The Gentle One

CHAPTER I: Genesis

Bob and Dominique were best of friends since childhood. They are neighbors and their

parents were very close to each other. Dominique knows almost everything about Bob but Bob

knows everything about Dominique. They went to day care, elementary and high school

together.

As time passes by and as they grow older, Bob grows a different feeling towards

Dominique. Sadly, they went to different college after they graduate from high school.

“I need to go to the city. There I can pursue my study and fulfill my dreams.”

“But we have a promise that we will never leave each other, that we will be together wherever we will go. Why are you leaving me?”

“But this is for my future too. Don’t you want me to be happy, to reach my dreams?” Dominique started to cry. She ran away after she had that argument with Bob.

However, that did not become a hindrance for Bob. Instead, he accepts it as a challenge

to prove his love for her. He courts her, always ask her out and he never forgets to give flowers

for her whenever they meet.

“Hey Dominique, I am going to the city this weekend. Can I visit you this Saturday evening?” Bob asks her.

“Yes of course! I’d be grateful to see you again.”

“Well. Sure then. Saturday evening at 6:00? Where are we going to meet?”

“At the café near my apartment.” She said.

Bob arrives at the city Friday night. He immediately calls Dominique that he is already at

the city. He makes sure that they are really going to see each other the next day. Both of them

are happy that finally they are going to meet after the fight that they had before Dominique left.

“Hey, I am outside your apartment.” Bob called.

“I’m coming. I will be there, just give me five more minutes.”

“Okay. Just do not make me wait for too long. I know you for years now and you are like a snail

when you are dressing up for a date.” He laughs.

“Oh really? No! This is not a date even if you ask me out. You are just assuming that this is a

date.” Dominique said loudly on the phone and then laughs too.

“Fine. I am just joking. Be quick.”

Bob went through this routine for months and eventually Dominique falls for what she

see when she is with Bob.

The Madrigals, Dominique’s parents, are never against their relationship, they are aloud and they tell to the family’s friends what a great relationship Dominique and Bob have. Mr. Madrigal would always say that…

“My daughter is really lucky to have such an intelligent young man to be his boyfriend.” Mrs. Madrigal would add…

“Bob is the lucky one because she has our daughter, our princess that is a beautiful young woman who is successful at her chosen career.” Then they will smile at each other.

But the Morgans, Bob’s parents, were the opposite of Dominique’s, they just keep silent

and do not tell anything about their son’s relationship.

“We must tell them the real situation about Bob.” Mr. Morgan always says to her wife.

“No! Can’t you see that our son is happy?! We will be quiet. I will let Bob to do what he wants to do. That is the end of it!” Mrs. Morgan shouts at his husband.

Mr. Morgan shuts his mouth because he does not want to argue with his wife again for

the nth time about their son. His wife does not want Dominique’s parents to stop their son from

being happy for what he is doing.

Bob proposes to Dominique after she finished college and they got married. As their

marriage got longer, Dominique got to know who is the real Bob little by little. They always fight

every night.

“Why don’t you want to? Is there anything wrong about it? I want to have one too! I know you understand that I need to complete myself too!”

“But not in that way! I cannot even think of it! It will be hard for me! Please try to understand me.” Dominique sobbed.

During the fight, Bob will throw the vase or the picture frame to Dominique but because

she loves him, she just let him do it to her. She never tells her parents what Bob does to her

whenever they fight because she understands the reason why he hurts her. Dominique cannot

bear a child.

They have tried everything for her to get pregnant except one. Surrogacy. She does not

want their child to come from a surrogate mother. He always says that for them to be called a

real family, they must have children.

“I would rather adopt a child than undergo surrogacy!”

“Now what?! You are disobeying me? Do not forget that I am still your husband!”

“And I am still your wife Bob!”as she shouts to Bob.

He got angry with her and threw her a plastic glass. Since then he always hurt her.

He got tired of fighting and hurting her every night. Once, he goes to a bar and gets

himself relaxed. Just to escape the reality that he will never have a child and they will never be a

family. At the bar, Bob saw a lovely woman named Brielle. He talked to the manager.

