A Perfect World [2/2]

The tunnel isn't a narrow one, the reason for it not to be suffocating to people who might be claustrophobic or something similar. Adeline started taking some pictures of the tunnel and sent them right away to her mother if she needed some visual clues. Adeline and her father had a seat on the bench to have some rest.

“Are you thirsty?” she asked him kindly.

“No, don’t mind me. Just sit there and enjoy the view.”

She did what he told her, and the two both fell into a significant silence. Adeline secretly glanced at her father and saw the joy on his face.

“Did you know that I brought your mom here on the first day of our date?” her father suddenly opened up.

“Really? What was her reaction?” Adeline asked him excitedly.

“You two had the same reaction.” he chuckled happily, which was followed by a sigh of relief.

For Adeline, her father’s laugh makes her happy, and it also comforts her for which she hopes to never end.

“If you only knew how happy and content I was with my life with you and your mom, I would definitely make a video documentary about it if I still can.” Adeline’s father was a person who was very optimistic in everything, so even in this situation, he could still tell a joke.

“Of course, you can. There’s nothing you cannot do.” Adeline cheered him up.

Slowly, her father’s head turned to look at her with a matching warm smile. She did the same to him as she held his hands.

“I want to rest, my child.” he suddenly told her.

Those words made Adeline a little uncomfortable and gave her goosebumps. She thought of not becoming a pessimist in that situation that’s why she remained translucent.

“Do you want me to take you back home so that you can rest well?” Adeline tried to ask him.

“No. I want it to be here.”

Adeline granted her father’s wants and went to scoot closer to him. She allowed him to lay down on her right shoulders so that she could support him.

The father and daughter stayed in that resting position for quite some time and in total silence. Adeline went back and forth from checking if her father was already sleeping and she can see that he is. She felt her phone suddenly vibrate before seeing her mother’s text message saying that ‘Adeline needs to take her father back home and her mother will go home soon.’

Adeline replied to her mother about her father still sleeping. And there’s no way for them to get home sooner. So, her mother, later on, replied of coming to fetch them from the park instead, just about an hour.

They stayed another hour in the park until Adeline received her mother’s new text message saying that she’s already getting near to the park, the reason for Adeline to decide to wake her sleeping father.

“Dad, you need to wake up now. Mom’s going to be here in a minute.” she called him calmly.

There was no response coming from him.

“Dad? Dad?” she continued calling him calmly.

During that time, Adeline got nervous because she doesn’t know if what she thought was happening was already happening. She tried to hold his hand, but it was motionless, cold, and it could be lifeless.

"D-Dad?" Her voice cracked since her emotions are getting stirred up. The tears were already forming in her eyes, but she remained calm.

She sniffed, "Please, dad. Don't… do this."

Adeline watched him. Right inside her head was a blank. She doesn't know what to do anymore. It made her feel like the entire world crashed. She couldn't speak loudly enough for her father to hear if ever he could.

She’s realizing that he's not moving. He's not breathing anymore. His heart had stopped beating.

"Addie, my darling." Adeline glanced to where she heard her name being called and saw her mother approaching from the parked car.

Adeline couldn't help but let her tears flow down from her eyes, going down to her cheeks as she noticed how her mother's walking speed went slower and while she was looking at her unresponsive husband.

"What happened to dad?" her mother’s voice faded.

Adeline felt her throat had dried up and thought there wouldn't be any voices coming out from her lips.

"Dad is…" she gasped after sobbing. "...gone."

Her mother had already approached them, and she held her husband’s hand. She remained to stare at the lifeless another half of her heart.

"Dad…" Adeline’s mother’s voice also cracked.

She started crying silently while Adeline remained in the same emotion as hers.

"Thank you for giving us this life," she continued, "you can rest now."

Her mother’s words made Adeline almost break down in so many tears, but she kept it all to herself. There's no use if other people would see them mourn the death of the greatest man in their lives.

Adeline and her mother had held a private funeral for her father after a few days of his death and invited some close friends and relatives only. Right after the funeral, Adeline went straight to my bedroom to have some rest. But, her heart couldn't accept the fact that her father wasn't there with them anymore, that her life wasn’t complete anymore.

She opened up the gallery on her phone and searched for the picture of her dad during their stay at the cherry blossom tunnel. The photo of her father having a genuine smile while looking at the trees will always be the best image Adeline will have as his remembrance.

"Huh?" She suddenly became distracted after accidentally noticing her left eye getting blurry. She gently wiped it with her hand, but she got confused with what was suddenly happening to her eyes.

Adeline seemed to have her eye getting irritated after noticing how imbalanced the color she saw was. But since she wasn't sure of what’s happening, she thought of something else. She tried to cover up her right eye with her right hand while her left eye remained uncovered.

It confused her to see no colors other than the two: black and white.

Adeline switched on covering up her left eye and uncovering her right eye. She seemed to be completely normal because she can still see colors. But, she suddenly thought, why is her left eye like that? She’s not even sure if that condition would be terrible for her.