It's Time To Go

Azalea is in a deep sleep right now and she's in dream land where she sees herself walking beside a great river.

The water is so clean and the fishes are so colorful. She feels at ease in this place and she wish her mom is here.

"Azalea...."

A warm and sweet voice is calling her name and she knows to whom that voice belongs to, for she grew up listening to that sweet voice all her life. Azalea's lips curve upward and form a beautiful smile. She knows her mom is here too.

Her eyes searched the place to see where that voice is coming from. She keeps on looking in every corner to find her and when her eyes meet hers she was delighted.

She tried to run to where her mother is standing. But she was force to stop realizing her mother is in the other side of the river.

"Mom... mom..." Azalea use all her might to call her mother on the other side. She saw her mother's beautiful smile while waving at her.

"Mom..."

"Mom....."

She keeps on shouting, calling her mother but it seems like she don't hear a thing. Her mother is just keeps waving and smiling at the other side. Azalea's heart is in panic.

'What is going on, why can't she hear me?'. She ask herself.

Then all of a sudden her mother just turned around and started walking away.

"Mom, where are you going?." Azalea is running back and forth trying to reach her.

She don't know what to do she can see her mom is leaving but she can't stop her. Tears are running down to her cheeks. She just keep screaming hoping she will hear her but at the end she just lost her. In her vivid dream, she just see herself sitting in front of the river, crying her heart out. She can't believed her mother left and leave her alone.

"Azalea... Wake up!". A soft voice is echoing in her ears. "What's wrong baby, why are you crying?". She was asking her with full of worries.

"Mom?..." She calls for her mother almost crying.

"Yes?.... I'm here baby, don't cry..... Did you have a bad dream?". Celestine hug her daughter tightly and patted her back. She tried to calm her down.

"Mom, I thought you left me". Azalea's eyes are full of tears. She is hugging her mother tightly.

Celestine hugs her daughter more closer to her chest. She is in deep silence. She feels like Azalea's dream foretell their future. She can't say anything not even a word of comfort or assurance that she won't be going anywhere because she knows it will only be a lie.

All she can do right now is to hug her tight for her to feel her heart. The overflowing love she have for her precious daughter that's the only comfort and assurance she can give.

"Azalea, can you do me a favor, baby."

"Yes mom, anything."

"Mommy wants you to always be brave and be tough, in whatever situation you are in. Always make sure that you will overcome anything with your own will. Always be there for yourself, never rely to anyone and most of all study hard... Can you do that for me honey." Then she flash her sweetest smile to her daughter.

Azalea became silent. She is looking at her mom with tears in her eyes. No words wants to come out from her mouth. She just stared at her with eyes full of sadness and worries and she just nod.

Celestine knows that her daughter is aware of whats happening in their lives but she just keep her thoughts to herself just like how she keeps hers too. No one wants to talk about the sad future they just want to live every minute of their life as it is.

"Come on now you need to prepare for school." Celestine breaks the silence between them.

Azalea slowly remove herself from her bed she don't want to go to school today. She wants to stay home and just accompany her mother but she knows her mother won't allow her to skip school. With heavy footsteps she walk directly to the bathroom and took a shower and head down to the dining room.

"Eat a lot honey, you'll be needing a lot of energy today". She smiled while putting food to Azalea's plate.

"Yes mom". She said softly.

She noticed the happiness in her mom's voice everytime she serves her breakfast. She really loves to cook for her.

After breakfast she went to school and start to make herself busy.

Ten minutes before lunch. The school principal came in to her room.

"Azalea Sherriman, please follow me." The woman's voice have a hint of worry.

Azalea looked at the Lady Principal of their school and she can see the sadness emitting in her eyes. She's showing a lot of patience while waiting for her too.

'Something's not right'. She thought.

A thousand scenario is running through her head and she wants to ignore all of it because each scenario is leading to her mom's condition.

'Dear God, please, not yet, I beg of you.' She prayed that none of her feared thoughts will materialize.

She's following her school principal and they are walking on the hall. They are heading to the principal's office.

Azalea feels like this is the longest walk she ever did in her life even though the place they are going to is not really far from her school room.

She feels like she's carrying a heavy burden and she wants to cry but she keeps on holding her tears back.

The long walk has ended and she's breathing heavily. When she entered her office she saw a familiar figure. The man she called father.

"Azalea.... it's time to go".