“Hey can I have a talk with that lovely woman?” He said to the manager while pointing to Brielle.

“Sure! But you must give me a gift.” The manager smiled evilly at Bob. He is asking for a bribe.

Bob gave him money and he watches the manager as it walks toward Brielle. The

manager talks to Brielle then she agrees as she asks for a little tip from the manager. More

nights came when Bob and Brielle will meet at the bar and have some good time. He realizes he

found out something from Brielle that Dominique cannot give him. A child.

Dominique finds out that her husband is cheating on her. She went to a friend of Brielle

and asks where she is and her boyfriend. The friend told that Brielle texted her and that they

were going to the public pool.

Dominique drives as fast as she could. She arrives at the public pool and sees that her

husband and her mistress were playing with a child. The child is a year old and it was Bob’s

child from Brielle.

“What is this?! Bob! Tell me what this is! Who is thischild?!” Dominique loses her temper and

started shouting inside the house.

“Will you please shut your mouth?! This is my son! Now, are you happy?” as Bob angrily tells

Dominique.

“How long have you been keeping this to me Bob? I will give you two choices; it is either that

woman or me! Now pick.”

“I am telling you Dominique, you will not like my answer. I am asking you to leave this place now

or else.”

Bob decides to leave Dominique and went with Brielle. They migrated to Canada.

Dominique cannot stand the pain that her husband is leaving her for another woman and a

child.

CHAPTER II: Unconventional Tale

John and Jasper are brothers. They never leave each other even in times of difficulty.

John Cooper is the eldest. He is ten years old. He is now a fourth grader at Valdez Elementary

School. Jasper Cooper is turning nine the next month and is a third grader.

They are attentive, enthusiastic and have initiative. Whenever they are told by their

teachers to do something, they will do it properly and without murmuring.

“Hey Jasper, will you give this to Sir Albert?” Ma’am Escaño will say while handling a box of chalk to Jasper. Or…

“John, will you go to the canteen and order us some snacks?” Sir Peralta will request.

For that reason, they are the teacher’s pet of most of the teachers of Valdez Elementary

School. When there is an occasion, especially Christmas and before the school year ends, the

teachers will give them gifts.

“John, where is your brother?” asks by Ma’am Badua.

“He is at the canteen ma’am, helping Mrs. Ibarra on packing the foods for the faculty’s Christmas party.”

“Oh, is that so? Well, I am giving you these gifts. I am sorry if it’s the only thing I could afford for the two of you.”

“Thank you ma’am! This is our firs presents for Christmas.” John says happily.

“That’s still nothing compared to the other gifts. Oops! My tongue slipped, well, I need to go to the clinic now. I have some business to do. Goodbye John.” As she smiles to him.

“Goodbye ma’am! Thank you for the gifts!”

Since the brothers started to go to school, the teachers knew there is something different

between the two boys. Every day they will notice that the boys have bruises, cuts and wounds

all over their body.

“Have you seen John’s bruises on his arms?” a teacher asks.

“Yes, and Jasper has a cut on his left hand.” Another teacher says.

“Lately, I have notices that the two are not that energetic. What do you think is wrong?”

“We must unanimously decide to take them to a special psychiatrist and also talk to their father regarding about this situation.” The guidance councilor says.

“You are right Ma’am Daracan. Let us make request letter for the father.”

They worries because there might be something strange that is happening whenever the

boys are not in school but when they starts asking them at the guidance councilor’s office. They

will remain silent and say that they are fine and nothing is wrong with them.

The brothers can be seen most of the times at the guidance councilor’s office. Not that

they have done anything wrong but they are being treated by a special psychiatrist for the

teachers know that the boys need help from someone who can understand what they are going

through. They also tried to invite the boys’ father with them but they refuses to bring him.

“John and Jasper, I want you to come with me at the guidance office. There is someone I want

you to talk to.” Ma’am Daracan talks to them at the canteen.

“Why ma’am is there anything wrong?” Jaspers asks.

“No. I just want to make sure that the two of you are doing well.”

Back at the office…..

“Well hello John, hello Jasper. I am Dra. Noemi Mosuela. I am a psychiatrist and I am here to

help you.”

