Candela

“C’mon Candela, hurry up. We need to go now!”

“But… where is Dad? I thought he will come with us–” she stop in midway of her words. Her mothet kneeled in front of her, gripping on her shoulders tightly as tears fell down on her cheeks.

“We need to go now, Candela…” she breath.

Slowly, a tear also fell down on her chubby cheeks. “But we promised to dad that we will wait for him, right? We can’t leave yet,” she reasoned out while sobs escape on her lips.

Her mother then caged her little face on her trembling hands. “Listen to me,” she commanded, Candela just nodded.

“Your father will follow us but first, we first need to get our of here. Do you understand?” Candela nodded obligely.

Her mother stoop up and grab the bag containing the clothes they just packed up earlier. She shoved it into her left shoulder and then twirled around and carried Candela.

“Where are we going, mother?” Candela, as still a kid couldn’t help but to ask while they are climbing downstairs.

“Let’s talk about that in the train, darling. We need to be in hurry,” her mother replied so she just refrained herself from asking.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, her mother then grabbed a silver knife from their wooden table and then drew near the main door. But when her mother was just about to open the door, they both heard some creaking sounds of footsteps coming from the outside of the house.

Confused with what she heard, Candela was about to ask her mother but what ger mother did just throw her into more confusions. Hurriedly, her mother run towards their kitchen and hastily opened the back door for them. When Candela turned her head around to see what’s in the main door making her to go in panick, she saw how their main door destroyed by someone who forcefully kicked it. Just when she’s about to see the face of that someone, her mother already run out from their house using her vampire speed.

Her hair blown away by the wind as her mother keeps on running. Candela wanted to ask her mother as she was so damn confused on what’s happening but she chose not to. She knew her mother very well. If there’s something going on and she became serious about that certain matter, asking questions wasn’t the good decision. So, she just shut up even though questions are already filling her innocent mind.

She hugged her mother, gripped on her tightly as she’s worrying that she might fell if she didn’t tighten her grip on her. After a long run, her mother then eventually stopped. Candela roamed her eyes and she saw that they were in the middle of grassy field.

“What are we doing here, Mom?” she finally asked.

Her mother put her down and then hold her on her hand. “We will for your dad here, darling,” he said.

“Why not in our house? And by the way, who is that person who came in our house? Why are we running away from them?” she asked again.

“Don’t mind them, darling. Come on, let’s find a good place to wait for your father. When he already come, we will go the train station and find a new house for us to stay.” Then she kissed Candela on her forehead and guided her under a tree.

They both sat up under it, relaxing on the shade of the big tree. Moments have passed when Candela felt the soreness of her eyes. When she looked her mother up, she saw that she was staring at the field seriously.

“Mother, can I sleep for a while?” she asked.

Her mother looked down on her and smiled at her sweetly. “Of course you can, darling.” She guided her head on her lap. Candela on the other hand, comfortably closed her eyes while feeling the gentleness of her mother’s hand which carressing her hair, brushing it with her fingers.

Before Candela completely drown in deep sleep, she felt her mother kiss on the side of her head. “Sleep child, sleep tight my darling…”

Candela was just awakened when she heard disturbing noise. When she slowly open her eyes, she was welcomed by a crowd, talking to each other.

“Finally my princess is awake.” She faced the one who spoke. Her eyes instantly beamed in joy when she saw who spoke.

“Father!” She hastily get up from lying on his lap and hug her father tightly. “You’re here! I missed you so much, father!” Then she showered him her kisses.

“I missed you too, princess. Don’t worry, Daddy won’t leave again.”

“Promised?”

“Promise, princess.” Then he hugged her. Candela just pulled out from their hugs when she noticed where they are.

“Are we in train already?” she asked, her father just nodded. “Where are we going? And where is Mother?” she asked again.

“We are going to find a new place, a new house to live, princess. Your mother is just getting us a food.”

She nod. “Why do we need to find new place to live, father?”

“Because our house is already old, it was too old for us to live there. We need to find new one, don’t you like that?”

“Of course I like it, father. As long as I am with you and mother, there’s nothing I could ask for,” she said before looking at the window.

The blurry images are all she could see as the train run in speed. But even though she couldn’t see it vividly, she stayed still and watch the outside until her mother returned with tray of foods on her hands.

“How was your sleep, darling?” her mother asked while giving her a load of bread.

