Lost in the Wilderness - The Forest of Evergreen Book 1 (19 page)

Grandma Lucy found courage to speak again. “Her door was open when...”

“When?”

“Her door was open when I saw him kissing Sophia!”

Elizabeth, at once, weakened. “Oh, dear God....”

“She was twelve so I decided to call you right away... to take her away.” The moment she said it, Grandma Lucy faced Elizabeth, looking deadly.

Elizabeth felt rooted to where she was standing, and allowed herself be stabbed by every knife coming from Grandma Lucy’s eyes and words. She was speechless, shaking, disbelieving every word she heard from her mother-in-law.

“I’m her grandma and I want the best for her! You think it was fine with me to see my young and innocent granddaughter being kissed by a tramp?” Grandma Lucy stressed and paced towards the windows to avoid Elizabeth’s shocked and perplexed eyes.

With those sharp words, Elizabeth could almost collapse and sink to the floor. She wished for a pole of strength, just a grab away, for her knees were about to betray her.

“If I did not call you that day, to take her... her life would have been so different, Elizabeth!” Grandma Lucy advanced. “That is the reason why, as much as possible, I don’t want her back in Forest Green. It will only bring everything back!”

About to explode, Elizabeth remained silent. Soon, she survived enough to say something, “What if it’s over now...?”

Grandma Lucy brusquely laughed and faced Elizabeth once more. “When you visited Forest Green four months ago, they saw each other.” Grandma Lucy lifted her lips sideways with swaying of head. “Oh, Eliz, trust me. I’ve been told. And I’m very sure the lust is still there. She’s just like Francheska.” All of a sudden, Grandma Lucy realized, too late, that it was a slip of the tongue.

“Mom, please! Don’t dredge up the family history!” Elizabeth pleaded. “Please, don’t involve my sister, Fracheska, here!”

Grandma Lucy’s eyebrows raised. “All right! But from whom would Sophia inherit such—”

“Mom! Please!” Elizabeth pleaded harder, cutting Grandma Lucy’s sentence before she could unearth the unwanted family secrets, of Sophia’s true identity.

Grandma Lucy appeared disillusioned. “Remember, I lost my son, Benjamin, because of Francheska! And I don’t know if he is still alive or—” Grandma Lucy cried, all of a sudden.

Silence conquered Elizabeth. She could not bear the rushing torrent of the past. The times when Francheska threatened to abort Sophia. The times when her parents, Randy and Emily, were filing a case against Benjamin, Philippe’s younger brother, for sexually assaulting Francheska. And Elizabeth didn’t know if her sister was alive afterwards (because she ran away after giving birth).
I also lost a sister because of your son,
Elizabeth wanted to scream at Grandma Lucy.

“My son was innocent, Eliz… Yes, they were both teenagers. We all know they were soft on the head... But everyone at the party told me that Francheska was taking too many drinks, the night you and Philippe got wed in Forest Green. Yes, Benjamin had a crush on Francheska, but I know my son! I know my son, Eliz! He might not have remembered everything because he was extremely drunk and had popped some drugs… but I know, he couldn’t do such a thing. Francheska’s claim, that she was raped in the woods, near our lake house, lacked evidence, Elizabeth. It lacked evidence! And now, I don’t know where my dear Benjamin is…”

There was another moment of painful silence!

“There’s not a day that passes by, that I do not think of my son, Elizabeth…” Grandma Lucy struggled to wipe her tears. “I always do…” She broke into another sob.

Still, silence served as Elizabeth’s recourse. There were no words to mollify or lessen the situation she and Grandma Lucy were in.

 
“I’m going back to Forest Green tonight!” Grandma Lucy wiped another stream of tears. “Sophia’s getting better and I think she doesn’t need me anymore!” she proceeded cold-bloodedly, and was about to leave the room.

Elizabeth stopped her. “Your granddaughter still needs you, Mom. We need you! Please… give our family another chance,” she said, attempting to meet Grandma Lucy’s eyes.

“I have to get back there, Eliz!” Grandma Lucy insisted, and left Elizabeth, in a rush.