The doctor smiles gently at the two. Then she starts asking them on different matters.

“I will be your personal psychiatrist from now on until the two of you are better. Is it alright with

you?

“Yes doctor. Are we going to pay you for this?” as they asks curiously.

“Oh no. You do not have anything to worry about the expenses. This service is free of charge

because I love helping people especially kids like you.”

“Thank you doctor!” they both smiled.

Even though they both excel in class and win every competition they participate, the

teachers have never seen their father. Every recognition day, the adviser of the boys or the

guidance councilor is the one who walks with them at the stage and gives them their awards.

At a regular school day, the bullies will hurt the two boys, mock them with different

names and throw papers or pencils at them. They never listen to the teachers when they say

that they must not hurt the brothers for they are undergoing a special treatment and they have a

special case regarding on family matters.

“Hey pig face! How is your pig pen?” a student shouts at them and laughs annoyingly.

“Dorky and Jerky! Get out of this school!” another student mocks them.

Then a teacher would shout “You kids! Stop that or I will get you and bring you to the guidance

office!”…”How many times am I going to tell you to not mock or say names and bully this two?

Can’t you understand me?”

“Yes sir.” The bullies runs away.

Then days came when the brothers do not attend school for a couple of days. The

teachers get disturbed. When they are trying to contact the father, there will be no answer from

the other line of the telephone. They did not got any response from the mails they sent every

day. As if, the father of the boys is pulling them away from the kind people who are ready to

help his sons.

CHAPTER III: The Kith and Kin

For years, the Cooper brothers have kept their secret from the people around them.

Back when they were still little, around four and three years old, they have a happy and normal

life. Their mother always cooks them food at the morning while their father will water the plants

around their garden. At night, their parents will tell them bedtime stories and give them warm

milk to drink before they go to bed. At weekends, the family will go to the neighboring town’s

public pool and teach them how to swim. Sometimes they will have an out-of-town vacation at

the nearby province and show them how life at farm is different from the life at the city.

During weekdays… (Morning)

“Mom! Mom! I want pancakes and eggs for breakfast!” John asks her mother.

“Mommy I want cereals for my breakfast.” Jasper adds.

“Okay then, mommy will give you what you want. Just be good boys for the rest of the day. Now, call your father. He is at the garden watering the plants.” Mrs. Cooper smiles.

“Sure mom!” They will both answer at the same time.

“Hey Dad! Breakfast is ready!” shouts John.

“I’m coming buddy!” replies Mr. Cooper.

(Evening)

“Mommy I’m getting sleepy.” Jasper tells at a soft voice.

“Me too Mom.” John says.

“Alright, let us call Daddy and he will tell us a nice bedtime story.” Mrs. Cooper calls her husband and they will both lie beside their sons at the bed.

After telling a story, their parents give them a glass of milk. They will tell the boys that

they need milk for them to grow strong and healthy young men.

During weekends…

“Dear, can we go to the public pool at the town next to us? I want to teach our sons how to swim.” Mr. Cooper says gently at his wife.

“Sure. I will pack their things and get them ready then we will leave as soon as we can.”

(at the public pool)

“Dad! Jasper is drowning!” shouts John.

“What the?! Find your Mom! I think she’s outside buying ice cream!” a worried reply came from Mr. Cooper.

A few minutes later, Jasper is safe from drowning but is in critical condition. They rush

into the hospital. The doctors find out that Jasper’s lungs are full of water, which is caused by

his drowning and say that it must be remove from his lungs immediately. The couple does not

know where to get money for the operation. They decided to get help from friends, family and

loaning companies. Mr. Cooper talks to his son at the hospital’s chapel.

“John I want you to tell me the truth. Why did Jasper drowned?” Mr. Cooper asks his son.

“It was this man at the public pool. Jasper and I were playing when the man runs towards us. We both looked around and saw a woman at the entrance of the pool. It’s like he’s stopping the woman from getting into the other woman and her baby.” John is shaking.

“And then?”

“Then the woman at the entrance started to shout and was out of control. She started walking towards the baby and the man was at her back holding and stopping her. As they walk, Jasper got nervous from the tension and then jumps at the deeper side of the pool. No one saw him and that’s the time that I ran to you for help because I do not know how to swim.” John adds.

