As morning came, the moaning disappeared. Today is Saturday, and we don't have class, especially since our semester break has started. What I wanted to do was to pay a visit to my grandmother and ask her some questions to make everything clear. It's not clear yet to me why Shaula needs to do this. I'm not sure what she really wants from me because we haven't discussed it yet.
At the same time, I'm thankful to Magdalene because it seems that she has convinced my dad to watch her and my son so I can hang with my friends and visit my grandmother. But first, I will ask Kiko if he wants to join me on this venture.
Kiko is always busy dating Kate these days, and he's not always talking to me. I remembered those days when he even stayed in my house all day because he could do nothing, and that was also the reason why he always played with words as paronomasia to make jokes, but it's all gone now.
Right! I can convince them to have a date in my grandmother's yard because the view there looks romantic. I don't know. I haven't dated anyone or asked any girls about that thing yet.
The new lovers didn't refuse to accept my invitation. I'm now going to Grandma's house with Kate Choco and Kiko McBald. Certainly, they wanted Liza and Lawrence to join us, but because I told them that they were the reason we were going there, they didn't insist.
"Dude, can you tell us the exact reason why we are going to your delirious, I mean, exorcist grandmother?" Kiko asked.
"We're going there to ask for her help in expelling the bad spirit in your body. Why don't you want to be good?" I replied.
"I'm asking you in a good manner, so don't answer me sidelong if you don't want a punch," he warned.
I was going to ask, "Asking in a good manner? But why did you seem to say that I have a delirious grandmother?" But because I don't want to make this little thing worse, I just said, "Honestly, I want to taste your punch again, but seriously, let's just get there so that you'll know the reason."
I know you have noticed that Kiko isn't playing words anymore, but it seemed that his old habit had turned to me, and I also noticed that because I'm the master of my sea, oh. Kiko became serious every time I talked to him, whereas I was always joking with him.
"Guys, are we there yet?" Kate asked, raising her neck to see what was ahead. She might have thought we were planning something wrong for her, because she looked too worried, especially since there are no more houses right where we are.
"We're not there yet. Are your dogs barking? You better not join us if you are tired of walking," Kiko said.
"No—I'm not tired yet. I'm just curious if where Ezekiel's grandmother lives is too far from our village right now," Kate replied. "Are you guys sure that you are really going there?"
"Why are you asking us that? Of course, we're going there, but you must ask yourself if you really want to go there," Kiko advised.
Kate sighed. Perhaps she really did not want to go with us, and it was all my fault that I insisted, but it's too late now because I can see my grandmother's house ahead.
"Stop complaining, Kate. You can't go back anymore because we're already here. Did you see that haunted house ahead? That's Ezekiel's grandmother's house," Kiko said.
"Gosh! That house really looks haunted, as you've said, but I'm in! In every grisly venture, so let's go!" Kate exclaimed while going towards my grandmother's house.
"Hey, wait for us, there's an evil ghost in that house!" Kate returned her gaze, dashed towards Kiko, and cuddled the big fat boy. Her arms could not fully embrace the man.
"Ha-ha," Kiko laughed and removed Kate's arms from around him. "That's just a joke. Don't be so serious, because evil ghosts won't touch you as long as you don't touch them."
Kiko had a point, but if they didn't really touch those who don't touch them, then why is Shaula always touching me even though I never hurt her, and how can we touch them if they are untouchable?
She touched my hands, my forehead, my lips, my neck, my armpits, my abdomen, and so on. Stop thinking about those nonsensical things. You better go to your grandmother now.
The decayed wooden gate is closed. It's been standing here since I was little, and until now it's still standing, even though it's decaying from the unpredictable weather.
"Grandma! Are you here?" I shouted several times.
"Dude, are you sure that your grandmother is here?" Kiko asked.
"Yup, she never leaves here, unless she didn't buy something in the store out there. Look! She's here, coming towards us," I said.
My grandmother is definitely old right now, because she's using a cane and her steps are slow. That's also the reason why she got out slowly, because she could not walk straight anymore.
"Grandson!" She exclaimed in a happy voice.
I thought that she could not recognize me anymore, but I was wrong, because I'm her only handsome grandson, so how could she forget me if there was nobody to remember but me?
"Good morning, great-grandmother," Kiko and Kate said.