Sophia heard some echoes of shouts, ringing, from her father’s office, and she decided to go there. Witnessing how Grandma Lucy recklessly exited the room, she knew they had a fight. Then, she made haste, to check on her mom.
 

Witnessing those tearful eyes of her mother, Sophia ran to console her.

“Mom, are you all right?”

Not a single word came out from Elizabeth’s trembling mouth as she rested on Philippe’s chair.

“Mom?” Sophia repeated. “What’s wrong?”

Elizabeth blinked back her tears and pretended she was fine, looking at her daughter with a mixture of love and regret.
 

Sophia’s innocent face slowly frowned as her hands rested on her mother’s arm. “Mom, is there something that I can do?” Watching her mom, watching the heavy rainfall from her mother’s eyes, it felt like the downward pull of her chest was much stronger than gravity.

Elizabeth’s bare hands sponged her tears down but a dew magnified her daughter’s face. “I’m fine, honey! I’m fine! Have you already decided to attend Ms. Bun’s art class?”

The pallid smile of Elizabeth poked Sophia. Agreeing was one way to drift her mom’s sadness away, she thought, and so she acted with full-blown interest.

“Yes, Mom. I’m actually excited to attend it.”

“I’m glad you finally decided. I’ll call Ms. Bun, then,” Elizabeth concluded, her face finally revealing signs of relief.

Chapter 19

Remember Me

The first light of the succeeding day came. The floor was cold when Sophia evacuated her bed and prepared for her art class. She was too nervous so that she did not even know which way to start.

Downstairs, while preparing for breakfast, Elizabeth decided to check on her daughter.

“Mom, what are you doing here?” Sophia, from the shower room, asked, with rosy cheeks, when she saw her mom placing clothes on her bed. She was quite uncomfortable to be seen with just a towel wrapped around her body.

“Sophia, honey, here are your blouse and skirt. Avoid wearing skinny jeans or anything revealing. You know, Ms. Bun is very conservative.”

With her mouth hung wide open, Sophia murmured, nodding, waiting for her mom to get out so she could finally doll up.

“Mom, are you not gonna leave? I have to... dress up.” Sophia reminded her mom, when Elizabeth lingered.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Actually, I’m about to leave now.” Elizabeth laughed briefly, when suddenly, she saw a small tattoo at her daughter’s upper right shoulder, at the back. It froze Elizabeth.

“Is that a tattoo you have there at your back?” Elizabeth approached her uneasily.

“What? I don’t know, Mom!” Sophia hurried to check it, in front of the mirror. She was too impatient to see it and didn’t notice her mom’s rising anger.

Elizabeth drew closer to her and examined her tattoo, as if she was digging for gold. “Sophia, what were you doing with your body?” Elizabeth began scolding and saw the word
forever
in her tattoo. “Since when did you have this?”

“Mom, I don’t know! I have amnesia, remember?” The color drained from Sophia’s face as her mom looked at her more closely, her mom’s expression a blend of puzzlement and concern.
 

“Your tattoo is inappropriate for you. Get dressed now, and I’ll drive you to your art class.” Then, Elizabeth went back downstairs, disappointed.

Sophia exerted a lot of effort to look at her tattoo again, self-questioning how she had it, until it finally frustrated her. And so, she began dressing up, and also went downstairs.

The steering wheel appeared more fragile than glass when Elizabeth drove Sophia’s red mini-Cooper. It was not used for months now, and Elizabeth decided to use it in the hope of bringing back Sophia’s old memories.

Sophia looked vacantly through the windshield. She was thinking of what could happen later, of how to introduce herself in front of the class, and the like, but one thing that bothered her the most was… if she could still sketch or paint.

“If you need something, don’t forget to call me or your dad.” Elizabeth attempted to distract her.

Sophia managed a nod.

Now, they were almost approaching Emerald Building.
 

“Are you sure you’re not hungry?” Elizabeth stirred Sophia again, after Sophia admitted she couldn’t eat earlier. “We’re thirty minutes early. We could still grab some pancakes and bacon…”

“Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll grab my meal later.” Sophia gave her mom a smile, then planted a kiss on Elizabeth’s flawless cheeks.