“Now I know. We cannot blame them because they do not know what happened either. The only thing we can do now is to pray for your brother.”

Jasper eventually survives the operation. The family is very thankful to the doctors

because they saved their son’s life.

A year later, things changed when John and Jasper turned five and four. The family went

from happy and normal life to a troubled one. They were buried from loans that they have not

paid for the past year because of Jasper’s operation. The family’s relatives helped them by

buying some of their appliances and furniture. His cousin bought even the car that Mr. Cooper

worked hard for because they do not have any choices left. If they keep their things, they will not

be able to survive their everyday lives.

“What are we going to do? My head is turning upside down from all these problems.” Mrs. Cooper starts to cry as she says those words.

“We can do this dear. I know we can. This is just another trial for our relationship. I am going to sell my car to my cousins, it will cost more and the money may sustain us for a couple of months.” Mr. Cooper hugs his wife.

“But that is your priced possession. I cannot let you do that.” Mrs. Cooper opposes.

“I can bear it. My priced possession now is my family. I will not let us starve to death because I cannot sell my car. I love you more than my car. Always remember that.” He lulls.

Mr. Cooper thought that they have passed one of their biggest problems as a family but

he was wrong. Soon as he gets a decent job, Mrs. Cooper gets into so many troubles. She

leaves home early in the morning and will come late at the evening. She forgot that she has still

sons to take care. What is worse is that she had a relationship with a rich man. He finds this out.

“Jamie, what were you thinking going out with another man?!” he asks his wife.

“I just wanted to have a comfortable life! That’s all!” she replies.

“You just want a comfortable life? I have a job now! What else do you want?!”

“To be away from you James! I do not know but I have fallen out of love from you! It is like you and your sons were my bad luck charm!”

“What?! All these years! You were just pretending to be a good wife and mother?! You should have told me this before!”

“I was out of mind! I cannot decide very well back then! And now that I realized what I want, I am going to leave you!”

“That’s it? You are just going to leave us like toys. How nice of you!”

“Yeah! How nice of me to bear that suffering from you! Did you know that when Jasper got out from the hospital I was like going to be crazy from all the loans?!

“I told you I can handle that! Please, do not leave us. Think of our sons.” Mr. Cooper starts to cry.

“No. I have already decided to leave you. Do not worry. I have left some money to keep you from starving. Goodbye James.” She starts to walk with her bags.

The two boys are at the school that time and when they arrives home, what they saw is

their father drinking a case of beer. They asks their father what is wrong, he says that their

mother had left them for a rich man and that they were her bad luck charm. After saying that, he

starts to find his baseball bat and begins to strike his sons. That was the brother’s secret.

CHAPTER IV: Unmasking

The teachers continued to call the Cooper’s residences. Hoping that one day, they will

be lucky enough if one of the boys answers it. The mails that they send returns to them, they

wonder why and the mailman says that the Coopers are not living in that house anymore which

makes their search more difficult.

“Dad, the teachers at our school are helping us.” Jasper says happily.

“We met this doctor named Noemi. She is very nice to us. She helps us overcome our fears.” John adds.

“What are you two boys talking about?” Mr. Cooper is drunk again.

“Well, the teachers say that we must go a special treatment. They ask for a psychiatrist to help them understand why we have these bruises all around our body.”

“And what did you said about your bruises?” he questions.

“Nothing Dad, we do not want you to get into a trouble that is why we just keep silent.” John defenses.

“Yesterday the doctor and the guidance councilor ask us if we can invite you to a meeting. They want to talk to you Daddy.” Jasper says. But something unexpectedly happened…

“Are you two insane?! Where is my baseball bat?! Here it is!” Mr. Cooper got angry and started to hit his sons again. After that, he said… “Go and pack your things up! We are leaving this house right now! No buts!”

They instantly drives away from home and went to a friend’s house where they are going

to stay because his friends are migrating to Australia and there will be no other person to take

care of their house so they decided to talk to James and offer him a job. A few weeks later, he

enrolled his sons to a new school where no teachers can interfere with their lives.