"Oh, son of Kokoy MccBald, and daughter of..."
"Miki Choco," Kate interrupted.
Wow! I didn't know that my grandma's memories still worked like she was still young. Certainly, I wouldn't have known who Kate's father was if my grandmother had not attempted to say it.
"Come, come, let us get inside my house," Grandma invited. "So, can you tell me why you came to see me here?" she asked as she approached the door of her old house.
"Honestly, it's Ezekiel who has an intention, and he just invited us to go with him here." Kiko chuckled. "We didn't really need to go with him, but your grandmother and your grandson coerced us."
"Perhaps he is scared to go here alone, especially since there was always a ghost following him," Grandma replied while opening the door of her house.
"So, Ezekiel was not lying to me before?" Kate queried.
"Of course not, I have never lied to my friends, not even once, but since..."
"Since when?" Kiko asked.
"Since my grandmother entered this house, we should also enter because there was a ghost swinging on that swing before." I changed what I wanted to say and pointed an index finger at the swing.
"Please don't scare us," Kate asked.
"I'm not scaring you; I'm just telling the truth." I entered Grandma's house, and so they followed me, but at the same time, they looked back at the swing, which swayed with the cold wind.
My grandmother sat down on the antiquated rocking chair, which makes an inconsistent noise as it rocks back and forth. The new lovers also sat down on the wooden chairs beside the table. There were no chairs left, so I just stood and leaned down on the hard wall. At the same time, I forgot what I said next.
"Victims of love," Grandma said. She will not let you go because she adored you more than the flowers at Empyreal Haven. I already told you once about it, but it seems that you liked what she was doing and became addicted to it. There is no one else to blame; it was all your mistake, and you are now problematic."
Inside my grandmother's house, I count my breaths as it seems that my grandmother herself told me that everything was my mistake, that it could not happen if I became careful.
"Grandma?" I interrogated. "Please stop blaming me. I did not mean to be so handsome that even a ghost fell in love with me. But you are right, it was all my mistake. This is why these things happened, but what else can we do? We can't turn back the clock and fix everything. Shaula Olala is currently controlling Liza's body, and she won't let go of it."
"What?" the two exclaimed. They could not believe that it was the ghost who was always with them and not the real Liza, but for sure they also noticed it, because we've been friends since we were young.
"Son of... Why didn't you tell us earlier, Ezekiel?" Kate asked.
"How can I tell you if I was also deceived by that ghost? I just knew when we had a test. I saw her name written on the paper. Don't doubt me, because even though I've got a crush on Liza, I will not let that ghost stay with her body." I hardly tried to explain, but something began falling from my eyes. I knew it was tears.
"O son, don't cry. We are not scolding you, and, most of all, I did not regret having a handsome grandson like you. But being handsome is sometimes a big mistake because appearances bring many troubles in our families and society," Grandma said.
"Sorry, dude, Kate did not mean to—I mean, we did not mean to be inconsiderate with your feelings. We are just surprised that so many days have elapsed since we started staying with the girl whom we don't really know. We don't know if she really had good intentions," Kiko said.
"Grandma had said it already, that she just wanted to love me, even though I didn't even love her. There's too much absurdity in what she's doing to me, and I can't endure it anymore. So please, Grandma, help me expel that ghost from Liza's body," I said.
"I can help you, but I can't expel someone who does not have any bad intentions about what she's doing. As the saying goes, 'If love is with us, who can be against us?' Certainly none," Grandma replied.
"How could she say that Shaula didn't have bad intentions towards us if she could even enter Liza's body with her permission? She's so covetous, she not only covets Liza's body but mine as well."
"So, what else can we do in order to stop that ghost from doing what she's doing, and is Liza still fine?" Kiko asked.
"I assure you that your friend is fine. What you can do right now, son, is talk to that ghost and ask her to let go of your friend's body. You must explain what you need to explain, and please be patient to prevent making things worse," Grandma advised.
Kiko stood up and stepped toward me. "Dude, I know that you can do that for Liza. I know how much you adore her because she has been your crush since we were children." I did not listen to him but turned to leave.
I continued walking down the street like an imperfect perfectionist, but the exact reason is that I was kicking stones. I'm not a fool because of love; I'm a fool because of what love brought to me.