It was an absolute bombshell to Elizabeth and it made her freeze up, disbelieving the latter act from her daughter. She was never kissed by Sophia, before. Before the amnesia, Elizabeth amended silently.

“Sophia…” Elizabeth grabbed Sophia’s hand, the moment she recovered from her surprise.

“Yes, Mom?”

“Take care of yourself, okay? And be careful of strangers!” Elizabeth was exceptionally serious in saying it.

Dumbstruck, Sophia widened her smile. “Yes, Mom. I will.”

And then, Elizabeth provided her a quick once-over as soon as Sophia stepped out of the car.

Sophia arrived in class and saw ten of her classmates. Glancing, she saw five vacant chairs at the back—three at the second-to-the-last row and two at the last one. She went straight to the nearest one but Ms. Bun saw her and welcomed her. She turned red-faced when all of her classmates began to scrutinize her. But she handled the situation fairly enough, and hurried to sit down again.
 

She was taking down notes about the introduction to the program when a tall guy suddenly entered the room.

“Oh! I suppose you are Mr. Leivinhyde!” Ms. Bun spoke in obvious pleasure, and began to introduce him to the class.

The tall guy took his shades off and beamed. He thanked Ms. Bun for her warm welcome and looked for an available seat.

“Wow! He’s really hot!” one of the females whispered, in admiration.

Still writing and absolutely clueless about the new guy’s presence, Sophia overheard, then out of curiosity, she finally set her eyes on him. One way or another, she was suddenly mesmerized.

The tall guy was looking at her, too, keenly, and a partial smile was bestowed upon her. Unexpectedly, he sat down beside her.

“Hi! I’m Jericho,” he spoke with confidence.

Sophia flushed and wondered if he was the Jericho she knew in her diary. In a flash, she excused herself and ran to the lady’s room.
 

Terribly bothered, she appeared before the mirror, while she washed her face again and again, trying to stop the shaking of her hands. She paused for a moment and pressed her fingertips to her eyes as if the pressure would stop her tension. Then, she took a deep breath and wiped her face with tissue paper.

When she was somewhat eased, she went out and was startled to see Jericho, waiting outside the lady’s room, as if she was his target.

She stopped, motionless, her heart beating fast and loud.
 

Jericho, as he stood against the wall facing the door, noticed her fast and shallow breathing.
 

“Are you scared of me?” he asked with a dagger look.

“I... I’m not feeling well,” Sophia reacted, stumbling.

“Really? I’m a doctor. I suppose you need me.”

Upon hearing it, Sophia felt like she waned.

Jericho looked sharper and more tempting. He was trying to figure out if she knew something about him.

Sophia attempted to escape from him but Jericho suddenly grasped her right hand and led her straight to the lady’s room, and swiftly locked the door knob. Then, he began to interrogate her.

“Let go of me!” Sophia protested aggressively.

Jericho carefully pushed her against the wall and examined her from head to toe. “Do you not remember me, Sophia?”

With her eyes avoiding his piercing look, Sophia grew scared. “I don’t know you! Please, get off me!”

“Even if you scream right now, no one will hear you, Sophia.” Jericho clutched her even tighter. “Now, if you’ll allow me... I just want to explain some few things.”

Sophia ceaselessly pleaded for him to let her go, but Jericho was unwilling.

“Please, don’t hurt me!” Sophia begged severely, as tears started to fall from her terrified eyes.

“I would never hurt you, Sophia,” Jericho assured.

“What do you want from me?” Sophia turned even more frightened as she incessantly endeavored to flee his overpowering skintight grip.

“I just want you to trust me and listen to what I’ll say. I promise that I won’t hurt you, Sophia,” Jericho mellowed, and voluntarily wiped her tears with his caring hands.

Sophia paused, shaking. She looked at him again and begged him to let go of her. This time, her face manifested courage.

“Sophia, I missed you so much.” Jericho bared his emotions uninvited, as he laid his head on her chest. “Why do these things have to happen to us?” He poured out even more words!