One afternoon, after school, the brothers find their Dad was lying on the floor and is so

drunk.

“Jasper, will you help me pick up Dad?”

“Sure, I will just put our things inside the room.”

They pick their Dad up and lay him on the couch… “Phew! Dad got heavy huh?” John says.

“Yup! Maybe all those alcohol gave him that weight.” Jasper replies and they start to laugh.

But Mr. Cooper hears them laughing and he gets irritated… “Stop laughing you fools!”

The two cannot stop laughing…

“I said stop laughing!” He gets up and picks his baseball bat.

“Shoot! Dad is getting up!” John notices.

“Do you know why I am always drunk?” Their father says in an angry voice…

“It’s because your mother left me because she believes that you two were bad luck charms. I guess she is right. You two really are bad luck! Ever since that incident, our relationship was ruined! I hate having you!” He starts hitting his sons

The two cannot understand their father so they both decide to run away. When they

father gets into sleep. They sneak out of their house and run to the road. At the road, they saw a

bus, which leads to the other town. They got into it but they do not know where they are going.

They fall asleep at the trip and as they open their eyes, they knew that they are not in their

hometown anymore. John pulls out a 50-peso bill from his pocket, he took it from his father’s

wallet, and hand it to driver and then they run. The dark is stealing the day and heavy rainclouds

are forming on the sky, they must find a place to stop by.

“Jasper, are you tired?”

“Yes I am and hungry too.” He moans.

“Okay. Let’s eat at that place then we will find a place to sleep.”

“At last! I am really hungry!”

After eating, they roam around the place to find a house to sleep in. They notice a street

with an abandoned house and they went in it. The place is in good condition, its just the

cobwebs that make it looks creepy. They cleans the entire living room, Jasper looks around and

finds a picture a side table, it looks familiar so he calls his brother.

“John! Look at this photo. Does it look familiar to you?” Jasper points towards it.

“Hmmmnn. I think I have seen the people in that photo before.”

“That is the man and the lady at the pool where I drowned!” he yells.

“So this is their house, I think the lady who is out of control is the real wife.” John concluded.

“That is why she was at rage back then.” Jasper adds.

“What a small world, we have come to the place where the one who are living here were the cause of your drowning.” John wonders. “Okay, so much of that. We must sleep now. You sleep on the couch and I will sleep at the carpet, I found a pillow, I will be the one using it.”

Just as they are going to sleep, Jasper hears a noise coming from the kitchen. They rushed to find a place to hide. They hide under the coffee table. Jasper sneaks a peek and what he saw next shocked him.

“What was that noise?” John questions his brother.

“I don’t know bro. I will peek to get a better look.” Jasper responses.

“Now, what do you see?”

“I… I… I cannot explain.” Jasper says utterly as he sees a white thing floating on the air.

“Tell me dude! I need to know!” John says eagerly.

“Wait. I will take a closer look.”

And as Jasper moves forward to the thing, he sees a clearer image of the face. He describes it as a beautiful woman, which is somewhat familiar to him. The woman is Dominique. She is wearing a long white gown.

“John! You need to see this!” he shouts to his brother.

“Fine! Do not scare me bro!”

“Look. She is the woman at the picture.” Jasper describes the white lady.

“And she is the woman that we saw at the pool when we were little.” John adds.

“Boys… I have come here to see you… So, you are the ones who are making noises here in my house…” Dominique says softly.

“…It is nice to see someone new here after all those years I have been alone…” She adds gently and with a smile on her face.

“Oh gosh... You are so pretty.” John says with his mouth open.

The Cooper brothers and Dominique talked for a little. As their conversation got longer, so is the night. Before Dominique asks the two to go to bed and sleep, she asks a question.

“What are you two doing here? And how did you get here?”

“We ran away from home. We just tried if we could survive without our father.” John replies.

“But why did you run away?” She asks with worries on her face.

“Because he always strikes us with his baseball bat. We love him and we really do but we cannot stand the pain of being hit every day when he is drunk.” Jasper says as tears drop from his eyes.

“Do not cry. I hate seeing children cry.” Dominique says sadly and comforts John and Jasper.