“I slept good, mother. Actually, I didn’t sense that father’s already arrived. You didn’t even wake me,” she pouted her lips.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

Her mother patted the top of her head. “Of course I can’t wake you up. My darling is snoring hard earlier. Who am I to disturb the sleep of my precious daughter?”

“I love you, mother,” she said instead before taking a large bite on the bread she has. She chewed it and swallowed hard. “I love you too, father,” she said afterwards.

Both of her parents giggled in joy as they finished their foods. After eating what her mother bring for them, Candela felt so full. Later on, she fell on sleep again and when she wake up, they are already in a taxi. She, on her mother’s lap while her father is beside the taxi driver.

When she looked outside the car, her eyes widened in awe. “Oh em! Snow!” she squeaked while clapping her hands in joy. She then shoved her face on the glass window as sh3 watch how the snow fell and some have stick on the car’s window.

“Mother there’s a snow here!”

“Yes, darling… we choose this place because it snows here most of the time. We know that you loved snows so much. Remember you asked your father to create snows just for you but he can’t give it to you because he can’t? Now, you can roll on ground cover by snow as long as you want, darling.”

“Thanks, mother.” She kissed her on her cheeks then she drew near om her father. Behind him, she kissed. “Thanks too, father. I really really grateful for this!” she squeak again before asking her mother to open the window for her which her mother gladly obliged.

Candela watched how snow fall down on her little hands as she smiled in happiness. She remembered how she demand for snow since she really fan of it but her father can’t give it to her. On their previous home, snows are very rare. She could count it on her fingers how many times it snows in their town. And it wasn’t last for a whole day but now they are in new home, where it rains snows… her dream finally come true. She started to create an imaginary bucket list on her mind. Soon as they arrived on their new home, she will satisfy herself on creating snowballs and snowman. Then she will put rocks on its face as eyes and carrots and sticks for nose and mouth. Another sticks for hands and fingers. Then she will also rolled on the snow just like how her mother told her.

Candela was so excited. To her excitement, she didn’t find it bored on their way on their new home.

So, when the taxi finally stopped, Candela almost jump her ass off the taxi and looked up on the house that is towering them. Her father then walked near the rusty gate and opened it for them.

“Welcome to our new house!” Her father yelled. Candela is squeaking as she run inside and just like what she planned, she instantly rolled out on the ground and happily buried herself on the thick snow.

“Let’s get inside first, princess. Let’s check first the inside of the house.” She stood up and hold on to her father’s hand.

Her mother opened the door for them and the fully furnished inside welcomed them. Then a fat woman came from the other room while wiping her hands off.

“Welcome home, Coraline!”

“Auntie Bea, I missed you. It’s nice to see you again!” Her mother ran towards the woman and hug the fat woman tightly.

“It’s nice to see you too, my dear Coraline. I’m glad that you came back. I thought you already changed your mind about my offer to stay here.”

“Of course not, Auntie,” her mother answered.

The fat woman named Bea smiled and then glanced at Candela’s place who is currently beside her father.

“Is this Candela now?” she asked, walking near her.

“Yeah, Bea… meet our very own princess, Candela,” her father then replied. “Say hello to your Auntie Bea, princess.”

“Hello, Auntie Bea.” Candela waved her hand on her auntie.

“Hello there, sweety.” Bea kneeled in front of her and kissed her on cheeks. “You are so adorable, sweety. You inherited my cuteness,” she winced in her joked. “Just kidding, sweety. Of course, you inherited your cuteness, your prettiness on your mother–”

“And to her father as well,” her father butted in that made them laughed with their stomachs.

“By the way, I’ve cook you tasty foods. Come follow me in the kitchen. I know that the trip made each of you feel exhausted. And what’s good for tired body?”

“A bowl of hot soup, Auntie Bea!” she answered as she quickly smells the mouthwatering aroma coming from the kitchen.

“You are brilliant, Candela sweety! Brilliant! Because of that, I’ll give you two bowls of hot soup. Do you like it?” asked Auntie Bea.

“Of course, Auntie… I would love to!”

“Don’t spoil her, Auntie,” her mother suddenly butt in before carrying her to sit on a wooden chair.

“Why would I wouldn’t? Candela’s cuteness is so irresistible, right sweety?” Auntie Bea asked her while putting hot soup on their bowls.

Candela smiled, showing her bright teeth. “You are cute too, Auntie,” she said before blowing the spoonful amount of soup she scooped as soon as her Auntie Bea served it to her.

“It’s so tasty, Auntie… this will going to be my favorite now,” she praised.