear as day, you two will be together forever.”

“I don’t know about that, Justin. It’s too impossible. I want it to happen but I don’t think so. It’s too good to be true. She’s too in love with Cesar, and I don’t want to be hurt. But I still love her, Justin. It’s just not reciprocated.”

“God only knows what happens, Mark. What if you two are meant to be together? We never know.”

“I guess so, Justin. God only knows.”

Suddenly, someone approaches them from behind and sits beside them on the ledge.

“Oh. Hello, Cesar,” says Mark, who is beside him.

“Hello, Mark. Since the three of us are here, everything will be fine because we are with you through your hard times.

“Thank you, Cesar. Appreciate it.”

“So, why are we here?”

“Nothing much. Anyway, how did you find us here?” Mark says with an astonished look.

“Your dad told me you’re here with Justin, so I came here. What have you two been talking? Would you mind telling me what you two talked about?” says Cesar as he glances at Mark.

Mark is stunned. Glancing at the distant waters he says, “I don’t want to talk about it, It’s too personal.”

“Oh, ok,” Cesar replies.

There is silence, and the sound of the breaking of the waves prevails over them.

For a while, no one said a word until Cesar broke the silence, “Uhm. Your dad is worried about you being here this late. He says you should go home.”

Mark is surprised, “Oh, I almost forgot that we would be here quick.” Mark chuckles and gets down from the ledge. “Let’s go home. We’ll talk our way there.”

The trio starts walking towards Mark’s place.

“So, who won today’s basketball game?” says Mark with a slight glance at Cesar.

“Oh. Hehe. We won,” Cesar replies.

“Wow. Nice,” Mark says with wide eyes. “How did it go?

“Their defense is not that good and their offense… Well, we shall say that they can’t score.”

Mark chuckles. “I knew you could do it.”

“Yeah. We finally got a win, Cesar,” says Justin.

Cesar smiles at them and says, “I’m happy too that we won, but let’s not get complacent now. A win should improve us, not hinder us from development. We need to improve our skills for the big games, especially when we play against the best in the tournament. But for now, Mark, I don’t think we’ll enter the Magic 4. The four best teams in the tournament are.”

After he finished his last sentence, a dark figure with a hood on his head stood in their way. His hands are in the pockets of his jacket. Cesar stops and places his arm in front of Mark and Justin. Cesar urges them to cross the road so that they would be far away from whatever danger is in front of them.

Then the dark figure suddenly says, “Where are you going?”

They halt from crossing and Cesar says, “We’re just passing through, sir. We want no trouble.”

“Oh, really?” says the man.

Then suddenly, the man brings out from his hand a knife.

“Sir. You can have my wallet. Here you go,” says Cesar as he reaches out his wallet towards him.

The man shakes his head and says, “I don’t want your money, I want you.” And the man uses his other hand to pull back the hood over his head and behold, it is Junrey. “I want to kill you, black monkey. Yes, that’s what I want.”

Cesar shouts at his two companions to, “RUN!!!”

Mark, along with Justin, runs towards his house with full vigor. And Cesar runs in the opposite direction. Mark looks back to see what’s happening and he sees Junrey chasing after Cesar. The two continue to run until they’re in the house.