“Can we ask you a question Ms. Dominique?” John inserts in the conversation.

“What is it dear John?”

“Why are you here? Why are you a ghost? They say that when spirits are roaming, they still have unfinished business to do or they cannot leave something from the past.”

“It is a long story but I must tell it to you two. Is it alright?” She asks.

“It is fine with us Ms. Dominique.” Jasper smiles.

Dominique starts to tell them her story.

“Can you see that man in the picture beside me? He is my husband. That day at the pool

where Jasper had his accident that was also the day, that he left me and decided to migrate to

Canada. I cannot stand the pain and guilt in my heart for not letting my husband have his child.

Soon, speculations from gossipmongers around the town were spreading the news

about what happened to my relationship. I knew that I was the talk of the town that week. I got

frustrated and killed myself. My spirit got off from my body, and there I was floating around our

home.”

After a week, the rumor was over and people got back to what they have used to do but

something strange happened, the neighborhood were all complaining to the town’s chairperson.

They smelled a foul odor from the couple’s house. The chairperson resolute to check the house.

After checking all the rooms, only one was left to see. The kitchen. They were all shocked to

see a woman’s body hanging at the kitchen. Dominique wore her favorite dress before she die

and it was her wedding gown. Investigations show that Dominique hanged herself and to make

sure that she will die, she cut herself with a bread knife.

“The chairperson immediately reported what they saw to the police. The police then

informed my parents what happened. They filed a complaint to my husband’s family for what

their son have done to me.

My mother and father thought of selling the house where I had committed suicide but no

one wants to buy it because of the history that happened to my house. They decided to leave

this place and not to sell it again.

To release their aches from the past, they moved from the city to the province where I

grew. They wanted to start a new life and to forget what Bob Morgan, my husband, did to me.

“Whoa! That is one unique story!” The boys say at chorus as they watch Dominique cry.

“Okay, so much for that. You too must sleep now and please do me a favor. Tomorrow morning

you must go back to your house.”

The boys fall asleep easily. The next morning, they saw money at the coffee table and a

note saying “Buy whatever you like to buy with this money. These were the money I saved for

our future as a family but you can have it now.” They looked for Dominique all around the house

and they saw her at the master’s bedroom.

“Ms. Dominique, we are leaving now. We will never forget you and thank you for not scaring us

and for letting us sleep here.” John bids their goodbye to her.

“John. Jasper. If there comes, the time that you are sick of your father’s hitting you. Do not

forget to come back to this place. This will be your new home.” She says with a gentle voice but

with a sad look on her face.

CHAPTER V: Melancholic and Ecstatic Comebacks

John and Jasper returned to their place and as usual, they arrived seeing their father

lying at the carpet and vomits were all over the place.

“We must clean this before Dad wakes up.” John invites Jasper.

“Yup! I will just check the room and change dress.”

They cleaned the whole house and thought that if their father wakes up with a clean

house, he will be in a good mood and will not hit them again with the baseball bat or something

but they were wrong. The time that their father had woken up, he immediately grabs something

and threw it to the boys. He continued doing this.

“Where did you too went?! Did you think of running away from me?!” Mr. Cooper shouts angrily

at the two.

“No Dad! We were just walking around when we got lost, fortunately, we found our way back

home and here we are! Aren’t you happy that we are here now?” John explains.

“Do not use that excuse to me! I know you too!”

Months and years gone by and still Mr. James Cooper did not change even a little. Its

like hitting his sons is a daily routine in his life since her wife left them. The boys endured the

suffering for more than a year. They stopped going to school too for their father does not want to

spend his money on his sons that he too, treats as a bad luck charms. The boys begged their

father to put them back to school again.

“Dad, will you please enroll us to school again? We promise we will be good boys and we will

not let the teachers interfere to our family again.” John begs his father.

“How many times do I need to tell you not to ask me that again?!” Mr. Cooper replies.

“But Dad, it feels like we hungers for knowledge and we thirst for advices. The boys outside also

make us jealous when they show us their home works and tell what they have achieved every

year.” Jasper begs his father too.

“Alright! If you will not listen to me then I will just make your mouths shut!”

Mr. Cooper started to strike them repeatedly until the boys cannot even stand with their

own feet. John was brutally hit with the baseball bat and cannot move his arms, when he turned

his head he saw his brother. Jasper was lying on the floor near the stairs where his father threw

him, he was unconscious and could not even speak or utter a word, he just keeps groaning to

John. Their father did not even cared for them or tried to take them to the hospital.

After a month of resting in bed, John can now stand, walk, and serve his brother. Jasper

almost died but thanks for his brother, John managed to carry him to bed where he nursed him

until he got well. One night, Jasper had a dream that someone is calling him.

“Jasper… Jasper… It is I, Dominique. I saw how you and your brother bear that suffering. I

know how it feels like to love someone who cannot even love you back. I feel your pain. Will you

two run away again and come back here with me? Will you leave your father and never return, I

promise I will never let anyone hurt you again.” Dominique tells Jasper.

After she said this, Jasper woke up and instantly wakes John too but John was too tired

to listen to his brother so he went back to sleep again. The next morning…

“John! Dominique showed to me in my dream! She was telling me something!” he says

excitedly.

“What is it? Spill it out!”

“She said that she saw us and she knows the feeling of being physically abused. She does not

want us to be sad again, she said that we must run away and go to her. She will never leave us

John! She will let us live at her house! Can you believe that?!”

“I have been thinking of that last night. Do you remember that thing she said before we left her?

She said that we could still go back to her whenever we want and I am thinking of doing that.

Dad does not love us anymore. He almost strikes us with his baseball bat to death. We will

leave this night. Do you agree?”

“Of course! I will pack my things right away! I cannot believe that finally we are going to leave

this place!”

Later that night, they decided to take the last trip of the bus. They arrived at the town the

next day… When they have reached the house, a warm appreciation from the house welcomed

them as if it was waiting for them for a very long time. They heard a familiar voice…

“John! Jasper! I am very excited to see the both of you! It has been a long time since I saw you

at close. You two have grown up into very young handsome men.” Dominique says as she

welcomes them.

“Oh Ms. Dominique! If only we can hold you and touch you! We thank you for showing into

Jasper’s dream! If it weren’t for that we will not realize that we need to stay away from our

father.” John continues to give her thanks.

“Ms. Dominique, you said that we can now live here. What if your parents find us out? What if

they force us to leave this place?” Jasper is worried for what might happen.

“Do not worry my dear child. I already fixed it, even if I am a ghost, I still can do things normal

people usually do. I can talk to my parents in their dreams, like what I did to Jasper. I have my

savings at my bedroom under the bed beneath the floor. It has been there for a long time now.

You two can use that to support your education and your daily needs until the day you got your

job. Do you want me to be your mother until the day my spirit rests?” She smiles.

Meanwhile, back at the Coopers residences, James Cooper went insane from finding his

sons. He became aware that there is no one in the house except him. He was all alone now. His

sons which are what he all had were now gone. They have left him alone. Sadly, he got

frustrated and wasted his money on beers, he learned how to take drugs too and because of

depression, he killed himself. He thought that his life is not worth living for anymore and there is

no one to take care of him.

The money Dominique gave to the boys supported them for years. She serves as their

mother and guides them even if she is only a spirit. John was the one who decides what to do.

Jasper was the one who gives opinions to his brother and helps him on decision-making. After a

couple of years, the brothers talked to the Madrigals and they resolute to renovate the house.

They managed to rebuild and repaint the house in just a month. Dominique was very happy for

what happened because she can now do her job as a mother to the boys.

The boys finished high school and college from the money they have, from scholarships

and from the help of Dominique’s parents whom they were treated as grandsons. The day came

when they were all settled down, the boys have their own jobs. John works as a lawyer and

Jasper works as an engineer. They were both lucky even if they had so many sufferings from

the past.

Dominique bids her goodbye to the two when she knew that her unfinished

business on earth is now finished and her soul can now rest in peace. She realizes that even if

they went to different trials and hardships and the people around them were very brutal, they

could still be the gentle ones.

The gentle ones who prefer to live in a calm life and continue to love the people who

have hurt them in the past.